North Carolina CPA Exam

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The North Carolina State Board of CPA Examiners is the official body that grants the CPA License to qualified professionals in the state. Note that the U.S. jurisdiction adheres to the one-tier licensing method. It implies that the state board doesn’t issue the CPA certificate on passing the CPA ExamCPA ExamA Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a US state board-issued license to practice the accounting professionread more. Rather, it grants the license only after all the licensing prerequisites are met.

North Carolina (NC) is not involved in the international administration of the CPA Exam program. So now, let’s explore the North Carolina CPA exam and license requirements in detail. 

Contents

North Carolina CPA Exam Requirements

  • Eligibility RequirementsFeesRequired Documents

North Carolina CPA License Requirements

  • Education RequirementsExam RequirementsExperience Requirements

Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

North Carolina Exam Information & Resources

North Carolina CPA Exam Requirements

Here lies everything about the NC CPA Exam:

Eligibility Requirements

General Requisites

Candidates must:

  • Be minimum of 18 years of age with good moral characterBe a U.S. citizen (or have declared the intent to become one)Be a resident alien or a citizen of any foreign jurisdiction that provides North Carolina citizens similar privileges to be examined

Educational Requisites

A bachelor’s degree (120 semester hours) with a concentration in accounting from a regionally authorized college or university, including one of the following:

  • Minimum 30 semester hours of undergraduate-level courses with Maximum 6 semester hours in Accounting PrinciplesMaximum 3 semester hours in Business LawMinimum 20 semester hours of graduate-level accounting courses open exclusively to graduate studentsA combination of undergraduate and graduate courses equivalent to the requirements mentioned above

Accounting courses must include:

  • Maximum 6 semester hours in Accounting PrinciplesMaximum 3 semester hours in Business Law

  • Principles courses at the elementary, intermediate & advanced levelsBusiness LawFund AccountingAuditingManagerial AccountingTaxationCost Accounting

Candidates currently enrolled in college can take the exam on fulfilling the minimum accounting requirements. However, they must receive the bachelor’s degree within 120 days after the board gets their application. 

Submit the CPA exam application, associated fees, and required documents to the North Carolina State Board of CPA Examiners.

Fees

Here lies the fee structure for both first-time and re-exam candidates.   

You must attempt the applied CPA exam section(s) within six months of the Notice-To-Schedule (NTS) issuance date. Or else, the NTS will expire, and all fees will stand forfeited.

Required Documents

Candidates must submit the following documents:

NC exam applicants must get direct approval from the state board to apply for the NIES Evaluation Report.

North Carolina CPA License Requirements

Let’s view the checklist for North Carolina CPA License:

Apply for the CPA License through the North Carolina State Board of CPA Examiners after passing the CPA Exam and meeting all other requirements. Please check the state board website for the complete process. Also, know that the NC state board conducts a criminal background check of applicants.

Ensure to attach the following documents with the application form:

  • Three certificates of good moral character Appropriate experience affidavit(s)Educational transcript(s)A photograph meeting U.S. passport standardLicensure fees ($100)

Education Requirements

You must hold a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in accounting and 150 semester hours from a board-approved institution. In addition, you must earn the initial 120 semester hours to attempt the CPA Exam. The remaining 30 hours are required for licensure. 

The 150 semester hours include:

  • 24 semester hours of coursework with one 3-hour course in at least 8 of the following fields of study:Computer TechnologyCommunicationsEthicsEconomicsHumanities/Social ScienceFinanceLawInternational EnvironmentManagementLawStatistics

Applicants with at least a master’s degree in accounting, tax, law, finance, economics, business administration, or a law degree from an authorized institution must meet the 24-semester hour requisite. 

  • Computer TechnologyCommunicationsEthics

  • EconomicsHumanities/Social ScienceFinanceLawInternational EnvironmentManagementLawStatistics

Exam Requirements

Candidates must complete the CPA Exam with a minimum of 75 points in each of the four exam sections. They have a rolling 18-month period to pass the licensure test. Further information is specified in the North Carolina CPA Exam Requirements section. 

Experience Requirements

NC CPA licensure applicants must meet one of the following work experience pre-requisites:

  • One year of accounting under the direct supervision of an active CPAFour years of teaching accounting in a four-year authorized instituteFour years of accounting experienceFour years of teaching college transfer accounting courses at an authorized community college or technical instituteAny combination of such experience as deemed sufficient by the state board

Note that applicants must acquire the necessary work experience before they apply for licensure. One year of work experience consists of 52 weeks of full-time employment, i.e., a minimum of 30 hours per week for at least one year.

Submit the experience affidavit to the state board along with the licensure application. The part-time work experience affidavits with less than 30 hours per week must include a record of the actual hours you performed accounting services. 

Ethics Exam Requirements

NC CPA aspirants must complete an eight-hour course on the NC Accountancy Statutes and Rules, including the Rules of Professional Ethics and Conduct, within one year before applying for the license. 

The NC Association of CPAs provides two qualifying courses:

  • One-day group study seminar – Ethics Principles & Professional ResponsibilitiesOnline self-study course – North Carolina Law Course: Ethics, Principles, & Professional Responsibility for North Carolina License Applicants

Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

North Carolina CPA titleholders must earn 2000 minutes annually to meet the CPE requirements. In addition, the state accepts the required credits for programs offered by NASBA National Registry Sponsors. 

Check out all the details here. 

Being one of the most business-friendly states in the U.S., North Carolina offers greener pastures for accounting professionals. So, accountants with CPA licenses have excellent prospects with regard to pay and career growth in this state. The average annual base pay for CPAs in North Carolina is $70,632.

Moreover, ensure to attain or apply for the state residency as soon as you plan to get licensed in NC. Also, keep a check on the AICPA, NASBA, and the North Carolina State Board website for changes to the state’s CPA exam and license requirements. You may learn more about CPEs for CPAsCPEs For CPAsAs a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), you need to acquire Continuing Professional Education or CPE credits for sustaining your license. This ensures that you are actively involved in improving your know-how of the profession by engaging in learning activities.read more here.

North Carolina Exam Information & Resources

  1. North Carolina State Board of CPA Examiners (https://nccpaboard.gov/)

Buck Winslow, Licensing Manager, (919) 733-1421

Alice Grigsby, Licensing Specialist, (919) 733-1422

 Phyllis W. Elliott, Exam Specialist, (919) 733-4224

Mailing AddressAdministrative ServicesNC State Board of CPA ExaminersPO Box 12827Raleigh, NC 27605-2827

Fax Number – (919) 733-4209

  1. North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (https://www.ncacpa.org/)

3100 Gateway Centre Boulevard, Morrisville, NC 27560

800-722-2836

919-378-2000 (fax)

  1. NASBA (https://nasba.org/)

150 Fourth Ave. North

Suite 700

Nashville, TN 37219-2417

Tel: 615-880-4200

Fax: 615-880-4290

A Guide to North Carolina CPA Exam & License Requirements. Here we discuss all prerequisites to the North Carolina CPA exam and license. You may also have a look at the below articles to compare CPA with other examinations –

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