You should contact your state’s board of accountancy regarding its requirements for taking or sitting for the CPA Exam. It is likely that you must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree with an accounting concentration from a college or university approved by the state’s board of accountancy. Your state may allow you to take the CPA Exam shortly before obtaining the required college degree.
Just as important as being eligible to take the CPA Exam is whether you can pass the CPA Exam. The CPA Exam is very rigorous and the pass rate is significantly lower than the pass rates for college accounting courses. Students having successfully completed 30+ college credits in accounting (in addition to many other college courses) find it very difficult to pass the CPA exam. As a result, many qualified candidates enroll in a CPA review course to increase the likelihood of passing the CPA Exam.
The Accounting Careers section of our website provides more information on the CPA Exam.
