Turn Free QuickBooks Training Into Real Paying Clients

QuickBooks training and certification are free through Intuit's ProAdvisor programme. Here's how to sign up the right way, pass both exams, and use the badge to win bookkeeping clients or an accounting job.

By VacancyKE Team · 4 October 2026

In professional training, it's rare to find a credential that costs nothing and is recognised by employers. The QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor programme is one of them, and many bookkeepers and accounting graduates still don't know it exists.

Intuit, the company behind QuickBooks, gives accountants and bookkeepers free software, free training and a free certification exam. The reason is simple: certified professionals recommend QuickBooks to the businesses they work for. That works in your favour too.

If you want to break into accounting, start a freelance bookkeeping business, or make your CV stand out without paying for an expensive course, here's how the programme works and how to use it.

Who this is for

• Accounting and finance graduates: you know the theory, but employers keep asking for software experience. This closes that gap.
• Aspiring freelance bookkeepers and virtual assistants: you want a recognised credential before taking on clients, without paying course fees.
• Career changers: if you work in retail, administration or teaching and want a skill you can do from anywhere, bookkeeping is a practical entry point.
• Small business owners: learn to run your own books properly, with professional tools at no cost.

Step 1: Sign up for QuickBooks Online Accountant, not regular QuickBooks

This is where most beginners go wrong. They sign up for the normal QuickBooks product for businesses, which asks for a card and starts a monthly subscription after the trial. You don't need that.

Instead, sign up for QuickBooks Online Accountant (QBOA), the free version for accountants and bookkeepers. In Kenya, use Intuit's international (Global) QuickBooks site.

• Firm name: you don't need a registered accounting firm. Freelancers and individuals can join. Use your own name, for example "Jane Wanjiru Bookkeeping Services".
• What you get: a free dashboard where you can take the training, sit the certification exam and, later, manage client files in one place.
• Practise on real software: Intuit includes a QuickBooks Online subscription for your own firm's books, which is a safe place to practise before you touch a client's accounts.

Step 2: Take the two certification exams

In your QBOA dashboard, open the ProAdvisor tab and choose Training. There are two main certifications.

Level 1: QuickBooks Online Certification

• What it covers: finding your way around QuickBooks, setting up a chart of accounts, connecting bank feeds, bank reconciliations, invoicing, and standard reports such as the profit and loss statement.
• Study time: plan for roughly 8 to 12 hours of self-paced videos and practice.
• The exam: multiple choice, split into sections. You need at least 80% in each section.
• Attempts: you get three attempts. If you use them all without passing, you wait about 60 days before you can try again, so prepare properly before you start.
• Tip: once you start a section, finish it in one sitting. Make sure you have time and a stable internet connection.

Level 2: Advanced QuickBooks Online Certification

• Before you start: you must pass Level 1 first.
• What it covers: inventory, fixing messy client books, custom fields, automated workflows, and deeper financial analysis.
• Study time: plan for another 10 to 15 hours.
• The exam: mostly practical scenarios. It tests whether you can sort out real problems, not just remember menu names.

Step 3: Turn the certificate into work

The certificate and digital badge are only the start. Here are three ways to use them.

1. Put it on your CV and LinkedIn

Add "QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor" (and "Advanced" once you pass Level 2) near the top of your CV, under certifications, and add the badge to your LinkedIn profile. Many accounting and bookkeeping adverts in Kenya ask for experience with accounting software such as QuickBooks, Sage or Xero. A certificate shows you have used the software, not only read about it.

2. Understand the points and tiers

Intuit gives ProAdvisors points, and points decide your tier:

Level 1 earns 100 points and the Advanced certification 200 points. That's 300 points, which keeps you in Silver. Some guides skip this detail. To reach Gold you need more: for example the QuickBooks Online Payroll certification (200 points), or points from managing client subscriptions through your QBOA account.

3. Get listed in the Find-a-ProAdvisor directory

Businesses use Intuit's Find-a-ProAdvisor directory to look for bookkeepers and accountants. Only Gold, Platinum and Elite ProAdvisors can publish a profile there. It can bring you enquiries, but don't count on it alone. Most new bookkeepers find their first clients through people they know, local business groups and referrals.

Note: Intuit runs slightly different versions of the programme in different countries, and it changes the rules from time to time. The points and tiers above are from Intuit's current programme pages. Check what your own QBOA dashboard shows.

Be realistic

• It's a software certificate, not an accounting qualification. It works best alongside CPA, ACCA, ATD or a degree. It doesn't replace them.
• Know the local rules too. Kenyan clients will also need help with KRA filing, VAT and eTIMS invoicing. Learn those alongside QuickBooks.
• Watch out for "certification" scams. The official training and exam are free inside your QBOA account. You don't need to pay anyone for exam access, and you should never buy "exam answers".

Your next step

Sign up for QuickBooks Online Accountant, block out a weekend for the Level 1 training, and sit the first exam section once you feel ready. While you study, browse accounting and finance jobs in Kenya to see which software employers ask for, and check internships and graduate jobs if you're just starting out.