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Oregon CPA Exam Requirements 2024: 5 Critical Steps

Oregon CPA Exam Requirements

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Oregon CPA Exam Requirements

If you want to become a CPA in Oregon, we’ve summarized the Oregon CPA exam requirements so that you’ll know the exact steps to become a licensed CPA in the Beaver State.

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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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Summary of Oregon CPA Requirements

Credit Hours to sit for CPA Exams150
Credit Hours in Upper-division Accounting specific courses24
Credit Hours in Accounting or related (lower-division accounting, business, finance, economics, and written/oral communication)24
Bachelor’s Required to Sit for CPA Exams?Yes
Ethics ExamYes
Work Experience1 Year
Required CPE Hours Every Two Years40

General Requirements

The Oregon Board of Accountancy has criteria distinct from those of other states. As a result, it is critical to begin your route to a CPA license with a thorough understanding of its specific criteria. For example, Oregon gives a detailed discussion of how you can achieve both the 150-semester hour academic requirement and the experience objectives. The state does not require you to be a resident, a US citizen, or a certain age. You will, however, need a Social Security number and a bachelor’s degree or above.

Education Requirement for the CPA Exam in Oregon

Credit Requirements for Oregon CPA License

To meet the Oregon CPA education requirements, the Board follows the 150-hour rule, which states that candidates must finish 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.

With a conventional bachelor’s degree in accounting consisting of only 120 semester hours, pursuing a post-baccalaureate certificate or master’s degree in accounting is the most tried and established approach to obtain those 30 more credits. There are also specialized five-year CPA track programs that offer a hybrid bachelor’s and master’s curriculum tailored to provide you with the 150 semester hours required to achieve Oregon CPA education requirements standards.

Accepted Educational Institutions

When selecting a school, make sure it is accredited by one of the six regional accreditation organizations listed below. The Oregon Board of Public Accountancy has accredited six organizations, including:

Required Courses

Meet Oregon’s CPA degree and curriculum requirements. The Oregon Board of Accountancy requires 150 semester college credit hours to be completed at the undergraduate or graduate level or a combination of the two.

Upper-division accounting requires 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours of study, which includes, but is not limited to:

  • Auditing
  • Taxation
  • Cost Accounting
  • Financial Statements
  • Theories of Accounting

24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours of business or accounting courses such as:

  • Business Law
  • Business Communications
  • Economics
  • Corporate Finance
  • Business Ethics

You may take classes from online or community colleges as long as the credits transfer to a four-year university and graduate with a bachelor’s degree or higher. However, you will still need to request official transcripts from each college you attend, so keep track of all institutions and how to contact their registrar’s offices. Credit from the community or two-year college courses is acceptable if those credits were successfully transferred to the four-year college where you received your bachelor’s degree.

Foreign Education

Suppose you graduated from a foreign university, or even if you took a few courses from a non-U.S. You will need to have those courses reviewed if you attend an accredited university. Contact the NASBA International Evaluation Services to have your international transcripts examined for them to be accepted for your Oregon licensure application. To schedule an evaluation, contact the agency directly.

Take the Uniform CPA Exam in Oregon

Applying for the CPA Exam

Once you have achieved the necessary credits and degrees, you can apply to take the CPA exam process. When you are ready to take the exam, you will submit your transcripts to the board. When your application is granted, the board will issue you a Notice to Schedule.

You have six months from the date o receipt to plan, sit for, and pass at least one CPA exam requirements component. Starting the day you take the first part, you will have a rolling 18-month timeframe to complete and pass all four sections.

