Iowa

Eligibility for Examination

As a first-time applicant, you must be of good moral character and reputation and meet ONE of the following degree and accounting concentration requirements:

1. Earned a graduate degree with a concentration in accounting from a program that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Board.
2. Earned a graduate degree in business from a program that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Board, and:
   • completed at least 24 semester hours in accounting with at least one course in each of the following: financial accounting, auditing, taxation, and management accounting – excluding elementary or principles level courses. Courses in internship or life experience are not acceptable.
3. Earned a baccalaureate degree in business or accounting from a program that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Board, and:
   • completed at least 24 semester hours in accounting with at least one course in each of the following: financial accounting, auditing, taxation, and management accounting – excluding elementary or principles level courses. Courses in internship or life experience are not acceptable.
4. Earned a baccalaureate or higher degree and completed the following hours from an accredited institution recognized by the Board, and:
   • completed at least 24 semester hours in accounting with at least one course in each of the following courses: financial accounting, auditing, taxation, and management accounting – excluding elementary or principles level courses. Courses in internship or life experience are not acceptable. And,
   • completed at least 24 semester hours in business-related courses, such as: finance, management, marketing, economics, and business law. Courses in internship or life experience are not acceptable.

Transcripts

If you who have completed the educational requirement at the time of application:

• You must submit an official transcript from each school you attended. Transfer credits are not acceptable; you must submit a transcript from each institution.
• Official transcripts are those that have been issued by the institution’s Registrar’s Office and include the Registrar’s official seal.
• The degree you have earned must be posted on your official transcript.
• Transcripts may be submitted electronically provided they are official. Some schools do not offer this service. Contact your Registrar’s office for additional information. If an email address is required for electronic delivery, use [email protected]. Electronically delivered transcripts must be submitted directly from the institution(s).
• Photocopies of transcripts are not official and cannot be accepted.
• Please Note: If you have not yet applied when you submit your transcripts, your education documents will be kept on file for one year. After that time, the documents will be destroyed, and you will need to resubmit new education documents when you apply.
• If you completed courses at a campus located outside the U.S. for a school located in the U.S., the official transcript must be issued by the registrar from the U.S. campus. Transcripts issued by the registrar for the campus located outside the U.S. will not be accepted.

If you are currently enrolled in college at the time of application, you must:

• submit an official transcript from each school you attended.
• submit to CPA Examination Services a completed Certificate of Enrollment form. This form is evidence that you are currently enrolled and that all courses and graduation requirements will be completed within 120 days immediately following the actual date in which you take your first test section. The form must be signed by an authorized official of the college and signed by you.

After all educational requirements have been met, you must:

• Have the academic institution(s) submit to CPA Examination Services an official transcript to confirm degree conferral and satisfactory completion of courses within 120 days following the actual date in which you take your first test section.
• The final official transcript must display satisfactory completion of all courses and the degree graduation date.
• The official transcript must be submitted directly from your school.

And you are advised:

• Your final examination scores will not be released nor will you be permitted to apply for licensure until CPA Examination Services receives the final official transcript.

If you have completed educational requirements at institutions outside the U.S., you must:

• Have your credentials evaluated by:
  • NASBA International Evaluation Services, or
  • Foreign Academic Credentials Service
• Require the agency to evaluate as follows:
  • An equivalency summary that indicates the analogous academic degrees in the U.S. you hold;
  • A credential analysis that specifies:
    • The name of the country;
    • The degree awarded;
    • The year the degree was awarded; and
    • The entity that awarded the degree;
  • A course-by-course listing; and
  • A course credit analysis that includes:
    • Total credits earned toward the degree as stated on transcripts submitted;
    • Total accounting credits earned; and
    • Total business credits earned.
• Completed original evaluations must be received by CPAES directly from the evaluation service at the time of application. Photocopies are not acceptable.
• A copy of the international transcript must be included with the report sent to NASBA for each individual evaluation from the evaluation service. The application will be considered incomplete without these documents and the processing of the application will not move forward until transcripts are provided.
• Please Note: If you have not yet applied, education documents received will be kept on file for one year. After that time, these documents will be destroyed, and you will need to resubmit new education documents at the time of application.
• If you completed courses at a campus located outside the U.S. for a school located in the U.S., the official transcript must be issued by the registrar from the U.S. campus. Transcripts issued by the registrar for the campus located outside the U.S. will not be accepted.
• Education requirements must be met through academic coursework completed at an accredited institution. Professional training is not acceptable toward these requirements. Coursework completed as part of a Chartered Accountant or similar program is considered professional training and is, therefore, not accepted toward the education requirements for the U.S. Uniform CPA Examination.

