Texas CPA exam application process
To sit for the CPA exam as a first-time four-part candidate in Texas, follow these steps: You will need:
- A Bachelor's degree, or higher, awarded by an accredited institution recognized by the State Board, and
- 150 hours of college credit, and
- 30 hours of upper-division accounting beyond the elementary level l, at least 15 hours must result from physical attendance at classes meeting regularly on the campus of any transcript-institute institution, and 24 hours of upper-division related business coursework*. 2 semester hours of accounting or tax research and analysis and 2 semester hours of accounting or business communications within the 30 hours of accounting and 24 hours of business are required.
- Successful completion of a 3-hour ethics course in a traditional classroom setting*.
If you meet the educational requirements, submit an Application of Intent, with a filing fee of $50, and also submit transcripts from all educational institutions. The Application of Intent also includes a background investigation and verification of legal status. Passport-type photographs and a government-issued identification document will also be required. 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.
Once you are notified that your Application of Intent has been approved, file an Eligibility Application. The fee for online submission of the Eligibility Application is $15 for each section. The candidate will be advised by the State Board when the Eligibility Application is approved.
The State Board will notify the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) of the candidate's approval and NASBA will send the applicant a payment coupon for the exam fees, which total $743.20 for all four parts. Once payment has been made, within a 90-day period, a Notice to Schedule (NTS) will be issued to the candidate indicating the exam sections the candidate is eligible to take and the deadline by which they may be taken. Candidates should only apply for the sections of the CPA exam that they will be prepared to take within the 90 day eligibility period.
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 Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth/Bedford, Houston, Houston/Clear Lake, Kingwood, Lubbock, McAllen, Midland, San Antonio, Tyler, Waco, Wichita Falls, or any other Prometric location that is convenient to you.