CA CPA exam requirements is rather simple: Bachelor degree with 48 semester hours of accounting and business courses. When it gets to licensure it becomes rather complicated with 2 pathways — essentially the State Board gives you two choices: either complete the full 150 semester hours or compensate it with one extra year of experience.
*Important*: While a Social Security Number (SSN) is not required to sit for the exam, in order to ultimately get the CPA license from California, you need to have a SSN.
California CPA Exam Requirements Overview
1. Education Requirements To Sit For The Exam:
- Bachelor degree or above
- Accounting courses: 24 semester units
- Business courses: 24 semester units
2. Additional Requirements To Get CPA License:
Candidates can choose either Pathway 1 or Pathway 2 : Pathway 1 requires more “experience- heavy” with at least 2 years of experience, while Pathway 1 is “education-heavy” requiring 150 semester credit hours. Please note that Pathway 2 will be eliminated effective Jan 1, 2014.
Education:
- Pathway 1: 120 semester units (i.e. a bachelor degree)
- Pathway 2: 150 semester units
- You have to complete the education requirement before getting qualified to sit for the exam.
Experience:
- Pathway 1: 2 years of general experience
- Pathway 2: 1 year of general experience
- For both pathways, 500+ attest hours are needed for those who want to sign attest reports.
- Non-public accounting work is accept but it has to be verified by an active US CPA licensee. If public accounting work, it can possibly be verified by CPA equivalent (e.g. Chartered Accountants). For details please check with the CA CPA Exam Handbook for licensing as well as the CA State Board.
Ethics Qualifications:
- The CA State Board only accepts the California course in Professional Ethics for CPAs (PETH) available from the California CPA Education Foundation.
- The exam has to be taken within 2 years after the submission of the license application.
- Fingerprinting is required for licensure.
3. Residency & Age Requirements:
- US citizenship not required
- California residency not required
- Minimum age: none
4. Fees:
- First-timers: standard exam fees + $100 initial application fee
- Repeaters: exam fees + $50 repeat application fees
5. Other Useful Information:
6. Contact:
California Board of Accountancy
2000 Evergreen Street, Suite 250
Sacramento, CA 95815-3832
- Email: examinfo@cba.ca.gov
- Phone: 916-561-1703
- Fax: 916-263-3677
Can’t Get Qualified In California?
Don’t give up, as you may well be qualified to register through other states and sit for the same CPA exam. With the recent Substantial Equivalency (CPA reciprocity) rule CPAs from most states can practice across the country.
- Feel free to check out the non-California CPA Exam Requirements here.
Your Next Step
Now that you have begun the process of applying for the CPA exam, it’s time to compare the CPA Exam review courses. The earlier you start, the better you can get prepared and pass the exam. Good luck!
* Note: 1 semester = 1.5 quarters
* Photograph courtesy of Pascal Bovet @ flickr
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please mention in the requirement of license :
Prior to issuance of a California CPA license, all applicants must provide a United States Social Security Number (SSN)
Thanks Marwan… will do. If this is the case I need to check the possible impact on overseas candidates. Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I have masters degree in accounting from India, I recently got my foreign credentials evaluated from Joseph Sliny and associates, for state Board of South Carolina, since I live in South Carolina. I stumbled on your very informative web site, and happen to be reading about different states, and want to ask you a question, so with my qualifications I can be a CPA when I give exam and pass it from CA or Delaware, a little confused please help. Thanks
Hi Shobha, I am sorry, but what is your question please?
If you are qualified for the CA CPA exam requirement, then go ahead and register in CA then, because if you decide to work in California as a public account it will be much easier.
If you find out that you can’t qualify after the evaluation, then it is another story… just let me know more and I’ll try my best to help you out. Cheers, Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I got to know about your websitew from Shoba. Quite informative. Great service for all aspiring CPAs. Need your advice on my case.
I live in NJ. My educational qualifications were completed outside the U.S. So got them evaluated by ECE.
Obtained a B.Sc. (Hons) from University of Colombo, Sri Lanka and an Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting from CIMA, UK. Both combined I have 178 semester hours of credit which includes 42 hrs in Accounting, 36 hrs in Business Studies and 6 hrs in Business Law. But my degree is a three year degree. So ECE will not consider it equivalent to a U.S degree. Therefore NJ board says that I am not eligible to sit for the exams.
Also I need to mention that I’m aiming for my CPA to enhance my credentials. I am currently sitting for my CMA exams… since IMA has recognised my degree & work experience.
