Why You Cannot Take The CPA Exam In Another State

Every state has its own licensing requirements. In order to get a license, you will need to take and pass the required CPA exam. If you have never taken or passed the exam, you are required by law to take the examination before you can operate as an agent of a CPA firm. You should know that even if you’ve already taken the exam, you may still be required to take a practice exam in another state. This is because each state keeps different licensing requirements, including whether a person has already passed the exam.

There are a number of reasons why people would want to take a practice exam. They include testing their knowledge about the exam format, gaining experience, preparing for specific questions that might appear on the examination, or to gain an edge over other potential applicants. Some companies, such as CPAs, prefer to use pre-licensing exams to determine the skills of potential representatives. Others, such as brokers, find it necessary to take the exam in another state so they do not inadvertently violate any of the federal laws regulating brokers and agents. Regardless of the reason, here are a few steps you can take to ensure that you can take the CPA exam in another state.

To qualify for a practice examination, you must first become licensed. Contact your state board to get the specifics about the process. Some states require you to take a written examination in addition to taking the actual test. Others simply request a video or paper demo. Contacting your state board beforehand will help you prepare for what is an essential part of the licensing process.

Once licensed in another state, you can request a practice exam. Once you have passed the examination, you will need to provide proof of your passing to the local licensing board. You can provide these documents either at the time of your licensing interview or within a reasonable amount of time after.

When you take an examination, you will need to provide proof of education, training, or experience. To do this, you will need to submit copies of your certificates, degrees, transcripts, or professional licenses. It is not compulsory to provide actual copies of these documents. The local licensing boards have copies you can obtain for a small fee. If you are submitting multiple copies, it may be more cost effective to create a PDF file than it would be to print out many.

Once the examination is completed, you will need to return to the location where you received your license. You can take an exam again if you re-qualify. In some states, if you take the exam and then fail it within a certain period of time, you can have your license revoked without it being considered a re-examination.

The other reason people feel they cannot take the CPA exam in another state is if they work in a profession that requires CPA status in order to conduct business. Some examples of professions where CPA status is required including insurance agents, attorneys, and financial planners. Individuals who work in these types of businesses will find that it is difficult to take the test. In these cases, it is often possible to take the exam online.