Who Is Eligible To Register For Cpa

Not certain how to get a CPA? Making sure that y'all meet the CPA requirements should be footstep 1.

A few requirements come up into play when you're considering taking the CPA exam. The National Clan of Country Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) sets professional standards and determines who is eligible.

CPA requirements besides vary by state. Candidates have to comply with these requirements first to accept the CPA exam, and and so to obtain a CPA license. Your state board of accountancy volition be the source for state-specific requirements.

This article outlines all the standard eligibility requirements for the CPA test, so you lot tin can brand sure you authorize before you begin studying.

CPA Exam Requirements

In order to attend the CPA exam, yous must meet these requirements around:

Citizenship
Social security identification
Age
Education

Through NASBA, you lot can accept a quiz that will decide your eligibility for the CPA exam.

Additional information about the examination and the process of becoming a CPA can be provided past the American Found of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). This is an organization that provides national services for professional accountants.

There are several unlike categories of CPA requirements.

Citizenship qualification

When applying to take the CPA exam, you will indicate the land in which y'all want to test. Each state has unique eligibility requirements, one of which is citizenship.

In nigh all states, y'all take to exist a citizen of the United states to take the CPA exam. However, in that location are exclusions. These are currently the iv states in which you don't take to exist a citizen to have the CPA test:

Louisiana
Hawaii
Due north Carolina
Alabama

If you alive internationally, in that location are many options for y'all to take the CPA exam. The test itself is hosted at multiple international locations.

If yous accept the test outside of the U.s., there volition be additional fees. If y'all desire to practice in the U.S., you will then have to comply with standards of the state in which you apply for a CPA license.

Social security identification

Whether or not you have a social security number could bear upon your ability to take the CPA exam.

Most people who pursue this career don't question this requirement. However, both international candidates and non-traditional U.Southward. citizens may not take a social security number.

Without social security identification, y'all will just exist able to take the CPA exam in ane of the 5 states that allow entry without this requirement. These are:

Wisconsin
New York
Montana
Illinois
South Dakota

Historic period restrictions

Y'all must be 18 years or older to have the CPA exam. There are no exclusions to this dominion. All 55 jurisdictions of the U.S. in which you tin can take the CPA examination follow this guideline.

Educational requirements

The educational requirements for taking the CPA examination vary by land. While there are some outliers that allow piece of work experience to compensate for a bachelor'southward degree, for the most part yous will accept to show 150 hours of relevant pedagogy.

Sitting for the test is a challenging experience that is made far easier by having a background in accounting instruction.

120-150 hours is the standard range most states require. These may exist fulfilled in the course of an undergraduate degree or may require a graduate level business course or more accounting teaching.

The AICPA explains that public accountants demand to master a significant body of knowledge, which is why most states enforce this requirement.

In that location is some variance in the specifics of these requirements, state-past-state. You will need to look up land-specific requirements for the CPA exam in regards to:

The number of credit hours required
Whether those credit hours must in an accounting field
Whether or not you can commencement missing credit hours with work requirements

CPA license requirements

The start step to condign a CPA is passing the CPA exam. That is done through dedicated study, so that you tin laissez passer all four of the exam sections. The FAR CPA examination section, in particular, is i that many applicants fail their kickoff time out.

In this flavour of intensive written report, yous could benefit from a CPA review course, which will provide guideposts for efficiency and effectiveness.

Once you pass the CPA exam, your piece of work is not washed.

You are eligible for CPA licensure later passing the CPA examination. This comes with its own unique, state-specific standards. These are issued by your state lath of accountancy.

About typically, you lot volition have to dedicate a few months or a few years to work experience in the field.

Work experience

There are a few ways you can acquire work feel to obtain a CPA license. These vary by state. Equally yous research the work experience that you need to achieve your license, here are a few basic requirements that y'all may encounter. You may:

Be able to work in a public or non-public accounting firm
Need a verifier who is a licensed CPA
Exist able to work outside of the U.S. every bit long as your verifier has an active CPA license in the country
Need to piece of work straight for someone with a CPA license
Exist able to piece of work nether a non-CPA verifier
Be able to fulfill work requirements both before, during and after you accept the CPA exam
Take the CPA test in one state and utilize for licensure in a different state by fulfilling that country'due south requirements
Find a state that can provide a CPA certificate instead of a CPA license, which carries fewer requirements
Need to verify your use of the following bodies of bookkeeping knowledge:
- Attestation
- Compilation
- Fiscal advisory
- Taxes
- Consulting
Accept a minimum number of hours a week yous must piece of work, with strict standards on whether or not you can take fourth dimension off or take leave
Use relevant employment experience gained elsewhere toward your duties or toward your verified work experience
Be able to fulfill these requirements with not-sequent work

The average amount of fourth dimension information technology will accept to fulfill your work experience requirements is betwixt two and five years.

Once you have finished your work experience, you will brainstorm the application procedure for licensure. This includes submitting application fees and beingness notified by your state board of accountancy as to whether you are canonical.

Each of the land boards upshot licenses at different times and frequencies, so you may have to wait an additional month or 2 to be granted a license.

In one case you have fulfilled all of the CPA license requirements and become an official CPA, you tin can practice in the land. You will need to maintain your CPA license with continuing education courses.

CPA requirements by state

Each state has different requirements for the CPA exam and CPA license requirements. For example, these are the Texas CPA requirements:

Pass a fingerprint and groundwork check
Have a available's degree or an equivalent degree from another land (as ruled by the state board)
Stop 150 hours of higher credits
Finish 30 semester hours of higher-level accounting classes
- These must exist from a college or academy recognized by the state lath
- 15 of these hours have to be traditional, in-person courses
- 2 of these hours must be in tax research and analysis
Finish 24 semester hours of higher-level business courses
- 2 of these hours must be in accounting or concern communication
Finish three semester hours of an ethics course approved by the board

CPA candidates in Texas must begin by submitting an awarding of intent to the board.

For a detailed breakdown of CPA requirements for other states, cheque out:

New York CPA Requirements
Illinois CPA Requirements
Florida CPA Requirements
California CPA Requirements
Virginia CPA Requirements
Colorado CPA Requirements
Georgia CPA Requirements

Helpful CPA Resource

There are many great means to continue your investigation for CPA requirements. Many websites will offer helpful data. Some places y'all can find helpful resources are: