Many states let you sit for the exam before finishing all education for licensure, often at 120 semester hours. Licensure traditionally required 150 semester hours, but most jurisdictions now also allow a bachelor’s degree plus additional professional experience. Rules vary, so check your state board or NASBA.
Once you pass your first section, you have a rolling window, now 30 months in most jurisdictions, to pass the other three.
USA CPA Exam: Quick Facts
- Developed by
- AICPA (administered with NASBA and Prometric)
- Sections
- Core: AUD, FAR, REG · Discipline: BAR, ISC or TCP
- Length
- 4 hours per section
- Passing score
- 75 (scale 0–99)
- Credit window
- 30 months in most jurisdictions
- Study time
- Roughly 300–400+ hours total
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