How to become a CPA without a degree in accounting

To become a CPA with no accounting experience, you need to adjust your resume based on your situation.

• If your career is tax-based, you may be stronger in the Regulation section, but weaker in Finance or Auditing. If you’ve worked in corporate accounting, you might be more proficient in Finance, but less proficient in the other sections.
• As you get closer to the CPA exam, you should set aside more time to prepare. And you may need to invest time to address your weaknesses and incorporate them into your CPA exam preparation strategy.

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Study Strength

More than one person compared CPA exam preparation to a marathon. The big difference is that while some of us may have run a physical marathon, we all run an academic marathon to complete our college education. During college, we are conditioned to deal with the prolonged duration and high intensity necessary to succeed. However, you probably remember some of your best practices for dealing with the rigors of business, but you can’t pick up where you left off. The same goes for the CPA path for non-accounting courses and the academic marathon required to effectively prepare for the CPA exam.

You cannot continue where you left off. If you’re looking to become a CPA without an accounting degree, especially if you haven’t been in an academic environment for a while, you’ll need to get back to the intensity of study you were dealing with day in and day out. Be sure to consider this when deciding on your study schedule. You may need to study in shorter periods several times a day, rather than a single longer session, as your academic stamina builds.

Understand the CPA program

The CPA program involves the study of four required courses and two electives. You are also required to gain a specific amount of real-world experience. After all, practice makes perfect!

How to become a CPA:

• Education: You will need to complete the education component of the CPA program, which covers topics such as financial reporting and ethics and governance. After finishing tax and auditing, you will have the option to take electives in areas such as digital finance, financial risk management and Australian taxation.
• Experience – You will need 36 months of relevant full-time work experience to pass the CPA program. You can gain this experience before or during your study through volunteer work.
• CPA Exam – You will need a minimum score of 75 to pass the CPA exam. Up to 70 percent of students pass the first time. Note that you can only fail a subject three times; if you fail a fourth time, you must study a CPA-approved course to satisfy the core requirements of the failed course.

Can I take the CPA exam without having a bachelor’s degree?

You will need to check with your state or jurisdiction about their requirements for taking or taking the CPA exam. In general, you will need to have a minimum of 150 university credits, which is significantly more than the typical 120-credit bachelor’s degree.

Just as important as being able to take the CPA exam is whether you can pass the CPA exam. The CPA exam is very rigorous, and the pass rate is significantly lower than the pass rates for university accounting courses. Students who have successfully completed 30 college credits in accounting courses (plus 120 credits from other college courses) find it very difficult to pass the CPA exam. As a result, students with accounting degrees often enroll in CPA review courses to increase their chances of passing the CPA exam. In other words, you need to ask yourself if you have the accounting knowledge to pass the CPA exam, in addition to meeting the educational requirements of your state or jurisdiction.

Before you go, I hope that the above article related to how to become a CPA without a degree in accounting will be informational and beneficial for you.