How to Get a QuickBooks Certification

Beth Walton
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Updated on September 19, 2024
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A QuickBooks certification can enhance your career competitiveness and earning potential. Check out our guide of training and certification options for bookkeepers and accounting clerks.

QuickBooks, one of the industry leaders in business accounting and bookkeeping software, offers three professional certification exams to showcase your knowledge and expertise. Advanced users can also become certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors.

The company boasts over 60 courses in its learning library to help you deepen your understanding of the software and prepare for certification tests, like the popular QuickBooks Foundations course and the follow-up class, Crash Course in Bookkeeping.

By earning a QuickBooks certification, you demonstrate to potential employers a willingness to train and stay at the top of your field. These credentials may enhance job opportunities and add third-party validation to your resume, ensuring potential employers of your skills.

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What Is QuickBooks?

QuickBooks is one of the industry leaders in business accounting and bookkeeping software. Small- to mid-size companies use it to track their income and expenses, complete payroll, and maintain their financial health.

How to Become QuickBooks Certified

You can earn an industry-certification in QuickBooks Online or in QuickBooks Desktop. If you’re looking for a new position, getting certified in both versions may help you qualify for more jobs.

Intuit, QuickBooks’s parent company, also offers an industry certification in professional bookkeeping. Many people complete all three certification exams. There are no specific requirements for earning these certifications.

If you’re just starting with the software, QuickBooks offers several training options to help you learn the bookkeeping and technological skills necessary to pass the exams. Professionals well-versed in QuickBooks can jump right in and take the tests with no further training.

Advanced users who have already received a QuickBooks certification can also become certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors. This membership endorsement helps bookkeepers connect with clients. ProAdvisors also receive ongoing training, advanced certification, and recertification opportunities.

Is a QuickBooks Certification Worth It?

Yes, a QuickBooks certification can be worth it if your career goal is to work as a bookkeeper or clerk, or to serve as an independent QuickBooks Pro Advisor.

Many companies use QuickBooks for their accounting purposes. Earning QuickBooks certification validates your knowledge and can boost your career, whether you’re looking to advance or enter the field.

Understanding QuickBooks at this level means you can get the most out of the software and use it to its full extent. This knowledge can help you stay competitive in the job market and may improve your chances of receiving a raise or a higher starting salary.

If your goal is to become an accountant, however, a QuickBooks certification won’t suffice. To work as a professional accountant, you will need to earn a four-year accounting degree and get certified as a certified public accountant.

Why Get a QuickBooks Certification?

QuickBooks helps bookkeepers and companies keep their finances in line. Some companies may require their bookkeeping and accounting professionals to obtain QuickBooks certifications. Professionals might also seek QuickBooks credentials to upskill and enhance their bookkeeping knowledge.

Whether you are seeking a certificate of competition for a specific class or you are striving for industry certification, there are several reasons why QuickBooks certification can be beneficial for you.

1 | It Can Help You Qualify for a Bookkeeping Job

Many employers prefer or even require candidates to have QuickBooks certification for bookkeeping jobs. By completing a QuickBooks certification on your own, you also signal to potential employers that you are a competent and skilled worker who is willing to invest in your own professional development.

QuickBooks industry certifications and course completion certificates let potential employers know you can hit the ground running. Companies respect the mark of the QuickBooks brand. They see savings in training costs when they can hire an employee who can already use their chosen software.

2 | It Teaches Valuable Bookkeeping and Accounting Skills

QuickBooks certification covers five essential components. These include software setup and administration, sales and money in, vendors and money out, basic accounting, and reports. Here are some of the learned skills associated with the desktop and online certifications:

  • Setting up a company and identifying automated tasks
  • Recording invoices and sales receipts and managing payments
  • Activating expense tracking by connecting bank and credit card accounts
  • Setting up and running payroll
  • Understanding QuickBooks financial reports

3 | It Can Help You Stand Out in a Competitive Field

Employment of bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks is projected to decline 6% from 2022-2032 due to advancements in AI technology, according to the BLS. As the sector’s job growth slows due to these technological advances, noteworthy computer and database skills will make you more marketable.

