11 Steps to Applying for the Uniform CPA Exam

Great, you made the decision at some point in your college career to major in accounting. Now school's almost over and you've got to start thinking about taking the CPA exam - after all, why wouldn't you pursue licensure? It makes you more employable and gives you much more flexibility in your career.

But where to start? No worries, we've got you covered! Just follow these 11 steps!

1. Enroll in a Roger CPA Review course. (6 months prior to Exam Day)
I put this as step one not because we want to sell our course (although we do!) but because by enrolling in our course as a first step you accomplish three things:

• You make an investment in the IDEA of taking the exam which will keep you from putting it off.


• You'll have your materials and course lectures ready in time to start studying at Step 5 with no delay.


• You lock in the course at its current price so you don't have to pay more for it later!

If you're interested in finding out more about our courses, go on over to our CPA Review courses page and take a look at our different formats.

2. Graduate from college with all requirements met.
Although every state can have different requirements, many states have the following standard:

• Completed Bachelor's Degree


• 120 or 150 semester (180 or 225 quarter) units*


• 24 semester (36 quarter) units of Accounting classes*

To find out more about the individual requirements for your state, contact your State Board of Accountancy, or visit my website's CPA Exam Requirements page.

3. Apply to your State Board of Accountancy and pay application fee. (6 months prior to Exam Day)
Here's where you're going to decide which sections you'll test on first. Your application tells the State Board which parts to authorize you to test for. This will appear on your ATT during Step 6.
Everyone seems to have a different idea of which order to take the parts in. We've found that, like many other aspects of preparing for the exam, it's really a question of personal preference.
We recommend starting with the part you found easiest in college. This will boost your confidence and give you the momentum you need to push on into the harder sections.
Each state has its own State Board of Accountancy and fee structure, so visit our CPA Exam Requirements page for more information on how to apply.

Here's a tip: To save money and time, be sure you only apply for the exam parts you know you're going to take! Whatever parts you apply for will appear on your ATT, and you'll be required to pay the fess for those parts. All fees paid to NASBA are non-refundable. If you decide not to take a part you applied and paid for, that fee will be forfeited!

4. Send your transcripts to the State Board.
Each state has different methods of receiving your college transcripts. Some colleges have established electronic transfer of transcripts to the State Board, while others require sealed official documents to be sent along with the application. Be sure to find out your state's requirements by contacting your State Board directly.

If you are a foreign applicant, you're going to have submit your transcripts to a State Board-authorized transcription evaluation service. You can find a comprehensive list of those here or you can check with your State Board.

5. Begin studying for your first exam part with Roger CPA Review. (6 months prior to Exam Day)
This is where we really come in to offer our expertise. You've already decided which parts you'll take first. Now, it's time to start studying for them!
It's especially important to start early if you're starting with a monster like Financial Accounting, which will suck at least 128 hours of time off your life!!
Roger will give you more tips and tricks during the course to keep you motivated and organized, along with all the information you need to pass each part with confidence.

6. Receive your ATT from the State Board. (4.5 months prior to Exam Day)
Once the State Board has evaluated and approved your transcripts, they'll send you your ATT (Authorization To Test). You'll need to submit this to NASBA in the next step.

7. Pay the required testing fees to NASBA.
You'll need to send in the ATT and required fees to NASBA within 90 days of receiving the ATT, otherwise it will expire. Find the fee structure for your state by visiting our CPA Exam Requirements page.

REMEMBER: ONLY APPLY FOR PARTS YOU ARE SURE YOU'LL TAKE! NASBA will not refund your payment if you change your mind!!

8. Receive your NTS from the State Board.
Here's where the downhill slope begins... You're almost there. The NTS (Notice To Schedule) will allow you to schedule your exam within 6 - 9 months of the date that appears on it, depending on your state. If you don't take all of the parts you applied for within that time, well, see my note above! Make sure to schedule your exams immediately after receiving your NTS. If you don't, you're procrastinating.

9. Schedule your exam at www.Prometric.com.
This step really doesn't require much explanation. If you've made it this far, you know how to use a website!

10. Take your exam at the Prometric Testing Center.
The BIG Day! If you have used our course, followed Roger's advice and worked all the problems, you should be confident and relaxed in the knowledge that you will pass.
Prometric Testing Centers have a strict code of conduct that we will discuss in later blog posts.
If you're reviewing this list on or before Exam Day, let us just wish you a heartfelt GOOD LUCK!

11. Receive your scores 1-3 months later.

Many people say that this is the hardest part of the exam. Some people say it's like sitting on pins and needles for up to 3 months.
While the AICPA is always working on improving its response time in score reporting, it is inevitably a long process. Be patient, and wait it out. Do some celebrating. Remember, whether you passed or not, you deserve some much needed rest and relaxation after a job well done.

When you do finally get your scores, let us know how you did! Even if you didn't follow Step 1 and went with "The Other CPA Review Guys" (yuck!), we love hearing from CPA exam candidates - feedback on the exam, success stories, disasters at the testing center, we want to hear it all!

So let us know!

Stay tuned for the second exciting part of this process, licensure, which we'll discuss in a future blog post.