Can you please give me any suggestions on alternative routes I can try to become a CPA?
Hi Varni,
I’m glad to know you find my site through Shoba! IMA is much better at recognizing international credentials isn’t it? Sometimes it’s frustrating for me to see a totally qualified candidates who just can’t meet the strict requirements for CPA in the US…
Anyway, if yours is a 3-year degree, then you’ll have to go through Delaware, which I believe is the only state left that allows 3 year degrees. The catch is that you’ll need to fulfill 4 years of working experience in getting the license.
Since 2006 Delaware has stopped giving out the CPA certificate for those looking for enhancing their credentials only. That’s why you are kind of “forced” to get the full license these days.
Please go to Delaware CPA exam requirements for details, and any follow up questions are most welcome!
Best of luck to you Varni, Stephanie
Thanks Stephanie for your quick response. It’s quite frustrating since my degree is treated equivalent to a U.S. degree when it comes to applying for Masters in most of the U.S. universities. But not in the case of CPA. Can’t complain too much… because I want CPA not vice versa!
Regarding Delware they need one course in U.S. federal Taxation. Any idea where I can obtain it? Online preferred.
Thanks again Stephanie for you all your help.
Hi Varni, a simple answer is… no, but I am in the process of asking around for you. Please check the “subscribe to comment” box for updates.
Stephanie
Varni, I have just written a new page on US federal taxation courses with 6 suggestions. Hope it helps! Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I came across your very useful website and had a couple questions regarding the CPA exams. I reside in Toronto and wanted to do the CPA exams basicaly to enhance my credentials since I have no intent to practise in the US. I am an ACCA member and recently completed an MBA from the University of East London (UK). Can you please suggest the best suitable US State in which I may qualify for the CPA exams and the eventual license to use the CPA designation?
Thanks!
Lenny
Hi Lenny,
Thanks for your kind note regarding my site. Unfortunately AICPA no longer recognizes ACCA as equivalent in terms of the educational requirements… so could you tell me a bit more of your education background, e.g. your degree (whether it’s 3-year, 4-year or 5-year/master program?) because this is a critical information to determine the suitable state you can go for. Cheers, Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Saw the suggestions. Thanks so much for the time & effort. I’ll also update the page if I get hold of any new info regarding this.
Varni, you are most welcome. Please do let us know for any findings or your thoughts on any of these courses. Cheers, Stephanie
Hi,
Any idea what would be new licensing requirement from IL??
Rgds
Gunjan
Gunjan, please check with the Illinois cpa exam requirement page for details. Illinois will become a one-tier state effective July 1, 2010.
stephanie
Hi Stephanie, I have bachelor degree from the University of London, UK. it is a 3 year undergraduate study. I got my evaluation today saying that it’s the equivalent of the completion of 90 semester credit hours of undergraduate study and the US degree of Bachelor of science in Accounting and finance. so am I qualified for the CPA exam in CA? thank you for your help!
Hi Karen,
Yes, this would mean that you are qualified for the CA exam in terms of the degree, but you’ll have to take extra courses to make up the remaining 30-60 credit hours.
If you go for Pathway 1, then 30 credits (+ 1 year of working experience later on); for Pathway 2, then 60 credits.
If you are thinking of the possibility of working outside of CA as sa public accountant, then Pathway 1 is preferred because this pathway is considered “substantially equivalent” to the other states. Please check this CPA reciprocity link for more details if this applies to you.
Cheers,
Stephanie
thanks so much Stephanie!
Hi Stephanie..I have done my Bachelors of Commerce (15 years) from India and Chartered Accountancy from Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. I am keen on enrolling for CPA from California Board of Accountancy and currently given my documents for degree evaluation, however, while am awaiting the evaluation would like to know if my studies make me eligible for enrolling for CPA exam or do I need 16 years of education for the same.
Hi Putvi,
May I ask is your B.com degree a 3-year degree? It also sort of depends on your university and the grade you get from what I know from WES. So hard to tell… but you can check out the Indian policy link from WES to give a general idea on how evaluation agencies do their job. Obviously FACS may give a slightly different result.
You can get the link from this page: http://ipassthecpaexam.com/foreign-credential-evaluation/
Cheers, Stephanie
Hello Stephanie…I have done my B.com degree from India which is of three years.I got my transcripts evaluated . I am having 90 total US semester credits ,30 accounting credits and 45 business credits.So I want to know I am eligible for CPA exam in California with my 3 years of degree. Even i am thinking of doing my master in accounting and finance from national university so that i can complete my 120 or 150 semester credits.
