Becoming a Certified Public Account

Education:

•      State Boards of Accountancy determine the laws and rules for each state/jurisdiction.

•      Visit ThisWayToCPA.com for individual state requirements.

•      Requirements vary by state/jurisdiction.

•      Require 150 semester hours.

•      Number of accounting hours is dependent on state requirements.

Exam:

•      Computer-based format.

•      Consists of 4 sections

–         Auditing and Attestation (AUD)

–         Business Environment and Concepts (BEC)

–         Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR)

–         Regulation (REG)

•      Same test no matter where it is taken.

•      Passing score is 75 on a 0-99 scale.

•      Question types include multiple choice, simulation and written communication.

Experience:

•      A candidate is an applicant for a CPA license.

•      Many states require the candidate to have 1 – 2 years experience under a CPA.

•      Additional requirements vary by the candidate’s:

–         Education – e.g., Graduate degree vs. 150 hours of undergraduate

–         Employer(s) – e.g., Public accounting firm vs. industry

–         Type of work – e.g., Tax professional vs. auditor

Links:

http://www.aicpa.org

http://www.thiswaytocpa.com