How to Become a CPA in Oregon 2024

To meet the Oregon requirements to sit for the CPA exam, the Oregon CPA education requirements must be attained first. For Oregon applicants, you must complete 150 semester hours of college-level study, including a recognized bachelor’s degree, to qualify for a license. The 150 semester hours in Oregon must contain 24 semester hours of upper-level accounting and 24 semester hours of accounting or accounting-related business disciplines.

Once you have determined that you are eligible to take the exam, you need to download and complete two forms, the CPA Exam Application, and the Candidate Information Release forms.

Submit your completed forms along with the fee of $150 through this website using the “Online Payment and Application Submission” button.

Or you may also send your application through mail at 200 Hawthorne Ave SE Ste D450, Salem, Oregon 97301-5289. The initial application and check must be mailed together

All application material, including all transcripts, complete application form, fees, candidate release form, and any other documentation required, must be received within 3 months from the date of submission.

Once you have submitted the necessary documents, usually within 24-48 hours you and NASBA will receive your ATT from the board. Following receipt of the ATT, candidates will receive a payment coupon from NASBA for the sections applied for.

Next, you will need to create a NASBA Exam Candidate account on the portal at NASBA and pay for the exam fees. The ATT will expire ninety (90) days after it is issued.

Click here to see a breakdown of the Oregon CPA exam costs.

Upon payment for the examination fees, you will receive a receipt of your NTS. Make sure that everything is correct as it will be used at the testing centers. If the names do not match, immediately contact the Board to request a correction. You will not be allowed to test if the name on the identification documents does not exactly match the name on the NTS.

With the NTS, then you can schedule your actual exam on the Prometric website at www.prometric.com.
You will have six months to apply and sit for your first portion of the CPA exam.

The CPA exam consists of the three core sections and candidates would need to select one of the three discipline to demonstrate deeper skills and knowledge, allowing candidates to choose a specialization. There is no set order in which the exam portions must be completed. You must pass each section with a score of 75 or higher within 18 months.

To meet the Oregon CPA experience requirements, you must have the following core competencies in a minimum of 12 months of full-time work or a total of 2,000 hours of equivalent part-time experience earned over a period of 12 months or more.

All work must be completed directly under the supervision of a certified Public Accountant (PA) or a registered CPA. The applicant’s job must consist of attesting or assurance, public accounting, auditing, consulting services, personal financial planning, or tax practice activities typically conducted by CPAs.

The supervisor must complete the Supervisor Evaluation Form.

After passing the CPA exam, the candidate must also meet the Oregon CPA ethics exam requirements by taking one additional test: the AICPA’s Ethics exam.The association offers an 11-hour self-study course, after which you can take the open-book test. The Ethics Examination is not expected to be particularly tough, but you must pass with a minimum score of 90 to get your license.

The Professional Ethics course can be found here.
The Ethics exam can be found here.

Oregon CPA candidates are also required to complete the Social Security Form

After you have completed your professional education, passed the exams, and retain the necessary work experience, you have fulfilled a majority of the CPA exam requirements. You’ll need to fillup the Initial License Application and the $225 application fee.

Now that you have completed all the necessary steps to be a Certified Public Accountant in Oregon. You will be notified by Oregon’s Board of Accountancy of any missing documents in your application. If the application is complete, you’ll be issued a license allowing you to practice. Your certificate will be sent to you through the mail.