Hi Gurjot,
At this stage you probably can’t sit for California yet because they require at least 120 semester hours. But your plan of doing a master in accounting will work — in fact, if you can reach 150 credit hours you’ll only need to work for 1 year to gain the license.
By the way, since you are in India, do you have a social security number? You need that for California.
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for your response. I have got my degrees evaluated from International Education Research Foundation, Inc and as per the evaluation, it is stated that
I have completed studies from University of Mumbai earning the Bachelors of Commerce and these studies are considered equivalent to ninety two and one half semester units of undergraduate coursework at regionally accredited colleges and universities in the United States. (92 semester units)
I completed additional studies at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India earning Certificate of membership.
In conjunction with previous coursework i.e. Bachelor of Commerce, these studies are considered equivalent in level and purpose to the Bachelor of Science in Accounting, awarded by regionally accredited colleges and universities in the United States. (150.5 semester units).
Considering the above, I would like to know whether I will be eligible to sit for the CPA exam from California or would I need to do some additional studies for being eligible. If so, what additional courses or studies should I take up and which universities offer these courses..also are there any online courses which could be done or will I have to go to some university only..
Hi Purvi,
Looks like you are all set! But you’ll likely need to go through the evaluation process through the agency again because California state board will ask for a report directly from them (please double check which agencies are qualified — it’s in the application form). While you should have fulfilled the 150 hours they need to check whether there are specific courses that you have fulfilled in order to sit for the exam.
In general, with 150 hours you can work for only 1 year in public/non-public accounting to get the full license. By the way, you also need the social security number in CA for licensure… Stephanie
Hello Stephanie,
I have done Bachelors of commerce (B COM) in India which is a 3yr degree. I have got my transcripts evaluated. It says my completed course work is equivalent to 90.00 total semester hours of college level credit including 24.00 semester hours of accounting and 24 semester hours of business courses and it is also saying that the accounting courses which i have taken include at least one course in:
Audit: No
Tax: Yes
Financial Accounting: Yes
Managerial Accounting: Yes
Here my question is am i eligible to take CPA exam in California if no do i need to take some course in audit subject?And i don’t have SSN number. Thanks in advance.
Hi Swathi,
Does it say that your degree is equivalent to an associate degree or bachelor degree? You can always get extra credits in any accredited colleges but the degree you are deemed to have obtained will determine your eligibility.
If you don’t have SSN, better check out other state boards. CA will let you sit for the exam but won’t give you the license.
Just come back and let me know the degree information and we’ll see what we can do. Cheers, Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you very much for your kind response.
Firstly, The letter from IL board of Examiners has NOT mentioned about my degree i.e either equivalent to associate or bachelor degree.
All it says is that “I am not academically eligible in IL to sit for CPA because of the following 2 deficienies.
1. No course in Audit
2. Total hours less than 150.”
Here are some more queries i have. Please share your perspective on them.
1. As stated above, It clearly appears that I need to take Audit course to meet sufficient credit hours in Audit subjet. Could you suggest where i can take courses(preferably online) in Audit? And How many credit hours are going to be covered for Audit courses? I mean will I be able to get 30credit hours by doing Audit course alone?
2. I am moving to CA from IL in 2 months. I definitely want to take further required credits such as Audit etc and then write CPA exam in CA. So am I required to get my credintials evaluated again from CA board of Examiners?
Best Regards,
Swathi.
Hi Swathi,
I guess the evaluation from IL board isn’t that helpful is it…
30 credit hour is equivalent to something like 1 year of coursework. That sounds kind of too much for audit… (unless you love the subject!) Sorry I haven’t got the time to research on the courses yet, but you can take it anywhere as long as it is accredited… I promise I will write something in the near future because it has been a frequent request.
Looks like for Illinois if you can fulfill the 150 hours you are fine. But that’s quite a lot of work from 90 to 150… something you may need to consider. For CA, it won’t work for CPA licensing purposes if you don’t have SSN. Don’t worry you can still register in IL and then physically take the exam in CA.
