All of the information you need on the CPA exam can be found here. Please check back often for updated news.
Graduating? Don't Put Off The CPA Exam!
Graduating accounting students are encouraged to apply and register for the CPA Exam without delay! By doing so, you can begin your career on solid footing and start enjoying the benefits and opportunities that may not be available without the CPA designation. The benefits of becoming a CPA are proven and well documented.
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Many employers give bonuses to employees who pass the CPA Exam.
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Studies cite CPAs receive higher compensation when compared to non-CPAs.
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Receive recognition from peers, employers, and state CPA societies.
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Recent graduates holding CPA designation start their careers with confidence and a keen sense of professional accomplishment.
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The CPA designation may be required for advancement in some organizations.
Other reasons to take the CPA Exam soon after graduation:
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As a recent graduate, you are better conditioned for study and testing than you will be in the coming months or years.
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Procrastination only prolongs the difficulty of preparation and uncertainty of taking a big exam.
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Try a section of the exam; or try them all - it's important to have the first exam experience soon after graduation.
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The sooner you become a CPA, the sooner you become a part of an exciting and respected profession and enjoy all of its rewards.
Apply for the CPA Exam with your State Board of Accountancy at www.nasba.org.
Schedule your exam at www.prometric.com/cpa.
Learn more about the CPA Exam at
www.cpa-exam.org.
About the Uniform CPA Exam
Deadlines and General Information
Sitting For the CPA Examination In Florida
First-time applicants for the May examination must submit their application postmarked by February 1 and first-time applicants for the November examination must submit their application postmarked by August 1. Applicants who have previously sat for the examination (in or out of the state of Florida) have until March 1 and September 1 to submit their application to sit for the examination. The Board of Accountancy must receive all required transcripts with all the required degrees and course grades posted at least 30 days prior to the examination date or the application will be denied.
Required Grades
The BOA does not grant credit for failing grades. All other grades are acceptable so long as the school awards credit for the course.
Fees
First-time applicants must pay $235, credit transfer applicants (applicants who have taken the examination in another state) must pay $50 per part plus $35 and extended/conditioned applicants (applicants who have taken the examination in Florida) who have not conditioned must pay $50 per part to sit for the examination. Applicants who have conditioned (passed two parts, at one sitting, with at least 50 on the other two parts or passed three parts at one sitting) must pay $50 per part needed. First-time applicants and applicants who have passed parts of the examination in another state and who are denied to sit for the examination because they do not meet the required educational qualifications will be refunded the $50 per part. Refunds are not permitted for any other reason.
Old Rule Educational Requirements
Applicants who were accepted to sit for (not necessarily passed) the AICPA Uniform CPA Examination in 1983 or earlier may use the "old rule" educational requirements. Applicants who use the "old rule" requirements will need to demonstrate one year of public or governmental accounting experience under the supervision of a CPA or a year of graduate school(12 semester hours accounting and 15 business and a total of 30 hours) before they can become licensed. The "old rule" requires a bachelor's degree (from an accredited college or university, unless one is using the provisions of the foreign rule as explained below) and 18 semester hours of accounting courses which are above the elementary level and 27 semester hours business courses. Elementary accounting courses are never acceptable for credit toward the requirements. Courses for non-accounting majors and many MBA courses are considered elementary level and are not accepted for this requirement.
New Rule Educational Requirements
Applicants who are unable to qualify for the "old rule" must use the "new rule." Applicants who qualify for the "old rule" may choose to use "new rule." The "new rule" requires a bachelor's degree (from an accredited college or university, unless one is using the provisions of the non-accredited school rule) and 30 semester hours beyond the bachelor's degree, an accounting education program, and a general business program. The accounting education program consists of 36 semester hours of upper division accounting courses which must include coverage of auditing, cost and managerial accounting, financial accounting, and taxation. The business education program consists of 39 semester hours of upper division general business courses with some exceptions. One micro-economics, one macro-economics, one statistics, one business law, and one introduction to computers course may be lower division. As part of the general business hours, applicants are required to have a total of six semester hours of business law courses which must cover contracts, torts, and the Uniform Commercial Code. At least 21 hours of the General Business Program must be upper division (at least junior level). Excess upper division accounting courses may be used to meet the General Business requirement. Elementary accounting classes are never acceptable for credit. Courses for non-accounting majors and many MBA courses are considered elementary level and are not accepted for this requirement.
