Some junior and intermediate titles, including accounting, are obtained through national examinations
In some Chinese professional series, passing the national examination establishes the junior or intermediate title without a separate review. Accounting is one example. Assistant accountants need at least senior secondary education; intermediate accountants can qualify with a bachelor's degree and four years of accounting work, or a junior-college qualification and five years. Some existing occupational qualifications can also be recognized as corresponding titles.
What it takes
Provincial examination registration fees and several months of spare-time preparation.
What you may gain
The 2016 reforms specify that professions with unified national junior and intermediate examinations no longer conduct separate reviews or recognition at those levels. In fields closely linking titles and occupational qualifications, obtaining an occupational qualification may establish the corresponding title and satisfy a condition for applying to the next level. In accounting, assistant accountant and accountant qualifications use national examinations. Senior accountant combines examination and review; full senior accountant generally uses review. Assistant-accountant applicants need at least high-school-level education, including secondary vocational, vocational high school, or technical school. Intermediate accountant eligibility includes a doctorate; a master's degree plus one year of accounting work; a second bachelor's degree or graduate-program completion plus two years; a bachelor's degree plus four years; or junior-college education plus five years. Holders of professional master's or doctoral accounting degrees may be exempt from the Financial Management subject in the intermediate examination. These are Chinese national arrangements.
Context & considerations
To establish whether your series uses examinations, review, or both, find its specific guiding opinions on professional-title reform. The human resources ministry and relevant sector departments have issued these documents by series; they are searchable in the Chinese government's policy database. Use the current examination notice for dates and subjects. Civil servants may sit accounting examinations but may not participate in accounting-title review.
Research & references
General Offices of the CPC Central Committee and State Council (2016). Opinions on deepening reform of the professional-title system. Occupational qualifications may establish corresponding titles and support applications to the next level; separate review is discontinued for junior and intermediate professions using national examinations. https://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2017/content_5163445.htm; Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and Ministry of Finance (2019). Guiding opinions on reform of accounting personnel's professional titles. Assistant accountants and accountants use national examinations, senior accountants use examination plus review, and full senior accountants generally use review. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2019-09/27/content_5433803.htm; Ministry of Finance and other departments (2024). Notice on linking professional accounting degrees with accounting professional qualifications. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202405/content_6952602.htm