On November 17 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Shelly, Manager, NASBA Licensing Services, answered questions during a Facebook Chat about CPA Exam candidate testing experience. Below, you will find questions from the Facebook Chat participants and the answers Shelly provided.
Q: Hello everyone. I would like to know what happens if I pass my last exam on April 15 and my first exam expires on April 30. Do I need to have all the paperwork done by the end of the month or I’m good after passing the 4 parts?
A: You are good after passing the 4 parts. – Shelly
Q: I would like to know what is the explanation behind this statement from NYSED about Education Requirements for initial licensure?
“NASBA’s International Evaluation Service (NIES) is not authorized to approve applicants with education outside of the United States for licensure.[…] Staff in the Department’s Comparative Education Unit will review those original transcripts or mark sheets to determine if the applicant meets New York State’s 150 semester hour education requirements for licensure.
[…]NASBA’s International Evaluation Service (NIES) is not authorized to approve a candidate’s education for licensure. The Department does not accept outside evaluation services of foreign education. This includes, but is not limited to, NIES, Josef Silney, World Education Services, etc.”
http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/cpa/cpalic.htm#edu
Thank you for your help.
A: NYSED performs their own international evaluations, and do not accept NIES international evaluations. All official transcripts, diplomas, etc. will need to be sent directly to the NYSED. Best of luck! – Shelly
Q: I am projecting to finish my CPA exams within my first few months of working full time in public accounting. I’ve had experience working under CPAs for over a year, so I most likely would fulfill the 1 year experience requirement. Would you advise applying for the license right after passing the exams, or wait until I am more established in my career?
A: Apply right after passing the Exam as some states require experience to be within a certain time frame after passing the CPA Exam. – Shelly
Q: Hi Shelly, I am a chartered accountant in Australia and I am scheduled to sit for the IQEX/REG exam next week. I was what are my next steps to get licensed in the state of colorado? i was hoping to confirm what would I need to get my work experience recognized by the state? thanks so much.
A: Next steps include going to our website at: https://nasba.org/licensure/nasbalicensing/colorado/ to review the requirements for licensure. Also, please read the rules and regulations for the Colorado State Board of Accountancy. After familiarizing yourself with the rules, you can apply online at: www.mycpalicense.org. All application materials are within the online system. – Shelly
Q: Thanks Shelly! As my work experience was gained in Australia, is the experience recognized by the state? And are you able to confirm if I can submit this in a free form letter with an approval by a CA/CPA from Australia? or is there a standardized application form where I can complete and get it signed by CPA/CA?
A: Do you hold an active designation in Australia? If so, then the board would recognize experience gained under the supervision of a holder of a designation recognized by IQAB. For more information, please refer to Chapter 5.6 of the Colorado Rules and Regulations. – Shelly
Q: perfect thank you so much for your help shelly and the links. I have found the application forms online. Yes, I am an active member of the ICAA. I have also worked under a CPA in the last year but the length of my work experience was under a CA in Australia.
Q: Hello! What are the next steps after passing the exams? What are the options to get licensed if you don’t fulfill the requirement of working for a cpa?
A: Most state boards require experience supervised by a licensed CPA. However, there are some exceptions. Please visit https://www.alllibrary.com/index to help you in your research. – Shelly
Q: I will hopefully pass Audit, my final exam, on December 5th. What are my next steps to get licensed in Alabama? I am working at a CPA firm and have fulfilled the work requirements.
A: Hi Tiffany – For the state of Alabama, you must also complete the AICPA Professional Ethics Exam. If you sat for the Exam as a candidate of AL, the board will issue you a certificate number after passing all 4 parts and will give you next steps on how to apply for a license. – Shelly
Q: Hello, i recently got done with my cpa exams in june with 120 credit hours. i tested from the uae and received my bachelors from the country as well. my 30 credit hours towards accounting courses and 24 credit hours have already been accepted in my bachelor’s degree itself.
However, as the licensure requirement is 150 credit hours my concern is regarding the remaining 30 credit hours. for example, if i join a UK based university in the UAE will those 30 credit hours which i require be accepted without any problem? I dont want to be in a situation where i invest considerable resources in a university and the board doesn’t accept some of my credits. please advise.
