How to Become a CPA in Pennsylvania 2026

To meet the Pennsylvania CPA education requirements to sit for the CPA exam, you’ll need to have at least a bachelor’s degree or 120 semester credits of post-secondary education from a college or university accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, or a college or university approved by the Board.

Pennsylvania now provides multiple licensure pathways. Candidates may qualify with:
(1) a bachelor’s degree plus 150 semester credits and 12 months / 1,600 hours of qualifying experience,
(2) a bachelor’s degree with fewer than 150 credits and 24 months / 3,200 hours of qualifying experience,
or (3) a master’s or other post-graduate degree and 12 months / 1,600 hours of qualifying experience.

Once you have verified that you meet the education requirements, the first step is to create an account through NASBA’s CPA Portal for Pennsylvania exam applications.

Once you have created your account, you will need to complete and submit an education evaluation application which will identify any academic deficiencies in your education before you submit a first-time application for the Exam.

After receiving the approval from NASBA, you will need to pay your examination fees. You have 90 days to make the payment.

Click here to see a breakdown of the Pennsylvania 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 all four CPA Exam sections within a rolling 30-month period that begins on the date of score release.

After passing the Uniform CPA Examination, you must complete the appropriate education requirements to become a licensed CPA. You will need a total of 150 semester hours which means that must complete the additional 30 semester hours.

To meet the Pennsylvania CPA experience requirements, Pennsylvania now provides multiple licensure pathways. Candidates may qualify with:
(1) a bachelor’s degree plus 150 semester credits and 12 months / 1,600 hours of qualifying experience,
(2) a bachelor’s degree with fewer than 150 credits and 24 months / 3,200 hours of qualifying experience,
or (3) a master’s or other post-graduate degree and 12 months / 1,600 hours of qualifying experience.

Included providing any service or advice involving the use of accounting, attestation, compilation, management advisory, financial advisory, tax subjects, or consulting skills gained through employment in government, industry, academia, or public practice.

Pennsylvania requires qualifying experience to be completed during the 60 months immediately preceding the application date, and the experience must be verified by a CPA who worked with the candidate and was actively licensed during the reported period, unless NASBA’s Experience Verification Service is used.

Create an account on Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS) website where you’ll be able to submit an application for your CPA license.

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 provide a recent Criminal History Records Check (CHRC) and the application fee of $65.

While most states require ethics before licensing, Pennsylvania candidates can become a CPA without it as there are no Pennsylvania CPA ethics exam requirements.

Pennsylvania does not currently list a separate pre-licensure ethics exam requirement for CPA certification, but ethics is part of Pennsylvania’s CPE requirements for licensure and renewal.

Now that you have completed all the necessary steps to be a Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania. You will be notified by Pennsylvania’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.

Pennsylvania CPA licenses renew through PALS and expire December 31 of every odd-numbered year. The current renewal fee is $100. Licensees must complete 80 hours of Board-approved CPE during each biennium, including at least 20 hours each year and 4 hours in ethics.