How to Become a CPA
CPA stands for certified public accountant. It’s a title that’s given to professionals who passed the accounting licensure exams and met the profession’s specific requirements. We can say that All CPAs can do accounting work yet not all accountants carry the CPA title.
To be tagged as a CPA, getting an accounting degree is the first step. Choose a school that offers such a course and complete it. That’s the basic requirement of being a CPA. The next few steps are more difficult. CPAs are overseen by organizations that bestow requirements for everyone listed in order to keep their title. These are the things that you have to know if you want to become a CPA.
1. Submit all requirements
It’s important to know the requirements of becoming a CPA in your country, state, or city. The rules for certification may vary from one location to another. Find out who holds the accountancy board in your region and abide by their rules. Specifically find out about the educational, practical, and document to become a CPA.
2. Prepare for the exam
All license courses have an examination and the one for CPA can be very tough. As a matter of fact, only a low percentage of accountants pass it. The key is to properly prepare for the exam so you will pass it on your first try. Allocate time for study and review, depending on your mastery level.
3. Push yourself
Being a CPA doesn’t end with passing the licensure exam. What’s difficult is raising the bar a few notches higher. Be disciplined enough to solve different accounting problem in a day until you become a master of that topic. Doing this won’t just help you in the upcoming exams but also in your career.
4. Be confident when taking the exam
Cramming and panicking on the day of the exam won’t do you a lot of good. As a matter of fact, it will do distract you from the task at hand and cause a mental block. Keep camp, think positive, and be confident. This is a timed exam so manage it very well. Don’t dwell too much on solving a problem or answering difficult questions. Answer all questions that you know the answer to and guess the answer to the ones that you’re not sure of. There’s no penalty for wrong answers so don’t leave any item blank.
5. Bring everything that you need.
Check and double check the requirements when taking the exam and bring all the tools with you. In some areas, the use of a calculator is allowed. Bring pencils, ballpoint pens, and scratch papers. If there’s a form that you have to fill in or a document, be sure that they’re inside your bag.
It’s not easy to become a CPA but when you do, it’s easier for you to provide all types of Columbia accounting services. As a CPA, you can work for a company or start your own accounting firm. Either way, it would be the start of your success in your chosen career.