By the way, Colorado might work too but the CO rep is still not responding to my question on the SSN issue (whether license will be granted to non-SSN)… if I manage to bug her for the answer I will let everyone know. Thanks. Stephanie
Hey! I’m kinda hazy on the work experience aspect of the pathway 2 requirement for CA. It says 1 year, but is that full time? I wish it would be more specific on number of hours and/or what type of environment they would accept. For example, I’m the treasurer for my church part-time where the guy I took over for/consult with is a licensed CPA…would that suffice? If not, some clarification on the minimum I need to do in this area would be great, so I wouldn’t need to leave my current day-job position as a cost accountant at a company where nobody’s a CPA. Thanks!
Hi Derek
Based on this official document, part-time work is only counted as 1 month of full time work… so it works but probably not enough. Is your current job have CPA equivalent, e.g. Chartered accountants from Canada, Australia etc.? California is nice enough to count those.
Here is the primary source for your reference:
http://www.dca.ca.gov/cba/publications/applbook.pdf
Have you done your CPA exam yet? There are states such as Indiana that recognizes work being verified and not supervised by CPA licensee. So your “supervisor” at church can probably verify your day job experience for you. Some other states are also much more lenient on part-time experience.
If you have passed your CPA exam via CA, you can still consider transferring your credit to a state that works, if everything in CA fails.
Hope things will work out!
Stephanie
Hi
I got my bachelor honors degree in accounting and finance(120 credit) from Ireland, I would like to get the CPA title in the united state , does CPA entitles me to get a USA study visa ? can i do the CPA exams with the degree i have in California state ?
regards
Hi Farzad,
No I don’t think you can get a US student visa by taking the CPA exam, but if you successfully enroll in one of the accredited educational institutions you should be able to get it. If you have 120 credit hours, you should be able to sit for the exam in California, but please note that they need a social security number (sort of the identity card number in the US) to ultimately get the license.
If you don’t have the SSN, check out Illinois. IL asks for 150 credit hours but you don’t need experience in order to get the CPA certificate.
Hope it helps. Just let me know if you have further questions. Stephanie
Hi
I completed MBA (Marketing & Finance) from IIPM, India after Bachelor of Commerce (3 yrs/Accountancy Honors) from Jadavpur University. I have sent my transcripts to IERF for evaluation as a part California Board of Accountancy requirement. I live in CA but currently on H4 and do not have an SSN. My husband’s green card is in process which will take 4-5 years or more. There are remote chances that we will be re-locating anywhere from CA in future. Do you advise me to sit for exams under CA jurisdiction or look for other states as I do not have SSN. Thanks for the help!
Hi Sewalini,
Yes I would recommend that you try other states because you won’t be able to get the license from California without SSN. If you have a MBA, why not take a look at Illinois? It doesn’t require a SSN and doesn’t require working experience as long as you have 150 credit hours and doesn’t mind just the CPA certificate. You can always “upgrade” to full license after gaining 1 year of experience.
Cheers, Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
If I take the CPA exams in CA, can I obtain my working experiences outside CA?
Thanks
Karen
Hi Karen,
Yes you can, as long as your experience can be supervised and verified by an active CPA licensee.
Cheers,
Stephanie
hi Stephanie,
I have a 3 Year Bachelor of Commerce Degree from an Indian University, which I believe would not be considered a 4 Year Bachelor degree equivalent in US. Checked the WES Website, and my college is B+ so I dont think they would consider it as a 4 Year Degree.
I am currently pursuing UCLA Extension Certificate in Accounting course
https://www.uclaextension.edu/r/ProgramDetails.aspx?reg=CF028
Will this help me in qualifying to sit for the CPA Exam in California ?
I do not have a SSN ( I am on an H4 Visa).
Appreciate your help in this regards.
Thanks,
Punam
Hi Punam,
On the courses, as long as the course shows up on an official transcript it will be counted. Also, the extra courses won’t make your 3-year degree into a 4-year degree… so Delaware should still be your only choice for now.
But then, if you don’t have SSN, you should try other states to save you the hassle of credit transfer. You can register in places as far as Delaware and physically take the exam in CA.
Cheers,
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I completed a 3 year Batchelor of Arts degree in Accounting & Finance in the UK. I also passed the first half of the ACCA exam and then moved to the States. I am currently living in South/North Carolina border and am considering taking the CPA exam. Do I currently qualify to take the exam or what additional steps do I need to complete in order to qualify?
Thanks for your help!
Komal
Hi Komal,
While in general 3 year degree is considered an associate degree in the US, please give a call to any of these foreign credential evaluation agencies and see if they can give you an indication whether yours can been seen as a 4-year degree equivalent. If it’s not possible, then Delaware would be your only choice (please check the working experience and see if it is doable). You can register in Delaware and physically take the exam in S/N Carolina.
