FREE Bookkeeper Certification!
Have you wanted to take the QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor training but just don’t know where to start or can’t find it?
This is an amazing resource for bookkeepers (for FREE!) that so many beginners don’t know about. This is pretty much an industry standard for bookkeepers, as QuickBooks is the most popular accounting software in the United States.
On the Intuit website, this isn’t the most intuitive thing to find, so I want to walk you step-by-step through how to find this training and exam. I would definitely recommend this for anyone looking to start a bookkeeping business. It is the perfect first step to learn QuickBooks and get your feet wet as a bookkeeper.
Watch the video here, or keep reading!
How to register for the Quickbooks ProAdvisor training:
Find the right website - QuickBooks Online Accountant
Click on “Sign Up” - This is designed so you as a bookkeeper can manage multiple clients. Within my online accountant login, I have my own client accounts as well as my own practice books. Just a note: Clients will need to still purchase their own QuickBooks account, but the bookkeeper training is free.
Once registered, on the left tab, you click “ProAdvisor.” Then you will see two tabs (Benefits & Training). Click on “Training.”
What’s in the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Training?
You have access to three main trainings for ProAdvisors: the introduction, the QuickBooks online certification, and the advanced certification. Each of these count toward continued education for you as well, so this is a valuable tool to have within your bookkeeping business
Introduction to QuickBooks Online: for Accountants
This training will take you roughly 2 to 2 ½ hours to complete, and you can receive 2.5 CPE credits (continued professional credits).
There are five modules you’ll walk through within this training:
Getting started in QuickBooks online accountant
Navigating your clients’ QuickBooks online
Sales
Expenses
Bringing clients into QuickBooks online accountant
The first training is super basic, but it walks you through everything you need to know as you are getting started and navigating your way through your online account. It’s important to fully understand how to best use the system for you and your clients.
QuickBooks ProAdvisor Online Certification
This is the money item you were looking for!
The QuickBooks Online Certification is the training to help you become a ProAdvisor. It will take you roughly 7 ½ hours to complete, and you can earn 14.5 CPE credits.
The eight modules included in the training:
QuickBook solutions for clients
Client onboarding
Special client onboarding tasks
Managing your clients and work
Supporting your small business clients
Reporting
Banking and tools
Preparing clients’ books
The neat thing about this certification is that you can go through it three different ways: self-paced (which is what I chose), webinar-based, in the classroom. I would have loved to take one full day to do in-person training, but there wasn’t one available near me, which is why I chose to go the self-paced route.
The program does remember where you are at, so if you only had the time for half a training, you can leave it, come back to it, and it will remember just where you left off.
Taking the Exam
Once you finish the classroom portion, you will be able to take the exam. Once passed, you can download your certificate right there. You’ll also receive a badge you can download that you can include in your credentials on your website to show potential clients that you are certified as a QuickBooks ProAdvisor.
Because I’ve been a bookkeeper for six years, I knew a good amount of this information already. I ended up skimming through much of the information in about two hours and then went online and took the test. The exam is open-book, so I had one window of QuickBooks open, and I was taking the test in the other window.
For example, if the question was about where you would find how to make an invoice in QuickBooks, you could go into QuickBooks and find where you would go.
Need help preparing for the test?
I found the test to be as hard as I expected. It wasn’t super hard and unreasonable, but you do have to know enough about bookkeeping, and you may have to look around for or figure out a few of the answers. However, if I had done the training the way I was supposed to in the full 7-8 hours, I probably wouldn’t have had to look up as many things.
QuickBooks Online Advanced Certification
The QuickBooks Online Advanced Certification is another level of training you can get.. It will take you roughly 8 hours to complete, and you can earn 13 CPE credits.
The ten modules included in the training:
Advanced categorization
Inventory management
Special transactions
Billable changes
Multicurrency
Advanced banking
Advanced reporting
End of period activities
Advanced sales tax
Complex conversions
I have heard that the advanced certification is fairly challenging. It’s definitely next on my list!
Frequently asked questions
Q: Which QuickBooks version do I need to sign up for?
A: Make sure you sign up for the accountant version (QBOA)
Q: Is this bookkeeper certification available everywhere?
A: As of right now, this certification is only available in five countries - so check the website to see if your country is included.
Q: What if I have any technical-related questions or issues?
A: Go ahead and contact Intuit directly
OTHER RESOURCES:
Margie's QBO Test Prep (code "finepoints" for $30 off) : Fast and Easy QBO (basic)
Margie's QBO Test Prep (code "finepoints" for $100 off) : Fast and Easy QBO (advanced)
Have you gone through any of the certifications yet? Do you have any questions related to the certification or the exam?
