Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA; French: comptable professionnel agréé) is the professional designation which united the three Canadian accounting designations that previously existed: Chartered Accountant (CA), Certified General Accountant (CGA) Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

The Big Four are the four largest global accounting firms—Deloitte, Ernst & Young (EY), PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG), as measured by revenue.

Chartered Accountants are highly respected and in-demand professionals. CA has many career opportunities, from public accounting to corporate finance to consulting. Chartered Accountants have the opportunity to work with a variety of clients, from small businesses to multinational corporations.

Generally speaking, both can include similar tasks - from tax returns and yearly accounts, to the maintenance of accurate financial statements. But a chartered accountant usually has to go through a lot more training than an accountant and has a broader level of responsibility.