If you plan to become a US CPA, now is the best time to start your CPA journey. Recommended is to join a top CPA certification course in India like the one offered by the NorthStar Academy (NSA).
How to become a CPA – Steps
Applying for the US CPA is often quite confusing because the whole process of “how to become a CPA” can be complicated for many. Moreover, each of the 55 state boards of the United States has its own different steps and requirements, which makes the whole process more complex.
Let us simplify this overly complicated process in a few steps. Here are the most important steps for becoming a CPA.
- CPA Eligibility Criteria
Checking whether you are qualified/eligible to take the exam or not is one of the first steps how to become a CPA USA.
The eligibility requirements for the US CPA can vary according to the state boards. To become an accountant with a CPA designation, the candidates must fulfill the eligibility criteria according to their respective state boards of Accountancy. There are 55 states which are members of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). Any of these 55 state boards can award the US CPA license.
Most of these states require a bachelor’s degree in a related field like accounting or business with certain credit hour requirements and certain coursework requirements. The candidates must gain at least 120 credit hours (a bachelor’s degree + 30 extra credits from a Master’s degree) to take the exam and 150 credit hours for the CPA licensure. US CPA education requirements can be briefly explained as follows:
- To take the exam, you need to complete your graduation + 1 year of post-graduation (which will give you 120 credit hours)
- To get the License, You need to complete both your graduation and post-graduation (which will be counted as 150 credit hours)
For an Indian candidate, who wants to know how to become a CPA USA, you must possess any of the following qualifications.
- MBA degree
- Master of Commerce
- Member of the Company Secretaries in India.
- Member of the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants in India.
- Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
- CA’s with B. Com is also accepted in some of the 50 states of the US.
Steps explaining how to become a CPA USA include acquiring the required work experience. In order to become a CPA, one must also cover at least 2,000 hours of work experience (2 years of professional experience) in any of the relevant fields of work under a licensed CPA or equivalent level accountant (for example:- Indian CA or ACCA).
- Evaluation
Before filling out the actual application form, you have to send all your academic transcripts to the state board. During the evaluation, your local academic transcripts will be assessed and translated in a way that a U.S.-based evaluator can understand them.
- Registration for US CPA
Once the evaluation is complete, the next step of how to become a CPA USA is the registration process. The first step of the registration process is submitting the necessary details about your education and your current designation if any.
After the approval of your application, the state board will issue an Authorization to Test (ATT). This document can be used to sign up for your state’s US CPA exam section. After choosing the US CPA exam section, you have to log into your NASBA account and have to pay the CPA exam section fee.
After 3-4 weeks of submitting the necessary details and paying the associated fees, you will receive the Notice to Schedule (NTS). The NTS is the document that will allow you to sit for the uniform CPA exam. You can use your NTS document to schedule your examination.
- Schedule Your US CPA Exam
Upon receiving the NTS document, you can log into the Prometric testing center website and schedule your exam on whichever date is convenient for you. You can take the CPA USA exam in any testing location center where you wish to take the exam. CPA USA exam centers in India are located in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Trivandrum.
- Pass the CPA Exam
On the selected date of the exam, don’t forget to bring two valid forms of ID and your NTS. The Prometric test centers will not allow you to sit for the CPA exam without checking your NTS and ID. Besides that, you must prepare thoroughly for the CPA exams to pass them with flying colors.
The final step for becoming a CPA is to acquire the CPA license to start practicing as a CPA in the United States. You can get the CPA license from the state boards, which are members of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA).
Now, you know all the steps of how to become a CPA USA. Still, the whole process of becoming a CPA can be a challenging task to go through. Therefore, it is recommended to join a top training academy to help you through this CPA USA journey, such as NorthStar Academy.
