Hi I will be moving to USA next year and i want to pursue my career as CPA there for which i need to have 150 credits to appear for CPA Exam. I have Bachelore in Commerce from Delhi University with 50% aggregate. To make my credits equivalent to USA bachelore, to be able to pursue Masters in Accounting, i am thinking of doing 1year PG Diploma distance learning course from ICFAI University. I want to know how many credits does it offers and is this 1year course sufficient as per the requirement of US University and if not please suggest other courses in Accounting. Also tell me the credit my Bcom (Pass) degree hold as per US requirements. Please help

Asked by Ripdaman on 13 November 2008 at 6:19 PM.

Answered by Studyplaces Counsellor USA

The minimum educational requirement to sit for the U.S. CPA exam is generally a four year university degree. Most states require 150 university semester hours before you can sit for the CPA exam.

You can not take the U.S. CPA examination outside the U.S. It is offered only in the U.S.A.

Once you have passed the exam in one state you can transfer to another state. You will have to meet the education and experience requirements of the new state, but normally you are given credit for having already passed the CPA exam.


CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS

The CPA certificate is not directly comparable to the articles of a chartered accountant. A chartered accountant who wishes to have a U.S. CPA certificate must take the exam to become a U.S. CPA. The only exception is a special examination for members of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICAA), CPA Australia, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (ICAI) and the Instituto Mexicano De Contadores Publicos (IMCP). The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) web site has information on the IQEX examination. (On that page click on "IQEX" in the tiny letters across the top of the page.)


RESIDENCY AND CITIZENSHIP

Some states do not require that you be a resident of the state or a U.S. citizen to earn a CPA certificate issued by that state. The last time we checked, these states were:

* Alaska
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Illinois
* Kentucky
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Montana
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New York
* Oregon
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Texas
* Utah
* Virginia
* Washington
* Wisconsin


EXPERIENCE

In some states you can become a CPA with NO employment time if you have a master's degree. The last time we checked, these states were Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Puerto Rico. Some states only credit time worked for a public accounting firm. Other states allow you to satisfy the experience requirement with employment by a corporation or government agency.

Some states will grant a CPA certificate with no experience, but require evidence of experience before a "permit to practice" is issued. If you just want a U.S. CPA certificate for your resume, you might investigate these states. The last time we checked, these states were:

* Alabama
* Arkansas
* Delaware
* District of Columbia
* Florida
* Guam
* Illinois
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Louisiana
* Maryland
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nebraska
* North Dakota
* Oklahoma
* Puerto Rico
* South Dakota
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wyoming


STATES THAT DON'T REQUIRE 150 SEMESTER HOURS OF UNIVERSITY

Most states have adopted a 150 university semester hour educational requirement. A few states require only a four year university degree. Each state has specific requirements for evaluation of your transcripts, so you must pick a state before you can have your transcripts evaluated. The last time we checked, the states requiring only four years were:

* California
* Colorado
* Delaware
* New Hampshire
* Vermont
* Virgin Islands

Check this link for more information on CPA