Maryland - Become a CPA

Becoming a Certified Public Accountant always requires diligence and attention to detail, and in Maryland it is no different. Strict education, course, exam and licensure requirements make earning your CPA quite a distinction.

CPA Education Requirements

1. Verify institution is approved

First, confirm that the institution you’re attending, or planning to attend, provides a board-approved accounting curriculum. The Maryland Board of Public Accountancy recognizes baccalaureate or higher diplomas in accounting (or its substantial equivalent) from schools that are members of the following associations:

• • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and Programs

  • American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business

If you received your degree outside of the United States, your academic credentials must be evaluated to determine whether they fulfill Maryland’s CPA requirements. The only acceptable evaluation service is NASBA International Evaluation Service (NIES).

2. Sign up for the right courses

All CPA candidates in Maryland must earn a baccalaureate or higher degree with a concentration in accounting. While your student advisor can provide assistance in class selection, it’s important to verify you’ve signed up for the right courses. You’re must complete a total of 150 semester hours or 225 quarter hours of coursework that includes the following:

Group I – Accounting and Ethics Education;

Consists of at least 30 undergraduate semester hours or 45 quarter hours in accounting and ethics. The following courses are required:

• • 3 semester hours or 4.5 quarter hours in auditing

  • 3 semester hours or 4.5 quarter hours in cost accounting or managerial accounting

  • 3 semester hours or 4.5 quarter hours in U.S. federal income tax and ethics

  • 9 semester hours or 13.5 quarter hours in financial accounting

  • 9 semester hours or 13.5 quarter hours in elective accounting courses

Group II – Business-Related Education

Consists of at least 21 semester hours or 31.5 quarter hours in five of the following subjects:

• • Statistics

  • Economics

  • Corporation or Business Finance

  • Management

  • Marketing

  • U.S. Business Law

  • Business Communication

  • Quantitative Methods

  • Computer Science / Information Systems

It’s important to note that College Level Examination Program (CLEP), DSST, and Military CLEP or DANTES credits can satisfy educational requirements, so long as the credits appear on your official transcripts.

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Uniform CPA Exam Requirements

1. Prep your application materials

Applicants who intend to sit for the Uniform CPA Examination must apply online through Maryland’s Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation website. Before submitting your Uniform CPA Examination Qualification Review Application, however, you should prepare by:

• • Reading the application instructions thoroughly.

  • Comparing your completed accounting courses to those accepted by the Maryland Board of Public Accountancy. Do this by utilizing the provided Chart of Subject Matter. While course titles may not match, the qualifying course descriptions should be similar.

  • Completing the core course inventory worksheet. While this is not required, the form is designed to help you complete the online application quicker and more accurately, as it follows the same format.

2. Submit application

The Uniform CPA Examination Qualification Review Application requires you to report any relevant coursework to qualify for both the Uniform CPA Examination and a Maryland CPA license. Maryland’s application system is simple and you can complete it at your own pace. You’ll also be able to check the status of your application and change your contact information after submission.

There is a $67 application fee. Make sure to print the confirmation page after submission. While you will be emailed a receipt for the transaction, these are the only receipts you’ll receive.

It’s important to remember that it can take up to 90 days for the Maryland Board of Public Accountancy to evaluate your application. This time varies depending on application completeness, proper documentation, and the number of other applicants.

3. Schedule exam

Once you’ve been approved to sit for the Uniform CPA Examination, you will receive a Notice to Schedule (NTS). Your NTS will list the sections of the examination you’re approved to take and will instruct you to schedule your exam date via Prometric. Be advised that Prometric does charge exam service fees.

Testing sites include:

• • Salisbury

  • Bethesda

  • Towson

  • Baltimore

  • Columbia

  • Landover

Keep the following tips in mind when scheduling your exam:

• • Verify that your name is spelled correctly when your NIT arrives.

  • Schedule your test date as early as possible and have several backup dates in mind as alternatives.

  • Contact the Maryland Board of Public Accountancy at (410) 230 6258 if you require special testing accommodations.

  • You can reprint your NTS on the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy website.

4. Take the exam

Each section of the Uniform CPA Examination takes four hours to complete. Ensure you’re thoroughly prepared for each section. Also, remember to bring your NIT to your testing center, as it’s required for admittance. You’ll also need two forms of identification, one of which must contain a recent photo.

5. Wait for results

Once you’ve completed the Uniform CPA Examination, NASBA will send your final grades to the Maryland Board of Public Accountancy. You’ll then receive an email notifying you when your scores become available online.

Work Experience Requirements

1. Secure a professional position

To qualify for a CPA license in Maryland, you are required to work professionally in a government, academic, public practice, or industry position for at least one year (2,000 hours). You’ll need to complete this requirement within three years of applying for licensure. Your experience must be supervised by a current CPA and needs to include accounting, attest, management advisory, financial advisory, tax, or consulting.

