Arkansas CPA Exam Cost 2025: The 5 Critical Fees

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Arkansas CPA Exam Cost

The Arkansas CPA exam cost consists of five main fees: an initial exam application fee of $50, the $254.80 per CPA exam section totaling $1,019.2 for all four sections, the application‐section fees which will depend on the number of sections taken, an initial licensing fee that costs $50 and then the $110 annual license fee.

This article will help you to become a CPA in Arkansas and is a requirement for you to take the Arkansas CPA exam.

How to Save Yourself MONTHS of Time and Frustration
Keep in mind that the CPA exam is the one part of getting your CPA license that you can control how long it takes. The education and experience requirements take as long as they take, but the CPA exams can take you as little as 6 months, or as long as multiple years… depending on how effective your study process is from the beginning.
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Arkansas CPA Exam Cost Breakdown

Initial Application	$50.00
Auditing and Attestation (AUD)	$254.80
Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR)	$254.80
Regulation (REG)	$254.80
Disciplines (ISC, TCP, or BAR)	$254.80
Total for all 4 CPA Examination Provider Fee	$1,019.2
4 Examination Sections	$120.00
3 Examination Sections	$105.00
2 Examination Sections	$90.00
1 Examination Section	$75.00
Initial CPA License Registration Fee	$50.00
Annual License to Practice Fee	$110.00
ASP & FBI Background Check	$50

Summary of Arkansas CPA Requirements

Credit hours to sit for the CPA exam	120
Bachelor’s required to sit for the CPA exam	Yes
Credit hours in upper level Accounting to sit for the CPA exam & to receive a CPA license	30
Credit hours in Business other than Accounting to sit for the CPA exam & to receive a CPA license	30
Total credit hours to receive a CPA license	150
Work experience required to receive a CPA license	1 Year
Ethics exam required for CPE	Yes

Arkansas Education Requirements

To meet the Arkansas CPA education requirements, candidates must have a four-year degree from a college or university that has been accredited by a Board-recognized accrediting institution and 150 semester hours of college-level study. The degree must contain 30 credit hours of the upper-level accounting curriculum and 30 credit hours of business classes (other than public accounting).

Required Courses

Meet the State Board of Public Accountancy’s CPA degree and particular coursework requirements. Your 150 semester hours must include the following courses from your bachelor’s program, any additional undergraduate credits you acquire, and graduate work:

Accounting courses must contain at least 30 semester credit hours of undergraduate accounting courses beyond the fundamentals level, at least 20 semester credit hours of graduate accounting courses, or a combination of the two. Each of these upper-level accounting courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher. The following systems must be included in the accounting component:
- Accounting information systems
- Auditing and attestation
- Federal taxation
- Not-for-profit accounting
- Governmental accounting
- Management accounting
- Financial accounting
A minimum of 30 semester credit hours of undergraduate business courses (other than accounting), 20 semester credit hours of graduate business courses (other than accounting), or a combination of the two is required for business courses. Each business course must be completed with a grade of C or above.

By completing an accounting internship, you may earn three semester credit hours in the accounting or business component (but not in both).

You may earn three semester credit hours in the accounting or business component (but not in both).

You may earn a maximum of three semester credit hours for military service. These semester credit hours may not be used toward fulfilling the accounting component.

Foreign Education

If you attended a foreign institution or college, you must have your credits evaluated by a National Association of Credential Evaluators member organization. To begin this procedure, contact a member agency directly.

Accepted Educational Institutions

If you received your education in a quarter-system institution, double your hours by two-thirds. Whatever system your school works under, it must be fully accredited by one of the following regional agencies:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools–Commission on Colleges
Higher Learning Commission
Western Association of Schools and Colleges–Commission for Senior Colleges
New England Association of Schools and Colleges–Commission on Institutions of Higher Education
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Gather your materials and fill out the entire application once you have fulfilled the educational prerequisites to sit for the exam. Official sealed transcripts from any college or university you have attended will be required. Transcripts should be provided directly to the Board Office, where they will be put in your file.

Pass the Uniform CPA Examination

The “Uniform CPA Examination”, which is a 4-part exam, is developed by the AICPA – the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and administered by NASBA – the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy.

The Three Core Exam Sections

Auditing and Attestation (AUD)

The Auditing and Attestation (AUD) section of the Uniform CPA Examination (the Exam) tests the essential knowledge and skills a newly licensed CPA must demonstrate when performing audit engagements, attestation engagements or accounting and review service engagements.

Newly licensed CPAs are required to:

Demonstrate knowledge and skills related to professional responsibilities, including ethics, independence, and professional skepticism. Professional skepticism reflects an iterative process that includes a questioning mind and a critical assessment of audit evidence.
Understand the entity including its operations, information systems (including the use of third-party systems), and its underlying business processes, risks, and related internal controls.
Understand the flow of transactions and underlying data through a business process and its related information systems.

Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR)

The Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) section of the Uniform CPA Examination (the Exam) assesses the knowledge and skills that a newly licensed CPA must demonstrate in the financial accounting and reporting frameworks used by business entities (public and nonpublic), not-for-profit entities and state and local government entities.

The financial accounting and reporting frameworks that are eligible for assessment within the FAR section of the Exam include the standards and regulations issued by the:

Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (U.S. SEC)
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB)

Regulation (REG)

The Regulation (REG) section of the Uniform CPA Examination (the Exam) tests the knowledge and skills that a newly licensed CPA must demonstrate with respect to:

U.S. federal taxation
U.S. ethics and professional responsibilities related to tax practice
U.S. business law

The Three Disciplines

The three new disciplines in the 2024 CPA Exam, part of the CPA Evolution initiative, are designed to allow candidates to specialize in areas that align with their career interests and the demands of the modern business environment. Here’s a more detailed look at each discipline:

Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR)

Objective: This discipline focuses on higher-order skills needed in financial statement analysis, business reporting, and the strategic role of the CPA in business decision-making.

Key Topics:

Financial Statement Analysis: Understanding and interpreting financial statements to assess an entity’s financial health and performance.
Performance Management: Developing and using key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure, manage, and improve business performance.
Data Analytics and Visualization: Utilizing data analytics tools to analyze business data, and effectively presenting data to support business decisions.
Strategic Planning and Risk Management: Involvement in the strategic planning process and identifying, assessing, and managing business risks.
Business Processes and Controls: Understanding and evaluating business processes and internal controls to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Information Systems and Controls (ISC)

Objective: This discipline is tailored for those interested in information technology, data security, and controls. It addresses the increasing role of technology in accounting and auditing.

Key Topics:

IT Governance and Risk: Understanding the frameworks for managing and governing enterprise IT; identifying and managing IT-related risks.
Information Security and Cybersecurity: Knowledge of cybersecurity principles, data protection laws, and the steps necessary to protect information assets.
System and Organization Controls (SOC) Reporting: Understanding the requirements for SOC reports and the role of CPAs in assessing controls at a service organization.
Data Management and Privacy: Managing data effectively and understanding privacy regulations.
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery: Planning and strategies to ensure business operations can continue and recover from disruptive events.

Tax Compliance and Planning (TCP)

Objective: This discipline focuses on tax compliance, tax planning, and tax strategy, suitable for those who aim to specialize in taxation.

Key Topics:

Individual Tax Planning and Compliance: Understanding tax laws affecting individual taxpayers, including income, deductions, credits, and tax planning strategies.
Business Tax Planning and Compliance: Knowledge of tax considerations for different business entities, including corporations, partnerships, and S-corporations.
Estate, Gift, and Trust Taxation: Understanding the tax implications and planning strategies for estates, gifts, and trusts.
International Taxation: Knowledge of taxation issues related to cross-border transactions and multinational enterprises.
State and Local Taxation (SALT): Understanding the complexities of state and local tax laws and their impact on business and individual tax planning.

Tips for Passing the CPA Exam

The CPA exam covers so many topics that you will need to study specifically for each section, usually for 6-8 weeks per section. Even a master’s degree in accounting doesn’t adequately prepare you to just walk in and pass the 4 CPA exams.

You will need a full review course such as Becker, Wiley CPA, Gleim, Roger, etc, and you will need to dedicate several hours a day over the course of months to even have a chance at getting passing scores.

Arkansas CPA Ethics Exam

While most states require an ethics exam before licensing, Arkansas candidates can become a CPA without it as there are no Arkansas CPA ethics exam requirements. However, candidates are required to take one hour of Arkansas Board Ethics covering the Accountancy Law and Board Rules as part of the annual CPE requirements. This requirement replaces one of the four hours of ethics from previous Board Rule requirements (now requiring one hour of ASBPA Ethics and three additional hours of ethics over every three-year period).

Arkansas CPA Experience Requirements

To meet the Arkansas CPA experience requirements and become a CPA, candidates require 12 months or 2,000 hours of experience that may be full-time or part-time and should be completed in no more than three years. Work type should include accounting, attest, management advisory, financial advisory, tax, and consulting which should be verified by a licensee, meeting requirements prescribed by the Arkansas State Board of Public Accountancy.

Receiving Your Arkansas CPA License

After passing all four portions of the Uniform CPA Exam, candidates will get a “Final Successful” letter from the Board, and an application for CPA licensing will be emailed to them.

This could take up to two weeks after the results have been posted. The application must be completed and accepted within three years of passing the test, or it will be canceled.

Applicants will get their license via mail after their application is accepted and authorized by the Board. This procedure is usually completed in less than 30 days.