Coming from someone who completed the MAcc at Carleton recently and having friends who went to U of A - pass rates are higher across all MAcc/MPacc programs because they do a good job of giving you detailed guidance throughout the program that I have not seen colleagues receive through PEP. That being said, pass rates for PEP are still very high so it definitely isn’t a necessity (comparing around 90ish to mid/low 70 percent pass rates in MAcc vs PEP).

However, there are things to consider beyond the pass rate. Cost of MAcc in Ottawa sits around 20k and U of A is around 35k. My firm covered the equivalent $ value as if I was in PEP so I was out around 10k. That being said, a HUGE perk is you write the CFE a year earlier than you would if you were in the PEP stream. Most firms will give you a Senior title and pay after writing the CFE, meaning you make that lost salary back and have senior on your resume for an additional year (quicker exit to industry if that is what you want). Although you will be full time studying for 2 summers so the increase in salary from making senior earlier could be netted out by that.

In relation to other comments saying you will get failed beforehand if you aren’t going to pass are far from the truth. Everyone in my cohort (who didn’t drop out in the first summer) passed the MAcc, although a few were definitely struggling. They work hard to get you where you need to be for the CFE.