Rhode Island CPA Requirements
Wondering how to become a CPA in Rhode Island? Your first step should always be to check the Rhode Island CPA requirements, because the Rhode Island Board of Accountancy will ultimately license you. This page serves as a resource for Rhode Island CPA and CPE requirements.
Rhode Island CPA Exam Requirements
No matter the jurisdiction, becoming a CPA means that you must first pass the CPA Exam. Rhode Island CPA Exam eligibility requirements are:
All CPA Exam candidates in Rhode Island must have a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university, including:
- 24 semester hours in accounting
- 6 semester hours in both fundamental accounting and intermediate financial accounting and reporting
- 3 semester hours in each of the following:
- Advanced financial accounting and reporting
- Tax accounting
- Auditing
- 24 semester hours in business courses (other than accounting courses)
- Must include 3 semester hours in both business law and economics
Rhode Island CPA License Requirements
To earn a CPA license in Rhode Island, applicants must meet the following requirements after passing the CPA Exam.
Minimum Education Requirement
- You must have completed at least a bachelor's degree with a concentration in accounting.
Minimum Experience Requirement
You must meet one of the following experience options, depending on your level of education:
- If you have a bachelor's degree, you must complete two years of relevant experience in public accounting.
- If you have a bachelor's degree plus 30 additional college semester hours (total 150 hours), you must complete one year of relevant experience in public accounting.
- If you have a master's degree, you must complete one year of relevant experience in public accounting.
Ethics Exam
You must take and pass with a grade of 90 or above on the AICPA's professional ethics course.
Rhode Island CPA License Renewal
Rhode Island CPAs must renew their license every 3 years. The cycle occurs January 1 - December 31 triennially.
Rhode Island CPE requirements
Continuing professional education (CPE) must be completed in the three calendar years prior to the year during which a license is to be renewed. All CPAs must complete no less than 120 CPE credit hours that comply with the Rhode Island Board of Accountancy, during the three-year period preceding renewal. The maximum credit for self-study programs must not exceed 80 CPE hours for that three-year reporting period.
CPE subjects allowed:
- Accounting and auditing (accounting, governmental accounting, auditing, and governmental auditing)
- Technical business subjects, which includes:
- Consulting services (administrative practice and the social environment of business)
- Management (business law, finance, management advisory services)
- Specialized knowledge and applications (computer science, economics, mathematics, production, specialized knowledge and applications and statistics)
- Taxes
- Personal development and marketing (communications, business management and organization, personal development, personnel/human resources and marketing)
- Ethics (behavioral ethics and regulatory ethics)
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