Accreditation
The Board accepts degrees from schools accredited by the following associations: Middle States Association, New England Association, North Central Association, Northwest Association, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Association of Independent Schools and Colleges who have been approved by the Florida State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities, and Canadian Schools who have been approved by their provincial educational bodies. If you have graduated from a school or college which is not accredited by the above mentioned means, then you must use the provisions of F.A.C. 61H1-27.001 (5) (see below).
Applicants Who Have Graduated From Non-Accredited Schools
Applicants who have graduated from a non-accredited school may still qualify to sit for the CPA examination. The candidate must take 15 semester hours of graduate classes with at least nine semester hours in graduate accounting courses with at least three semester hours in graduate tax courses. THESE HOURS MUST BE TAKEN AFTER ADMISSION TO GRADUATE SCHOOL. If the courses are taken before admission to a graduate program, the classes will not be accepted, even if the school includes them as part of the graduate program. These courses cannot duplicate other courses which the applicant has taken and they cannot be used to accredit the non-accredited degree and satisfy the educational requirements. The applicant must complete the graduate school courses to validate the non-accredited degree. The applicant must also meet all other requirements for sitting for the examination as outlined above and on the reverse side of this page. An evaluation of foreign transcripts must be completed by an evaluation service which has been approved by the Board.
Duplicate Courses
No credit will be given for courses which duplicate another course for which the applicant has received credit. Review courses are considered as duplicates.
CLEP Courses
CLEP courses cannot be used toward satisfying the requirements of the Accounting Education Program or the General Business Education Program. CLEP hours may be used toward the 30 semester hours in excess of the degree.
Transferring Credit From Other States
If an applicant has obtained a score of 75 on two parts of the examination and at least 50 on the remaining two parts or has obtained a score of at least 75 on three of the four parts and meets all of Florida's requirements including educational, then the applicant may transfer the credit for the passed parts of the examination to Florida. All transfer applicants pay a fee of $195 regardless of how many parts they have passed.
Conditional Credit
Once a candidate has passed two parts of the examination with a score of 75 and earned a score of at least 50 on the remaining two parts, then the candidate is said to have "conditioned " meaning the candidate has conditional credit for the parts which were passed. Once a candidate has received conditional credit for parts passed, the candidate must pass the remaining parts within the next three years from the date of the examination from which the conditional credit was received. As an example, if a candidate received a score of 75 on two parts of the May 1995 examination and 50 on the remaining two parts, then he must pass the remaining parts by the May 1998 examination or loose credit for the two parts which were passed.
For additional questions regarding the Uniform CPA Exam and Florida requirements, please e-mail the Florida Board of Accountancy at aboard@mail.dbpr.state.fl.us, or call (850) 487-1395.
Updated CPA Exam Tutorial
The November Journal of Accountancy includes an article on the CPA Exam tutorial. To view online, please click here.
In addition, the updated CBT tutorial is now available on the CPA Exam website.
The tutorial is intended to familiarize candidates with the functionality and types of questions and responses used in the computer-based CPA Exam. This revised version includes all the material found on the original tutorial, plus:
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Updated graphics and functionality that reflect the exam's look and feel.
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Enhanced authoritative literature section.
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Buttons to control speed of tutorial.
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New segments on resource tabs and help.
The tutorial does not focus on examination content and is not intended as a replacement for practice materials. You can also access the updated tutorial by going to www.cpa-exam.org. You will find a link to the tutorial under Latest News.
