Your pathway into public practice

This program is designed to help members establish themselves in public practice. It provides the technical and ethical requirements specific to public practice as well as the business management skills needed for a successful practice.

The program has two components:

1. Public Practice Program eLearning – online learning that focuses on the essential technical and ethical requirements to become a public practitioner.
2. Public Practice Program Workshop – a workshop designed to help set your business up for success through facilitator-led and self-paced practical learning. The workshop can be completed face-to-face or online.

The Public Practice Program eLearning or workshop can be done in either order.

Before January 2020, as part of the Public Practice Program members may have completed:

• Practice Management instead of Public Practice Program eLearning
• Public Practice Intensive instead of Public Practice Workshop

If you are applying for a limited public practice certificate, you only need to complete the Public Practice Program eLearning.

Once you have completed the Public Practice Program eLearning and workshop you must also meet the following requirements:

• You must hold adequate professional indemnity insurance (PII). This includes a minimum of $2 million in PII cover for members providing services in Australia and NZ$1 million for members providing services in New Zealand.
• You must have the required practical experience as stated in By-Law 9.4.

Australian and New Zealand residents

• If you have migrated to Australia in the last five years, you must also have completed Australian-specific company law and tax from an approved higher education provider.
• If you have migrated to New Zealand in the last five years, you must also have completed New Zealand-specific company law and tax from an approved higher education provider.

When you meet all requirements, you can apply for your public practice certificate within eight years of completing both components of the Public Practice Program.

Application forms and prerequisites for other public practice related certificates are also available, including a limited public practice certificate, multi-disciplinary practice and trading with a non-member.

Please refer to the related fees to  get a CPA Australia public practice certificate to practice in Australia or New Zealand.

The Best Practice Program is a holistic support model designed to set you up for success, ensure you understand your obligations and receive the right guidance early on, when it’s most needed.

This includes a minimum of $2 million in PII cover for members providing services in Australia and NZ$1 million for members providing services in New Zealand.

More information about PII requirements

All eligible public practice certificate holders must take part  in the Professional Standards Scheme, unless you have been granted an exemption, to limit your liability. To ensure you are covered you must display on all promotional material the notification of limited liability statement “Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation”.

Check your eligibility