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CPA Info

CPA examination & licensure requirements

 
Please see CPA Checklist for more detailed information

If you have further questions, please contact the Exam Unit General Information at examinfo.cba@ca.gov or Phone: (916) 561-1703.

CPA exam and licensure workshop

 
There are 3 steps to be completed before getting your California CPA License
  • 1. Check with the California Board of Accountancy if a class qualifies.
  • 2. Fulfill the requirements to take the CPA exam
  • 3. Upon passing the exam, complete the required classes
Eligibility 
 
STEP 1

Make sure your course/units qualifies, by contacting the California Board of Accountancy directly at:

licensinginfo@cba.ca.gov

(916) 561-1701

This is the source for all questions related to California CPA licensure. If you wish to get a CPA license in another state, contact that state’s board about its requirements for licensure.

STEP 2

Define the courses you want to qualify 

To be eligible to sit for the CPA exam, you need to complete:

  • 24 semester (or 36 quarter) units – accounting subjects
  • 24 semester (or 36 quarter) units – business-related subjects

AP units and community college units count!

If you are currently enrolled in a college or university and are within 180 days of completing all educational requirements, you may be approved to sit for the CPA exam. Educational requirements include the conferral of a bachelor's degree and completion of 24 semester units in both accounting and business subjects. 

STEP 3
Once you pass the CPA exam, in order to get your California CPA license, you need to complete: 
  • 20 semester (or 30 quarter) units – accounting study
  • 10 semester (or 15 quarter) units – ethics study

In addition, you need to:

  1. Get a bachelor’s degree (in any field from an accredited university).

  2. Complete a total of 150 semester (225 quarter) units of college classes.
    AP and community college units count.

  3. Complete a take-home online ethics exam. 

  4. Obtain one year of work experience under a CPA.

For questions related to passing the CPA exam, you can contact one of the CPA review courses. Below is a list of popular review courses.

CPA Review Courses

  • Becker CPA Review 
  • Gleim CPA Review
  • Lambers CPA Review
  • Surgent CPA Review
  • UWorld Roger CPA Review
  • Wiley CPAexcel Review
  • Yaeger CPA Review

*The UCLA Accounting Department does not endorse any of these review courses or course materials. Do your own research!

CPA Review Books

  • “Wiley CPAexcel”
  • “At Least Know This – CPA Review”
  • “CPA Exam for Dummies”

Do not ask a professor, college counselor or anyone who works for the UCLA undergraduate minor program to verify if a class qualifies. We do not want to erroneously tell you that a particular class qualifies. Only the California Board of Accountancy has the authority to determine that a class qualifies.