Studying for 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. The components of the CPA test are as follows:

  • Auditing and Attestation. This exam section covers the basics of financial and attest services, such as audits, reviews, compilations, and preparing agreements.
  • Financial Accounting and Reporting. This exam section covers financial accounting topics for all business entities, including the government and nonprofits.
  • Regulation. This exam section covers federal taxation, tax services, professional ethics, and business law for individuals and business entities.
  • Disciplines
    • Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR): Focused on financial reporting, data analytics, and performance management. This area is suitable for those who are interested in financial analysis and reporting. An extension of FAR core.
    • Information Systems and Controls (ISC): Concentrates on IT governance, data security, and system controls. Ideal for individuals who wish to specialize in IT audits and information security. An extension of AUD core.
    • Tax Compliance and Planning (TCP): Centers on personal financial planning and tax compliance for individuals, businesses, and other entities. Suitable for those with a strong interest in taxation and financial planning. An extension of REG core.

You may take the required test sections in any order, but you must pass all four sections of the Uniform CPA Examination within an 18-month period beginning on the date the first examination section completed was taken. All components must be passed within the 18-month term. Any exam taken outside of the 18-month timeframe will result in a loss of credit.

Choose a CPA Review Course

If you have completed your degree and are looking for an entry-level position in public accounting, choosing a review course will help you a lot; however, these are the recommended CPA review courses:

  • Becker CPA Review
  • Surgent CPA Review
  • Gleim CPA Review
  • UWorld Roger CPA Review
  • Wiley CPAexcel

Signing Up for the CPA Exam

Once you have completed 150 semester college credit hours and earned a bachelor’s degree, you can take the Uniform CPA Exam under Oregon Board of Accountancy rules.

  1. Download and fill out the Oregon Board of Accountancy CPA Exam Application application Oregon Board of Accountancy CPA Exam Application.
  • In addition, you must download and submit a Candidate Release Form, which authorizes the Oregon Board of Accountancy to release your information to the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
  • Provide a 2” x 2” passport-sized photo
  • Must enclose a $100 cheque or money order made payable to the Oregon Board of Accountancy
  • Make a note of the preferred means of contact for receiving testing information (fax, email, or postal mail)
  • Sign the application and have it notarized
  • Mail all of the above to the Oregon Board of Accountancy, 3218 Pringle Rd SE #110, Salem, OR 97302
  1. Your institution should provide you with an official college transcript. This must be mailed to the Oregon Board of Accountancy at the aforementioned location.
  2. Wait for authorization to take the CPA exam. Pay NASBA’s exam fees within 90 days of obtaining an Authorization to CPA exam from Oregon’s Board of Accountancy via the method you indicated on your exam application and a subsequent payment voucher from the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA).
  3. Wait for your Notice to Schedule to arrive (NTS). Your Notice to Schedule will be delivered to you via the method you specified on your exam application. To arrange your CPA exam at an Oregon location, go to Prometric’s website. Centers can be found in Portland, Eugene, Bend, La Grande, and Medford.
  4. Arrive on exam day prepared to test.
  5. Once the exam grades have been tallied, they will be sent to you via the method of contact you indicated above (fax, postal mail, or email).

Oregon CPA Exam Fees

The Oregon CPA exam cost consists of five main fees: the education evaluation application fee of $90, $344.80 per CPA exam section totaling $1,379.20 for all four sections, the CPA license application fee of $225, the initial CPA permit fee of $255, and the renewal fee of $255.

Education Evaluation Application Fee$90.00
Auditing and Attestation (AUD)​$344.80
Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR)​$344.80
Regulation (REG)​$344.80
Disciplines (ISC, TCP, or BAR)​$344.80
Total for all 4 CPA Exam Sections$1,379.20
Initial CPA Application Fee$225.00
Initial CPA Permit Fee$255.00
Renewal Fee$255.00

Passing the CPA Exam

Candidates allowed to test will get an Authorization to Test (ATT) and additional instructions for submitting exam costs to the National Association of Oregon State Board of Accountancy (NASBA), which administers the exam in Oregon. To get exam credit, all four portions of the exam must be passed with a score of 75 or above within an 18-month rolling period.

Oregon Requirements for the CPA License

Oregon CPA Ethics Exam Requirements

To meet the Oregon CPA ethics exam requirements, candidates will need to take an ethics exam from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) after completing the course titled Professional Ethics: The AICPA’s Comprehensive Course (For Licensure). The course and exam are found on AICPA’s website which is self-study and should be passed with a score of 90% or higher.

