Connecticut CPA Exam and License Requirements

Connecticut CPA (Certified Public Accounting) License is a mandate to legally practice public accounting in the U.S. jurisdiction. With around 17 Fortune 500 companies and numerous small and medium-sized businesses, Connecticut provides a fertile ground for candidates looking to advance their accounting careers. So, as a Connecticut candidate seeking a CPA license, you must qualify the CPA Exam, procure the relevant work experience, and satisfy other requirements as decreed by the state.

CPAs in Connecticut are licensed and regulated by the Connecticut State Board of Accountancy (CSBA). The state pursues a two-tier certification process. It means that a license is not granted automatically after passing the CPA Exam. Instead, a CPA Certificate is awarded. The CPA license is issued only after fulfilling the required education and qualifying experience. 

Please note that the CPA Certificate and License are like the two sides of a coin. Certification is just an acknowledgment of your compliance with the specified formalities of the CPA Exam. In comparison, the license permits you to practice the CPA profession legally. Connecticut also allows candidates to test at international locations.

Now, let’s tell you more about the Connecticut CPA Exam and license requirements. 

Contents

Connecticut CPA Exam Requirements

• Eligibility Requirements
• Fees
• Required Documents

Connecticut CPA License Requirements

• Education Requirements
• Exam Requirements
• Experience Requirements
• Ethics Requirements

Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

Connecticut Exam Information & Resources

The primary requirement for initial licensure is passing the Uniform CPA Exam. The Uniform CPA Exam is a standardized computational assessment segregated into four parts: Business Environment & Concepts (BEC Exam), Regulation (REG Exam), Auditing & Attestation (AUD Exam), and Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR Exam).

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) develops the exam with inputs from the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) and the state boards. All three agencies, along with Prometric, oversee the exam administration process. 

The exam aims to test a candidate’s accounting knowledge and acumen to confirm suitability as a prospective CPA. Each exam part emphasizes understanding a specific aspect of accounting and is designated four hours of testing time. The passing grade for each section is 75 points on a scale of 0-99.

Candidates may schedule and attempt the parts in any sequence, provided they complete all of them within 18 months. This cycle starts when they take the first passed exam section. The extensive syllabus, limited duration, unique question format, and stringent scoring makes it one of the most challenging credentialing tests globally. 

Eligibility Requirements

You must:

• Hold a baccalaureate degree from an academic institution accredited by a Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) Regional Accrediting Organization
• Complete 120 semester hours with 46 hours in accounting and related subjects comprising:
  • 24 semester hours in accounting
  • Minimum 1 business law course
  • Minimum 1 economics course
  • Minimum 1 finance course

Apply for the CPA exam through CPA Examination Services (CPAES). Ensure to attach the required fees, identity proof, and documents. For more information, kindly check the NASBA portal. 

Connecticut also offers the NASBA Advisory Evaluation Service to determine any academic flaws in your documents before the final submission. 

Fees

First-time applicants:

Re-exam applicants:

There is no provision to withdraw from the exam or request a Notice-to-Schedule (NTS) extension. Only applicants in extreme situations can request an NTS extension or a limited recovery of the examination fees. 

Please note that both the application and examination fees are non-refundable. So, accordingly, apply for the section(s) attemptable within the next six months as the NTS is deemed invalid afterward. 

Required Documents

Here is the list of all the required documents. 

Applicants may submit the transcripts and evaluations individually or along with the initial application. Also, CPAES considers the photocopied documents unofficial and hence, unacceptable.  

On passing the CPA Exam and meeting Connecticut-specific education requirements, you get a CPA Certificate and not a license. However, you need to check off the following four E’s to earn a Connecticut CPA License:

• Education: Complete 150 semester hours
• Examination: Score a minimum of 75 points in each of the four exam sections
• Experience: Gain 2 years of relevant work experience
• Ethics: Pass the AICPA-administered ethics exam with a minimum of 90%

Connecticut CPA licensure applicants must also acquire a valid Social Security Number (SSN). 

Submit the CPA licensure application, documents, and fees (payable to “Treasurer, State of Connecticut”) to the state board. In addition, provide your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, date of birth, and in which state you passed the CPA Exam. Further details are specified on the CSBA website.  

