Aspiring CPAs in Oklahoma must go through the process laid out by the Oklahoma Accountancy Board to get their CPA license.
They must go through similar states across all states in the US.
However, each state’s accountancy board may have differing requirements for each step. Therefore, aspiring CPAs must fulfill the requirements of their respective state’s accountancy board.
How to Become a CPA in Oklahoma?
Aspiring CPAs in Oklahoma must start with obtaining formal education. This education is necessary for the upcoming process that they must complete.
Then, they must take the Uniform CPA Exam and finish each section with passing grades. Lastly, they must work in a professional environment to obtain relevant experience.
During each step, candidates have to fulfill some requirements set by the Oklahoma Accountancy Board. These are as below.
Educational Requirements
Candidates in Oklahoma must go through formal education to understand the fundamentals of accounting.
This formal education is necessary to obtain the knowledge to pass the Uniform CPA Exam.
Similarly, it is crucial for securing a job and working in a professional environment. The Oklahoma Accountancy Board requires candidates to complete the following requirements during this period.
- Candidates must enroll in an accredited university or college in an accounting program. Candidates who have already graduated from or enrolled in a program must ensure the board will accept their credits.
- Candidates must complete 150 semester hours of college credit and at least a bachelor’s degree. It must include the following.
- 76 semester hours of upper-level accounting courses.
- 30 semester hours of accounting courses above principles or introductory course level.
- Of these, one course must be in assurance and auditing, concentrating on external auditing standards.
- 9 semester hours in upper-level business courses, which may include the following.
- Business communication
- Business law
- Business management
- Computer science
- Economics
- Finance
- Financial information systems
- Insurance
- Marketing
- Risk management
- Statistics
- CPA review courses may count if the college gives credit and includes them on the transcript.
- Candidates must provide transcripts from every college they attend to the board.
Uniform CPA Exam
Before taking the Uniform CPA Exam, candidates must have met the educational requirements. Similarly, they must meet the Oklahoma residency requirements to qualify for the exam.
Once they ensure they meet both of these, they can go through the following steps to take the Uniform CPA Exam.
- Candidates must apply for qualification to take the Uniform CPA Exam through the Qualification Application. They must also include the following with their application.
- A 2” x 2” passport-sized photo of themselves.
- A notarized Affidavit verifies their lawful presence in the US.
- Official transcripts of every college they attended.
- A $50 fee, is payable to the board.
- Candidates must mail all of the above to the Oklahoma Accountancy Board and wait for approval.
- Candidates must wait for their Approval Letter from the board after which they can apply online to take the Uniform CPA Exam. They must also pay the board a $50 application fee for this.
- They must then wait to receive a payment coupon from the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). Once they get it, they must pay NASBA for each section of the exam they plan to take.
- Candidates must schedule their exam through Prometric in one of the approved locations once they receive their Notice to Schedule.
Experience Requirements
Candidates must also meet the experience requirements set by the board. They can do so once they have passed their Uniform CPA Exam. During this process, candidates must satisfy the following conditions.
- Candidates must pass the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Home Study Course on Professional Ethics with at least a 90% score.
- They must have at least one year (or 1,800 hours) of verifiable public accounting work experience within four years of applying to be a CPA. The experience must meet the following requirements.
- It can either be full- or part-time.
- Self-employment experience also counts.
- It must come from work in academia, public practice, government, or industry.
- It must include one or a combination of the following skills to qualify.
- Accounting.
- Attestation.
- Tax services.
- A CPA must verify it with a current valid license in any state. A licensed PA can also verify the experience.
- Candidates must document their experience through the Experience Verification Form. They must also provide details about their supervisor, who can verify their work experience. Therefore, candidates have to use a separate form for each employer.
Summary
Given below is a summary of how to become a CPA in Oklahoma.
- Candidates must obtain formal accounting education and meet the requirements set by the Oklahoma Accountancy Board.
- They must then take the Uniform CPA Exam and pass each section.
- They must satisfy the experience requirements set by the board.
- Lastly, they must apply for their Oklahoma CPA license.
References
- “Oklahoma Accountancy Board” – https://www.ok.gov/oab_web/
- “Licensing” – https://www.ok.gov/oab_web/Departments/Licensing/index.html
- “Forms” – https://www.ok.gov/oab_web/Forms/
- “Oklahoma | NASBA” – https://nasba.org/licensure/nasbalicensing/oklahoma/