[Givemesleep]

If you pass the exam that should mean you have the knowledge to be a CPA, if not make the exam harder. The other reason is if you need 150 credit hours you shouldn’t be able to get a college degree in accounting with less than 150 hours. Experiece I understand, but if you can pass the hurdle of the exam tacking on a 5th year of college makes no sense. How does basket weaving make me a better accountant? I can see 120 hours plus 5-7 years experience in public or something like that. Maybe it’s just a barrier to keep the financialy challenged or older folks out of the license game. It’s a joke that a hedge fund manager can manage billions without a license or 150 hours but someone can’t sign a compilation even though you pass the rigid CPA exam and have 120 credit hours and experience. Okat back to FAR studying now. I must pass this nightmare already. Government should be a separte designation. How many CPA’s really do this stuff.

Reg 11/15/2011 - 80
Aud 02/28/2012 - 81
Bec 05/31/2012 - 78
Far 08/31/2012 - 83 Do you believe in Miracles, YES !!!

CPA License received 10/2012 !!
CFE License received 04/2013 !!
EA License received

Givemesleep

[Anonymous]

@bobkorz – Here's the part of mla's post I am not sure you read based on your most recent post:

“If its 150 credits just for the sake of 150 credits, then YES it should be dropped. If they want to increase the required accounting credit requirement instead that would be much more logical. But make those 150 credits mean something, or make a M.S. or MBA required. “

I think most states force you to at least have a bachelors, correct? So you have to put in roughly 120 hours AND satisfy the accounting requirement…so you can't just take the 24 accounting hours and expect to sit for the exam. The 150 requirement, because it doesn't really have any denotation with it, is just a seemingly arbitrary number. Sure, it's meant for grads to go forth and get their Masters, but that doesn't necessarily have to be the case. Drop the 150 and require a masters or increase the number of accounting hours required…make it actually meaningful.

My $0.02…

[Givemesleep]

Name a profession that you can graduate college, satisfy the work experience and pass the hardest test out there but still need 30 more credits? We are part of a transition that will be laughed at in the future. I am all for 150 hours, just require it to get the degree. When you graduate law school and pass the bar do you have to go back to college, no! Anyway I signed up for the basket weaving courses, but it angers me considering all I have been thru to get this freakin license. And for what be paid less than the average attorney. By the way FAR SUCKS !

Reg 11/15/2011 - 80
Aud 02/28/2012 - 81
Bec 05/31/2012 - 78
Far 08/31/2012 - 83 Do you believe in Miracles, YES !!!

CPA License received 10/2012 !!
CFE License received 04/2013 !!
EA License received

Givemesleep

[KassiusKlay]

@Givemesleep I agree with you but I was under the impression you had to finish the 150 credits or be within 180 days of doing so from the date of your NTS. If you need 30+ credits, wouldnt you have to take those WHILE taking the test? At least in Washington state those are the rules and they dont seem as backwards as you are describing them. When I took Audit in April I was finishing up my last 15 credits. But I specifically remember the lady at NASBA saying that I had to show proof of my 150 credits within 6 months (180 days) after I received my NTS. It would behoove me to think you could pass all parts of the test BEFORE completing the credit requirements. Im not saying I dont believe you, im just saying that sucks. haha

Form is temporary, class is permanent.

Audit 4/19/12 - 77
BEC 5/31/12 - 75
FAR 8/30/12

[Anonymous]

It's all because higher education is America's Cash Cow. Moar college=moar money for the government. THAT'S why they don't even pretend to care what the subject matter is, what you're learning, IF you're learning. As long as you're paying tens of thousands of dollars to be there!

[mla1169]

AAStoCPA, you are correct. I would be perfectly ok if a PhD was a requirement to sit for the CPA exam, so long as it is relevant. I just don't see how 30 additional credits in totally random and pointless community college lend to the integrity of the license. Frankly I have my MS in Accounting and think every CPA should.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[The Dingo]

@mla1169 It sounds like your NASBA district only required a BS + 30 hours of whatever.

Others are not the same.