Hope it helps! Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I passed the CPA exam in New York in 1991 and never went to public accounting. Worked in private for 20+ years. Which state would I qualify to receive CPA license (I have a BBA in accounting).
John
Hi John,
It depends if you can fulfill the “new” CPA exam requirements for most state i.e. 150 credit hours of education. Would you mind telling me this before I give any recommendations? Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I am starting the process of getting my CPA license. Have a 4 year degree already but not in accounting. Going to fulfill the 24 extra units of accounting and Business but want to know where I can go to see what online school classes qualify for the credits for California license. Also, I am assuming once I complete those units along with my degree I already have that should probably equal more than the 150 credits needed for pathway 2.
Link or recommendation for qualifying online school would be great if you know. Thanks.
Hi Jason,
I have recently written a page on this subject – how to get extra credits to fulfill the 120/150 hours. Hope it helps! Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I just went through your forum today and found very interesting.You are really doing a great job.
I am on H4 visa and I live in California.I have done B.Com and M.B.A(finance) in India.I am very new to this country ,just came 10 months back.I had sent the application to the Board and just today I received the approval notification from them.I am not sure whether I can post these questions here.My questions are:-
1) Many of my friends suggested me that Becker is the best CPA review classes.Here in the USA everything has a deal! I was just wondering that how much would be the reasonable price to pay to the Becker classes.Is there any deal on Becker classes?Could you please suggest me?
2)I just went through some of the websites and many recommend to take the BEC exams in 2010.What would you suggest me?Would it be possible to prepare for the exam within a short span of time?
Thanks in advance,
Rathi.
Hi Rathi,
On the courses, yes Becker is the oldest and most well-known CPA review courses. I went through their live classes but didn’t like it, but I am sure others find it ok. More importantly, you’ll have to see if Becker is good for you. Please check out this page where I list out the pros and cons of the top 10 CPA review courses. Just drop me a note there if you have other questions.
On whether to take BEC first… BEC will go through major changes in terms of the format (i.e. not content). If you don’t like the simulations / written communciations you should try to take it this year. But looks like you have a strong command of English anyway so I don’t think it’s a big deal. Also BEC takes a shorter time to prepare so it might be good for you as a start.
In general I recommend taking FAR first but given you only have one window before 2010, BEC might as well be a good choice.
Cheers, Stephanie
P.S. You can meet other H4 visa holders here in this page. Best of luck to your exam!
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you so much for the information and advice. I really appreciate it!
I have one more query.Can you please share your perspective on this.
Would it be possible to study FAR within 2 months?What is the average time needed ?
Thanks again for all your help.
Rathi.
Hi Rathi,
You are most welcome! On FAR… yes I guess it is possible but you’ll need to study pretty much on a full-time basis. And hopefully you’ll have a good grasp of the accounting concepts. OK for you? Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you the information.I can grasp the accounting concepts pretty well.I will study on a full time basis and will take FAR exams at the end of November.
Thanks for all your help.
Rathi.
Hi Rathi, shouldn’t have any problem then. Keep working hard – let’s get this done once and for all! stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks a lot for helping me out during the registration phase. I just got a mail today from the California board that I am approved to sit for the CPA Exam as a California candidate. Now I need to start the process of getting the ATT and NTS. How much time generally all this will take and will I be able to schedule atleast one section this year coz its already mid September. If I will apply for all the 4 sections then I will have to appear for all 4 within 9 months or wat and also since the syllabus is changing in 2011, which section should I take first if at all there is time left for me in this year.
Thanks for all your help till now and will keep bothering you henceforth as well but trust me its a great guidance for all CPA candidates.
Purvi
Hello,
Can anyone tell me where I can go to see the exact status of my qualification to sit for the CPA exam? I am in the very beginning stages of becoming a CPA. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics in 2008 and am trying to figure out which classes I have already taken can be applied to the requirements to sit for the CPA exam.
Thanks!
Hi Nicole,
Is you bachelor degree from the US or elsewhere? More importantly, is it a 4-year degree? If so you should have quite a number of choices. Stephanie
Hi Rathi..m also appearing for CPA from California board and got my approval to sit for the exam recently..let me know ur email id so tat we can get in touch with each other as I do not know anyone doin CPA here..u can write to me at [purvi_np2001@yahoo.com].
