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June 27, 2008

Can I take the CPA exam without having a bachelor degree?

You will need to inquire with your state or jurisdiction about its requirements to take or sit for the CPA Exam. Generally, you will need to have a minimum of 150 college credits, which is significantly more than the typical bachelor degree of 120 credits.

Just as important as being able to take the CPA Exam is whether you can pass the CPA Exam. The CPA Exam is very rigorous and the pass rate is significantly lower than the pass rates for college accounting courses. Students having successfully completed 30 college credits in accounting courses (plus 120 credits of other college courses) find it very difficult to pass the CPA exam.  As a result, students with accounting degrees often enroll in CPA review courses to increase their likelihood of passing the CPA Exam. In other words, you need to ask yourself whether you have the accounting knowledge to pass the CPA exam in addition to meeting your state or jurisdiction’s educational requirements.

Our Accounting Career Center provides links to each state’s board of accountancy and more details on the difficulty of passing the CPA Exam.

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Comments

16 Responses to “Can I take the CPA exam without having a bachelor degree?”

  1. illaya on June 30th, 2008 1:20 am

    respected sir,
    As iam doing bank reconciliation process in mainframe technology. please kindly send some limitations for bank reconciliation process….

  2. Tekie on July 3rd, 2008 2:37 pm

    My first name is Tekie and my email address is woldemariam240@comcast.net but I am unable to get access to your materials. Can you help? Thanks.

  3. lovely on July 4th, 2008 12:37 am

    sir,
    wat is really the most important of thing in accounting?..

  4. Anthony on July 7th, 2008 6:19 am

    Is it the application or the concept that make you to understands accounting? Plaese tell me more about which one is the best option.

  5. Alicia on July 16th, 2008 3:59 am

    Does a Bachelors Degree and a Master Degree constitute your 150 semester hours for the requirement to take the CPA exam?

  6. ACoach on July 16th, 2008 5:41 am

    You need to check with your state or jurisdiction to find out their required makeup of the 150 credits. Your state might stipulate certain accounting courses that were not part of your university degrees.

  7. Antonio on September 6th, 2008 1:30 pm

    Dear Sir,
    i am ccurently working in dubai, i am looking for institute to enhance my khnowledge in basic accounting…would you please advice me what is the best way to improve my skills in accounts

  8. Cassie on October 22nd, 2008 12:40 pm

    Dir Sir,
    I am currently trying to find the best school in northern Colorado for accounting. I am limited by the fact that I will have to take online or extended learning classes due to a disability. Is there any stats that show CPA exam pass rates for Colorado or neighboriing state colleges?

  9. Raiha Zawar on May 20th, 2009 12:10 am

    Dear Sir,
    i am an ACCA (UK) and i have 3 years work experience with Ernst & Young. Apart from this, i don’t have any bachelors degree in accounting or finance. Am i eligible to appear for CPA exam?

  10. Raiha Zawar on May 20th, 2009 1:06 am

    Dear Sir!

    I am a qualified ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants- UK) with 3 years work experience with Ernst & Young, Pakistan, that makes me an ACCA member. And currently i am working with Pepsico International as a Planing Analyst in Finance. I want to know if i am eligible to appear for CPA Exams. Furthermore, i want to know about all the exam centres available for CPA worldwide.

    Thanking you in anticipation.

    Regards,
    Raiha

  11. Abdalle on August 8th, 2009 4:31 pm

    I have a diplom for financial accounting and i know how to solve defficult problems as well but i have a reporting problem.
    Althouth i can make financial statements such as Balance sheet, income statement and stock hoders equity, but still i have such trouble. How to make very short and understandable financial report for the management.

    Thank you

  12. hussein on August 25th, 2009 4:10 am

    i have deplome of accounting (2years after secondary school ) i want to get cpa examantaion direct without bachelor degree can you give me if any name of any univercity accept examanation without bachelor
    note : iam 48 years old , since 20 years working as financail manager for small company
    thanks

  13. dora on September 22nd, 2009 10:40 am

    Hi there, i previously have over 15 years of expierience in acountanting and bookeeping and do financial controlling for a business. i have no degree but i have all the knowledge and expierience. im looking to get CPA certified, are there any possibility?

  14. hyder on September 23rd, 2009 9:07 am

    hello sir,
    i am studing degree 2nd year
    i want how solve the defficult problems.

  15. Williams on October 23rd, 2009 4:51 am

    I have a an associate degree in accounting, when I transfered to a 4yr college I took intermediate accounting and fed, tax with auditing. I switched to political science and graduating in December. I will like to enroll for an MBA in professional accounting. Can that help me seat for the CPA owing to the fact that I already have over 40 credits in accounting and business.. with an additional 30 from an MBA provide a foundation to seat for a CPA

  16. ACoach on October 23rd, 2009 11:06 am

    See the Accounting Career Center on AccountingCoach.com.

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