Our comprehensive Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) training and mentorship program provides our CPA students with the resources and support they need to succeed. With over 90% of our CPA candidates passing the Common Final Exam (CFE), we’re confident that the choice to article with DMCL is one you won’t regret.
The CPA certification program consists of education, a period of meeting relevant experience requirements and the CFE. When you begin the CPA Program at DMCL, you’ll be paired with a CPA mentor to support you throughout your designation. Next, you’ll be given comprehensive training to cover all aspects of your development.
At the same time, you’ll begin your relevant work experience. As a mid-sized accounting firm, we fall into the sweet spot of being big enough to have a diverse clientele and service offering, while being small enough that our team members aren’t siloed within one specialty.
We’re proud of our ability to provide our students with relevant experience in multiple industries and file types, creating more opportunities for you to learn and grow while discovering your specific interests.
Once your education and relevant experience are complete, you’ll move on to the last stage of our CPA program that provides rigorous preparation with ample support and mentorship leading up to the CFE.
There’s a saying, ‘it takes a village to raise a child.’ When you choose to pursue your CPA designation at DMCL, you can be confident that you’ll be surrounded by a supportive team each step of the way.
CPA Modules
CPA Paths
In order to complete your relevant experience requirements, you’ll need to choose a CPA path. DMCL offers two paths pre-approved by the CPA certification program: External Audit—where you’ll work in one of our public company audit teams; and Assurance, Compilation, Tax (ACT)—where you’ll be placed in one of our private enterprise teams. For students unsure about which path they’d like to pursue, we also offer a hybrid opportunity where you can gain experience in both audit and private enterprise.
The third CPA path we support is the Experience Verification Route (EVR). This is a self-directed route where candidates must determine how they’ll demonstrate the required relevant competencies.
- A suitable path for students interested in public company audit.
- Candidates must complete at least 1,250 chargeable assurance hours, of which a minimum of 625 must be in the audit of historical financial statements.
- At the end of the 30 months, candidates qualify for licensure in audit upon certification.
- This is the most common path chosen at DMCL as we’re one of the most recognized firms in Canada providing public company audits.
- A suitable path for students who are interested in private enterprise or taxation.
- Candidates must complete 425 assurance hours to meet the depth and breadth requirements for CPA certification at the end of the 30 months.
- Candidates under ACT will not be qualified for licensure in audit or review on certification. Qualification for audit or review license would require bridging.
- A suitable path for students who may have experience from a previous employer (i.e., private practice) or are looking for an alternative to traditional CPA paths.
- This is a self-directed route where candidates must determine how they’ll demonstrate the required relevant competencies.
- Audit and review hours are not required.
- Candidates under EVR will not be qualified for licensure in audit or review on certification. Qualification for audit or review licenses would require bridging. If this is desired, DMCL’s pre-approved external audit path is recommended.
We recognize that the journey to becoming a CPA is tough, but we’re here for you with the support you need.
- On your start date, you’ll be assigned a dedicated CPA mentor, who’ll take you through a comprehensive training and onboarding program, as well as guide and support you for the duration of your time in the program.
- You’ll also be assigned a Performance Manager, separate from your mentor, who’ll regularly meet with you to discuss your performance and career aspirations at DMCL
- As with all of our CPA students, you’ll be given access to Densmore’s CPA PEP training resources and the Densmore CFE Prep course
- You’ll also have access to additional internal and external training courses to support your career and skills development along the way
- Our CPA program provides plenty of financial support through our pre-approved program and CPA modules, as well as covering your:
- CPA PEP fees
- Densmore fees
- CPA registration fees
- Annual membership dues
- Paid Professional Development courses
- Our students are given the day off to write each of their CPA module exams
- Our students are given a two-month CFE leave to prepare for their exams
- As a CFE writer, you’ll be paired with a DMCL CPA mentor for the duration of your exam leave
- We’ll provide you with an extensive in-house CFE training program led by DMCL staff who’ve previously marked or written the CFE, which includes:
- Prep courses;
- Boot camps;
- Writing workshops; and,
- Practice exams (with feedback)
- In addition, you’ll be sent to Densmore’s onsite CFE Prep course to ensure you’re feeling confident and ready to ace your exam
“DMCL really made sure I was fully supported in the CPA program, which is crucial when there are so many things you need to be on top of! They gave me everything I needed to succeed and pass, including a CPA mentor, reminders for signing up for modules and Densmore to help with my CFE prep. It genuinely feels like DMCL is invested in me succeeding, with ample support and communication throughout the program.”
