North Carolina CPA Exam and License Requirements
Published on :
21 Aug, 2024
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Dheeraj Vaidya
North Carolina CPA Exam
North Carolina CPA (Certified Public Accountant) License officially sanctions eligible accountants to discharge duties as a CPA. North Carolina has a distinct set of requirements to obtain the license, including 150 semester hours of education, one year of work experience, and passing the ethics and the CPA exams.
The North Carolina State Board of CPA Examiners is the official body that grants the CPA License to qualified professionals in the state. Note that the U.S. jurisdiction adheres to the one-tier licensing method. It implies that the state board doesn’t issue the CPA certificate on passing the CPA Exam. Rather, it grants the license only after all the licensing prerequisites are met.
North Carolina (NC) is not involved in the international administration of the CPA Exam program. So now, let’s explore the North Carolina CPA exam and license requirements in detail.
Contents
North Carolina CPA Exam Requirements
North Carolina CPA License Requirements
Continuing Professional Education (CPE)
North Carolina Exam Information & Resources
North Carolina CPA Exam Requirements
Here lies everything about the NC CPA Exam:
| Particulars | Details |
| CPA Exam Sections | Auditing & Attestation (AUD) |
| Business Environment & Concepts (BEC) | |
| Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR) | |
| Regulation (REG) | |
| Question Types | Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) |
| Task-based simulations (TBSs) | |
| Written communication tasks (WCTs) | |
| Exam Time Frame | 18-month period (beginning from the testing date of the first passed section) |
| Exam Mode | Online |
| Testing Model | Continuous testing |
| Regulatory Body | The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) |
| The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) | |
| Prometric | |
| Passing Score | 75 points in each section on a scale of 0-99 |
| Testlets | Five |
| Exam Duration (per section) | Four hours |
| Prometric Testing Centers | Six |
Eligibility Requirements
General Requisites
Candidates must:
- Be minimum of 18 years of age with good moral character
- Be a U.S. citizen (or have declared the intent to become one)
- Be a resident alien or a citizen of any foreign jurisdiction that provides North Carolina citizens similar privileges to be examined
Educational Requisites
A bachelor’s degree (120 semester hours) with a concentration in accounting from a regionally authorized college or university, including one of the following:
- Minimum 30 semester hours of undergraduate-level courses with
- Maximum 6 semester hours in Accounting Principles
- Maximum 3 semester hours in Business Law
- Minimum 20 semester hours of graduate-level accounting courses open exclusively to graduate students
- A combination of undergraduate and graduate courses equivalent to the requirements mentioned above
Accounting courses must include:
- Principles courses at the elementary, intermediate & advanced levels
- Business Law
- Fund Accounting
- Auditing
- Managerial Accounting
- Taxation
- Cost Accounting
Candidates currently enrolled in college can take the exam on fulfilling the minimum accounting requirements. However, they must receive the bachelor’s degree within 120 days after the board gets their application.
Submit the CPA exam application, associated fees, and required documents to the North Carolina State Board of CPA Examiners.
Fees
Here lies the fee structure for both first-time and re-exam candidates.
| Particulars | Examination Fees | Initial Exam Applicant Fees | Re-examination Candidate Fees |
| Administration Fees | - | $230 | $75 |
| Exam sections | - | - | - |
| AUD | $195.35 | - | - |
| BEC | $176.25 | - | - |
| FAR | $195.35 | - | - |
| REG | $176.25 | $743.2 | $743.2 |
| Total Fees | $743.2 | $973.2 | $818.2 |
You must attempt the applied CPA exam section(s) within six months of the Notice-To-Schedule (NTS) issuance date. Or else, the NTS will expire, and all fees will stand forfeited.
Required Documents
Candidates must submit the following documents:
| Documents | Submission |
| General Requirements | - |
| Two 2x2 inches identical photographs (with the full name written on the back) | Candidate |
| Certificate of Moral Character | Candidate |
| Official transcript(s)/E-transcripts (originals, not photocopies) | Institute |
| Special Cases | - |
| International Evaluation Summary (candidates with non-U.S.-based education) | NASBA International Evaluation Services (NIES) |
| Testing Accommodations Request Form | Candidate |
| Citizenship proof (non-U.S. citizens) | Candidate |
| Proof of resident alien status (non-U.S. citizens) | Candidate |
NC exam applicants must get direct approval from the state board to apply for the NIES Evaluation Report.
North Carolina CPA License Requirements
Let’s view the checklist for North Carolina CPA License:
Apply for the CPA License through the North Carolina State Board of CPA Examiners after passing the CPA Exam and meeting all other requirements. Please check the state board website for the complete process. Also, know that the NC state board conducts a criminal background check of applicants.
