The path to CPA licensure is a challenging and rewarding journey, and at CalCPA’s recent Candidate Town Hall, three young accounting professionals pulled back the curtain on what the journey entails, what it feels like in the trenches and how to make smarter decisions along the way.

Whether you're a student eyeing your first exam section, a candidate in the middle of the process or a seasoned CPA who remembers what it took, their conversation offered something for everyone in the profession.

Investing in the Future

David Lo, CalCPA’s Senior Manager of Workforce Pipeline and Engagement, opened the session by walking candidates through the framework that governs CPA licensure—Education, Exam and Experience—and the financial investment each carries.

From exam fees to application fees to review course and other costs, candidates can expect to spend between $3,000-$5,000 to complete their licensure journey. And depending on the firm, employers may pay for some or all those expenses to help candidates along.

Justin Hsu, a recent USC graduate working in deal advisory at KPMG, described the experience of a campus hire at a Big Four firm. As a campus recruit who had already begun the exam process before graduation, he received full access to Becker review materials from day one.

"In terms of Big Four reimbursement and coverage, they will cover exam fees, application fees and provide a bonus upon passing, he said. “The terms might differ slightly, but in terms of coverage, they are all there."

Hsu did note an important distinction candidates should understand: the policies and bonus structures for “campus hires” typically differ from those for “experienced hires” — those who have worked elsewhere before joining a Big Four firm. Reading the fine print before signing matters.

Monica Wysocki, a supervisor at Rogers, Anderson, Melody & Scott (RAMS) and a licensed CPA, took a different road. When faced with two job offers—one from a larger firm that offered to cover her Becker course and one from RAMS—she chose RAMS and paid for her own prep materials out of pocket. Her reasoning was deliberate.

"I am spending this money, but I'm going to make it 10 times more—a thousand times more—over the progress of my career,” she explained. “I saw it as an investment in myself."

Wysocki said that while the larger firm's benefit was generous, she completed all four sections in 10 months while managing a more sustainable workload at RAMS—and earned both a passing score and a promotion for her efforts.

Smart Strategies for Cutting Costs

All three panelists agreed that the sticker price of CPA prep doesn't have to be the final price if candidates are strategic. Several approaches came up repeatedly throughout the conversation.

Taking advantage of free trial periods is a top recommendation. Most major review providers offer 14- to 15-day free trials for each section, giving candidates a chance to evaluate teaching styles and course formats before committing. As Wysocki pointed out, learning style is personal and what works for one candidate may not click for another.

Supplementing paid materials with free resources is another way to stretch the budget. Wysocki turned to YouTube channel I-75, whose straightforward explanations helped revenue recognition finally click after formal lectures hadn't. Hsu suggested reaching out to recently licensed CPAs for used physical textbooks or asking current Becker users to share PDF supplements outlining content changes—avoiding the need to repurchase entire packages.

Also, scholarships are more accessible than many candidates realize. Campus ambassadors for review course providers can offer discount codes or connect candidates with scholarship opportunities. CalCPA itself offers scholarships and is active on many California campuses. School advisory committees sometimes facilitate local firm sponsorships for students as well. Hsu even mentioned that CalCPA's annual Mt. SAC Accounting Conference typically features scholarship giveaways from review course providers.

And for candidates at firms without formal reimbursement programs, his advice was direct: ask anyway.

"Talk to your supervisor, talk to a partner. They do value your hard work,” he said. “Maybe they say, 'Even though we don't have this policy, we're willing to make an exception.' That definitely happens, especially in private and local firms."

When and Where to Gain Experience

One audience question cut to the heart of a dilemma many candidates face: what if you're working somewhere that offers flexibility for studying, but there's no licensed CPA to sign off on your experience hours? Lo offered measured advice: pass the exam first, then worry about the experience requirement when applying for licensure. Passing all four sections without the experience requirement in place still makes a candidate highly competitive in the job market.

Wysocki offered a cautionary counterpoint, however. She described knowing professionals who passed all four sections but had risen so high in non-CPA-supervised roles that they couldn't easily move to a position where someone could sign off on their experience, leaving them stuck just short of licensure.

"Don't get in that position. Internships count,” she said. “As soon as you can, get into a position where you have that experience under a CPA."

The Emotional Reality: Endurance Over Intelligence

Perhaps the most resonant part of the conversation was the one least covered in any exam prep guide: the mental and emotional toll of the CPA journey.

Claudia Sanchez, who spent more than three years at EY before stepping back to focus on exam prep full time, spoke openly about the isolation of retaking sections, the difficulty of returning to the material after a setback and the way social media's highlight reel of passing scores can make the journey feel lonelier than it is.

"It's a mental drain. It just drains you,” she said. “No one really talks about how lonely it can get while you're going through your exams. You feel like people don't really understand you."

Lo added that even among partners at major firms, first-try passage rates are often around 50 percent. Yet the exam is not a measure of intelligence or professional competence—a point Wysocki reinforced.

"The CPA exam is not a linear journey. It's a rollercoaster,” she said. “And it's not a measure of intelligence—it's a mental endurance exam."

The group pointed to community as a critical support mechanism. Online forums help connect candidates across the country who understand the grind in a way that friends and family often can't. And communities like CalCPA exist precisely to offer support at every stage of the journey.

There's no disputing the time, money and energy that's invested during the CPA licensure journey, yet the panelists agreed it is worth it as the CPA license can change career trajectories and pays dividends for decades.