Know that all fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Education Requirements

Connecticut CPA aspirants must obtain a bachelor’s degree from a four-year accredited academic institution (CHEA recognized). The number of semester hours required would depend on when the candidates took the CPA Exam.

• Candidates who appeared for the CPA Exam after May 26, 2007, must obtain 150 semester hours of college education, including:
  • 36 semester hours in accounting 
  • 30 semester hours in economics or business courses (except accounting)
  • 60 semester hours in general education
• Candidates who appeared for the CPA Exam after January 1, 2000, but before May 26, 2007 (with two years of relevant work experience) must obtain 150 semester hours of college education, including:
  • 36 semester hours in accounting 
  • 30 semester hours in economics or business courses (except accounting)
  • 60 semester hours in general education, including any business, economics, or accounting classes in excess of the above requirements
• Candidates who appeared for the CPA Exam before January 1, 2000 (with three years of relevant work experience) must have a minimum of:
  • 24 semester hours in accounting
  • 3 semester hours in economics
  • 3 semester hours in finance
  • 3 semester hours in business law
  • 13 semester hours in general business-related subjects

Note that candidates who appeared for the CPA Exam prior to May 26, 2007, need not submit transcripts.

Know that 120 out of 150 semester hours are a prerequisite to sit for the CPA Exam. Thus, only the remaining 30 credit hours are required for CPA licensure.

Exam Requirements

You have an 18-month rolling period to complete the CPA Exam. Moreover, the passing grade for each section is 75 points on a scale of 0-99. Refer to the Connecticut Exam Requirements section for more details. 

Experience Requirements

• At least two years of experience (104 weeks)- Candidates who appeared for the exam before or after January 1, 2000, with 150 semester hours of education
• At least three years of experience (156 weeks) - Candidates who appeared for the exam before January 1, 2000, without 150 semester hours of education.

The experience must be full-time. It must be earned within the last ten years before applying for the license. An active CPA (licensed for a minimum of three years preceding the experience verification) must supervise your experience. 

The required employment must include the application of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS). Furthermore, the qualifying areas constitute public accounting, government, or industry.

Ethics Requirements

Applicants must complete the self-study AICPA professional ethics licensure course and pass the ethics exam with at least 90%. This exam can be taken up anytime during the licensure process. The course can be ordered through AICPA or the Connecticut Society of CPAs (CSCPA).

Let’s check out all the details. 

Specify the course and exam completion date with a copy of the completion certificate along with your application. 

Connecticut requires annual CPA license renewal by reporting 40 CPE credit hours annually. You can take the programs listed on the NASBA National Registry of CPE Sponsors to earn the requisite hours. 

Here is all you need to know. 

As per a CTCPA-conducted survey in early 2020, 96% of the firms provide auditing services in the state. So, needlessly, Connecticut is a perfect place for future auditors to fortify their career growth. The state boasts of CPAs whose contribution enabled businesses to emerge unscathed from the COVID pandemic.  

So, if you want to be a part of the Connecticut CPA society and contribute to the state's economic growth, start by understanding the exam and license requirements. Note that you don’t have to attain a certain age, acquire U.S. citizenship, or gain state residency for a Connecticut CPA license. This ultimately makes the licensure process a bit hassle-free. Moreover, check authorized websites like AICPA, NASBA, and CSBA for regular updates. Learn more about CPE Credits for CPA.

1. Connecticut Society of CPAs (https://www.ctcpas.org/)

16 Brook Street,

Suite 100, Rocky Hill, CT 06067.

Office: 860-258-4800

Fax: 860-571-6830

2. Connecticut State Department of Consumer Protection (https://portal.ct.gov/DCP)

450 Columbus Blvd.
Suite 901
Hartford CT 06103
Phone Number: 860-713-6100

3. NASBA (https://nasba.org/)

CPAES

150 Fourth Avenue, North

Nashville, TN 37219-2417

1.800.CPA.EXAM

cpaexam@nasba.org

4. AICPA (https://www.aicpa.org/)

220 Leigh Farm Road

Durham, NC 27707-8110

Fax server: 800.362.5066

Phone number: 888.777.7077

This article is a guide to Connecticut CPA Exam & License Requirements. Here we discuss Connecticut CPA requirements, Connecticut CPA Exam, and the license. You may also have a look at the below articles to compare CPA with other examinations –

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