Ensure to attach the following documents with the application form:
- Three certificates of good moral character
- Appropriate experience affidavit(s)
- Educational transcript(s)
- A photograph meeting U.S. passport standard
- Licensure fees ($100)
Education Requirements
You must hold a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in accounting and 150 semester hours from a board-approved institution. In addition, you must earn the initial 120 semester hours to attempt the CPA Exam. The remaining 30 hours are required for licensure.
The 150 semester hours include:
- 24 semester hours of coursework with one 3-hour course in at least 8 of the following fields of study:
- Computer Technology
- Communications
- Ethics
- Economics
- Humanities/Social Science
- Finance
- Law
- International Environment
- Management
- Law
- Statistics
Applicants with at least a master’s degree in accounting, tax, law, finance, economics, business administration, or a law degree from an authorized institution must meet the 24-semester hour requisite.
Exam Requirements
Candidates must complete the CPA Exam with a minimum of 75 points in each of the four exam sections. They have a rolling 18-month period to pass the licensure test. Further information is specified in the North Carolina CPA Exam Requirements section.
Experience Requirements
NC CPA licensure applicants must meet one of the following work experience pre-requisites:
- One year of accounting under the direct supervision of an active CPA
- Four years of teaching accounting in a four-year authorized institute
- Four years of accounting experience
- Four years of teaching college transfer accounting courses at an authorized community college or technical institute
- Any combination of such experience as deemed sufficient by the state board
Note that applicants must acquire the necessary work experience before they apply for licensure. One year of work experience consists of 52 weeks of full-time employment, i.e., a minimum of 30 hours per week for at least one year.
Submit the experience affidavit to the state board along with the licensure application. The part-time work experience affidavits with less than 30 hours per week must include a record of the actual hours you performed accounting services.
Ethics Exam Requirements
NC CPA aspirants must complete an eight-hour course on the NC Accountancy Statutes and Rules, including the Rules of Professional Ethics and Conduct, within one year before applying for the license.
The NC Association of CPAs provides two qualifying courses:
- One-day group study seminar - Ethics Principles & Professional Responsibilities
- Online self-study course - North Carolina Law Course: Ethics, Principles, & Professional Responsibility for North Carolina License Applicants
Continuing Professional Education (CPE)
North Carolina CPA titleholders must earn 2000 minutes annually to meet the CPE requirements. In addition, the state accepts the required credits for programs offered by NASBA National Registry Sponsors.
Check out all the details here.
| Particulars | Details | |
| Renewal Date | June 30 (annually) | |
| CPE Credit Reporting Period | January 1-December 31 (annually) | |
| Total CPE Hours Required | 2000 minutes every year | |
| Ethics Requirement | 50 minutes from a sponsor registered with NASBA | |
| Credit Limitations | Instruction | Maximum 50% of total minutes |
| Published Materials | Maximum 25% of total minutes | |
| Self-Study | Credit based on the number of minutes required for course completion | |
| Credit Calculation | Instruction | Credit = Presentation plus Preparation |
| Partial Credit | Acceptable | |
| University/College | 1 semester hour = 750 CPE minutes | |
| 1 quarter hour = 500 CPE minutes | ||
| Other State Policies | Carryover | Maximum 1000 minutes (cannot be used for meeting ethics requirements) |
| Exemption | Non-resident licensees must satisfy the CPE requirements of their place of residence | |
| Non-resident licensees must satisfy NC CPE requirements (if no annual CPE requirements of the place of jurisdiction) | ||
| Non-resident licensees with primary office in NC | Meet NC Ethics Requirements | |
| All other non-resident licensees | Complete the ethics requirements of their state | |
| If no ethics requirement in their state, comply with the NC Ethics Requirement |
Being one of the most business-friendly states in the U.S., North Carolina offers greener pastures for accounting professionals. So, accountants with CPA licenses have excellent prospects with regard to pay and career growth in this state. The average annual base pay for CPAs in North Carolina is $70,632.
Moreover, ensure to attain or apply for the state residency as soon as you plan to get licensed in NC. Also, keep a check on the AICPA, NASBA, and the North Carolina State Board website for changes to the state's CPA exam and license requirements. You may learn more about CPEs for CPAs here.
North Carolina Exam Information & Resources
1. North Carolina State Board of CPA Examiners (https://nccpaboard.gov/)
Buck Winslow, Licensing Manager, (919) 733-1421
Alice Grigsby, Licensing Specialist, (919) 733-1422
Phyllis W. Elliott, Exam Specialist, (919) 733-4224
Mailing Address
Administrative Services
NC State Board of CPA Examiners
PO Box 12827
Raleigh, NC 27605-2827
Fax Number - (919) 733-4209
2. North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (https://www.ncacpa.org/)
3100 Gateway Centre Boulevard, Morrisville, NC 27560
800-722-2836
919-378-2000 (fax)
3. NASBA (https://nasba.org/)
150 Fourth Ave. North
Suite 700
Nashville, TN 37219-2417
Tel: 615-880-4200
Fax: 615-880-4290
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