A: All international education would need to be evaluated by an international evaluation service and then evaluated against state board requirements. I would suggest researching which state board you would like to apply to as all state boards have different policies on international credit. Here is a link to all the state boards: https://nasba.org/stateboards/ – Shelly
Q: Hi Shelly, I have passed all the 4 parts this month. These expire in 2018. When should I apply for license.
A: For most states, once you pass all 4 parts of the Exam your grades do not expire. However, there are some states that require that you apply within a certain time frame from passing the CPA Exam. Research which states you are interested in. A good tool to aid your research is: https://www.alllibrary.com/index – Shelly
Q: I had been a CPA in the Philippines since 1990 and just moved to settle here in 2014. I am planning to take the CPA exam here in Nevada, but I have some hesitations thinking it might not be possible for my past CPA services to be credited or I might still need to get that required experience under the supervision of a CPA here to be licensed. By the way, my current job supervisor is not a CPA and it worries me that I would need to get another job just to qualify. Please enlighten me with what I need to do.
A: Hello – In order to become a CPA in the US, you must pass the CPA Exam. Most states require either experience be supervised by a CPA or verified by a CPA. The All Research Tool can assist you with which states do not require supervision under a CPA. https://www.alllibrary.com/index – Shelly
Q: After passing the Exam, does California have a certain time frame limit in order to fulfill the licensing requirement of 1 year work experience? Thanks.
A: CA states if an applicant’s experience was obtained 5 or more years prior to the date of licensure application, then the CA board may require 80 hours of CPE courses in specific areas. – Shelly
Q: In California. Hopefully, I’ll sit for my final exam in a few weeks. I have not completed any work requirements. What are my next steps toward the CPA license? Is there a suggested time table for these next steps? My first test expires in April. Thank you.
A: Hi Stuart – You need to contact the CA board as some of the requirements for licensure are changing January 1, 2017. They will be able to assist you in your application process. Also, we are unsure if they are grandfathering people currently sitting for the Exam. That is something you would want to find out. – Shelly
Q: Hi! I’m hoping to pass the last part of the CPA Exam this December. What are the steps to getting licensed in the state of NY? I have over 14 years of accounting experience and my educational requirements were grandfathered in. Also, my name has changed since getting married. Just want to make sure I have all of the required forms together. Thanks!
A: For the name change, please complete an information change request form located on our website: https://nasba.org/exams/cpaexam/newyork/ (look under Forms section). Next steps for licensure would be to apply for a license with the state board. Licensing application forms are located on the board’s website. – Shelly
Q: Hello, if I pass all the parts in MA, what are the next steps in order for me to get licensed? And how to transfer the license in IL?
A: You need to complete the substantial equivalency experience and education application found on the Illinois Board website. You will also need to officially transfer your grades from MA to IL. This can be done online at www.nasbastore.org. – Shelly
Q: Depending on the state you live in and the time of testing window you take the exam, is it harder or easier to pass?
A: The CPA Exam in uniformed and the same for all jurisdictions and all testing windows. For more information about the CPA Exam, please refer to the Candidate Guide. – Shelly
Q: Hello, as an international cpa candidate, how hard is it to transfer my scored from one state to another to get the license? Ex: transferring from Pennsylvania to Alaska. What are the requirements and steps/ fees?
A: Not hard at all! You can transfer your scores online at www.nasbastore.org. Once you’ve transferred your scores, you would then apply for a license for the Alaska state board. Keep in mind the requirements for a license differ for all states, so research the requirements before applying. – Shelly
Q: California. What is the maximum time period to apply for the CPA license after completing the exams?
A: The CA State Board has a CPA Licensing Applicant Handbook on their website. Please refer to that to find out the maximum time period. – Shelly
Q: If I don’t have work experience but pass all the parts in MA, do I need to fulfill the work experience requirement to get licensed in MA? And if I transfer over the license in IL, is there a work experience requirement in IL? Also, what is the timeframe after passing all the parts to apply for a license? Thank you.
A: MA requires work experience in order to become licensed. IL requires to obtain a certificate before applying for a license, however, experience is required for the license as well. Both states require 1 year of experience at least. I do not believe there is a timeframe for either state. – Shelly.
Q: Where can I sign up for the Ethics Exam for Alabama?
A: You will need to go through www.aicpa.org. – Shelly
Q: Hi, I am writing AUD in November, this is my first CPA exam. Should I wait until I pass it to schedule the next exam?
A: That decision is entirely up to you. We have many candidates move on to the next section prior to receiving their score from the previous one.