How to Get a CPA License: A Quick Guide

Do you want to score a great job in the financial industry and put yourself in a position to make lots of money every year? If so, you should think about trying to become a CPA, which is short for certified public accountant.

There are plenty of CPA jobs available today. And it’s not uncommon at all for those who go through the process of becoming a CPA to earn six figures each year.

Before you can become a CPA, though, you’ll need to get your hands on a CPA license. This is something that can take you a little while to do, so it’s good to get started as soon as you can if you want to be a CPA one day.

Here is a guide on the steps that you’ll have to take to obtain a CPA license.

Start by Seeing What the CPA License Requirements Are in Your Specific State

Each individual state throughout the country has slightly different CPA license requirements in place. It’s why you should kick things off by seeing exactly what you’re going to need to do in your state to get a CPA license.

Generally speaking, most states will require you to do things like earn a college degree and pass the CPA exam to get a CPA license. But there might be some minor differences in how your state handles CPA license requirements. So you should make it a point to see what you’ll need to do to get a CPA license prior to doing anything else.

Get Your College Degree (and Take the Right Classes While You’re in School!)

Although the CPA license requirements will vary from one state to the next, you’re pretty much always going to need to earn a college degree to work as a CPA in this country. You don’t have to take a specific major while earning your college degree to eventually work as an accountant. But it would be a good idea to consider majoring in a subject like business or finance.

There are also some states that are going to call for you to take certain classes while you’re in college if your goal is to eventually become a CPA. This is a big part of the reason why you need to know the CPA license requirements in your state.

Once you’ve secured a college degree, you’ll be on the path to becoming a CPA. But there will still be several more steps that you’ll have to take to get your CPA license in the end.

Begin to Earn Real-World Accounting Experience

To become a CPA, you’re obviously going to need to have a CPA license. But in most states, you won’t be able to take the CPA exam until you have some real-world accounting experience under your belt.

You should, again, see where your specific state stands on this. But you might need to spend a year or so working underneath someone who already has a CPA license to get a taste of what the CPA life is like.

You should take full advantage of this if you’re required to spend time working with a CPA. You’ll be able to learn the ins and outs of the business while getting the experience that you need.

Study, Study, and Study Some More for the CPA Exam

As you’re gaining real-world accounting experience after graduating from school, you should keep one eye on the CPA exam at all times. The CPA exam is a notoriously difficult exam that you’ll need to pass in order to get your CPA license.

Studies have shown that up to 50% of people fail the CPA exam on their first attempt. And while you can take the CPA exam again if you fail it, that could derail your career plans for a little while and make your life a little harder than it has to be.

For this reason, you should study your butt off for the CPA exam in the months, weeks, and days that lead up to it. Most experts say that you should spend at least 300 hours studying for the CPA exam, if not more.

Take the CPA Exam and Pass All Four Parts of It

Once you feel like you’re properly prepared to take the CPA exam, you should sign up for it and do some last-minute cramming to make sure that you’re 100% ready for it. You should then take all four parts of the CPA exam and do your best to pass each of them.

The four parts of the CPA exam are as follows:

1. Auditing and Attestation (AUD)
2. Business Environment and Concepts (BEC)
3. Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR)
4. Regulation (REG)

As we mentioned earlier, the CPA exam is not going to be easy. But as long as you put in the work, you should be able to pass it so that you can put it in your rear-view mirror.

Obtain Your CPA Certification

After you pass the CPA exam, the only thing left to do will be to get your CPA license. In some states, you might need to take an additional ethics exam to obtain your CPA certification once and for all.

But passing the CPA exam should be the last major hurdle that you face when you’re trying to become a CPA. It’ll prove that you have what it takes to work as a CPA day in and day out.

Use Everything You’ve Learned to Work as a CPA

Getting a CPA license will call for you to do your fair share of hard work. But the real work will begin once you actually have your CPA license.

You’ll have to start looking around for CPA jobs. You can either work full-time at an accounting firm or pick up freelance CPA jobs through a site like https://www.taxfyle.com/freelance-cpa-jobs.

It’ll be up to you to put your CPA license to good use. You should be able to use it to land a lucrative gig in no time at all.

Getting Your CPA License Won’t Be Easy, But It Will Be Well Worth the Effort

From the outside looking in, it might appear as though getting a CPA license is easy. But as you’ve seen here, obtaining a CPA license is going to be a big challenge.

You can, however, make it a little easier on yourself by following the steps that we’ve laid out here. They should lead you in the right direction and help you launch a successful accounting career.

Get more practical career advice by reading through the many articles posted on our blog.