Montana CPA Exam

Montana is a one-tier state. Therefore, there is no need to apply for the CPA Certificate. Instead, you may directly apply for the CPA license after fulfilling the CPA ExamCPA ExamA Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a US state board-issued license to practice the accounting professionread more and experience requirements. The Montana Board of Public Accountants issues the license to qualified candidates on meeting all the requirements. 

Here’s the outline of the license requirements in Montana.

Please note that the state also participates in the International Examination Program. Now, let’s view Montana CPA Exam and License Requirements in detail. 

Contents

Montana CPA Exam Requirements

  • Eligibility RequirementsFeesRequired Documents

Montana CPA License Requirements

  • Exam RequirementsEducation RequirementsExperience RequirementsEthics RequirementsLicensing Fees

Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

  • Credit Calculation

Montana Exam Information & Resources

Montana CPA Exam Requirements

CPA Exam is a computer-based series of tests (16-hour long) developed to evaluate your accounting knowledge and skills. The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) jointly administer the CPA Exam.

You must pass all four exam sections within the 18-month testing period. This timeline starts from the testing date of the first passed section and ends on the last day of the last month of the 18-month period. Ensure to score at least 75 points on a scale of 0-99 in each section. 

  • Auditing & Attestation (AUD CPA ExamAUD CPA ExamThe Auditing and Attestation (AUD) CPA exam section tests your expertise in performing auditing, attestation, and other service engagements.read more)Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR CPA ExamFAR CPA ExamThe Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) CPA Exam section tests a candidate’s competency in understanding and applying financial accounting and reporting standards.read more)Business Environment & Concepts (BEC CPA ExamBEC CPA ExamThe BEC CPA Exam (Business Environment and Concepts) exam section evaluates your understanding of the general business environment and your duties and responsibilities as a CPA towards it. It assesses your ability to recognize and scrutinize situations related to Financial reporting, Financial statement audit and attestation and Tax preparation
  • read more)Regulation (REG CPA ExamREG CPA ExamREG CPA Exam (Regulation) exam section tests a candidate’s competency in applying the concepts of federal taxation, business law, and ethics. It is a four-hour exam with 15 minutes break.
  • read more)

All CPA Exam sections constitute five testlets with multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and task-based simulations (TBSs). Only BEC includes an additional segment, written communication tasks (WCTs). 

Eligibility Requirements

CPA Exam applicants must complete an upper-division course with: 

  • A minimum of 24 semester (36 quarter) hours of accounting courses in the following subjects:Financial accountingAuditingTaxation  Management accounting

  • A minimum of 24 semester (36 quarter) hours in general business courses in the following subjects:Information systemsBusiness lawFinanceEconomicsEconomicsEconomics is an area of social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of limited resources within a society.MarketingEthicsOrganizational behaviorQuantitative applications in businessCommunication skills

Please note that an upper-division course is usually an advanced course taken at the junior or senior level. It excludes introductory accounting courses. 

  • Financial accountingAuditingTaxation  Management accounting

  • Information systemsBusiness lawFinanceEconomicsEconomicsEconomics is an area of social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of limited resources within a society.MarketingEthicsOrganizational behaviorQuantitative applications in businessCommunication skills

You must apply for the exam online through CPA Examination Services (CPAES) with the required fee and educational transcripts. Also, ensure direct submission of your documents or foreign evaluations from the academic institute or the evaluation service. 

Furthermore, applicants may utilize NASBA Advisory Evaluation Service to identify any academic inadequacies in the transcripts before the final submission. Kindly visit the NASBA’s website for the complete CPA application processCPA Application ProcessThe CPA application process often leaves aspirants with a lot of questions. The Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination is a license issued by 55 states and territories in the USA. After obtaining the CPA license, you can practice as a certified financial advisor.read more. 

Fees

First-time applicants

Re-exam candidates

Both application and examination fees are non-refundable. Also, you can’t withdraw from the examination or request a Notice-to-Schedule (NTS) extension. Hence, ensure to sit for the applied section(s) within six months (NTS validity period). Or else, you will have to re-apply. 

However, candidates may request an NTS extension or partial refund of the exam fees under extreme situations. They can submit the Exception to Policy form for the same.

Required Documents

The following table mentions the documents to be submitted to the CPAES:

You may also submit the official transcripts electronically. 

