Sunday, June 28, 2009

Is Your Accountant Certified?

By Cathy Howard

Certified Public Accountants, just like physicians, are professionals who have trained and studied for a long time to do what they do. Just reading books isn't enough either, one has to be licensed, or certified, as a public accountant before financial statements they attest to are considered as authentic and correct.

For anyone who wants a career as a CPA in the United States, the applicant must apply for and pass the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination or, as it is also called, the Uniform CPA Exam. This examination is sanctioned by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and performed by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. Certification of accountants has been practiced since 1896.

Requirements for applying to take the Uniform CPA Exam depends on standards set by individual State Boards of Accountancy. The most basic qualification is a U.S. bachelor's degree from an accredited college. This degree should feature a set number of qualifying credit hours in accounting and business administration, and usually, an extra year of classes.

The standard requirement of 5 years of study is known as the "150 hour rule" and has been adopted by most state boards in America, however, there are still some exceptions. California and a few others have yet to follow suit, but the standard mandating 150 hours of study has been set in 45 states.

Accountants who receive their certification in other countries, and who desire to become U.S. CPAs may usually choose to take the International Qualification Examination instead of applying for the Uniform CPA Exam.

The Uniform CPA exam has questions on general principles of state law such as the law of contracts and agency and some federal laws and statutes.

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