Minnesota CPA Exam Requirements

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To sit for the CPA exam as a first-time four-part candidate in Minnesota, follow these steps: Before applying for the exam, evaluate your current credentials. You must be a resident of, regularly employed in, or working in the State of Minnesota for the purpose of obtaining qualifying experience, and you will need to meet one of the following four conditions:

1. Earned a graduate degree in Accounting from a Level Three accredited institution as determined by an accrediting agency listed with the U. S. Department of Education, or
2. Earned a graduate degree from a Level Two accredited business school or college of business with 24 undergraduate hours, or 15 graduate hours, in Accounting*, or
3. Earned a bachelor's degree from a Level Two accredited business school or college of business with 24 hours in Accounting* and 24 hours in other business-related or Accounting courses, or
4. Earned a bachelor's degree, or higher, from a Level One accredited institution with 24 hours of Accounting* at the upper-division (junior/senior), or graduate level.
5. Candidates may apply for the exam 180 days prior to the completion of educational requirements. Candidates may sit 90 days prior to anticipated completion of educational requirements. Educational requirements must be completed no later than 120 calendar days after the actual date the candidate took the first exam section, and final transcripts must be received by the board within 150 days of the first sitting.

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If you meet the educational requirements, submit your application to the CPA Examination Services Minnesota Coordinator in Nashville, Tennessee. The application fee will be $175, the exam fees will total $823, 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 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 month 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/cpa. You can take the exam at a site in Duluth, Edina, Rochester, Woodbury, or any other Prometric location that is convenient to you.