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South Carolina CPA Exam Requirements

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Education requirements

Residency requirements

150 Semester Hours Required to Sit for the Exam?NoU.S. Citizenship Required: No
Minimum Degree Required: NoneApplicant must be a resident, employee, OR have office in the state? No

Other:

  • Need 150 hours to be granted license but do not need 150 to sit for exam
  • Minimum of 120 semester hours of college level education to sit
  • Must have Social Security number or Lawful Permanent Resident Number

Other:

Additional Educational Requirements

  • Minimum 24 semester hours in accounting classes that are applicable to a baccalaureate, master’s or doctoral degree and cover Financial Accounting, Managerial Acccounting, Auditing and Tax

Age requirements

Age Minimum:18

Note: The requirements shown relate specifically to "applying for" and "taking" the exam. Additional requirements may be in effect relating to "certification" and "licensing", Please contact the appropriate state board for "certification" and "licensing" requirements.

South Carolina CPA exam application process

South Carolina Application Process

  1. Review exam requirements
  2. Submit your exam application, enroll in Becker
  3. Request and forward your transcripts
  4. Pay your exam fees
  5. Schedule your exam

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To sit for the CPA exam as a first-time four-part candidate in South Carolina, follow these steps: You will need: 

  1. A Social Security Number or a Lawful Permanent Resident Number (Green Card) prior to submitting an application; AND
  2. Have completed a minimum of 120 semester hours at a regionally accredited college or university approved by the Board; and
  3. At least 24 semester hours of accounting in courses that are applicable to a baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degree and which cover financial accounting, managerial accounting, taxation, and auditing.
Note: For licensure, you must have at least 36 semester hours, of which 24 must be taught at the upper level. (contact State Board for details)

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If you meet the educational requirements, submit your application to the CPA Examination Services South Carolina Coordinator in Nashville, Tennessee. The application fee will be $135, the exam fees will total $723.20, 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 Aiken, Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Greenville, Rock Hill, or any other Prometric location that is convenient to you.


International Candidates »


Exam process links

South Carolina CPA Application Process:Click here >>
South Carolina CPA Application Forms: Click here >>
South Carolina CPA Statutes: Click here >>
South Carolina CPA Exam FAQs: Click here >>

South Carolina exam fees

Initial Application Fee:$135
Audit:$190.35
Financial:$190.35
Regulation:$171.25
Business:$171.25
Total:$858.20
Special Fees:
Re-exam registration fee (varying amounts based on number of parts)
 

All Fees are Non-Refundable

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South Carolina state board contacts

South Carolina Board of Accountancy
110 Centerview Drive-Kingstree Building
Columbia, SC
29210

Web: www.llr.state.sc.us/POL/Accountancy >>
Phone: 803-896-4770
Fax: 803-896-4554
Email: williamstf@llr.sc.gov
Email: cpaes-sc@nasba.org


Additional information about the exam/process

Exam Links: AICPA »
NASBA »
CPA Exam »
State CPA Society »
Exam FAQ's: Exam FAQ's: »
"Test Drive" Prometric:http://www.prometric.com/TestDrive/default.htm »
Familiarize yourself with the testing environment
"Licensing Resources" (subscription required) https://www.alllibrary.com/index
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