How To Become A California CPA Most people want to become a CPA in order to prepare for a successful career. Hiring a lawyer or contacting your state board will be necessary when you are considering a career as a California CPA.
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Becoming a California Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a rewarding career that allows you to use your knowledge and skills for the benefit of others. As a CPA, you will be able to work in many different industries, including public accounting, corporate accounting, and auditing.
The path towards becoming a California CPA can be long and challenging, but it is also rewarding. If you are interested in becoming a California CPA, here are some steps you should take:
Education: If you want to become a CPA in California, it is important to have an undergraduate degree in business administration or accounting. Most states require their CPAs to have at least 150 semester hours of education under their belt before they can sit for the exam, but California requires 200 semester hours of education—including courses such as business law and taxation.
Experience: In order to become licensed as a CPA in California, candidates must pass three exams administered by the state board: Auditing & Attestation (AUD), Business Environment & Concepts (BEC), and Regulation (REG). You must also complete four years’ experience under the supervision of a licensed CPA who has practiced for at least five years before taking any licensing exams.
How to become a california cpa
Learn the Requirements
The requirements to become a CPA in California are:
- You must have a minimum of 150 semester hours of college education, which must include at least 30 semester hours in accounting courses.
- You must have received your bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university with a major in accounting and/or business administration with emphasis on accounting, or its equivalent as determined by the Board of Accountancy (BAC).
- If you lack one or more of the above requirements, you may apply for conditional licensure by meeting all the other requirements for licensure except those that you do not meet; taking the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination; completing all continuing professional education requirements; submitting proof of passing said examination within two years after receiving conditional licensure; and paying any application fees due at that time.
Register for CPA Exam Prep
In order to get a CPA license in California, you must pass the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination (CPA Exams). The exam consists of 4 separate parts: Auditing and Attestation; Business Environment and Concepts; Financial Accounting and Reporting; Regulation.
You can prepare for this exam by taking coursework through an AICPA-approved continuing education program such as BARBRI’s CPA Review course or Roger CPA Review. If you don’t have time to take a class, consider purchasing one of these self-study courses instead. You can also study on your own with an online resource like Kaplan CPA Exam Premier or Becker’s Exam Review for CA Final.
Once you’ve decided which course will work best for your needs, register with them as soon as possible so that they know how many seats available in their classes when it comes time for registration (which always happens at the beginning of each quarter).
Pass the CPA Exam
The CPA exam is administered by the AICPA, which has an agreement with Prometric to administer all exams. The exam is computer-based and will be administered at a Prometric test center. The AICPA offers the CPA Exam in two sessions per year:
- February/March
- September/October
To register, you must go online to aicpa.org/cpaexam and then click on “Register for My Account” located at the top right corner of their homepage under “My Account Login” and create an account with them (if you already have a membership with them, then just log in). Once you’ve created an account, scroll down until you see “CPA Exam Application” and click on it to begin your application process.
Meet the Experience Requirement
In order to be eligible for the CPA license, you must have at least four years of experience. You can get this experience through a variety of methods:
- Public Accounting Firm Experience
- Federal Government Experience as an Employee or Contractor
- Military Service (including reserve duty)
If you’re not sure what applies to your situation, contact the California Board of Accountancy (CBA) at 1-800-321-7392 or visit their website at [link]www.cba.ca.gov[/link]. After deciding which type(s) of experience will best help you meet the requirements, contact one or more firms that fit these criteria and ask if they will hire you into their positions (they often are willing to do so). If they agree to hire you, make sure to get them to sign an “Experience Affidavit” stating that they have agreed not only that your work satisfies the requirements but also specifically what kinds of tasks were performed within each category listed above—in other words: The Affidavit should say exactly what kind(s) of work was done by whom under whose supervision and when it was completed!
By following these steps, you will be prepared to become a California CPA.
You can begin the process of becoming a California CPA by following these three steps:
- Learn the requirements for the exam.
- Register for cpa exam prep courses and study materials.
- Pass your state’s certification exam and then meet the experience requirement (if applicable).
