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Tennessee CPA Ethics Exam Requirements
To meet the Tennessee CPA ethics exam requirements and become a CPA, candidates must pass the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ ethics examination with at least a 90% score. The course and exam is titled Professional Ethics: The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Comprehensive Course (For Licensure).
This article will help you to become a CPA in Tennessee and is a requirement for you to take the Tennessee CPA exam.
Summary of Tennessee CPA Requirements
| Credit Hours to sit for the CPA Exam | 120 |
| Credit Hours in Accounting at the Upper-division to sit for the CPA Exam | 18 |
| Bachelor’s Required to sit for the CPA Exam | Yes |
| Credit Hours to receive a CPA License | 150 |
| *Credit Hours in Accounting to receive a CPA License | 30 |
| *Credit Hours included in Accounting courses at the Upper-division Level to receive a CPA License | 24 |
| Credit Hours in General Business to receive a CPA License | 24 |
| Ethics Exam | Yes |
| Work Experience | 1 – 3 Years |
| Required CPE Hours Every Two Years | 80 |
Education Requirements
For applicants to sit for the CPA exam they must accomplish the Tennessee CPA education requirements. While 120 semester hours are accepted to sit for the exams, getting a CPA license requires 150 semester hours of credit. Applicants may opt to complete the remaining 30 semesters after the exam.
For CPA Exam Education Requirements
- Complete 120 semester hours within a four-year baccalaureate degree or higher.
- Complete at least 18 semester or 27 quarter hours of accounting at the upper division excluding credits from internship programs.
For CPA License Education Requirements
- Obtain a baccalaureate degree and at least 150 semester hours of education.
- Complete at least 30 semesters or 45 quarter hours of accounting which includes at least 24 semesters or 36 quarter hours at the upper-division. Internship programs may be included at a maximum of 6 semesters or 8 quarter hours.
- Complete at least 24 semesters or 36 quarter hours in general business such as:
- Algebra, Calculus, Statistics, Probability
- Business Communication
- Business Law
- Economics
- Ethics
- Finance
- Management
- Marketing
- Technology/Information Systems
Applicants can submit their CPA exam application while their education is in progress. However, they must complete their education before being able to sit for the exam.
For applicants with foreign education, credits earned are subject to evaluation by the following:
- NASBA International Evaluation Services
- Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute
- Center for Applied Research, Evaluation and Education/International Evaluation
- Foreign Academic Credentials Service, Inc.
- International Consultants of Delaware, Inc.
- International Education Research Foundation, Inc.
- Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
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 Four CPA Exam Sections are:
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.
Business Environment and Concepts (BEC)
The Business Environment and Concepts (BEC) section of the Uniform CPA Examination (the Exam) tests knowledge and skills that a newly licensed CPA must demonstrate when performing:
- Audit, attest, accounting and review services
- Financial reporting
- Tax preparation
- Other professional services
The content areas tested under the BEC section of the Exam encompass five diverse subject areas. These content areas are enterprise risk management, internal controls and business processes, economics, financial management, information technology and operations management.
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
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.
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.
Learn how to study strategically so you can save yourself tons of time and retake fees with this free training…
Tennessee CPA Exam Cost Breakdown
The Tennessee CPA exam cost consists of five main fees: the examination application fee of $170, the CPA exam registration fees which will depend on the number of sections taken, the $238.15 per CPA exam section totaling $952.60 for all four sections, a $100 fee on the CPA license application, and lastly a renewal fee of $110.
All first-time applicants are required to pay both an application fee and an examination fee upon submission of the first-time application. All re-examination applicants are required to pay both a registration fee and an examination fee at the time of re-exam registration.
| Application Fee | $170.00 |
| Examination Fees | |
| Auditing and Attestation (AUD) | $238.15 |
| Business Environment and Concepts (BEC) | $238.15 |
| Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) | $238.15 |
| Regulation (REG) | $238.15 |
| Total for all 4 CPA Exam Sections | $952.60 |
| Registration Fees | |
| 4 Exam Sections | $150.00 |
| 3 Exam Sections | $125.00 |
| 2 Exam Sections | $100.00 |
| 1 Exam Section | $75.00 |
| CPA License Application Fee | $100.00 |
| License Renewal | $110.00 |
| Late Renewal | $100.00 |
Tennessee CPA Experience Requirements
To meet the Tennessee CPA experience requirements, one year of experience is required and will have to consist of full or part-time employment that extends over a period of no less than one year and no more than three years and includes no fewer than 2,000 hours of performance of services which may include industry, government, academia or public practice. This experience should include providing any type of service or advice involving the use of accounting, attestation, management advisory, financial advisory, tax or consulting skills.
CPA Licensing
After passing the CPA exam, applicants may start fulfilling the requirements to obtain a CPA license. The instructions for Initial CPA licensure will be sent to the applicants when all relevant education and exam information has been received in the board office.
If the applicant has met the requirements for licensure, he or she may apply for a Tennessee CPA license online.
Applicants must attach the completed work experience form and ethics exam certificate during the online application process. The fee for an initial CPA license application is $100.
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.
Learn how to study strategically so you can save yourself tons of time and retake fees with this free training…
