[GoBears123]

I saw a thread like this for past years, so I’m starting one for 2018.

Here’s where I’m at so far:

2/26/18 — mailed in full application, with all requirements completed

3/19/18 — $250 application fee check cashed

Now waiting for some type of word from the CBA.

Gotta say — the CBA is SUPER frustrating to deal with.

Anyone else going through the the same waiting game??

FAR - 6/4/16 - 82
AUD - 8/27/16
REG - TBD
BEC - TBD

[muhfreedoms]

Sent application in late April with everything completed. Got the yellow card at the end of May noting they received my application. Heard nothing from them until this week when they noted that they didn't receive my criminal disclosure form as well as ethics exam. I completed my ethics exam back in April and sent in the criminal disclosure form with my application so I think this is just a way to buy more time. I sent them the email confirming I passed as well as the criminal disclosure form and they emailed yesterday with a letter acknowledging that everything has been received and that it will be “another 4-6 weeks” to do the review of my application.

Assuming it will take another 4 weeks to process the final license payment on top of the 4 weeks it will take to review the application, I'm looking at a minimum of 6 months to process my application. Hang in there future CA CPAs, we'll make it through.

[TommyTheCat]

thanks for the update. Did you send them anything specifically showing the completion of the ethics exam? When I sent my application in I didnt bother including anything RE: the ethics exam thinking they verify that internally?

[MaLoTu]

What criminal disclosure form?

[TommyTheCat]

if you check the box on the application for licensure that you have been convicted of a crime you need to complete and include the separate criminal disclosure form. I had to do one for a misdemeanor from the good ol college days.

If you dont check the box yes on the application you need not include the criminal disclosure form, thats my understanding at least.

[muhfreedoms]

I didn't check any box on the application for licensure that I've been convicted of a crime, nor have I ever been convicted of a crime. On the ethics email the CalCPA said that the scores are reported to the board of accountancy weekly so I didn't bother emailing the board of accountancy. I'm thinking these two requests were just excuses to give themselves more time.

[Hosmer]

Latest news from the CBA. The queue for final review is backlogged by 8 to 12 weeks. If you call they can tell you when it was added to the queue.

[Choco415]

Hosmer – thanks for the update. Also WTF – 8-12 weeks?!?!?

And what is ‘final review'? Haven't they already reviewed everything already?

Sounds like more bogus excuses. Why can't they just hire more people to do this paper processing?

In the alternative, does anyone have any idea as to what state would have the quickest licensing turnaround time? I got an email from HR yesterday asking for my license number…

[TommyTheCat]

i believe they do an initial review of your application for completeness. At that point if you are short on any units or missing a transcript or forgot to mail in the criminal disclosure form they will park the application and ping you asking for the final info. Once they confirm the package is “complete” so to speak they put it in the final review queue.

When I called earlier this week to check the status of my application the lady simply said my application had not been assigned out to anyone for review. I dont know if that means they havent even begun the initial doc review, or if that means it cleared the initial review stage, they deemed it to be complete, and now is sitting pending being assigned out to someone for the final review process.

I expect my application will take a little bit longer to do the “final review” steps on since I do have a criminal disclosure form included in mine but was unable to provide a whole lot of details on my misdemeanor conviction other than the rough explanation of what happened (ie no case number or docket number, no exact date of when it occurred, etc.)

[Anonymous]

I saw someone post earlier that SMC or Foothill college are the only options in terms of online classes. I just wanted to know if that's actually true? Because I saw other colleges that offer the accounting ethics course too. For instance, Rio Hondo has the course online. Also, has anyone successfully taken the course from another college for credit with CBA? I'm trying to figure this out before I enroll for Fall 2018.
Any help is appreciated, thanks!