Oregon CPA Experience Requirements

To meet the Oregon CPA experience requirements, a minimum of 12 months full-time employment or a total of 2,000 hours of equivalent part-time experience is required to be obtained over a period of 12 or more months. All experience must be directly supervised by a qualified supervisor licensee who holds an active CPA license issued by any state or a PA license (excluding experience in attest services) during the period of supervision and for at least five of the past seven years immediately prior to such supervision.

Supervisor Requirements

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. A CPA must directly supervised any certified services work; supervisors designated as PAs are not permitted to check to attest work. Experience with warrants or taxation must be obtained through a public accounting firm.

Submitting Work Experience

Give your verifying CPA the Certificate of Experience, which they must complete and deliver to the Board for your experience to be verified. A sample document is available online, but you must contact the Board at (503) 378-2264 to obtain an original. Provide them with an addressed, stamped envelope to submit the Certificate of Experience to the Oregon Board of Accountancy, 3218 Pringle Road SE #110, Salem, OR 97302-6307.

Complete an ethical exam through the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ home study course (AICPA). An ethics exam is a fundamental duty of a CPA, and passing such an exam will be second nature after all of your training.

Apply for Your Oregon CPA License

Submit Your Application for Issuance

Candidates who have passed the CPA exam, have satisfied the education and accounting experience criteria, and have proven the essential abilities are ready to submit the CPA Initial License Application and the Oregon Board of Accountancy Employment form. Use the Social Security Number form and a written narrative outlining each competency that the supervising accountant has validated.

Receiving Your Oregon CPA Certificate

The Board typically takes two to three weeks to process the request after receiving the appropriate documentation. Once authorized, the Board will notify you through email and give you an invoice for the initial license fee. After paying the money and registering with the Board, the applicant’s name will show in the Board’s licensee search, and they will be able to practice. The Board will send new licensees a wall certificate, a wallet license card, a letter of congratulations, their CPA license number, CPE information, and license renewal due dates.

Oregon Continuing Education Requirements

Continuing Education Requirements

As an Oregon certified CPA, you must fulfill continuing education requirements to renew your license every two years.

1. Complete 80 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) every two years.

  • 24 CPE hours must be completed each year.
  • 20 CPE hours can be carried forward to the next two-year period
  • 4 CPE hours must be in professional conduct and ethics
  • You must complete four hours of CPE in Professional Conduct & Ethics in a course by an approved sponsor registered with the OBA for your first renewal period sponsor registered with the OBA.
  • Hours carried forward cannot count towards yearly minimums.

2. Make sure that the ethics course you choose is recognized by the Board and is:

3. Enroll in CPE programs in Board-approved formats, such as:

  • National, state, or local programs professional education programs
  • In-firm educational programs
  • University or college credit courses (one semester hour = 15 CPE hours)
  • University or college noncredit courses (one semester hour = 1 CPE hour)
  • Distance learning programs that are either provided by members of NASBA Quality Assurance Service or provided by a registered sponsor
  • Individual study programs that are either provided by members of NASBA Quality Assurance Service or provided by a registered sponsor
  • Correspondence courses (must be provided only by members of NASBA Quality Assurance Service)
  • Serving as a lecturer, discussion leader, or speaker
  • Publishing articles
  • Reviewing Peer Review reports (may only count for 16 CPE hours every two years)
  • Serve as a member of the Oregon Joint Ways and Means Legislative Committee (may only count for 16 CPE hours every two years)

4. Enroll in Board-approved subject matter, such as (but not limited to):

  • Technical subjects include:
  • Accounting
  • Auditing
  • Consulting
  • Specialized applications/knowledge
  • Taxation
  • Management
  • Professional ethics
  • Other subjects that contribute to a CPA’s professional competence
  • Nontechnical subjects if they contribute to a CPA’s professional competence (may only make up 16 CPE hours every two years), including but not limited to:
    • Public relations
    • Interpersonal management
    • Practice administration
    • Practice development

