CPA FAQ

Please review the list of questions below for answers to common CPA FAQ (frequently asked questions). If you have a question that you cannot find an answer to, please drop a note in the comment section and I’ll do my best to respond as soon as I can.

General Questions on Accountancy and CPA

Questions on How To Become A CPA

CPA Exam Changes In 2011

Questions On Best Approach To CPA Application

Questions for International Candidates

Questions on Passing the CPA Exam

Questions on CPA Exam Review Courses

Questions On CPA Exam Tactics

Questions On CPA Exam Motivation

Questions On Life after CPA Exam

Questions On Career With A CPA

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  • Great tips
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{ 80 comments }

Naveen

Hi Stephanie,

Hats off to you for your great work in guiding people on how to pursue the CPA course. I have one question with me that is I came to know that dubai is opened as exam centre from mid 2011. Can u please clarify whether that exam centre is open only to dubai citizens or even I can appear there since I am from India.

Regards,
Naveen.

Romi

Stephanie

I signed up for your mini course but have only received your thank you email…. am I missing something?

Thanks!

Sumit Arora

Hi Stephanie,
First of all Great Effort on your part for this wonderful site.
I just wanted to ask you one question as lets say I pass 2 or 3 exams in my CPA by next year Jan or Feb but since I enrolled from Delaware state which wouldnot accept 15yrs (I am B.com h graduate from India) of education from next year,so Can I move to New Hampshire state board as I am pursuing my Masters degree in accounting.But my point is can i take my exemptions along with me to the new state board which would be New Hampshire?

Judy

Hi Stephanie,
Thanks so much for your site and all the helpful responses. My husband has a BA in business and a MBA and passed in the CPA exam in IL in 1989. However, he did not apply for his license because he was not working as an accountant under a licensed CPA at the time. We moved to a couple of other states and he had other positions (not auditing positions) in various companies. We now live in PA and he is currently unemployed. His last position was working as an accountant in a Day Trading Company approx 6 years ago. What would be the best route for him to try and apply for his CPA license in PA, or is this even your recommendation after all these years? Thanks

Rajendra

Hi Stephanie,
First of all i was very much thankful to you for giving guidance for foreign students.I am an Indian and when i applied for evaluation with FACS for Colorado State my qualifications are B.com (B graded University),CA inter,ICWA 1st group in Inter.FACS awarded me 132 Semester credits based on above qualifications, with same credits i applied for NTS with Colorado state board,but Colorado state board rejected my NTS saying that COMBINED DEGREE from FACS will not be considered.Actually i didn’t understand what they actually mean.
In the mean time i Completed M.com and ICWA Inter 2nd group.So, my question was will Colorado State board considers my M.com and ICWA inter for writing exams.
OR
Please suggest me for which State board my above qualification satisfies the eligibility requirements for writing CPA exams.
I am ready provide further information if required.

Thanks & Regards
Rajendra
India

David

Hi Stephanie,

I am planning on taking the CPA exams in Indiana, but I have yet to take the Auditing course yet. If I were to take a university-based CPA review course for Auditing for credit, would that satisfy the requirement, or would I have to take a normal 3-credit Auditing course instead. Thank you and have a good day.

Sincerely,

David

Leo

Hi, I need to pay the application fee to the Board of Accountancy in California but I do not have a US Bank Account to provide the required check. Can I do an International Money Transfer?, is it possible to know a bank account to make the transfer?

Bhupinder Kaur

Hi Stephanie. I have passed all four parts of CPA examination. Currently I’m working as an accountant where there’s no CPA. Would volunteering for a CPA count towards obtaining my license? Please let me know. Thanks 5/10/11.

Jigna

Hi Stephanie,
I need a small help from you in regards to which state I should to apply. Let me tell you something about me, I reside in North Carolina and I am not an US citizen but an Alien Resident. I have Master’s in Accounting (M COM) from India, I have work with a local CPA for 7 months and now I am getting ready for my CPA exam but the problem is which state I should be applying is very confusing. Please if you can help me with this it will be great.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Thank you
Jigna

Smita Ravasia

Hi Stephanie,
How r u ?
Its really nice to have person like you who can be referred in the time of difficulties regarding CPA exam. I must say..we all find you like angel for us to resolve our query. Your site is really helpful.

I need to bother you with my query also. I am from North carolina. I have done CA + Bcom. And thought of doing CPA here so got my credentials evaluated here from ECE. They gave 137 hours of credit with 29 hours in accounting, 7 hours in audit and 28 hours in others.
Now i tried to call up Colorado board and ask about whether i can qualify for exam or i need to go for pre evaluation first.
But no clear reply from them.

Can you advise me what should i do? Can directly appear for exam or wait for pre evaluation by colorado board ?

Further, wrt licensing requirment, whether once i clear CPA from Colorado state , would i get any credit hours to add up in my 137 hours total to achieve target of 150 hours for licensing or i need to some other course here to get that balancing hours to meet 150 hours for licensing.

can you pls reply to my quey….

Thanks

Regards,
Smita

Jalilah

Hi Stephanie

First of all I want to thank you for all the effort that you put in this site to help others

I have one question though if you may help me please

I am from outside USA, and i have send my certificates for the FACS, it states that I have completed more than 150 hours that is equivalent to a baccalaureate in a USA University but that what i have studied does not include any semester hours for U.S. Federal Taxation. Does this mean that in case of me passing all the four exams I will still not be eligible to get the CPA certificate?? You know I don’t want to spend all this effort, time and money to end up without what I wanted at the first place.

thanks a lot

Regards
Jalilah

Smita Ravasia

Hi Jigna,

I am also from North Carolina and from India. Planning to appear for CPA. I would like to know whether we can share our contact details so that we can share our queries with each other about exam ??

Let me know ..
Regards,
Smita

Jigna

Hi Smita,
Sure I would like to be in touch with you. Send me your email add. and I will email you.
Jigna

Smita Ravasia

Hi Jigna,

My email address is angelbless26@gmail.com.
Let me know yours..
Regards,
Smita

Stephanie

Dear all,
The comments on this page is getting a bit out of control :) so I would like to redirect your questions to these pages:

1. For state specific questions (including rules of exam and licensing applications):
Please go to CPA exam requirements by state, click on the state you are interested in, and add a comment there.

2. For general questions from international candidates:
Please check out this page written for you first, and click away / leave comments from there!

3. If you have a specific question, it’s most likely discussed in one of the linked pages above. Please go to that page and ask a question there.

Finally, if you have a general question that do not fit into any of the pages listed above, then please scroll back up and find the heading “Your comments are most welcome” and drop a note for me there. Thanks!

Stephanie

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