Thanks Stephanie for this immensely helpful column..
Hi Purvi,
You are most welcome. Wish you all the best! Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I received my Bachelor’s from UC Santa Barbara in California. It is a 4-year degree and I attended UCSB for all 4 of those years.
Thanks,
Nicole
Hi Purvi,
I have sent you an email.Can you check it?Where do you stay in California?
Thanks Stephanie for all your help.
Hi Rathi,
Thanks for helping out fellow candidates! Stephanie
I have a B.A. in communications from 1988. Can I go back and take required accounting and business coursework at a junior college to be eligible for CPA exam?
Hi Gina,
Shouldn’t be a problem, but given your mind is probably no longer tuned to the “academics” you’ll need all the dedication to get pass the exam!
If there is anything I can help please drop me a note again.
All the best,
Stephanie
Stephanie,
Very helpful website, I have a Bachelors degree in accounting, I graduated on December 2009 from Florida International University and I live in Florida. I would like to get my CPA licenses without getting a master’s degree if possible. Even though I have been working in Banking for the last 5 years, I have not worked directly in any accounting position. Please let me know if it’s possible to get get my CPA license or if I have to get the master’s degree in order to do so.
Thank you,
Diego
Hi Diego,
Thanks for your kind words! Assuming that yours is a typical bachelor degree with 120 credit hours, you can take a look at this page where I list out the states that allow you to sit for the exam with only 120 credit hours… but there are various restrictions so please take the time and click through the link to find out more.
If you have any questions on each of the state, just drop a note there and I will be happy to help you out.
Cheers, stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you for taking the time to put this great website which is almost a one-stop-shop for all questions related to CPA exam.
I have > 150 semester units with a BS in accounting. What is considered as a general accounting experience? What is the requirement for general accounting experience such as (active CPA supervisor, etc.)? Can my supervisor sign my experience form even prior to passing the CPA exam? I am working for a non-public company, do I need to have two people sign the e-form? I am using EXCEL as my review course, do you have any suggestions if this is a good tool to use in studying for the CPA exam? or do I need to get an additional tools?
Thank you!
Marie
Hi Marie,
Thanks a lot for your kind note!
If you plan to register in CA, then working experience can be public or non-public accounting. In other words, anywhere that allows you to have accounting experience, be it CPA firms, corporates, private businesses, government agencies… as long as your experience is supervised by an active CPA licensee.
Yes I believe most State Board recognizes experiences prior to the passing of the exam. California should be one of them but it’s better to double check with an email or quick phone call.
While I generally recommend Yaeger I also think CPAexcel is pretty good. The people there e.g. Phil Anthony is GREAT who genuinely cares about candidates.
If you need extra (free) tools, you can also check out CPAreviewforfree.com. This is a site run by a former CPA review course owner who sold his company to Kaplan, and the questions are really free with no strings attached.
Good luck to your exam! Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Just to add to my posting above: I went to a California State University college in California. I want to take a CPA license in CA.
Thanks,
Marie
hi
i got 103 credit hours from FACS for Colorado board. now what i have to do stephanie..now i wanna sit in California state.plz teme what to do…
Hi Zarak,
Sorry I couldn’t find our earlier correspondence so I couldn’t recall your specific case, but for California you’ll really need to get 120 credit hours to get qualified. Here is something I wrote about how to get extra credits for 120/150 hours… Nothing magical, but could probably point you to the right direction.
Just let me know how I can be of further help… Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I have my 3 yr. Bachelor of Commerce from India. I am currently pursuing MBA from University of Phoenix. Will the Accounting, Finance, and Economics courses in my MBA be enough for me to sit for the CPA exam in CA? Thanks in advance for your help.
Hi Purvi,
Technically yes, but the credential evaluation also takes into account the individual courses in your bachelor education. So for a firm answer you will still need to go through the credential evaluation agencies.
By the way, you do have SSN right? Just want to make sure.
Regards, Stephanie
Stephanie,
After careful consideration I decided to become a CPA in California. I now reside in Pennsylvania. Will I have to travel to CA to write the exam. This will certainly add to the cost.
Please respond
Hi Uytre,
Good news! There is absolutely no need to travel to CA to take the exam. Once you get the NTS (notice to schedule), go to prometric.com and pick a exam site to take the exam. As you will see you are free to pick any site including those from Pennsylvania.