“DMCL provided me with invaluable support throughout my CPA journey. Work flexibility around module exam dates helped to ensure I felt adequately prepared, and DMCL’s comprehensive CFE preparation program involving Densmore, internal sessions and mentor reviews all provided significant resources and learning opportunities as I prepared for—and confidently wrote—the final exam.”
“The experience I earned through DMCL’s CPA program played a critical role in preparing me for my CFE and gave me the tools to successfully complete all CPA modules. I developed key hard skills, such as audit and assurance and financial reporting framework concepts, but also important soft skills, like time management and problem-solving, all while my DMCL mentor and CPA program cohort motivated me to do well in my weekly assignments and final exams.”
“Studying for the CFE is a stressful time, but the training sessions and peer support I received through DMCL’s CPA Program gave me the confidence I needed to feel more than ready. I would absolutely recommend any prospective CPAs go through this program!”
“Although we have to make numerous compromises in life, I believe a CPA student’s professional development should never be one of them—and thankfully with DMCL’s CPA Program, it never will be. Through the CPA program, I gained the foundational skills that have supported me for the last 15 years at DMCL, on my journey from CPA student to audit partner. I couldn’t recommend this program enough!”
The CPA student recruitment season is a fast-paced and exciting time to get to know us—and for us to get to know you. Amongst all the activities, keep track of these important deadlines.
Visit our career opportunities page to apply for DMCL Articling Student roles for 2023-24. Be sure to check back throughout the year, as we also hire outside of our Spring and Fall Recruit timelines.
If you left a good impression during your interview, it’s likely you’ll be invited (along with other candidates) to a second interview in a less formal, social setting. You’ll find this interview to be similar to a networking cocktail party hosted at a restaurant. This gives you the opportunity to speak with more DMCL managers and partners, and it gives us an opportunity to get to know you better in a casual setting.
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Scroll through our frequently asked questions and answers below to learn more about applying with us, what to expect during the selection process and how we support your CPA journey.
Visit our Contact Us page to see our office listings, including addresses and contact information.
DMCL fosters a culture of learning, growth and fun. At our firm, relationships are highly valued and most importantly our staff—Partners, Managers and Accountants—all take an interest in your career progression and provide you with valuable feedback.
Mentorship is huge at DMCL, both formal and informal. Students are surrounded by team members that embrace an open-door policy and are easy to approach. As a part of our growing team, you can expect continuous support and a sense of belonging that will be invaluable along your journey to becoming a CPA.
At the heart of DMCL is a group of people who live, work and play in our communities. Recognizing this, the firm knows it’s important to take care of the places that we call home. That’s why we sponsor and are actively involved in community initiatives and organizations, such as fundraising events for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and participating in local shoreline clean-ups.
We also host mental health and wellness events for staff, such as mindfulness seminars with mental health experts who explore topics such as balance, gratitude and focus, and demonstrate tools to practice resilience in our daily lives.
Each year, our staff look forward to tax season wrap parties, CFE write/results day, summer family day events and Friday socials (usually with an optional beer or glass of wine and plenty of snacks).
DMCL looks for well-rounded candidates. We value self-motivated individuals with great interpersonal skills who bring a diverse range of experience, perhaps in customer service or in retail as well as participating in their community. Overall, an individual who demonstrates a willingness to learn, displays a positive attitude, and is not afraid to ask questions will always catch our attention. Previous accounting-related experience is an advantage but isn’t essential. We want you to help you progress through the CPA program, so an individual who demonstrates that they can juggle work with their studies is well placed for success. Technical skills will be taught but it’s the soft skills you bring that ultimately help you become successful.
We host, participate and attend a variety of student recruitment events throughout the year. Currently, we offer coffee chats, where students can talk with DMCL representatives (Managers, Accountants and CPA Students), as well as office tours, which provide opportunities to learn more about the firm and see what a day in the life of a DMCL professional is like. We’re also actively participating in career fairs, student club events at local schools and CPABC hosted events.
Cover letters are a great way to stand out and to provide us with insight about your experience, interests and aspirations. If you’ve written a cover letter as part of your application, please address it to Ananda Lavingia, HR Manager or Jake Matkovic, HR Assistant.
Every day is different. Life at DMCL is fast-paced and dynamic, and you’ll get exposure to a broad scope of clients and industries. For the first couple of months, the expectation is that you embark on an exciting journey to learn and understand DMCL’s systems, clients and culture. Mentorship, training and on-the-job learning is provided by Managers and colleagues; you’ll be constantly picking up new skills and gaining knowledge on different processes. We ensure you experience every stage of preparing a file to further develop your knowledge, with the aim of teaching you the ins and outs of how to prepare all sections of the file independently.
Most importantly, you’re expected and encouraged to ask questions and make connections with your team members—they’re here to help and this is the best way to learn!