In my district, in addition to 30 hours beyond the bachelor degree, the State specifies a list of hours required by discipline:

x.Upper level Financial Accounting (Intermediate and beyond)

x Audit

x Tax

x Business Law

x General business

x Non-business

etc.

Those hours were well beyond the Accounting BS and you would damn near end up with the hours for an Macc for doing them all. Maybe some districts are more lenient than others, but many of us filled our 5th year with useful accounting classes.

Also some people noted they took the exam after the BS, and before the 5th year was completed…that's also fairly new, and while some states allow it, other states will make you wait until you have your 150.

[Anonymous]

Thank God I live in sunny Florida………

[Anonymous]

@AAStoCPA: My point is if he's going to complain about “basket weaving” for the extra 30 credits, then his argument can be used to push for a complete watering down of requirements. 120 hours? Same argument. Let's just let people graduate high school + 24, or 30 hours of accounting without any degrees whatsoever. That way one doesn't have to take “stupid courses” to get into the CPA game. That is the logical conclusion of that argument.

Of course, that's not what state requirements are. I know that. But if the requirements are 150 hours, why not just take the extra 30 hours of classes and be done with it? I say that if the standards are being RAISED that makes the CPA MORE valuable. Even if you have to take 30 hours of stupid classes.

You now that eventually those 30 hours will be replaced by actual real classes eventually? So raising the bar a little at a time is good.

Besides, many states have more than 30 hours of accounting as a requirement. Some require a Master's.

The standards are all over the place, but eventually all are going to rise.

[Givemesleep]

My point 739 posts ago was if you can pass an exam the size of 4 phone books, have an undergraduate in accounting and experience but still need some basket weaving credits what is the point? The exam itself should stand on it's own. If Joe the plumber can pass this freaking test let him be a CPA or make the test harder or require the 150 hours to get the degree initially. What is the point of letting people get an accounting degree with 120 hours, take the exam and pass but then require more. If I pass FAR in 6 weeks this is all mute. I wish you all luck, we are all hero's for under taking this challenge.

Reg 11/15/2011 - 80
Aud 02/28/2012 - 81
Bec 05/31/2012 - 78
Far 08/31/2012 - 83 Do you believe in Miracles, YES !!!

CPA License received 10/2012 !!
CFE License received 04/2013 !!
EA License received

Givemesleep

[Anonymous]

I actually agree with the OP. I got my undergrad in accounting and was short of 25 quarter credits to qualify for the 150 credit rule. I could have spent a year getting my masters (which would have been lot more beneficial), but I didn't have to do that to qualify to take the exams. Instead I took Global studies, Art, etc..classes at Community college and was able to qualify to take these exams.

I don't think 150credit hours rule is stupid, but I do think it's pointless if one can achieve these credit by taking non-accounting classes. I think those 150credit should require accounting classes then it would make lot more sense.

Yes, yes I agree…I did have a choice to do my Masters, but let's face it, not everyone can afford it and if they can meet the requirement by spending lot less money, why should they spend the money they don't necessarily have?

[Keely]

@The Dingo, no, all areas require you to have those accounting classes, as far as I know. Most of those people get those classes while doing their undergrad accounting degree. However, if you had a degree in something else, you'd be required to take those classes, which ultimately gets you closer the 150 hour requirement. Basically, they did it backwards. Some people get their accounting degrees and have already fulfilled the accounting credit hours requirement, and fulfill the 150 hours will irrelevant classes, or some people have taken irrelevant classes to begin with and now must get 30 more hours, 24 of them being in accounting. If that makes sense.

In my state, you can take the exam without having 150 hours, but you have to have 150 hours to be licensed. I am in the basket-weaving class department, because I already graduated with way more credits than I needed (145) and I'm not shelling out money for an MAcc, that I personally think loses a lot of importance once you become a CPA.

BEC: (4/2012) 88
AUD: (5/2012) 91
REG: (8/2012) 82
FAR: (1/2013) 78 🙂

VA CPA #42010

[rhine500]

There's nothing significant on the CPA exam that you don't learn from an accounting undergrad degree. The 150 hour requirement is incredibly unnecessary if the goal is to help make sure students are ready for it.

