Your Guide to Becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
The CPA exam is a rigorous assessment of your knowledge and skills in accounting and finance, and passing it is an essential step towards earning your CPA designation.Before you can sit for the exam, you must first meet certain eligibility requirements set by state boards of accountancy. We'll guide you through the CPA program, exam and its requirements, and what’s required to get certified.
The ROI of the CPA Certification: Why it's Worth the Effort
The effort put into earning the CPA certification can lead to a fulfilling and rewarding career in accounting and finance. The rigorous process of becoming a CPA requires developing a broad range of technical and soft skills that are highly valued in industry.
You'll enjoy the following advantages:
- Improved career prospects & global recognition
- Increased earning potential
- Greater credibility with clients, colleagues, and employers
- Access to specialized areas of accounting, professional skills, and expertise
- Remain competitive and relevant in the field with Continuing Education requirements
Start the CPA exam process in 5 easy steps:
documents for your CPA Exam
application form
Achieving the CPA Certification: What You Need to Know
To become CPA certified, you typically need to:
- Meet certain education & experience requirements
- Pass all sections of the CPA exam
- And fulfill any additional state-specific requirements such as completing ethics courses or undergoing a background check
Educational Requirements
- To become a licensed CPA in all 50 states, a bachelor’s degree is required, along with at least 150 credit hours of coursework.
- Some states allow you to sit for the CPA Exam with 120 hours of study, but you must still complete 150 hours before you can apply for a license.
Experience Requirements
In some states, students must meet additional experience requirements to be eligible for the CPA Exam. Generally, most states require at least one year of work experience under a licensed CPA to obtain a license, while other states require even more experience.
The Path to CPA Certification: What You'll Learn
The CPA exam is divided into four sections, each covering a different area of accounting and finance.
CORE
- Financial Accounting & Reporting
covers the basics of financial statements and how to prepare them in accordance with accounting principles such as GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles).
- Auditing & Attestation
covers how to perform audits, review financial statements, and ensure compliance with accounting standards.
- Regulation
covers the legal and ethical considerations of accounting and finance, including tax laws, business law, and professional standards.
Discipline
- Business Analysis & Reporting (BAR)
assesses the technical accounting and financial analysis skills of CPAs, focusing on comparing financial statements, evaluating the impact of transactions and market conditions, and applying FASB, SEC, and GASB standards.
- Information System & Controls (ISC)
evaluates a CPA's knowledge and skills in IT audits, advisory services, SOC engagements, and data management across the data lifecycle.
- Tax Compliance & Planning (TCP)
assesses a CPA's expertise in U.S. federal tax compliance, planning, and personal financial planning, emphasizing on transactions and relevant implications.
Not Meeting Education Requirements?
Morgan International has partnered with California State University (CSU) to offer candidates enrolling in our CPA live and live online classes the possibility to earn academic extension credits in order to meet the educational requirements for the U.S. CPA Exam. This means you can earn up to 42 credits in business or accounting by selecting from any of the following topics:
Accounting Topics (3 credits each)
Financial Accounting & Reporting I
Financial Accounting & Reporting II
Financial Accounting & Reporting III
Financial Accounting & Reporting IV
Financial Accounting & Reporting V
Auditing & Attestation I
Auditing & Attestation II
Auditing & Attestation III
Federal Income Taxation I - Individuals
Federal Income Taxation II - Entities
Management Accounting
Business Topics (3 credits each)
Business Law
Corporate Governance & Financial Management
Economic Analysis & Information Technology
How do you earn the credits?
To earn credits for any of the above courses, candidates will have to submit an assignment and take a short, final exam.
Assignment
The assignment consists of 40 Multiple-Choice-Questions (MCQs) that will be available to the candidates for a full week ahead of the Exam date. Multiple attempts possible.
Final Grade : candidates will need a score of 70% or higher (calculated from a combined score of both the Exam & the Assignment)
Exam
Two-hour computer-based exam including 2 MCQs per unit & 2 task-based simulations (TBS). Number of MCQs vary between 24 to 40 per exam. Only one attempt permitted.
Final Grade : candidates will need a score of 70% or higher (calculated from a combined score of both the Exam & the Assignment)
Terms & Conditions
The CSU credits earned will only serve for the CPA Exam credit count and cannot be used towards any degree at CSU or any other university
Candidates do not need to enroll at CSU to take courses & obtain credits
The above courses are only valid for Morgan candidates who are enrolling in/have purchased all four parts of the Live Class or Live Online Course.
Get in touch with us today for more information about the CSU courses and credit hours.
Exam Essentials
Passing all four parts of the Uniform CPA Exam is one of the initial steps towards obtaining a CPA license. The exam, which is administered by the AICPA®, is computer-based and consists of 3 Core sections and 1 of the three Disciplines (BAR, ISC, TCP) section.
To complete all four sections of the CPA Exam, candidates have 30 months (however this has not yet been adopted by all state boards and candidates should check with their state boards). It is essential to schedule and prepare adequately for the CPA Exam within the given timeline.
The CPA exam is administered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and is offered in the United States and its territories, as well as internationally in select locations.