You just joined one of the best accountancy programs in the country. As you advance in your accounting career, you may be interested in becoming a CPA. The Illinois curriculum thoroughly prepares you for the content that is tested on the CPA exams. The following sections provide you with information on CPA benefits, eligibility requirements, course planning, application processes, and exam content. We hope these resources will aid you as you begin to apply and study to become a CPA during your time at Illinois.
(General Section Overview)
All semester credit hours (SCH) stated below are at the undergraduate level. Any credits earned in excess of maximums stated count towards the 150-hour requirement.
150 Semester Credits Hours or 225 Quarter Credit Hours
Baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited school
Degree earned from an accredited school:
This can be acheived through the MAS program
Accounting program must be accredited by AACSB or ACBSP
No requirements in Research & Analysis in Accounting, Business Communications or Business Ethics
Accounting program must be accredited by AACSB or ACBSP. this ca be acheived through a graduate program within Gies.
Business program must be accredited by AACSB or ACBSP
Minimum of 30 semester hours in accounting
At least one course each in financial accounting, auditing, taxation and management accounting
2 semester hours in Research and Analysis in Accounting
No requirements in Business Communications or Business Ethics
This can be achieved through undergrad program at U of I.
Minimum of 30 semester hours in accounting
At least one course in financial accounting, auditing, taxation and management accounting
2 semester hours in Research and Analysis in Accounting
Minimum of 24 semester hours in business other than accounting
2 semester hours in Business Communication
3 semester hours in Business Ethics
The Pre-Evaluation is not a required part of the CPA Exam Application process. This is an optional but highly recommended step for undergraduate students wanting to achieve their CPA eligibility with their bachelors degree. This is a service that can provide you with basic information about whether you are on track to be eligible for sitting for the CPA exams. The Illinois Board of Examiners will look over your transcripts and provide a report that will help you discover the extent to which the courses you have taken will satisfy the educational requirements. This is also a helpful resource if you have a degree outside accounting or are considering multiple jurisdictions; this will help you identify how much additional education is required for eligibility. By understanding which courses or hours are missing, you can better plan for future classes to ensure CPA eligibility. The Pre-Evaluation can only be performed once and costs $50. You can learn more information here.
Provisional status is available to candidates who are currently enrolled in the classes that will finalize their eligibility. You will need to have 120 credit hours with 24 accountancy hours (at least one course in Tax and one for Audit), and 12 business hours in order to be eligible to sit for the exam under provisional status. (Note: While you only need 120 total hours for provisional status, you still need 150 credit hours for CPA licensure) You must also be within 150 days of obtaining your certified Bachelor's (or completed) to be eligible. This is beneficial for students who may want to get a head start on sitting for the exam sooner rather than later. Be careful about how many and which exams you sign up to take over 6 months when on provisional status; you cannot retake an exam or sign up for additional exams until you are off provisional status. More info can be found on the ILBOE website here.
The Gies curriculum is designed to help you succeed on the CPA exam. The following charts will help you understand how your accounting courses in the undergraduate and MAS program align with each section of the CPA exam. This is a useful resource to help you plan your schedule in advance and have a better idea of which CPA exams you should take first based on materials already covered in class.
Disclaimer: Although these ACCY classes are great for learning material that is often tested on the CPA Exam, they are not intended to be CPA review courses.
The step-by-step process of applying to take the CPA Exam in Illinois.
For detailed steps of the CPA Exam Application Process, click here
Step 1: Academic Credential Evaluation (ILBOE)
Complete the Academic Credential Evaluation by going to the ILBOE website to access the online login. Make sure to send official trancripts from all institutions you have attended.
Step 2: Complete the Initial Exam Application (ILBOE)
Complete the Initial Exam Application.
Step 3: Authorization to Test & Payment Coupon (ILBOE & NASBA)
Receive an Authorization to Test by ILBOE and a Payment Coupon from NASBA.
Step 4: Notice to Schedule (NASBA)
Pay the Exam fee and receive the Notice to Schedule (NTS).
Schedule your Exam Sections (Prometric)
Schedule your Exam Sections through Prometric.
