CPA Exam Questions

1. I received my accounting degree from a university outside of the United States. Can I sit for the CPA Exam?
2. Is state residency required for a person to take the CPA Exam?
3. How do I take the Ethics Exam? What is included in it, and how difficult is it?
4. Where can I find information on taking the CPA Exam?
5. Do I need any work experience to take the CPA Exam, or will my educational hours be enough?
6. Can I take the CPA Exam in one state, and apply for licensure in another?
7. Do you have any suggestions for choosing a Review Course?
8. How can I determine if my credits from a particular class(es) will be accepted as part of the necessary 120/150 hours?
9. What are the requirements to sit for the CPA Exam in my state?
10. What is the best way to actually study for the CPA Exam?
11. What should I do if I failed a CPA Exam section?

1. I received my accounting degree from a university outside of the United States. Can I sit for the CPA Exam? An international candidate or a student with foreign education can become a CPA if they meet the educational requirements listed by one of the 55 US jurisdiction Boards of Accountancy. All state boards of accountancy – with the exception of the U.S. Virgin Islands – require a minimum of 150 hours of post-secondary education from a regionally accredited institution. This rule ensures that all CPA exam candidates have a total of 150 semester hours of education under their belts before they sit for the exam. Most bachelor degrees typically only give students 120 semester hours-meaning they have to obtain an extra 30 semester hours to meet the requirement. You should review our free State Requirements eBook to better understand residency requirements by state as well as educational requirements.
2. Is state residency required for a person to take the CPA Exam? Some states require residency, while others do not. You can see each state’s residency requirements via our free eBook, State Requirements.
3. How do I take the Ethics Exam? What is included in it, and how difficult is it? The Ethics Exam is of course required in almost every state to obtain licensure. We have created a free eBook, 28 Things You Need to Know About the CPA Ethics Exam, that details how you would take it, topics covered in the exam, and what to expect in the way of difficulty.
4.  Where can I find information on taking the CPA Exam? We have created a free eBook specifically to answer the many questions candidates have about the CPA Exam. 88 Things You Need to Know for the CPA Exam will give you information on taking the CPA Exam itself, offers study tips, and a huge amount more.
   
5. Do I need any work experience to take the CPA Exam, or will my educational hours be enough? Yes, you will need to have work experience prior to sitting for the CPA Exam. All states require at least 1 year of experience, with many states requiring 2 or more. However, each state defines “experience” differently, and as such, we would suggest you review our free eBook, State Requirements, to find the relevant information in your state along with contact information to the state boards of accountancy.
    
6. Can I take the CPA Exam in one state, and apply for licensure in another? That will entirely depend on the states in question. Some states have reciprocity with some states, but not others. It’s important also to remember that some states allow you to sit for the exam with only 120 educational hours, but 150 hours are needed for licensure. In your case, you would be best served contacting the state boards of accountancy in the two states you have in mind to determine if there is reciprocity, and also researching beforehand the overall requirements in each state. You can find contact information for the state boards of accountancy as well as the requirements for each state in our free eBook, State Requirements.
7. Do you have any suggestions for choosing a Review Course? Yes, we do. You can read more about our tips in our free eBook, 88 Things You Need to Know for the CPA Exam. Additionally, we have the 2018 CPA Review Course Comparison Table, which will show you the prices for various Review Courses, and what’s included in each. Countless people have used this chart to help them find the Review Course that best fits their needs.
8. How can I determine if my credits from a particular class(es) will be accepted as part of the necessary 120/150 hours? In general, our free eBook State Requirements offers an overview of the coursework necessary for each state. However, for specific classes themselves, it is always wisest to check directly with your state board of accountancy. The free State Requirements eBook also contains the contact information for each state board of accountancy.
9. What are the requirements to sit for the CPA Exam in my state? For a detailed listing of the requirements in every US state for both the CPA Exam as well as licensure, read our free eBook, State Requirements.
10. What is the best way to actually study for the CPA Exam? The CPA Exam is perhaps the most difficult professional exam in the United States. Enormous books and other study plans and resources have been created to aid candidates in their preparation for the Exam. In other words, it would be impossible to provide you a concise answer. However, it is our opinion that without question a CPA Review Course is the best approach. Which Review Course will depend entirely on your preference, budget, style of learning, etc. To assist you in selecting the right Review Course for you, we have developed the 2018 CPA Review Course Comparison Table. Additionally, we have created a free eBook, 88 Things You Need to Know for the CPA Exam, which includes a lot of information about the exam as well as our Top 14 Study Tips that you will find helpful.
11.  What should I do if I failed a CPA Exam section? This is quite a setback to a person’s hopes of becoming a CPA, of course. However, it does not and should not mean that it’s the end of the road for you and your dream. You need to own the unsuccessful exam, and work and study harder. Look first at your study habits and whether the Review Course you selected was up to par. Research the Review Courses and think about purchasing another, even though we understand that many of the Review Courses are very expensive. We also have a section in our free eBook, 88 Things You Need to Know for the CPA Exam, that gives our suggestions on what to do if you’ve failed an exam section.