Pennsylvania CPA Exam

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Know that it is a one-tier state. Hence, no CPA certificate is issued upon completing the CPA ExamCPA ExamA Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a US state board-issued license to practice the accounting professionread more successfully. Instead, you obtain the accounting license straightaway after completing all the necessary prerequisites.  

The Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy (PSBOA) is responsible for the licensure and certification of CPAs. Moreover, the Keystone State also engages in the international administration of the CPA Exam program.

Now, let’s explore further the Pennsylvania CPA exam and license requirements. 

Contents

Pennsylvania CPA Exam Requirements

  • Eligibility RequirementsFeesRequired Documents

Pennsylvania CPA License Requirements

  • Education RequirementsExam RequirementsExperience Requirements

Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

Pennsylvania Exam Information & Resources

Pennsylvania CPA Exam Requirements

The Uniform CPA Exam is a 16-hour long computerized professional licensure test. It analyzes the candidate’s know-how and expertise required to perform as a CPA. 

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the National Association of State Boards of Public Accountancy (NASBA) are responsible for administering the test at designated Prometric centers worldwide. 

Candidates must pass all four sections of the CPA exam within the rolling 18-month period. It starts from when you attempted the first passed section. Ensure to score a minimum of 75 points on a scale of 0-99 in each section. 

  • Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR examFAR ExamThe Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) CPA Exam section tests a candidate’s competency in understanding and applying financial accounting and reporting standards.read more)Auditing & Attestation (AUD examAUD ExamAuditing and Attestation (AUD) is one of the four Uniform Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Exam sections to be passed for CPA licensure. With a complex exam format, tricky questions, and an exhaustive list of topics to study, you will benefit from some quick tips on the art of preparing for the AUD CPA exam section.read more)Business Environment & Concepts (BEC examBEC ExamThe BEC CPA Exam (Business Environment and Concepts) exam section evaluates your understanding of the general business environment and your duties and responsibilities as a CPA towards it. It assesses your ability to recognize and scrutinize situations related to Financial reporting, Financial statement audit and attestation and Tax preparation
  • read more)Regulation (REG examREG ExamREG CPA Exam (Regulation) exam section tests a candidate’s competency in applying the concepts of federal taxation, business law, and ethics. It is a four-hour exam with 15 minutes break.
  • read more)

The exam has five testlets with three different question types. These are multiple-choice questions (MCQs), task-based simulations (TBSs), and written communication tasks (WCTs). BEC includes WCTs along with MCQs and TBSs. Rest all sections have only MCQs and TBSs. 

Eligibility Requirements

General Requirements

  • Minimum age requirement – 18 yearsCharacter References – A CPA Exam applicant must prove good moral character by obtaining the signature of three individuals, including one CPA, on the exam application.

Education Requirements

Candidates must satisfy one of the following education requisites:

Apply for the exam through CPA Examination Services (CPAES). Further information is specified on the NASBA portal. 

Candidates may also utilize the NASBA Advisory Evaluation Service to recognize any academic loopholes in their documents before applying. 

Fees

Initial candidates:

Re-exam candidates:

Under normal circumstances, you can’t withdraw from the CPA Exam or request a Notice-to-Schedule (NTS) extension. However, NASBA permits to request an NTS extension or partial refund of the examination fees under extreme situations.

Please note that both application and examination fees are non-refundable. Also, your NTS is valid for only six months. So, sit for the applied exam section(s) within this period. 

Required Documents

CPAES requires the submission of certain documents. These are mentioned in the image below.

The following are the approved evaluation agencies:

  • NASBA International Evaluation Services (NIES)Foreign Academic Credentials Service, IncEducational Credential Evaluators, Inc.Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.

Remember not to submit photocopies of transcripts as they are unofficial and unacceptable. 

Pennsylvania CPA License Requirements

Pennsylvania CPA aspirants must:

  • Be a minimum of 18 years Get a valid Social Security Number (if no SSN, then complete a waiver)Complete 150 semester hours Obtain one year of work experience

Know that you don’t have to attain U.S. citizenship or state residency. 

Moreover, submit the licensure application, associated fees, and documents to PSBOA. Kindly visit the State Board website to know the complete process. 

Education Requirements

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher with 150 semester hours from a regionally or nationally recognized accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, including:

  • 24 semester hours in the following subjects:Accounting & auditingFinanceBusiness lawMacroeconomicsMicroeconomicsTax12 semester hours in the following subjects:AccountingAuditingTax

The required semester hours in specific subjects may not necessarily be in undergraduate/graduate coursework. The content of the subjects must be to the satisfaction of the board.

  • Accounting & auditingFinanceBusiness lawMacroeconomicsMicroeconomicsTax

  • AccountingAuditingTax

Exam Requirements

You must complete the Uniform CPA Exam with at least 75 points in each section. Please note that you have a rolling 18-month period to pass the test. Refer to the Pennsylvania Exam Requirements section for more information.

Experience Requirements

Candidates must earn one year (1600 hours) of qualified employment within five years immediately preceding the date of licensure application. An active CPA must verify your work experience. You may not receive credit for attaining the required hours if obtained in less than 12 months. 

Here are all the details. 

Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

Pennsylvania CPAs must renew their accounting license every two years. They must gain the required 80 CPE credit hours through CPE providers approved by one of the following agencies:

  • PSBOANational Registry of CPE SponsorsAccountancy regulatory body of a state allowing the public accountancy practice under the substantial equivalency ruleAn institute accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education

Let’s check out all the details. 

As per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pennsylvania has one of the highest employment levels for accountants and auditors. It offers an average hourly wage of $37.41 and an annual average pay of $77,810. Also, the state provides 50,240 job opportunities for accountants. 

Undoubtedly, Pennsylvania is a gateway to numerous career opportunities for CPAs. So, now that you know what it takes to achieve the title in Pennsylvania, start fulfilling the state-specific license requirements and prepping up for the CPA Exam as soon as possible. Learn more about CPEs for CPACPEs For CPAAs 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

Pennsylvania Exam Information & Resources

  1. Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy (https://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardsCommissions/Accountancy/)

Mailing Address

State Board of Accountancy

P.O. Box 2649, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649

Physical Address

One Penn Centre, 2601 N. 3rd Street

Harrisburg, PA 17110

Toll-Free: 1-833-DOS-BPOA

Ph: (717)783-1404

Fax: (717) 705-5540

Email: [email protected]

  1. Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs

1801 Market St, Ste 2400, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Ph: 1-215-496-9272

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

150 Fourth Ave. North

Suite 700

Nashville, TN 37219-2417

Tel: 615-880-4200

Fax: 615-880-4290

CPAES

800-CPA-EXAM (800-272-3926)

International: 615-880-4250

  1. AICPA (https://www.aicpa.org/)

220 Leigh Farm Road

Durham, NC 27707-8110

Fax: 1.800.362.5066

Ph: 1.888.777.7077

A Guide to Pennsylvania CPA Exam & License Requirements. Here we discuss all the aspects of the Pennsylvania CPA license like eligibility, fees, documents, etc. You may also have a look at the below articles to compare CPA with other examinations –

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