CPA Exam Fees How Much does it Cost

Hello, this is Stephanie from IPasstheCPAExam.Com.
Today well go through how much it costs to become a CPA in the US.
Overview of the CPA Licensing Process The US CPA licensing process is quite complicated
because each state is responsible for granting the license covering its jurisdiction. Each
of them has a State Board of Accountancy, and they have slightly different exam requirements
and fees. Most state boards outsource the administration
of exam fees to NASBA, which is the national association of the state boards.
1. Mandatory Fees To register for the CPA exam, youll need
to pay the exam fee and application fee.

This is the absolute minimum level of investment
you need to make for the CPA designation. There are 4 parts of the exam. For the two
longer parts, which is FAR (which stands for financial accounting) and REG (which stands
for regulation), they cost $192 each. The shorter parts, namely AUD (which stands for
audit) and BEC (which stands for Business Environment and Concept), cost $172 each.
The total exam fee for the 4 parts is $729 in 2014.

You can register each part individually or in one go. The registration fee is determined by the
state board, and it varies from $30 to a couple hundreds of dollars. There may be discounts
if you register several parts at the same time. As a general rule, you can expect to spend $1,000 on exam and application.
Second, Optional Fees.

By optional, it means that you can take the
exam without getting these products and services. However, most candidates take them to increase
their chances of success. CPA Review Course
I actually consider this investment a must to pass the exam, but you dont need to
get the most expensive option. There are lots of choices in the market, from free practice
questions to fully integrated review courses costing more than $3,000.

I generally recommend
something in between for the best value of money.
Please go to my CPA review course comparison page for details. The link can be found in
the description below this video. Travel and Accommodation
Depending how close you live from the exam testing center, the traveling expense can
vary from virtually nothing to thousands of dollars.
Third, Licensing Fees. Once you pass the exam, you may need to take
the CPA Ethics Exam.

It is a self-study test costing around $130, but is not required by
all state boards. After fulfilling the working experience requirements,
you become a CPA and starts paying annual license fees. It varies by state, from around
$30 to a hundred of dollars. The licensing fee is an going cost.

Same for
CPE courses that you must take to keep your license active.
4. Extra Cost for International Candidates If you obtain education outside of the US,
you need to request a foreign credential evaluation report. This report is meant to make your
transcript US equivalent, so that the state board can understand the courses you have
taken, in order to determine whether you are eligible for the exam.
Almost all states outsource this task to third-party evaluation agencies, and the report costs
$100 to $300+ depending on the service and turnaround time.
For candidates living and working outside of the US, you may need to travel to the US to
sit for the exam. This cost must be included in your budget if it involves long distance
travel and hotel accommodation.

Here is a summary of CPA exam related expenses
for your reference. This video gives you a rough estimate on how
much it costs to become the CPA, so you can budget accordingly.
If you have questions on your own situation, or other general queries about the CPA exam,
please feel free to drop a note in the comment section. Thanks for watching and see you in the next
video..