Accreditation

• Discipline Accreditation Guides
• General Accreditation Information

ASA's guide to accreditation covering all disciplines can be found here:
Guidelines for Professional Accreditation

Back to the top

Each Candidate must fulfill the following requirements to qualify for professional status in the society. The following information is of a general nature - each discipline has specific procedures that must be followed. Please contact your discipline Accreditation Specialist for specific details or review the guide for your discipline.

Experience

To qualify for Accredited Senior Appraiser status, an individual must have a minimum of 5 years of full-time appraisal experience or the equivalent. At least 2 years of full-time appraisal experience or the equivalent are necessary for Accredited Member status. Collateral and/or related activities are not considered appraisal experience.

The International Board of Examiners will issue a maximum of one year of full-time appraisal experience in the discipline of Business Valuation toward a Candidate's accreditation if the Candidate has held the CPA designation in public accounting for five years or more. The experience must be in public accounting in order to be equivalent. Official documentation of the experience must be included with the Accreditation Application. A Candidate with five years or more of experience as a CFA or CBI may also receive a maximum of one year of full-time appraisal experience in the discipline of Business Valuation.
More information on the Appraisal Experience Requirement...

College Education

Each Candidate must have a four-year college degree or its equivalent.* Two years of appraisal experience are considered equivalent to one year of college. (Appraisal experience used toward college equivalency must be additional experience and not the same experience accumulated to fulfill the requirements listed above.) The International Board of Examiners recognizes career development and nonacademic equivalency (e.g., courses, seminars, teaching, administrative/supervisory positions, membership in professional organizations, etc.). Documentation of all academic and nonacademic experience must be on file at ASA Headquarters (copy of diploma, current letter from college or transcript).
More information on the Education Requirement...

* Please see your discipline appraisal guide for your discipline's education requirements and equivalencies.

Interview and Investigation

The Candidate will go through a chapter approval process to verify his or her appraisal experience, education, financial background and evidence of his or her personal integrity.

Appraisal Reports

Candidates must submit two acceptable, documented appraisal reports prepared for a client or employer within the last two years that conform to the requirements contained in Section 8, Appraisal Reports, of ASA's "Principles of Appraisal Practice and Code of Ethics." (Conformance to the eight major requirements described in Section 8 of the code is mandatory; reports that lack one or more will be rejected regardless of technical acceptability.)

The appraisal reports are a significant factor in the evaluation of the total application and should support and define the experience, education and appraisal qualifications of each applicant. ASA or AM accreditation will be awarded only to those applicants who demonstrate proficiency in performing complex appraisal assignments. The International Board of Examiners will grade examinations only in conjunction with the review of appraisal reports. The board will not issue a final decision on applications until all factors (experience, education, examination and appraisal reports) have been considered, including local chapter recommendations.
More information on "What's in an Appraisal Report?"

For BV Candidates, please download the following checklists to be used when submitting your appraisal reports:
BV Guidelines for Candidates Applying for Designation
BV Checklist for Candidates Applying for Designation

Examinations

Some disciplines require candidates to pass a comprehensive exam before a designation is awarded.

1. The evaluation of a Candidate's technical appraisal proficiency and acquaintance with the society's ethics, principles and basic precepts is accomplished by means of a written examination.



2. Technical portion: A passing score of 75 percent is mandatory to qualify for both the Accredited Member and the Accredited Senior Appraiser designations. This portion of every examination has been constructed to reveal a Candidate's knowledge, ability and expertise in his or her appraisal discipline. Most technical tests are in two parts: general theory/practice and problems or case examples.

Download an Accreditation Exam Registration Form

If a Candidate successfully completes ASA's Principles of Valuation courses, an additional examination may not be necessary.
More information on the Proficiency Requirement...

For more information, contact your discipline's Accreditation Specialist at 800-ASA-VALU (U.S. and Canada) or (703) 478-2228 or view the Guidelines for Professional Accreditation booklet.

In addition, all designated members are required to submit evidence of professional growth through continuing education and/or participation in professional activities to remain an accredited and designated ASA or AM.
More information on Reaccreditation...

Back to the top