The CPA application process and requirements are different from state to state. While the test administered has become uniform across all regions, the education and work experience required before one can sit for the exam has not. All fifty states, the District of Columbia, and three US territories have established their own criteria for who can obtain a CPA license.
Submitting Your CPA Exam Application
Even though the exam is uniform, it makes a major difference where one submits his/her CPA application. This is because one must have met the education and experience requirements for the state or territory in which the request is made in order to be eligible to sit for the exam. A small number of states allow individuals to take the exam in order to earn a CPA certification without meeting the other requirements for licensure. However, most do not.
In most states, before one is allowed to submit a CPA application, he/she must show that he/she has taken a minimum of 150 hours of college classes in accounting, finance, and business. These include business ethics classes. This puts the educational requirement somewhere between that required for a Bachelor of Science degree and a master's degree in accounting. Most students go ahead and obtain their master's degree before applying to take the test as this can result in a higher CPA salary.
There are still a small number of states that allow one to take the test with only 120 hours of college, which is equivalent to a bachelor's degree in accounting. However, these states often require more verifiable work experience in the accounting field than is needed in other areas.
Earn Your CPA License in More than One State
It is important to contact the state accountancy board in the area one wishes to work in order to learn what will be required when completing a CPA application. It is often possible to obtain licensure in more than one state while taking the exam only once. This is the benefit of the uniform test. However, the other requirements for education and experience will have to be met in each state independently to obtain a license.
This does not mean that one must obtain the 150 hours of college repeatedly or work for a firm for the required number of hours in each state. It simply means that one must fulfill the education and experience requirements of each state in which he/she wishes to practice as a licensed CPA.
If one is licensed in one state, he/she may take a completed CPA application to neighboring states independently and obtain licensure in each of them based on the education, experience, and exam scores already obtained. Some may hold a license in one or more states while only being able to obtain CPA certification in others.
A Uniform Exam
While the requirements differ from place to place, the CPA application process is generally streamlined. A number of individuals who work for multinational corporations seek licensure in some US states despite not being US citizens. Regardless of their origins, these individuals are required to meet the exact same requirements as those applying from within the US. This ensures that all who function in this capacity share an equal playing field in terms of education, examination, and experience.
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