Cheers, Stephanie
Stephanie,
I recently passed all 4 parts of my CPA exam in California. Will I lose my credits and have to retake all 4 parts again if I don’t apply for my license within a certain amount of years?
Hello Jay,
I can’t recall if there is a “Deadline” for California, but generally state board gives you 10 years. Would that be enough?
A few states gives you only 5 years so if this is what you are planning, better check with CA state board. Stephanie
Stephanie,
Some states require that credit hours are from an actual face to face, campus class. I am attending University of Phoneix which in Texas is considered a hybrid class of both campus and online. Is California specific as to what type of credit hours they require? Do they accept Online and Hybrid credits?
I was wondering if being certified by the ACCA in conjunction with a US undergraduate degree (that is not in accounting but similar to general business) is sufficient “education” to sit for the CPA exam in California. Thanks!
Hi Ashley,
As far as I know, I am afraid that ACCA is no longer recognized as equivalent in most states. I am quite sure the answer is no for California.
But don’t worry as your GSB qualification in France can probably enough to make you qualified. Yes being a US citizen is great because California requires a SSN to get the license in the state.
Please go to this foreign credential evaluationpage for details on how to do the evaluation. Stephanie
I would like to add I have an Masters in International Business from Grenoble Graduate School of Business in France (recognized world-wide) and I am an American citizen currently living in the UK. I don’t know if that information matters but I thought I would add it. Also, details of my undergraduate degree are: a degree in Human and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University. 30 hours of “business and finance courses” to make up a minor in Corporate Strategy and a minor in Financial Economics. Thank you for the help, this is a great website!
Ashley
Hi Stephanie,
Quick question about the general experience requirement for California licensure.
I have worked as an accountant at my current company for over 2 years. My current supervisor is a CPA but he has only worked here for about a year. Can he still sign off on my 2-year general experience even though he has not been supervising me for the entire 2 years? Or do I have to obtain my old supervisor’s signature as well?
Thanks so much,
Yuki
Hi Yuki,
My understanding is that you will need to obtain your old supervisor’s signature as well. Hope it’s not too much trouble for you… Cheers, Stephanie
Hello Stephanie,
I am gurjot from california.I did my graduation from India and when i got my evaluated transcripts I got total 90 semester units.Even I applied for CPA exam now i got email from california board of accountancy and according to them i can sit for CPA exam.Now i am confused like it is mentioned if u have 120 semester unit u need to get 2 years of work experience and if u have 150 semester units then u need to get 1 year work experience for CPA license.Now If I go for CPA exam and then I can complete my remaining units while taking work experience.Please tell me what is best option for me.
Hi Gurjot,
You know what I am confused as well… did you submit anything other than your evaluated transcript report? Stephanie
Hello Stephanie,
I’m a Bcom student from Canada. I am planning to work in CA for two years and get the CPA license there.
I’m a little bit confused about the SSN. From my understanding, in order to work in the States, we have to get a SSN. Therefore, every CPA candidate is suppose to get a SSN because we have to work in the States to fulfil the work experience requirement (well, I know there are exceptions to a few States that do not have this requirement) . If this is the case, then what is the point for the CA State Board to issue license with SSN? I feel like I have misunderstood something here. Can you please clarify this for me?
Thanks in advance,
Natalie
Hi Shirlyn,
No you don’t need to do that at all — just keep your registration in NY but reserve a space at the exam site nearest to your home in CA. Yes you can register in one state but take the exam in another because it is all the same as far as the test is concerned. Cheers, Stephanie
Hi Natalie,
You are right that SSN is required to work in the state. But there are two ways to overcome that:
(1) you can work in Canada but work under a CPA (US) or CPA equivalent (i.e. Canadian CAs) which can verify the work experience for you and is recognized in most (but not all) states. Gotta to double check if your state allows that.
(2) pick a state that issues CPA cert/license without working experience requirement. This would include mainly Illinois and Colorado. If no SSN, then Illinois is basically the choice because for Colorado, SSN is required ultimately when you get the license.
Many Canadians choose Illinois because of reason #2.
Hope it helps! Stephanie
Hi. I just apply for the BEC exam and pay the exam fee. Since I don’t anticipate myself to take anymore within the next nine months because of work, BEC is the only exam that I apply for. I plan to take the BEC part in February 2011. I know that in order for me to re-apply, I need to pay the $50 for each application. I just wonder when can I start re-apply and and how do I reapply since the client account does not allow me to re-apply now. Do I have to create a new client account for each application?
Thanks.
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