CPA Requirements

CPA requirements are state mandated, and therefore, differ from state to state.  Most CPA requirements are generally the same, with small variations, depending on your state.

Education

In order to sit for the CPA exam, you must have completed 150 semester hours of school.  The number of those hours that must be accounting hours differs from state to state.  There are a few states that allow you to sit for the CPA exam if you have only 130 credit hours, but most states require that you have completed at least 150 semester hours before sitting for the CPA exam.

Experience

The CPA requirements to apply for CPA licensure depends again on the state in which you are applying.  Many states require that you have 1-2 years of experience under another licensed CPA.  Most CPA requirements should be researched thoroughly on a state level because the CPA requirements are state mandated.  CPA requirements differ regarding what actually constitutes as work experience, the employer, credit hours, accounting credit hours, and what type of work your experience is in.

CPA Exam

The CPA exam (or CBT-e) exam is a computer based exam.  There are 4 sections that must be taken and completed with a passing score of 75 or higher on each section.  The exam can be taken at one time, or broken into sections, which is what most CPA candidates choose to do.  All four sections must be completed within an 18 month window, in order for the exams not to expire.  If you pass the first exam, and after the 18 months, pass the last exam, you must take the first exam again.  All four sections must be taken within that 18 months and passed in order for you to apply for licensure.

The four sections of the exam are:

1. Auditing and Attestation (AUD)
2. Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR)
3. Regulation (REG)
4. Business Environment and Concepts (BEC)

Even though the CPA requirements differ from state to state, the CPA exam is the same, no matter where you take the exam.  The scores range from 0-99 for each section.

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