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Whether you’re interested in becoming an accountant, you’ve recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting or you want to move forward in an existing accounting career, you probably want to know about the education requirements for the CPA exam.
The Uniform CPA Examination tests your knowledge and competency in the field of public accounting, and it’s a required step if you want to become a certified public accountant in the United States. The test can only be taken once a person has completed 150 hours of education, either at the undergraduate or graduate level. Each state may set its own standards for licensure.
Standardized Testing
If you want to become a CPA in America, then you’ll need to take and pass the CPA exam. It’s a standard test that all states use, and in order to sit for the exam, you have to complete 150 hours of education. In fact, the only territory that doesn’t require a specific set of educational requirements to sit for the CPA exam is the U.S. Virgin Islands. Despite the standardized nature of the test, your jurisdiction, state or territory may differ in individual licensing requirements once you pass the exam.
Fulfilling the 150-hour Requirement
What does it take to complete the 150-hour education requirements for the CPA exam? You might be surprised to learn that you don’t have to have a bachelor’s degree in accounting in order to fulfill the educational requirements. Students who pursue degrees in business, communication or even political science can still sit for the exam provided that they complete a master’s degree in accounting. If you want to sit for the CPA exam, you can earn a bachelor’s degree in accounting and go on to complete graduate school, get a non-accounting degree and enroll in a graduate-level accounting program, or enroll in a 5-year master’s degree program that combines undergraduate studies with graduate-level coursework that’s specifically designed to help you become a CPA. Many accounting firms actually prefer students with a strong business background because it helps them to be more effective in a wider range of projects for different clients.
Reasons for the Exam
Accountants didn’t always have to complete the CPA exam in order to become certified. A bachelor’s degree used to be enough to pursue a variety of careers, but that’s no longer the case. The American Institute of CPAs offers three major reasons why the CPA exam is a standard in the profession: The knowledge base is larger today than it used to be, demanding more substantial educational training in accounting and auditing; federal, state and local governments have implemented a more complex structure to match pace with the increasingly multifaceted business world; and the evolution of technology has led to an increased demand for diverse and highly qualified CPAs.
Accounting is an increasingly competitive and demanding field, and it’s almost always hiring depending on where you live. If you’re interested in becoming an accountant or earning the certification as a public accountant, then pursuing a program that’s geared toward CPA licensure will be in your best interest. In order to become a licensed CPA, you’ll need to complete the education requirements for the CPA exam as well as meet the qualifications set forth by your state’s individual credentialing board.
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