Age Requirement: None
Citizenship Requirement: No
Residency Requirement: No
Social Security Number Requirement: Yes
Colorado CPA Exam Education Requirements
Education Requirement for Licensure:
- Prior to July 1, 2015: B.A. degree with a concentration in accounting or a B.A. degree with a non-accounting concentration with supplemental courses that the Board feels covers an accounting concentration.
- On or after July 1, 2015: 150 hours including BA degree
Participates in International Examination Program: Yes
Hours in Accounting:
- Prior to July 1, 2015: 27 semester hours or equivalent quarter hours in accounting (some can be intermediate or advanced courses in accounting).
- On or after July 1, 2015: 27 semester hours or equivalent quarter hours in upper-division accounting. 6 hours must be in auditing of which 3 hours must cover Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS). 3 separate hours of accounting ethics is also required.
Exam sitting requirements: B.A. degree
Experience requirements: 1 year of employment for one or more employers as an employee of a CPA. The experience may be gained through public accounting, industry, government or academia. Prior to July 1, 2015: In lieu of experience you may satify the experience requirement with a BA degree + 30 semester hours of non-duplicative study which includes a total of 45 semester hours in accounting subjects including the 6 auditing hours as outlined above in the education section. Semester hours can be substituted with equivalent quarter hours.
Ethics exam: Must pass AICPA Ethics exam for initial licensure
Notice:
The education requirements for the Exam will be changing July 1, 2015.
IF YOU ARE APPLYING BEFORE JUNE 30, 2015 – See Rule 2.6 of the Colorado State Board of Accountancy Rules for the specifics regarding applications dated on or before June 30, 2015.
If you have international education, please refer to the Exam Requirements header below. Effective November 2014, requirements for applying with international education have changed.
IF YOU ARE APPLYING AFTER JULY 1, 2015 – See Rule 2.4 of the Colorado State Board of Accountancy Rules for the specifics regarding applications dated on or after July 1, 2015.
If you are not deemed eligible to sit for the examination on or before June 30, 2015, you must meet the July 1, 2015 requirements listed below. Also, if you have completed education at an international institution, please refer to the Exam Requirements subtitle below as requirements for applying with international education have changed.
Pre-Evaluation Service
Colorado offers pre-evaluation as an optional service. A pre-evaluation will identify any academic deficiencies in your education before you submit a first-time application for the Exam. To begin the pre-evaluation process, please visit CPA Central. You must create a CPA Central user account before you can submit your pre-evaluation application online.
All required and additional documents and materials are to be mailed to:
CPA Examination Services – CO
PO Box 198469
Nashville, TN 37219
Candidates will not be evaluated until all of the following materials are received:
- Official transcript from the school mailed to CPAES or emailed to etranscript@nasba.org. Student copies will not be accepted. Do not send transcripts to the Colorado Board of Accountancy’s office in Colorado.
- Attestation Affidavit
- Affidavit of Eligibility
- Other forms, if applicable (such as ADA Accommodations and SSN affidavit)
Please allow two to four weeks from your file completion date (when application, fees and all additional required materials have been received) for your application to be processed. If you have international education, please allow up to 12 weeks. Acknowledgment of receipt of application will be sent to you via email. This notice is sent only as acknowledgment of receipt of application.
Colorado CPA Exam Fees
All first-time applicants are required to pay both an application fee and an examination fee upon submission of the first-time application. All re-examination candidates are required to pay both a registration fee and an examination fee at the time of registration.
You are able to apply for one or more sections of the examination at a time; however, you are advised to only apply for a section of the examination if you are ready to take it within the next six months.
Application fee: $150.00
Examination Fees
Auditing and Attestation (AUD) $192.03
Business Environment and Concepts (BEC) $172.51
Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) $192.03
Regulation (REG) $172.51
Registration Fees
4 examination sections $75.00
3 examination sections $75.00
2 examination sections $75.00
1 examination section $75.00
Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants
Susan Vachereau
Phone Number: 303-773-2877 or 800-523-9082
Address: 7887 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 200, Englewood, CO 80111-6076
Email: svachereau@cocpa.org
Colorado State Board of Accountancy
Division of Professions and Occupations
Phone Number: 303-894-7800
Fax Number: 303-894-7693
Address: 1560 Broadway, Suite 1350, Denver, CO 80202
Email: dora_accountancyboard@state.co.us
