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Requirements
Question: What are the requirements to sit for the Uniform CPA Exam?
Response: California requires that you complete a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in accounting. Your degree does not have to be in accounting, but you must have completed at least 24 semester units in accounting and 24 semester units in business. These units and the degree must be from an accredited college.
Question: What are the requirements to obtain a license in California?
Response: The successful applicant must pass the CPA exam and complete an experience requirement working under the supervision of a CPA with an active license for a period of one or two years depending on the level of education. (Read a description of the pathways.) This experience can be in government, private industry or public practice, and can include attest experience or general experience. Licensees who do not complete the attest experience requirement are not allowed to sign audits or reviews.
Question: Is this two-tier licensing? Will the CPA license be considered substandard?
Response: No, this is not a two-tiered system. Whether individuals choose to be licensed through Pathway 1 or Pathway 2 they will be regarded with the same respect and afforded the same opportunities as all CPAs in California. (Click here for description of the pathways.) There really are two key differences. Under the new requirements, not every CPA will be able to perform attest services. You will only be able to sign attest reports if you have logged the requisite 500 hours of attest experience. The other key difference is that Pathway 2 mirrors more closely the licensing requirements in several other states. As a result, it may be easier for CPAs who are licensed under Pathway 2 to provide client services in other states or obtain a full license in another state.
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