CPA Exam

To practice as a CPA, one must have a valid certificate issued by the board of accountancy in one of the country’s 55 jurisdictions, which consists of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Each jurisdiction has individual requirements for licensure in terms of experience and education, but the one common denominator is the Uniform CPA Examination, which the AICPA creates and grades. In addition to testing knowledge of accounting and auditing, regulation and business concepts via multiple-choice questions, the CPA Exam includes simulations and written communications.