Minnesota CPA Exam & License Requirements

In Minnesota you must be a state resident in order to obtain a CPA license. You will need 150 semester hours/credits to get your license however you may sit for the CPA exam up to 90 days prior to completing this requirement.

To be eligible to sit for the CPA exam students must first fulfill these qualifications and requirements:

1. Minimum age: 18
2. U.S. Residency NOT Required
3. State Residency Required: must be a resident, employee, OR have an office in the state

Education Requirements

1. Graduate degree in accounting
2. Graduate degree in business:
   • Accounting courses:
   • 24 semester hours in undergraduate financial accounting, auditing, taxation, and management accounting:
   • 24 semester hours in undergraduate financial accounting, auditing, taxation, and management accounting; OR
   • 15 semester hours in graduate financial accounting, auditing, taxation, and management accounting; OR
   • Equivalent combination
3. Undergraduate degree in accounting or business:
   • Accounting courses:
   • 24 semester hours in undergraduate financial accounting, auditing, taxation, and management accounting
   • 24 semester hours in business courses
4. Undergraduate degree
   • If you earn enough accounting and business credits you may be qualified. Please check out the CPA Education Requirements for details

*Important Note:

• Candidates may apply for the exam 180 days prior to completing educational requirements
• Candidates will receive “provisional” approval to take the CPA exam 90 days prior to completing educational requirements
• Educational requirements must be completed no later than 120 days after the actual date the candidate took the first exam section

MN CPA License Requirements

Education

• 150 semester units from an accredited university

Work Experience

• 1 years of relevant work experience verified by an active CPA licensee

Ethics Exam

• Passing of the AICPA ethics exam
• Cost of course is $149 or $119 for AICPA members

*Best time to take the Ethics Exam is after you pass all 4 CPA sections

Minnesota CPA Exam Fees

The cost to take all four sections of the CPA exam in Minnesota is $743 plus the initial $175 application fee. The re-examination registration fees vary depending on the number of sections you are signing up for.

**Important Note: You should not apply and pay for exam sections that will not be taken within six months because your Notice to Schedule (NTS) in Minnesota expires 6 months after issuance.

Additional CPA Requirements

1. Pass all 4 sections of the CPA exam with a score of 75% or higher
2. Complete verified accounting work experience
3. Pass AICPA Ethics Exam
4. Fill out and submit all required CPA license application paperwork
5. Pay the CPA license application fee

MN Exam Information and Resources

Minnesota CPA CandidatesMinnesota CPA Exam Application

Minnesota CPA License Requirements

MN CPA Examination FAQ

For more details, please contact:

Minnesota State Board of Accountancy

85 East 7th Place, Suite 125
St. Paul, MN 55101
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-296-7938
Fax: 651-282-2644

What’s Next?

Now that you have started the CPA exam application process, your next step is to find a CPA review course that fits your budget, learning style and schedule.
It can take several weeks for your application to be processed so don’t waste that valuable time waiting to hear back from your state board. If you start studying now you will get a nice jump start on the material and will be better prepared to pass your first CPA exam!