Course Requirements

• Commercial CPA review courses are not acceptable.
• Correspondence, CLEP, CPA Review and online courses are acceptable when you receive credit for the courses at a regionally accredited U.S. university. These courses must appear on an official transcript.
• Courses earned at a community college or two-year degree granting institution are acceptable.
• Courses earned in elementary level accounting (principles of accounting), business law, internship or life experiences are not acceptable – this includes graduate level introductory courses.
• Developmental and remedial courses are NOT college level and cannot be counted.

Residency

There is not a residency requirement for the state of Iowa.

1. An official transcript from each school listed on your application. Transcripts must be sent directly from your school to CPA Examination Services.
2. International Evaluation, if applicable. Submission by you or evaluation agency to CPAES.
3. Completed Certificate of Enrollment, if applicable.
4. Testing Accommodations Request Form, if applicable. Submission by you to CPAES.

Please allow two to four weeks from your file completion date (when application, fees and all additional required materials have been received) for your application to be processed. Acknowledgment of receipt of application will be sent to you via email, unless otherwise indicated. This notice is sent only as acknowledgment of receipt of application.

Applicants with Disabilities

In accordance with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, examination administration accommodations are available, should you qualify. Please download the Testing Accommodations Request Form for more information.

Education Evaluation Application

Before you can apply for an exam section you must first be deemed eligible for the CPA Exam. Your Evaluation Application will determine if you meet the educational requirements needed to take the CPA Exam for your selected jurisdiction.

Education Evaluation Application Fee: $93.00

Exam Section Application

Once you have been found eligible for the CPA Exam you may then apply for a specific exam section. You can only apply for one exam section per application. You are advised to only apply for the exam section if you are ready to take it. Your Notice to Schedule will be valid for a limited amount of time, and you must take the exam section listed on the NTS within this time frame or you will lose those fees paid.

Exam Section Application Fee: $365.64

Refund Policy

There is no provision for withdrawing from the examination and/or requesting an extension of your current Notices to Schedule (NTS). Application and/or examination fees are not refundable. If you have an extreme circumstance, you may request an NTS extension or a partial refund of your examination fees under specific circumstances utilizing the Exception to Policy Form.

Candidates are allowed to sit for each section of the examination individually and in any order. Candidates retain credit for any section(s) passed for thirty (30) months, without having to attain a minimum score on failed sections and without regard to whether they have taken other sections. Candidates must pass all four sections of the examination within a “rolling” thirty (30)-month period that begins on the date of the score release. In the event all four sections of the examination are not passed within the rolling thirty (30)-month period, credit for any section(s) passed outside the thirty (30)-month period will expire and the section(s) must be retaken.

Written requests for exceptions to the requirements set forth above may be granted at the discretion of the Board for individual hardship or other good cause demonstrated in a timely manner.

Certification

Applications for certification may be obtained through the office of the Iowa Accountancy Examining Board. You must meet the following requirements in order to be considered by the Iowa Accountancy Examining Board for approval for CPA certification:

• You must pass all four parts of the Uniform CPA Examination with a minimum grade of 75;
• You must complete “Professional Ethics – AICPA’s Comprehensive Course,” with a minimum grade of 90;
• You must have at least one year of work experience in public accounting, private or governmental accounting or academia under the direct supervision of a licensed CPA;
• You must pay the licensure application fee; and
• You must have at least 150 semester hours of college education earned at a regionally accredited college or university.

All documentation/requirements are required to be submitted to the Iowa Board along with the Application for Certificate.