FAR: 92
AUD: 99
BEC: 90
REG: 95

[Missjwebb]

I, too, am frustrated about the 150 hour/units rule – but for an entirely different reason than the original poster's point.

In California the 150 hour/unit rule is to be implemented as:

–at LEAST a bachelor's degree required; and

–one pathway for ‘additional 30 unit rule': Master's of Accountancy; Master's of Taxation; MBA** is an option for the 30 additional units; or

–other pathway for ‘additional 30 unit rule':

1. the courses are to be at the 300 level or higher (sorry folks but basketweaving101 is NOT sufficient – but basketweaving301 is a-ok – if the board deems it a ‘business-related field')

2. 10 units in Ethics;

3. the remaining 10-20 units are a combination of accounting & ‘business related field courses'

4. More strict guidlines to be implemented between 2014-2017.

Interesting to note that the state has so far said the Master's of Taxation & Master's of Accountancy will fullfil

**please note – for those that DON'T have Bachelor's with Accounting majors/emphasis, then the MBA with emphasis in Accountacy will most likely NOT be sufficient to cover req's for California CPA licensure.

---

FYI – I have my undergraduate in Bus. Admin & Accounting; 177.5 semester units; kick ass GPA; yet I DO NOT MEET THE 150 HOUR/UNIT RULE for CPA LICENSURE… why?!?!?!? because my additional 50+ units are in mostly lower level accounting classes and the lowercore course work for my previous major. those friggin additional lower level classes WONT FRIGGIN APPLY – grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr s(#$(RY$(R$

fml!!!

Jackie

REG - planned for Nov 2012
BEC - TBD
FAR - TBD
AUD - TBD

studying with CPAexcel
considering Ninja Notes

[littlenumberrobot]

@missjwebb

Where did you find the requirement you list as #1? Please post a link, I have been on the CA board website and have yet to see it. I dont see that requirement on this tipsheet from the CBOA:

https://www.dca.ca.gov/cba/applicants/tip_sheet.pdf

Thank you,

Fellow CA candidate

CA CPA - All because of the journey listed below
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FAR - 53('10), 8/25/12 79 PASSED!
REG - 66('11), 69('12), 12/06/12 77 PASSED!!
BEC - 58('10), 74('12), 01/05/13 77 PASSED!!!
AUD - 43('11), 66('12), 69('13), 74('13) 7/29/13 85 PASSED!!!!!

(Combinations of Roger, Yaeger, Wiley Book, Wiley TB, & NINJA Notes)

Ethics 90%

[Missjwebb]

@littlenumberrobot –

to answer your question – that information gained is essentially paraphrased from several meetings I had with the Accounting Department Director of CSUF, Dr. Betty Chavis.

I believe she referenced in our conversations CalCPA had a reference chart.

I also had a printout given to me by my school regarding the changes implemented. – I will go dig it up – but I do not think there is an ability to upload pdf's to this site (or is there – I am new here)

To clarify – I am speaking purely about pathway 2 (min. bachelor's degree + 30 units + 1year experience)

********* the fact pathway 1 (bachelor's degree + 2 years experience) is still around until 2014 I did not address because quite frankly does not apply to me — I would have to already be in the field (to fullfill experience requirement) and squeeze in with a licensure via grandfathering rules.

************ I also did not make clear that some people – AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND PROOF – has skated in pathway 2 with only a bachelor's degree & by taking mindless basketweaving101 courses to fullfill the 30unit requirements.

(I am always a skeptic of urban legends – those that get their California CPA via pathway 2 with only bachelor's and meet the additional req's by taking mindless-dribble100 level courses)

PLEASE – if I could skate in via pathway two right now I would!! already have 177.5 units …

I am supposed to start the Master's of Taxation fall 2012.

Jackie

REG - planned for Nov 2012
BEC - TBD
FAR - TBD
AUD - TBD

studying with CPAexcel
considering Ninja Notes

[Author]

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