Montana CPA License Requirements

Here are the pre-requisites for a Montana CPA License:

  • Education – Bachelor’s degree with 150 semester hoursExam – Pass the Uniform CPA Exam with at least 75 pointsExperience – 1 year (at least 2000 hours) in accounting and/or auditing  Ethics – Pass the AICPA Professional Ethics course with at least 90%

Note that there is no minimum age, residency, social security, or citizenship requirement to be met. 

Education Requirements

You must earn 150 semester hours, including 

  • a baccalaureate degree with an accounting major or its equivalent from a nationally or regionally accredited institutionat least 24 semester hours of accounting courses at least 24 semester hours of business-related courses

Exam Requirements

Candidates must pass all four CPA Exam sections within the rolling 18-month testing period. As specified above, they are required to score at least 75 points in each section. Please check out the Exam Requirements section for detailed information. 

Experience Requirements

CPA Licensure candidates must gain one year (at least 2000 hours) of accounting and/or auditing experience. Here are more details. 

Ethics Requirements

Lastly, ensure to pass the AICPA-developed Professional Ethics for CPAs course with at least 90%. The details are outlined in the table below. 

Licensing Fees

Submit your licensure application with the required fees to the Montana State Board.

Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

Montana CPA License holders must earn 120 CPA CPE credit hoursCPA CPE Credit HoursAs a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), you need to acquire Continuing Professional Education or CPE credits for sustaining your license. This ensures that you are actively involved in improving your know-how of the profession by engaging in learning activities.read more every three years. They should earn credits through only the programs offered by the NASBA National Registry of CPE Sponsors.

Go through this brief checklist to know everything.

Credit Calculation

Now that you know how to become a CPAHow To Become A CPAIn the accounting profession, CPA stands for Certified Public Accountant. It is a professional accountant license certified by a state board of accountancy in the U.S. Becoming a CPA is an indicator of credibility and expertise in accounting. A CPA can hold all sorts of positions in the financial domain. Their extensive knowledge of accounting and ethics can work as reliable financial advisors, business consultants, accountants, auditors, and tax professionals. They can even hold high-level executive positions.read more in Montana start prepping up ASAP! First, devise an intelligent study schedule and equip yourself with suitable prep material. Then, take the CPA Exam and meet other state-specific requirements of Montana before applying for the license.

Remember to keep a tab on AICPA, NASBA, and the State Board website for updated information. Contact the concerned department in case of any queries. Once you attain the license, ensure its renewal and keep enjoying the rewards of being a CPA! 

Montana CPA Exam Information & Resources

  1. Montana Board of Public Accountants (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) (https://boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/)

Mailing Address:

Board of Public AccountantsPO Box 200513Helena, MT 59620-0513

Physical Address:

Board of Public Accountants301 S. Park Avenue4th FloorHelena, MT 59620

Contact:

Ph: (406) 444-6880

  1. Montana Society of CPAs (https://www.mscpa.org/)

46N Last Chance Gulch Ste 2D

PO Box 138

Helena, MT 59601/59624

  1. AICPA (https://www.aicpa.org/)

Phone:

888-777-7077 (U.S. toll free)

  • 1 919 490 4300 (international)

Fax Server:

800-362-5066

AICPA220 Leigh Farm RoadDurham, NC 27707-8110

  1. NASBA CPA Licensing Services (https://nasba.org/)

NASBA Licensing ServicesPO Box 198589Nashville, TN 37219Toll Free: (866) 350-0017

  1. NASBA CPA Exam Services for Montana (https://nasba.org/)

Mail Inquiries:

Montana CoordinatorCPA Examination ServicesPO Box 198469Nashville, Tennessee 37219-8469

This has been a guide to Montana CPA Exam & License Requirements. Here we discuss the CPA exam and license requirements in the U.S. state of Montana along with its CPE requirements. You may consider the following CPA Exam review providers to prepare for your exam –

  • Universal CPA ReviewUniversal CPA ReviewUniversal CPA Review is an online learning platform to prepare aspiring CPAs. It utilizes the innovative visual learning technique to maximize comprehension, retention, and recall of course content. Besides, it is one of the most affordable CPA Exam review courses.read moreSurgent CPA ReviewSurgent CPA ReviewSurgent Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Review is a technology-driven exam prep course for CPA aspirants. It is designed to enable candidates to pass the formidable CPA Exam faster with minimum study time.read moreSurgent vs Becker CPA ReviewSurgent Vs Becker CPA ReviewBoth Surgent and Becker are online prep course providers for Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam applicants. However, the primary difference between Surgent vs Becker CPA Review lies in their approach to exam preparation. read more