Getting certified in any software program develops your portfolio of technological competencies, which will likely be helpful for any job in the future.

Eighty-four percent of accounting instructors at two-year colleges believe students pursuing accounting should be knowledgeable in QuickBooks, according to a recent study by Certiport, a Pearson Vue workplace training and certification business.

Which QuickBooks Certification Is Best for You?

QuickBooks and its parent company, Intuit, offer three main industry certification exams to showcase your competency as a bookkeeper and QuickBooks user. Advanced users who have already completed preliminary QuickBooks certifications can also become certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors.

There is a host of study materials available online. QuickBooksTraining.com, the company’s official online testing and training site, offers several paid options. There are instructor-led courses, self-paced reviews, and comprehensive, live 2-day workshops.

QuickBooks Online Certification

  • Type: Industry Certification Exam

QuickBooks Online certification demonstrates to employers your competency with the online version of the bookkeeping software. Test-takers have 50 minutes to answer 37 questions.

QuickBooks Desktop Certification

  • Type: Industry Certification Exam

QuickBooks Desktop certification demonstrates to employers your competency with the desktop version of the bookkeeping application. Test-takers have 50 minutes to answer 47 questions.

Bookkeeping Professional Certification

  • Type: Industry Certification Exam

Intuit’s professional bookkeeping certification moves beyond the QuickBooks brand to showcase basic bookkeeping competencies. Test-takers have 50 minutes to answer 40 questions.

QuickBooks Foundations

  • Type: Certificate of Completion

This 10-12 hour training helps you pass the QuickBooks certification exams. You have access to practice materials and a live instructor. Upon completion, you receive a certificate of completion and a voucher to pay for a certification exam.

Crash Course in Bookkeeping

  • Type: Certificate of Completion

This course explores bookkeeping principles like debits, credits, and financial statements to prepare you for Intuit’s bookkeeping professional certification exam. The class is suitable for online and desktop users of QuickBooks software.

QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification

  • Type: Professional Endorsement and Membership

The QuickBooks ProAdvisor program is designed to help certified bookkeeping professionals stay current in their field and connect with clients. It offers simulation-based training and interactive lessons. The Advanced Online QuickBooks certification exam is required for this exam.

What Jobs Can I Get With a QuickBooks Certification?

Earning a QuickBooks certification can get job applicants in the door and, if just starting their careers, qualify them for entry-level positions. With experience, these professionals can make their way up the ladder.

Bookkeeper

Bookkeepers help keep a business’s finances in order. They may record transactions, manage general accounting ledgers, and create financial statements. According to Payscale data from July 2024, bookkeepers earned an average annual salary of $48,200 a year.

Accounting Specialist

Accounting specialists’ tasks vary. Some positions require making general ledger journal entries, running accounts payable and receivable reports, and drafting invoices. They may also assist with payroll.

Some employers may require an associate or bachelor’s degree for this position. As of July 2024, these professionals earn an average yearly salary of $51,890, according to Payscale data.

Accounting Clerk

Accounting clerks typically assist high-ranking accountants within a company. They may reconcile accounts, prepare reports, and update financial records. Payscale reports that accounting clerks earn an average yearly salary of $43,900, as of July 2024.

Accounts Payable or Receivable Clerk

An accounts payable clerk focuses on a company’s bills and invoices, ensuring they record and pay them on time. An accounts receivable clerk holds responsibility for receiving funds, including creating invoices and processing customer payments.

According to July 2024 Payscale data, these professionals earn an average annual salary of $43,510 and $43,070, respectively.

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Frequently Asked Questions About QuickBooks Certification

The cost of QuickBooks certification depends on your level of knowledge. The three introductory 50-minute industry certification exams cost around $130 per test.

For those just starting in QuickBooks, taking training classes can increase the cost of getting certified. Intuit, QuickBook’s parent company, offers comprehensive training and support services for around $600. This includes the cost of the test.

The National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB) offers a QuickBooks Online Certification Bundle, which includes the fundamentals course and the exam fee. It costs $449 for nonmembers and $369 for members.

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