Rhode Island CPA Exam Requirements

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To sit for the CPA exam as a first-time four-part candidate in Rhode Island, follow these steps: You must be a resident of, be employed in or have a place of business in Rhode Island, and you will need:

1. A graduate degree* with a concentration in accounting from a program that is accredited by an agency recognized by the State Board, or
2. A graduate degree* from an accredited program to include a minimum of 15 graduate, or 24 undergraduate, hours in accounting**, or
3. A Bachelor's degree* from an accredited program to include a minimum of 24 hours in accounting** and 24 hours in general business courses** other than accounting, or

*With 150 credit hours NOTE. A candidate who does not meet the 150-hour requirement may sit for the exam if the candidate has, at the time of application, completed not less than 120 hours of education and has met one of the three conditions specified in #1 through #3 above. (Special provisions dating back to July 1, 1999, apply). **Accounting hours must include 6 in Fundamental Accounting, 6 in Intermediate Accounting, and 3 each in Tax, Auditing and Advanced Financial Accounting. Business courses must include 3 hours in both Business Law and Economics.

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If you meet the educational requirements, submit your application to the CPA Examination Services Rhode Island Coordinator in Nashville, Tennessee. The application fee will be $145, 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 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/cpa . You can take the exam at a site in Warwick or any other Prometric location that is convenient to you.