Are you Sure You Want To Become A CPA? Here Are The Requirements

Many applicants for the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) exam are looking for the right piece of information on how to get a license. Some of them know exactly what they are up to while others were just convinced by a story told by a friend or relative about the benefits and earning potentials.  Because it takes several years to fulfill the requirements, anything can happen. Expect those 'others' to back out in the middle of the game and expect those 'some' who are willing to stand the test of time. You probably are one of those 'some' or the 'others.' Either way you deserve to know what it really takes to become a licensed CPA.

In the first place, the requirements vary from one state to another. Not because an Ethics exam is not required in New York does not mean it is not required in California. The differences are subtle though so I would tell you about the standard. 

Basically, you need 150 credit hours of accounting education. Usually, a bachelor's degree provides only 120 so college graduates are forced to earn their Master's degree, which comprises at least 30 credit hours. All in all, you may spend six years in the university. That's a lot of time to prepare but lots of things to study for the CPA exam, your turning point. As soon as you have your 150 credit hours, you can take the Unified CPA exam. 

The CPA exam is simple but don;t get me wrong as I am speaking from a different perspective. What I mean by easy is that the testing tools are high-end that you do not need pen and paper. This system is called Prometric. If you know how to use the computer and if you took a CPA review course, using this should not be a problem. The Prometric system is a huge help in making the exam less stressful and more convenient in such a way that exam takers do not need to finish all four parts in one sitting. Instead, you can take one part per exam season, which happens bi-monthly (once every two months) beginning January of every year. 

Let's say you passed the exam already. If you are not pursuing a CPA license, this would be enough for you to practice accounting but since the license is gold, aspirants willingly take the challenge and complete the CPA license requirements. If you are after the same thing too, you still have 2,000 hours of employment experience to collect before you can proceed to the next requirement. When you have collected enough hours, you must send a duly signed form duly signed by your immediate superior (who by the way needs to be licensed as well) to the State Board of Accountancy.

We should not forget the Ethics exam. This is also parts of the requirements, which must be taken before or after the CPA exam but you should check if you state does require this or not and when this can be taken. 

Post-license requirement would include a continuing professional education (CPE), which you don't have to worry much about because you can enroll in an open university to fulfill this even while working. 

Completing these requirements is not enough. In everything you do,, you must take advantages of the situation and put your best foot forward because every step pf the way counts. You can find more tips at www.cparequirementshq.com on how to you can maximize your potential even while still in the completion stage.