5. Maintain documentation of your CPE for at least five years, including:

  • Sponsor of course
  • Dates of attendance
  • Location
  • Course title and description
  • Certificates of completion
  • Number of CPE hours claimed

6. Report your CPE hours every two years when you renew your CPA Certificate

Annual CPA License Renewal in Oregon

CPAs in Oregon who are already licensed CPA must renew their license every other year. Oregon CPAs must complete 80 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) during each two-year renewal term. Four of these hours must be in professional conduct and ethics, and they must be obtained from Board-approved sponsors. There can be no more than 16 hours of the non-technical study reported. Each calendar year, at least 24 hours must be performed. A total of 20 hours over the overall CPE requirement may be carried forward to the next reporting period.

Summary

The accounting profession is significantly more diverse than the average individual realizes. Accountants work with the IRS, law enforcement, corporate banking, and fraud and loss prevention. Accountants also assist corporations in the running effectively by performing audits and providing other services. If you decide to pursue this exciting career, you should think about becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). It is the highest accounting license possible. You can sign tax paperwork and do a lot more with the help of a CPA. Each state, including Oregon, has its standards for these prestigious licenses. Continue reading to find out how to become a CPA in Oregon.

Oregon provides a unique blend of industry, livability, and growth, making it a perfect location for any aspiring CPA to establish a practice. According to O*Net, a U.S.-based job search website, According to a Department of Labor-sponsored website, the state will add accounting positions at a rate of 13% over the next ten years, for an expected 1,510 job vacancies per year. This will be due to a combination of new positions being created and turnover in existing roles, but it all adds to an excellent opportunity for any new CPA.

Oregon CPA Exam F.A.Q.s

Here are some commonly asked questions regarding Oregon’s CPA exam and CPA licensure requirements.

What Are the Requirements to Sit for the CPA Exam in Oregon?

To sit for the CPA exam in Oregon, you must meet the education requirements which require at least a bachelor’s degree and 150 semester hours of college which include 24 semester hours of upper-level accounting and 24 semester hours of accounting or accounting-related business disciplines, as well as paying the applicable exam fees.

How Long Does it Take to Become a CPA in Oregon?

You will need to attain the full 150 semester hours required nationwide. This is roughly five years of education, then one year to take and pass the CPA exam, and then one year to meet the experience requirement. That makes a total of 6-7 years to get your CPA license. Once you have met all the requirements and have submitted your application to receive your CPA license from the Oregon Board of Accountancy, if approved you will receive your license in the mail within 3-4 weeks.

How Much Does It Cost to Take the CPA Exam in Oregon?

The total cost of the CPA exam for an aspiring CPA in Oregon is $1,469.20, this is considering that you pass all exams on the first try. The breakdown of the cost is $90 for the application and $1,379.20 for all four sections of the exam.

How Many CPAs are in Oregon?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as per the May 2021 data, there are currently around 13,240 accountants in Oregon with an annual salary of $77,750.

Do CPA Scores Expire in Oregon?

Regardless of the state, once a CPA candidate passes their first CPA exam section, they then have 18 months to pass the remaining three CPA exam sections to complete the Uniform CPA Examination. Once a CPA candidate has passed the Uniform CPA Examination, their scores never expire in Oregon.

How Many Accounting Credits Do you Need to Sit for the CPA License in Oregon?

You must complete at least 24 semester hours of upper-level accounting courses and 24 semester hours in accounting or related (lower-division accounting, business, finance, economics, and written/oral communication).

Does Oregon Require an Ethics Exam for the CPA?

Yes, the Oregon Board of Accountancy requires all candidates applying for the CPA license must complete at least 8 hours in length the AICPA ethics examination or its equivalent. With a minimum score of 90% to pass the test.

You can get it through the Oregon Society of CPAs Ethics Exam.

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