Is NASBA Torturing You?

Posted on by Caleb Newquist

fingers crossed.jpgWe got a request to start a thread on the CPA exam results being totally MIA. The last thread seemed to indicate that results were slow to come out but here we are a month later and some of you took your exam(s) back in July.
So what the hell, NASBA? People can’t sleep at night. Get with the program!
Discuss your anxiety in the comments or if you’ve got your scores, just tell us you got between 75 and 79. Anything higher and you might has well be one of those Elijah Watts rocket-scientists.

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Student Needs Help Dancing Around State CPA Requirements

If you have a CPA exam related question that you’re dying to have answered, please get in touch. Note: bribes will not make me answer your question any sooner.

Hey Adrienne, I was reading an article on GC about sitting for the exam in another state (with less requirements) then transferring it to the state you want to work in. I was wondering if there was a site for this information. If it matters I will be transferring it to Georgia or Texas. My adviser told me they usually do it through Tennessee in the spring of the MACC program so that once you are done with the 150 hours you should already have your CPA.. Just wondering y’alls thoughts. Thanks!


Is there one site that has this information? Oh dear, you’re obviously new to this whole CPA exam nonsense. While the Internet has done a great job of aggregating publicly-available information in the last few years to make searching for answers a tad easier for candidates, it’s still sort of a crapshoot. If you’re good with Google, you might be able to find a few references but other than that, I can’t think of one place that explains this particular trick.

That said, NASBA’s Accountancy Licensing Library can probably help. Plug in your educational experience and you can figure out which states you can sit in.

Because the CPA exam is uniform meaning every state’s candidates take the exact same CPA exam as other states, you’re able to sit for any other state’s exam in your state. You can use this to your advantage if you’re in a 150 state but want to finish the exam while you are still working on your degree by taking the exam in a 120 state that allows non-residents to sit for the exam and then transferring your scores once you meet your state’s requirements.

The best source to go to for more information on this option would be your own state board. Hopefully they are somewhat helpful and can give you a little guidance. You could also try calling NASBA but I doubt they’re very supportive of folks trying to bypass the system.

Keep in mind that your plan sounds like you will be transferring scores, not the actual license. Since most states have experience requirements and many require that experience to be gained under the supervision of a CPA licensed it that state, it is unlikely that you will actually be licensed as a CPA in the state in which you apply for the CPA exam. But you can transfer passing CPA exam scores, usually with just a simple form.

If you’re prepared for the work involved with sitting for the CPA exam while finishing up your degree, I say go for it. Surely there are some Going Concern readers out there who have done exactly this?

A 5 Step Plan to Passing the CPA Exam for Total Idiots

Disclaimer: I was going to use “for Dummies” in that headline but John Wiley & Sons owns that term. Since they’re also Going Concern advertisers, I figured it would be best not to tick them off. So don’t take my headline personally, call it creative license.

So, you want to pass the CPA exam eh? Here is your 5 step plan to get it done. Pay attention, kids, we’re only goince.

1. Apply early As soon as you are eligible to sit for the CPA exam (or even before if you are trying to bypass some state boards’ long application processing times), get your application, fees and fingerprint cards in. Assuming your accounting program did not prepare you for the exam, check with NASBA’s Accounting Licensing Library or your state board to find out everything you need to know about requirements to sit in your state. Remember the CPA exam is uniform meaning you can sit for any state’s exam in any other state as long as you meet their requirements so if you don’t qualify at home, check out other states to see if you can sit there. Point being, you don’t want to have to juggle the exam, work AND a family so get this thing out of the way before you get engaged, promoted and/or knocked up. Trust us on that one.


2. Study OK, I shouldn’t even have to list this as a step but, uh, I’ve had the fortune of working with some of you for years so I feel it necessary to point out that unless you are some freak with a photographic memory, you are going to have to do some studying to pass. The entire exam can take anywhere between 200 and 1000 hours to study for (based on your familiarity with exam topics going into it) so be prepared to put in plenty of hours with your nose buried in your review books. We’re not suggesting you should develop a sick fascination for Peter Olinto but get comfortable with your CPA review instructor(s), you’re going to get awfully cozy for the next couple months.

3. Make some temporary sacrifices Sure there are the odd cases of CPA exam candidates who managed to pass with just a few hours of studying but for most of you, you’re going to have to accept that your life must change to accommodate the CPA exam process. If this means cutting off your needy girlfriend for a few months, grow a pair and tell her to stop bugging you when you’re focused on the exam. Your friends will be there when you’re done and if they aren’t, maybe you should stick to hanging out with other accountants (oh come on, it’s not so bad). Keep in mind the CPA exam torture is temporary and once you pass, you can drink all you want. In fact, you’re probably going to want to once you start nailing those promotions and putting in 80 hour workweeks. Deal.

4. Learn to plan but learn to accept that sometimes things do not go according to plan Shit happens. If you’re studying for the CPA exam, lots of shit happens. Some things are out of your control (busy season, for one) but plenty of things are completely under your control so worry about those and try not to get too upset about the rest. Learn to create a study plan that includes sufficient study time without sacrificing your own sanity (3 hours a day is plenty). Plan your exams well in advance and schedule in some kind of final review 2 – 3 weeks before exam day to be sure you are ready.

5. If you fall off the horse, get back up and kick the horse in the shins A 74 could be the most devastating CPA exam result of all but the reality is that this exam isn’t a cakewalk and you aren’t a failure just because you’ve failed. You’re only a failure if you allow it to keep you from pursuing your goal of CPA licensure. Get up, dust yourself off, learn from your mistakes (your score report is a huge clue into where you need more work) and schedule a retake as soon as possible. It’s entirely reasonable to feel defeated but no reason to pout so knock it off and suck it up. There’s a reason only 40%+/- of candidates pass on the first attempt, this thing isn’t easy on purpose. If it were easy, any idiot with half a brain would be a CPA.

But you aren’t just any idiot, are you? Go get ’em, killer!