CPA Certificate on the Way | CPA Review

CERTIFIED.

15. Jan, 2009 35 Comments

I got a nice little packet in the mail last Saturday containing my four passing scores and their respective dates along with info about getting certified/licensed etc. The packet was from my state board of accountancy, but the scoring letter was from NASBA. NASBA apparently sends your state BOA the letter with your scores and then your state BOA sends it onto you in their “welcome to the club – sort of” packet.

After I got my passing score online for FAR, I bought the ethics course from the AICPA, passed it, and submitted my paperwork to my state BOA before ever receiving any *official* confirmation from my state BOA. My state BOA had my certificate paperwork ($25 check for the certificate + a signed oath that I believe in the US Constitution and witnessed by another CPA who has to write down their certificate # along with their signature) before they had received anything official from NASBA.

It only took a day or so to process and I got a letter on Monday this week congratulating me and recognizing me as a CPA – sort of. I am officially a Certified Public Accountant in my state and have my certificate number (the board needs to convene and sign the actual certificate before they mail it to me). However, for the purposes of putting it on a business card or signing a tax return as Jeff, CPA – I must get licensed. I have the work requirement fulfilled – which is to work as an accountant in some capacity (tax, compilations, audit, etc) for one year and have a CPA sign off that I have done this. I’m not going to use my old boss…I’ve moved since then. I’ll use an internal auditor that I used to work with at a different job.

I took the plunge yesterday and added “, CPA” to my work e-mail signature line. This was a weird moment. First of all – it felt surreal. I stared at it. ‘Can this be right?’ I pondered. After deciding that since my state BOA declared me a CPA (with the caveat that I can’t use it in public yet) – then I *am* a CPA and could represent myself as such internally at work. My work e-mails rarely leave the building, so no worries there.

In honor of adding CPA to my e-mail signature at work, I thought of a reason to e-mail the VP of my division That felt good.

If you’re still going through the exam process – you’ll be there soon enough.

Thanks for reading.

Pisces Delaware 16. Jun, 2009 at 12:15 am

Jeff, I’ve posted this question inappropriately on the score predictions board just a minute ago, but would like to know when I can expect to receive the scoring letter from NASBA that indicates that I have passed all 4 sections. For your information, I just found out this evening that I have passed my one remaining BEC section and I am finally done. I’d like to notify my partner as soon as possible but have no evidence besides the online screen copy of my final score and the letter received previously for the other 3 sections already passed. Thanks.
Jeff - another71.com 16. Jun, 2009 at 5:46 am

Pisces,

You’re actually in for a longer wait. When you pass your final section, NASBA sends the score report to your state BOA. It’s up to your state BOA when they send it and they will likely be putting together a pass packet for you – giving you all of the info you need for getting a certificate/license, etc.

You your state requires an ethics exam, find out which one it is (many use the AICPA’s product) and start on that…there’s no reason why you can’t do the ethics req in the meantime if applicable.

Congrats on passing!

-Jeff
Pisces Delaware 16. Jun, 2009 at 6:13 am

Wow, that was a quick reply! I really do appreciate such a prompt but also comprehensive information. I have just submitted our HR the approval form to update my profile in our firm’s organization system where people within the firm can look up my name for my personal contact information as well as my professional qualifications. Until now it had been listed as “consultant” and I now want to change this to “CPA”. HR people requested that I turn in a proof that I passed. As I just couldn’t wait another day to update my status, I gave them my scores for the previously passed 3 sections and the screen capture of my BEC final score which lists my ID number, which they can cross check this with my NTS that I have also attached(This was slightly embarrassing considering the fact that the screen capture showed a big fat 75 on it). It is now pending for the partner’s approval. In the meanwhile, I am in the process of preparing for the ethics exam in advance and asking for advice regarding the process of obtaining license for my state. Thanks again for all your help!
CPAkindof 10. Aug, 2009 at 11:18 am

Jeff,
Congratulations on passing the exams and for all the work you do to educate would be CPA's. I just wanted to add a few nuggets to getting licensed. Once you pass the examination, your state board may not receive your passing grade until well into the next testing window. For example, I sat for FAR on April 1st and passed in the Wave 1 grading cycle. The Board of Accountancy did not receive their file from NASBA until July 20th for the April/May testing window. I write this only to set expectations for other candidates because I still am not licensed a full five months after sitting for the examination, despite having met all licensing requirements. Passing the examinations is just the beginning.
CPAkindof 10. Aug, 2009 at 1:18 pm

Jeff,
Congratulations on passing the exams and for all the work you do to educate would be CPA's. I just wanted to add a few nuggets to getting licensed. Once you pass the examination, your state board may not receive your passing grade until well into the next testing window. For example, I sat for FAR on April 1st and passed in the Wave 1 grading cycle. The Board of Accountancy did not receive their file from NASBA until July 20th for the April/May testing window. I write this only to set expectations for other candidates because I still am not licensed a full five months after sitting for the examination, despite having met all licensing requirements. Passing the examinations is just the beginning.