The Arizona Board requires that all applicants present satisfactory evidence that they have successfully obtained a baccalaureate degree, or a higher degree from an accredited institution or college or university that maintains standards comparable to those of an accredited institution. To be eligible to sit for the CPA exam, students must fulfill the following requirements:
Education Requirements
- 150 hours of education are required to be granted the certificate; however, you do not need 150 hours to sit for the exam
- As mentioned above, you must have a bachelor’s degree or higher
- You must complete 24 accounting semester hours
- 12 hours in upper-level accounting courses and 18 semester hours of related courses are required.
- To be granted certification, you need a minimum of 36 semester hours in accounting courses, of which at least 30 are upper level and at least 30 semester hours are related courses
Arizona Exam Fees
The cost to take the CPA exam in Arizona is $226.15 per exam section. See the Arizona State Board of Accountancy website for more info.
*Important Note: You should not apply and pay for exam sections that will not be taken within six months because Alabama’s “Notice to Schedule” expires six months after issuance.
AZ CPA License Requirements
- One year of experience in the office of a CPA or public accountant within government or industry.
- If your supervisor is not a certified CPA in Arizona, a Supervisor Verification Form needs to be sent to their licensing state, and returned to ASBA. See the FAQ link below.
- If your supervisor is not a licensed CPA, they must attach a resume and a job description to verify they have the education and experience to oversee a potential CPA candidate. One way of establishing competency for verifying CPAs not certified in Arizona is to provide signed and dated letters form 3 clients.
Additional CPA Requirements
In addition to the above requirements, there are a few more in order to obtain a CPA license:
- Pass all 4 sections of the CPA exam with a score of 75 or higher
- Pass the CPA ethics exam administered by the AICPA
- Submit all required paperwork
For more information please visit:
Contact:
Arizona State Board of Accountancy
100 N. 15th Avenue, Room 165
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: 602-364-0804
Fax:602-364-0903
What’s Next?
Now that you have started the CPA exam application process, your next step is to find the right CPA review course that best fits your budget, learning style and schedule.
Bryce Welker is a regular contributor to Forbes, Inc.com, YEC.co and Business Insider. After graduating from San Diego State University he went on to earn his Certified Public Accountant license and created CrushTheCPAexam.com to share his knowledge and experience to help other accountants become CPAs too. As Seen On Forbes