[lurking_CPA]

4/6/18 – submitted fingerprints and $250 chec
5/6 – exactly 30 days after receiving my check they finally cash it
During this period of time I receive NO confirmation the application is being received or processed
6/23 – I get a letter saying “congratulations for passing the CPA exam”. False positive for moving forward
7/3 – I get a letter claiming in my application packet I “forgot” to submit the criminal disclosure form. This is complete bullshit, because I fax it right back to the same day and they say it is now pushed into “final review”
7/15 – This is the day after multiple phone calls where its been actually moved into “final review”
8/17 – Called and still nothing, they said it could be OCTOBER before I get my ok to pay the final fee and get a license number

This is an absolute joke. My work is paying for training in which I get 0 CPE credit for. Do we have ANY recourse at all as accountants?


@TommyTheCat – I wouldn't be surprised if they just gave you baloney about the criminal conviction to delay and buy them some more time like they did with me saying my form was “LOST”. I submitted mine complete in full and they STILL waited until 7/3 after a 4/6 submission to tell me they needed this form. I faxed it the same day and they sat on putting it into final review until 7/15 (of course). This is ridiculous,. Now they're saying OCTOBER!

[MaLoTu]

Now I just got a letter saying that they didn’t get my criminal disclosure form!? Wasn’t that a part of the application?

Does anyone know if they accept faxes information?

[AsianNinja]

The CA state received my application on 7/9 and I emailed them today to ask for the status. They said it's been reviewed by an analyst and it took like 8-10 weeks to let me know if I miss any documents. :/ I doubt I will be licensed this year 🙁 Worst state ever to apply for CPA I guess :0

[jombe]

Here's an update to my never-ending CPA licensing saga…

What I didn't list below was done in 2017 (such as passing exams, ethics exam, sent transcripts, etc)

4/26/18 live scan sent
5/2/18 application rec'd at CBA (via UPS tracking, not acknowledgement card)
5/8/18 emailed CBA asking why my check hasn't been cashed
5/9/18 per CBA, it takes 3~4 weeks for the application to go from the mail room to whoever that reviews it
6/5/18 Rec'd acknowledgement card saying CBA rec'd my application
8/13/18 Rec'd a letter saying I didn't check off a box (whether I will be getting general or attest licensure – why the crap do we have two diff types anyways. My bad though. I should've been more thorough) -> I was able to scan the updated copy in and send it via email -> CBA said it'll take AT LEAST 3 weeks to process that missing item and then they'll need 8 – 12 weeks for the final review before they can approve my application.
————————————————————————————–
I'll be lucky if I am licensed within 2018 at this pace…
————————————————————————————–
Can someone whose attest certification was signed off by non-California CPA chime in and share when CBA sent that form the licensing handbook mentions? CBA hasn't mentioned anything relating to “Out-of-State Supervisor License Verifications” the handbook mentions below. Who knows how long that'll take on top of 3 + 8 – 12 weeks….

From handbook –

Out-of-State Supervisor License Verifications
If your experience is obtained outside of California, the CBA requires written verification
from the out-of-state licensing body with which the supervisor holds a valid active
license to practice public accountancy. The CBA will send you a verification form that
must be mailed to the out-of-state licensing body issuing the supervisor’s CPA license.
An official seal of the out-of-state licensing body issuing the license to the supervisor is
required on the signed document. It is your responsibility to provide the fees associated
with the completion of the verification. A verification for an out-of-state signer will not be
sent until such time as an application for licensure is received by the CBA.

FAR - 94 (10/4/15), Local Prep Online Lectures, BISK & NINJA MCQ
AUD - 99 (1/19/16), Local Prep Online Lectures, BISK & NINJA MCQ
REG - 96 (4/19/16), Local Prep Online Lectures, BISK & NINJA MCQ
BEC - 91 (7/19/16), Local Prep Online Lectures, BISK & NINJA MCQ

581 days of listening to lectures, reading texts & 10,000+ MCQs...

[Hosmer]

Eleuthromania – I took my Accounting Ethics class online at UCLA Extension. According to UCLA their classes are approved by the CBA. And, that's where I filled a lot of my accounting credits. They've reviewed my transcripts and haven't objected.

[Hosmer]

Eleuthromania – I took my Accounting Ethics class online at UCLA Extension. According to UCLA their classes are approved by the CBA. And, that's where I filled a lot of my accounting credits. They've reviewed my transcripts and haven't objected.

[Author]

Replies