EDUCATION
REQUIREMENTS
Requirements to sit for the CPA exam vary by state. For more
specific information please review the requirements for your
intended state of practice by visiting the local
state board of accountancy.
In general, to sit for
the exam, most states require 120 semester credit hours of education;
24 of which should be in accounting courses, and another 24 should
be in business related courses.
There are often additional education hours required for licensing.
In general the total number of credit hours required to become
a licensed CPA is 150; 36 of which should be in accounting courses,
and another 36 should be in business related courses.
TESTING
WINDOW & FEES
Currently the CPA exam closed during the third month of each
testing window. Therefore, the exam is not available during the
following months: March, June, September, and December.
Testing and licensing fees can vary by state, see the local
state board of accountancy for details.
PREP
COURSES
The CPA Exam consists of four (4) parts: Auditing (AUD), Business Environment and Concepts (BEC), Financial (FAR) and Regulation (REG). Most of the courses you take at the College of Charleston are designed to prepare you to be a leader in the accounting profession, and are NOT specifically designed to prepare you for the CPA Exam. In an attempt to support your attempts to pass all 4 parts of the exam, the College has built relationships with 3 providers of CPA Exam Review support: Bisk , Becker and Gleim.
Most CPA Exam Review products have 3 components:
- Audio/Video Lessons – Instructors walk you through material that will be covered on the exam and discuss strategies for passing the exam.
- Testing Software – Thousands of questions from past exams are presented in a format similar to the actual exam.
- Books – Written materials support the audio/video lessons and prepare you for the questions presented by the testing software.
Becker CPA Review
Contacts:
Shelley McCall (shelleyrosemccall@gmail.com)
Alice-Anne Burton (aburton@beckerreview.com)
Becker awards a “full-ride” for their course (a value of almost $2,600) to 2 graduating CofC students with intentions on taking the CPA Exam within 18 months of graduation. Winners are chosen via an application process each Spring. Becker also hires 1-2 sales representatives from our student body to help them promote their product to students. Sales reps receive a “full-ride” for the Becker course. Additionally, student members of SCACPA receive a $250 discount on the Becker course.
Bisk CPA Review
Contacts:
Dr. Bill Koprowski, ACLS Dept Chair (koprowskiw@cofc.edu) in 403 Beatty – for lessons on DVD from Bisk and free copies of chapters from Bisk CPA review books
Leonard Allen (Bisk) at 1-800-280-9921 ext. 4579 – for help accessing Bisk web-site and additional privileges on Bisk web-site; also can provide all 4 Bisk books for one reduced price
You can access the Bisk web-site free of charge. As a CofC student, you will be able to get a userid and password that allow you access to hundreds of questions and study materials from prior CPA Exams on the Bisk web-site by visiting the following web-site: http://www.cpaexam.com/Scripts/Login/Login.aspx?key=37F27957-A142-422C-ACB1-38FAFF89F21E and enrolling in the “course” being administered by Dr. Michael Cipriano. Once there, create your own profile, including your userid and password. Additionally, you can get additional privileges on the Bisk web-site by contacting Leonard Allen at 1-800-280-9921, ext 4579 once you are enrolled on the “course”. Part of the “deal” that Leonard will offer you will include a significantly reduced price for the Bisk books for around $300 and a significant amount of questions, answers and study materials derived from prior CPA Exams.
Gleim CPA Review
Contact:
Ms. Ceil Fewox, Visiting Professor (fewoxc@cofc.edu)
You can access Gleim software free of charge. The software has been added to 6 computers in the Accounting Lab on the 1 st floor of the Beatty Center (near the back door of the building). Each computer that has the Gleim software is labeled “CPA TEST PREP.” Additionally, you can purchase the Gleim books (value = $1,000) for $355 as a CofC student.
TESTING
CENTERS
The CPA exam is administered electronically through Prometric
test centers. To locate the closest center, visit www.prometric.com/cpa.
It is recommended to schedule your exam at least 45 days in
advance of the desired testing date.