As proof of your work experience, you will need to submit a Report of Practical Work Experience (RPE). You are responsible for completing sections I and III, while your supervising CPA and endorser should complete section II. The form must then be sent to the following address:

Maryland Board of Public Accountancy

500 North Calvert Street – Third Floor

Baltimore, Maryland 21202-3651

Maryland CPA Application Process

1. Meet CPA license requirements

In order to apply for a CPA license in Maryland, you must meet the following requirements:

• • Bachelorette degree or higher in accounting and the successful completion of 150 semester hours or 225 quarter hours

  • Passing score on all four parts of the Uniform CPA Examination (at least 75% within an 18 month rolling period)

  • Completed RPE form verifying one year of professional work experience under a licensed CPA

  • Passing score on the Professional Ethics: The AICPA’s Comprehensive Course. Your course completion certificate should be emailed to the Maryland Board of Public Accountancy.

2. Submit application

Once you’ve completed all of the above-mentioned requirements, the Maryland Board of Public Accountancy will meet to review your file. Once approved, you’ll receive instructions via mail on how to apply for your initial Maryland CPA license. The Board meets once a month to review application and you’ll be notified via email once the final decision is made.

Continuing Education CPA Requirements

1. Take the right courses

In order to maintain your CPA license in Maryland, continuing education (CE) courses are required. Within each two-year renewal period, you must:

• • Complete 80 CE hours on any of 23 subjects, including four hours in professional ethics

  • Report CE hours during the license renewal process

You will certainly discover the needs for accountants that you can find. It will certainly permit you to figure out whether you ought to come to be a certified public accountant. This is something that is essential to do. When you end up being a certified public accountant, you will certainly have greater work chances. You will certainly also find that you will have the ability to earn more money. As a matter of fact, this is one profession that is extremely rewarding. However, lots of people will come to be irritated when they are attempting to identify what the requirements for accountants are.

You require to find out about this so that you will certainly know the objective behind it. There are some accountants that are self-employed. They will certainly need to have specific abilities as well as qualifications in order to become a certified public accountant. Ending up being a certified public accountant does not always indicate that you will certainly be required to be informed in accounting. However, most employers will expect that you have at the very least a senior high school diploma. Some companies will certainly require that you have a Bachelor's level in accounting.

If you are just one of those individuals that has actually earned a Bachelor's degree, you may have a possibility to be a certified public accountant. However, there are lots of others that do not have the appropriate credentials for a bachelor's level. They will need to learn more about numerous organisation abilities. These abilities are likewise needed in order to take care of much of the things that you will be doing. You will certainly need to find out about accounting. You will likewise need to find out about taxes as well as financial administration. Other individuals will certainly need that you have a master's level in accounting. You will certainly also be required to learn about economic reports. You'll likewise have to learn about organisation administration and making use of company regulation.

The things that you learn in order to come to be a certified public accountant can be expensive. So, you will wish to see to it that you do what you can to be enlightened regarding the instructional demands for accountants. It will certainly be smart to get an education before you end up being a certified public accountant. An excellent occupation in accounting is an exciting occupation. It is likewise an interesting occupation since you will certainly be assisting individuals. You will certainly aid people save cash as well as pay their tax obligations.

You will certainly likewise be aiding people deal with their budgets. This will allow them to prepare their finances and also their retirement. Lots of people need to keep their properties safe to ensure that they will certainly have the ability to hand down to their children. Accountants are not everything about being wonderful at money management. In fact, lots of accountants are trained to make sure that tax obligations are being filed properly. You will certainly require to recognize exactly how to obtain points in order.

In order to discover what the demands for accountants are, you will wish to figure out which type of accountant you would love to be. You will certainly wish to make a decision if you intend to end up being a tax accountant or if you want to come to be an economic accountant. As soon as you choose which kind of accountants you will come to be, you will be able to get to know the requirements for accountants.

You can look into the requirements for your state on the AICPA web site or your state's board of accountancy. Note the earliest you can rest for the examination and also routine the test as early as feasible. To end up being a cpa, you need to originally pass the Attire Certified Public Accountant Analysis. According to AICPA, the CPA Examination is composed of 4 four-hour locations: Bookkeeping and Attestation Organisation Atmosphere along with Concepts Financial Accounting in addition to Protection Regulation Each area is composed of several choice concerns and additionally task-based simulations or produced interaction tasks.

The American Institute of CPAs releases pass prices for all prospects quarterly. It is normal for the initial quarter of the year to have reduced pass rates, given that candidates checking out in the extremely first quarter are regularly sidetracked by the requirements of tax responsibility period. You must pass all 4 locations of the test within a moving 18-month window, or you will absolutely be required to retake sections of the exam.

To prepare yourself for the examination, a prospect must prepare to research a minimum of 100 hrs for every area. Different exam-prep materials can supply you with internet content for research study, based on the AICPA's published Web web content and additionally Ability Specs Recap. Some states also require an ethics test. It's perfect to consult your wanted state's licensing board for full demands to find to be a Certified Public Accountant.

By profiting a public or special audit firm or in the accounting department of any type of company, would-be State-licensed accountants are seeking the experience demand for their Certified Public Accountant authorization. Some states specify that you require to be helping a public accounting company, and likewise numerous states require that you be kept an eye on by a licensed Certified Public Accountant, so ensure to examine your state's needs.