Become a CPA
How to Become a CPA
If you want to become a CPA, you first have to have an accounting degree. In most states, this means a Bachelor's degree followed by two years' of experience, although one state does allow you to sit for the examination with an Associates' degree followed by four years of experience. The process that one must endure to become a CPA can be a difficult one, but the determined will persevere. Many people fail the test the first time they take it, perhaps due to lack of preparation, but if you have the drive and determination to become a CPA, you will succeed.
The first step you must take if you want to become a CPA is to enroll in college and obtain an accounting degree. You can do this full-time or part-time, but you must have a degree before you can begin thinking of becoming a CPA. After you receive your degree, you must obtain a position in some accounting capacity in order to obtain the experience necessary to take the examination that will allow you to become a CPA. Even if you worked before you began college, only the experience you obtain after college will count toward the experience you need to become a CPA.
While you are in college, you need to work hard if you plan to take the test to become a CPA. It isn't an easy test and takes approximately 16 hours to complete. That means you must understand everything you learned in college and on the job in order to pass the test to become a CPA. Anyone who has taken the examination will confirm that it is long, hard, and grueling, but the end result is you complete the requirements that will allow you to become a CPA. In that capacity you will find a high salary and a better potential for operating your own accounting firm if that is what you desire.
