Colorado CPA Exam Requirements

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To sit for the CPA exam as a first-time four-part candidate in Colorado, follow these steps: Before applying for the exam, evaluate your current credentials. You will need:

1. A Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with at least 27 hours in Accounting, of which 21 hours must be cost accounting, tax, intermediate accounting, accounting theory and advanced accounting. At least 3 hours must be in auditing, and
2. At least 21 hours in other business administration such as business law, management, marketing, statistics, business communication, economics and finance. No more than 6 hours shall be in any one of these areas to count toward the 21 hour total.
3. If above requirements are not met at time of application, they must be met within 60 days after the candidate takes the first exam section.

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If you meet the educational requirements, submit your application to the CPA Examination Services Colorado Coordinator in Nashville, Tennessee. The application fee will be $150, the exam fees will total $743.20, and the process may take as long as eight weeks. Your name on the application should exactly match your name on your primary form of identification, which is usually your driver's license. At this time you should also begin planning your study approach by making inquiries into CPA reviews available in your area. The Becker CPA Review offers classes live, online or self-study to accommodate the needs of all candidates.

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Contact any educational institutions attended and request that transcripts be forwarded to the CPA Examination Services for their evaluation. If you do not expect any problems in processing your application it is best to make plans to start your review at this time. The Becker CPA Review will significantly increase your chances of passing the exam.

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After receiving the required information, CPA Examination Services will issue your Authorization to Test (ATT) to the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). You will receive a Notice to Schedule (NTS) which is good for six months; however, since every third is non-testing, the NTS covers four testing months.

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Your NTS allows you to start scheduling your exams. You can sit for the exam parts in any sequence so you can plan your reviews to coincide with your exam scheduling. The most efficient approach is to sit for two parts in each exam window; however, exam fees paid for parts not taken are not refundable. Exam times are scheduled with Prometric and can be set up online at www.prometric.com. You can take the exam at a site in Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, Greenwood Village, Longmont, or any other Prometric location that is convenient to you.