[Namstut]

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 satisfy the experience requirement with a bachelor’s 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.

Could someone please help me understand the statement above? I was under the impression that if you have a Masters degree you don’t have to worry about the experience requirement. I am confused by the statement above, specifically the section outlining the requirements Prior to July 1, 2015. What about After July 1, 2015?

Also, what experience counts? Retroactive? After the CPA exam? I have been working for the same Real Estate Investment company, reporting directly to a CPA licensed CFO/Controller, for the past 6 years – would this satisfy the experience requirement if the MBA no longer does?

Obviously, I could call the board and find out but I was hoping someone already has the answer. 🙂

AUD 7/6/16 Passed
BEC 9/3/16
FAR TBD
REG TBD

[Skynet]

It being the State of Colorado, don't you have to take A couple of “Hits” before they issue you your license?

[A]

If you weren't licensed in CO by July 1, 2015, the Masters in lieu of experience is no longer an option. I already had a Masters when I went back for the accounting BS in 2013, and I had to carefully plan my studies and job hunt to meet the post-July 2015 reqs.

Your experience has to be received within 5 years (before or after) taking the exam. There are different categories that count outside of public, but CO is picky.

NASBA has a link on their licensing page that directs you to the Colorado DORA document that explains these two items in detail. Look at section 2.5 and 4 in that document for these rules.

B - 77 (2.27.16)
A - 81 (4.18.16)
R -
F -

Roger Review + Ninja MCQs

[A]

Slight correction, your 1800 hours of work experience must be acquired within the 5 years immediately preceding your application for licensure.

B - 77 (2.27.16)
A - 81 (4.18.16)
R -
F -

Roger Review + Ninja MCQs

[T Rev]

Don't forget the Account Ethics course education requirement. I am not sure why it is necessary to take a course on how to not be a piece of crap human being, but it is necessary, and caused me to not apply in Colorado.

[Namstut]

Thanks everyone!

@Trevor, yes, I am annoyed that after having a total of 169 credits between my bachelors and masters degrees and 20+ years in the accounting field I have to go back to school for additional 3 credits.

I think I finally got everything together, uploaded all the forms, completed the online Ethics exam and requested my transcripts. I will wait for NASBA to tell me exactly what I am missing, until then I will binge watch Netflix and work on destroying my liver 🙂

Did anyone have Business Ethics as a college course and was able to use it as a substitute? Just wondering and hoping…

AUD 7/6/16 Passed
BEC 9/3/16
FAR TBD
REG TBD

[ct0516]

I submitted everything to NASBA almost a month ago. It is my understanding that what mecrushya said is correct, as of 7/1/15, you need meet the education and experience requirement (experience within 5 years preceding license application). It doesn't specifically need to be public accounting experience, but you need to be directly supervised by an actively licensed CPA. I called the board before applying to ask about the accounting ethics class, and they said that it had to be specifically accounting ethics. I went ahead and just signed up for the class- it was 8 weeks online. The whole process takes so long, I was worried it would take six weeks to find out my application was rejected, and then have to take the class, then wait another 6 weeks for my application to be reviewed again…

[T Rev]

Business Ethics does not count. It has to be specifically related to ethical decisions in Accounting.

[Namstut]

Ct0516 I am not in a hurry to get my license, but I am going to start the process and search for online classes.

T Tev I suspected that business ethics would not fly. I know for sure I need additional 3 credits Audit on top of the Accounting Ethics. Going back to school… yay!

Mecrusha, I emailed Colorado licensing regarding my transcripts after I ordered them again and got a reply that they SHOULD have it on file. The new set of official transcripts is on its way so we will see how this pins out. Do they evaluate them themselves or do we need to pay again to get them evaluated for licensure?

AUD 7/6/16 Passed
BEC 9/3/16
FAR TBD
REG TBD

[A]

@namstut, I received an email from NASBA two weeks after I had submitted every other required document and my application form stating that I needed to submit my transcripts again to complete my application. Both universities I attended are great about servicing transcript requests within 24 hours, so I just asked for another set to be sent to NASBA directly.

It is my understanding that NASBA completes the entire application evaluation and then sends a list to the CO board for final approval. If you dig up the minutes from their last meeting, one of the items on the agenda is something about unanimously approving the NASBA list of examination and license applications.

The next CO board meeting is May 10th…I sure hope that my name is on that NASBA list!

B - 77 (2.27.16)
A - 81 (4.18.16)
R -
F -

Roger Review + Ninja MCQs

[Namstut]

@mecrushya, I ended up requesting the transcripts to be mailed. The school where I got my first 30 credits, which were transferred to another university, closed down many years ago so I have to go through the Dept. Of Education. It takes the Dept of Education 2 weeks to process the request so this will delay the whole process since NASBA requires original transcripts from all schools.

AUD 7/6/16 Passed
BEC 9/3/16
FAR TBD
REG TBD

[ct0516]

@mecrushya I am in the same boat. Good luck to you! Fingers crossed for the May 10th meeting, next one is not until June 28th!

@Namstrut I did my accounting ethics class through CSU Global. It is $1500 for a 3 credit class, but it's all online and an accelerated 8 weeks. They also told me that they should have my transcripts from when I applied to take the test, but they had to wait to receive them from CPA Exam Services. So I just paid the $10 to have my official transcripts emailed to NASBA. And as far as re-evaluation, I think your initial application is good for a year. Good luck with everything!

[Ryan – Just Another Dollar]

I'm a bit of a different situation since my CO application was for a reciprocal license (I was licensed in MN first). But I still needed to submit all college transcripts and experience verification to NASBA to have them evaluated. I applied 1/7/17 and got my license # the last week of March, so we'll check back with you in June for updates!!

I believe I had Business Ethics in undergrad and that seems to have been good enough, but maybe the initial application process is more strict.

B - 88 (2/16)
A - 84 (4/16)
R - 73 (6/16), 82(7/16)
F - 67 (1/16), 84(4/16)

Ethics - 93

Roger course & Ninja MCQ - HiYa!

[Anonymous]

I thought I would chime in. I applied online in Colorado through the NASBA site on May 10, so I missed the May board meeting. Sigh.

I passed the exam in 2014 in Missouri, but because I'm over 40, had no luck finding work in public accounting, so I briefly pursued a PhD in accounting (learned a lot, but hated it), and now I work in government accounting.

My experience consists of 6 months equivalency academic teaching experience at a Big 10 school (I taught upper level cost accounting, and 400-level tax). The other 6 months is through government experience. So, I'm a bit of a test case for the board. The NASBA rep said he'd never seen anyone with that combination of experience, but he didn't foresee any problems.

I read about folks having issues with ethics courses and communications, but my app flew through initial processing (where I understand they check your education credits), and flew through to the quality assurance review phase, where I am currently stuck at. So presumably my education credits are ok…I'm just waiting for QR where they check your verfiers, signatures, etc. At least thats my understanding.

If anyone has a different experience, let me know.

[Accountant183748]

@chappyfade what does the process in Colorado look like? I recieved two e-mails as well one stating that it had through initial process and another stating that it had gone through quality assurance and the application would be forwarded to the board. What happens after?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

@Vanche

Check the mycpalicense.org site. When you log in, wait a few seconds (until the page fully loads), and look at the bottom of the page. You should see your license status. Mine currently says “Colorado. n/a n/a”. Yours will probably have an actual number for your license number and expiration date. If it does, then check the DORA site. If you are listed there, congratulations, you can call yourself a CPA. CPAVerify usually updates a few days later.

[Author]

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