The document discusses the requirements and process for becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the United States. It outlines the 3 E's that are required - Education, Exam, and Experience. For education, most states require 150 credit hours of accounting coursework. The CPA exam consists of 4 computer-based sections that must be passed within 18 months. Candidates also need 1-2 years of experience under a CPA before becoming licensed. Maintaining the license requires ongoing continuing education. The process prepares accountants for prestigious and well-compensated work in various fields like auditing, tax preparation, and financial planning.

1. 
The Road to Becoming A
CPA
Presented by: Trudy
Arhin

2. 
School
Major
Graduation date
Plans after graduation
Introduction

3. 
Who is a CPA?

4. 
 Highest professional designation in accounting and the
utmost standard of competency
 Must take and pass The Certified Public Accountant
Uniform Exam administered by the AICPA
 All CPAs are accountants, but not all accountants are CPAs
 Some states require that only CPA’s perform certain
accounting tasks such as auditing.
The Credential - CPA

5. 
 3 E’s required to become a CPA
Education
Exam
Experience
 4th E (Ethics only required by some states)
Differs from state to state.
Laws and rules are determined by the State Board
of Accountancy
Requirements

6.  Most sates require 150 credit hours of classroom accounting
work
 Virginia  150 hours
 Missouri  150 hours
 Washington 150 hours
 All three states above require Ethics exam for initial
licensure
 Why 150 hours? ©AICPA
Education

7.  Computer based
 Consists of 4 sections
 Auditing and Attestation (AUD)
 Business Environment and Concepts (BEC)
 Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR)
 Regulation (REG)
 Same test no matter where it is taken in any give year
 Question types include multiple choice, simulation and
written communication
Exam

8. 
There is no specific order in which a
candidate can take the test
A candidate has 18 months from the
time they pass their first section to pass
the other three sections.
Passing score is 75 on a 0-99 scale
Exam

9. 
Multiple-Choice Task-Based Written
Auditing and
Attestation (AUD)
60% 40% -
Business Environment
and Concepts (BEC)
85% - 15%
Financial Accounting
and Reporting (FAR)
60% 40% -
Regulation (REG) 60% 40% -
Exam Breakdown

10. 
Many states require the candidate to
have 1 – 2 years experience under a
CPA after successfully passing exam
To gain additional experience before
actually receiving your CPA license.
Experience

11. 
 It takes about 3 to 4 weeks to get your CPA license after
meeting all requirements
 Apply through candidate’s State Board of Accountancy
 Initial application fee varies from state to state
 Ranges from $100 to $200
 At least 40 hours of Continuing Professional education
each year to maintain the CPA certification.
Getting Your License

12.  All first-time applicants are required to pay both an application fee and an
examination fee upon submission of the first-time application.
 Application fee $190.00
 Examination Fees
 Auditing and Attestation (AUD) $193.45
 Business Environment and Concepts (BEC) $173.60
 Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) $193.45
 Regulation (REG) $173.60
 Registration Fees
 4 examination sections $115.00
 3 examination sections $115.00
 2 examination sections $115.00
 1 examination section $115.00 ©AICPA
Fees

13. 
Elijah Watt Sells Award
 Established by the AICPA in
1923 to recognize outstanding
performance on the CPA
Examination.
 Rewards candidates who pass
the CPA exam with a 95 on a
scale of 99 on all four sections on
their first attempt
 60 out of 91,384 candidates in
2014 earned this award
©AICPA

14. 
 AICPA’s official website (Free)
 This Way To The CPA (Free)
 Becker’s CPA exam review
 Kelley’s CPA exam prep
 Wiley’s CPAexcel
Resources

15. 
 The prestige and respect that comes with being a
CPA
 is a good way to stand out in to potential employers
 Becoming a CPA while employed puts you in line
for management and leadership position
 CPA’s earn 10% more on average than non CPA
accountants.
Why go through all this
trouble

16. 
Services provided by
CPA’s
 Assurance and attestation
services
 Corporate finance and
governance
 Estate planning
 Financial planning and
accounting
 Governmental accounting
 Financial analysis
 Forensic accounting
 Management
consulting and
performance management
 Tax preparation and
planning
 Financial Reporting
©WIKI

17.  Effective April 1, 2017
 Proposed CPA Exam will get longer, increasing from 14 to 16 hours to
complete
 Will be slightly more expensive
 Focus on higher-order cognitive skills, including critical thinking,
problem solving and analytical ability.
 Multiple Choice Questions decreasing by 12-20 questions per section
 More Task-Based Simulations
 Scoring : Approximately 50% MCQ and 50% SBT/WC
2017 Exam Changes

18. 
Questions & Comments