A Guide to CPA Exam Requirements

Accounting is a stable career path that spans industries and roles. 

For many professionals, becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is the next step toward greater responsibility and career growth. The designation can open doors to leadership roles, higher earning potential, and a more direct role in how organizations operate.

The path to licensure includes a series of requirements, from meeting education requirements to passing the CPA Exam and completing supervised professional experience. 

Knowing what to expect at each stage can help you prepare and stay on track. 

What is a CPA?

A CPA is a licensed accounting professional who meets strict education, examination, and experience requirements.

As accountants gain experience, their roles often grow beyond preparing financial information. They may help leaders make business decisions, solve financial problems and guide an organization's long-term strategy. Many earn the CPA designation to build the knowledge and credibility needed for those responsibilities.

CPAs are well known for careers in public accounting, but the credential is just as valuable in private industry. CPAs work in businesses, healthcare systems, government agencies, nonprofits, and many other organizations. 

Regardless of setting, becoming a CPA can lead to greater career mobility, leadership opportunities and a wider range of career paths.

What It Takes to Become a CPA

CPA candidates must move through two stages: qualifying to take the CPA exam and meeting the requirements for CPA licensure.

Although those milestones are closely related, they aren't the same thing. In Louisiana, for example, candidates can qualify to sit for the CPA exam after earning a bachelor's degree that includes the required accounting and business coursework. Upon passing the exam, supervised work experience must be completed to meet the requirements for licensure.

Preparing for the CPA Exam

The CPA exam is divided into four sections, each focused on a different area of accounting. These sections test how well candidates understand financial reporting, auditing, regulation, as well as data analysis and information systems.

Most candidates spend several months preparing, working through each section over 8–12-week blocks. Structured study programs can help reinforce key topics and build confidence across all four sections of the exam.

Education Requirements for the CPA Exam

To sit for the CPA exam, candidates must earn a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and complete specific accounting and business coursework required by their state board of accountancy. Because these requirements vary, candidates should review their board’s guidelines when planning their path.

These courses help build the academic foundation candidates will continue use throughout the exam and in their professional careers.

Note: These requirements qualify candidates to sit for the CPA exam, not to become licensed as a CPA.

Once candidates pass the exam, they move on to meeting requirements for CPA licensure which also vary by state.

Louisiana's Pathways to CPA Licensure

In Louisiana, that next step is guided by requirements set by the Louisiana State Board of Certified Public Accountants.

After passing the CPA exam, candidates may qualify for licensure through one of three pathways:

• 150-credit-hour pathway:
  Earn 150 semester hours of college education, including the required accounting and business coursework, and complete one year of supervised professional experience. 
• Graduate education pathway:
  Earn a graduate degree with an accounting focus, such as a Master of Science in Accounting, and complete one year of supervised professional experience. This pathway provides a more structured approach to advanced accounting study and helps build skills in areas like auditing, taxation, and financial reporting.
• Experience-based pathway:
  Earn a bachelor’s degree with the required accounting and business coursework and complete two years of supervised professional experience. This option allows candidates to enter the workforce sooner while continuing to build experience toward licensure. 

How Long Does It Take to Become a CPA?

There isn’t a single timeline for becoming a CPA. It depends on where you are when you start and how you move through each stage.

Most candidates work through three phases: 

• Education - Completing a bachelor’s degree and any additional coursework needed for CPA licensure.
• Exam preparation - Studying for and passing all four sections of the CPA exam, typically over several months.
• Experience - Gaining supervised, relevant work experience under a licensed CPA.

Altogether, the process often takes several years. Planning ahead can help you move through each stage more efficiently. 

Choosing the Right Path to Meet CPA Requirements

For many candidates, the biggest challenge in becoming a CPA is finding a path that fits around work, school, or early career responsibilities.

That’s why UL Lafayette offers an M.S. in Accounting online program designed to help students progress toward CPA licensure requirements while building advanced skills in accounting, auditing, and financial reporting.

Rather than approaching CPA requirements one step at a time, the right program can help bring your education, exam preparation, and licensure goals into alignment.