The Illinois CPA Society has announced the launch of a research project to gain insight into the CPA pipeline and how more students can be attracted to the accounting profession.

The project looks to answer why a number of accounting students and young professionals in accounting and finance decide to never take the CPA exam.

“Earning the CPA credential is one of the most notable ways to establish your professional identity and exhibit a high level of competence in the accounting and finance profession, yet we are witnessing a nationwide decline in new CPAs,” said Todd Shapiro, ICPAS president and CEO, in a statement. “While this trend is not unique to Chicago, Illinois, or the Midwest, as a professional membership organization serving CPAs for nearly 120 years, we feel compelled to try to identify the driving factors for the decline.”

The survey is open to accounting and finance students and professionals under the age of 35, including CPAs and non-CPAs. The survey will close Oct. 15, 2020. Interested participants can complete the survey here.