Illinois CPA Society Resources - CPA Exam FAQ Brochure
AICPA Resources - CPA Exam Booklet, CPA Exam Sample Tests and Tutorials, Uniform CPA Examination Blueprints, Learn more about the CPA testing software
NASBA Resources - The Candidate Bulletin Roadmap to CPA Success, CPA Exam Checklist
Illinois CPA Society
Student Membership Application: The Illinois CPA Society is an extraordinary community of more than 23, 300 accounting and finance professionals working in public accounting, corporate finance, not-for-profits, consulting, government and education.
Member Discount Program: The Illinois CPA Society offers its members discounts on insurance, tax resources, shipping, document management, office supplies, and CPA Exam review courses.
AICPA
Student Affiliate Member: Where your career takes you, AICPA is here to provide what you need. Membership in the AICPA is an investment in your future.
Becker
Campus Ambassador: As a CPA student ambassador, you'll work closely with faculty and peers to spread the word about Becker's CPA Exam Review on your campus. In return for completing your time as a CPA student ambassador, you'll be eligible to take the CPA Exam Review at either no cost or at a preferred rate.
There are many different methods for optimizing your study time while preparing for the CPA Exams. Hear directly from Gies alumni about what strategies worked for them!
"Be okay with not knowing the best way for you to learn and study in the beginning of the process. The way I studied for my first test was very different than how I studied for my last. For some sections, watching the lectures don't help, or doing MCQ before doing the reading is the best way to learn for you. Being okay with my study style changing throughout my time studying was crucial."
"Make sure to self review before you move on to a new topic. I always did multiple groups of 10 multiple choice questions for every section. Make sure to build your stamina for sitting in a 3-4 hour exam with limited breaks. Also, don't study with the intention of memorizing; if you don't understand something take the time to go back and practice until you do understand."
Set a realistic study schedule with at least 2 weeks left for review. Don't be discouraged if you struggle to understand a topic 100% as you go through the material for the first time. The final review brings everything together and narrows down focus areas. I recommend the AICPA practice exam to familiarize yourself with question format and mock exams to nail down timing."
Get your CPA studying done earlier in the day! It's easy to push off studying for the CPA since most of us have months to finish all 4 sections before start work full-time. Because of this, I noticed that if I did my schoolwork and then tried to study for the CPA, I was too tired and didn't have the motivation to get much done. Once I started doing my CPA studying early in the day, I was more productive since I was well-rested. After I do my CPA studying, I know that I need to complete my schoolwork since those assignments have hard deadlines, so I can't push that work off like I can push off the CPA. This small change has made a big difference in my productivity!"
My biggest piece of advice is to create a plan both for the week and for every individual day you plan to study so that you have something to stick to. It can be overwhelming to tackle the amount of the material in each section of the CPA, so it helped me to set goals for what content I wanted to get through and when I wanted to do so. It was as easy as writing down every night what my tasks were for the following day and how I would accomplish them! And, remember not to get discouraged along the way if you aren't meeting study goals or are not grasping the material. Simply putting in the work to study and learn is enough to be successful... believe in yourself!
Making myself do mini 'midterms' after I finish 2-3 units of my study material was very useful for me as it was a forced way to review older concepts as I was studying. I also recommend completing the AICPA sample exams when in the review stage for your exam. Finally, when taking practice "mock" exams, be sure to time yourself for each testlet. I was given the advice of spending no more than 45 minutes per multiple choice testlet and 50 minutes per task-based simulation testlet. Someone once told me that no one will ask you how many times it took to pass a section - it just matters that you pass eventually. Keep your determination strong and your spirits up!
The AICPA has bestowed the Elijah Watts Sells award on candidates for outstanding performance on the Exam since 1923. Candidates are eligible for the award in the award in the calendar year following the year in which they completed testing. If a candidate meets all criteria for eligibility, they will be contacted by the AICPA and informed of their recipient status. The award is bestowed annually upon candidates who:
Previous University of Illinois recipients:
Emma Weber - MAS '21
Kaylee Bastien - MAS '20
Hannah Smith -MAS '20
