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Getting your CPA certification is a big investment. Not only will you need to invest time, but the process also requires a number of different fees to be paid. For many applicants, this can be a major deterrent. Remember that getting your CPA will set you up to earn a good salary. In the end, your license is likely to pay for itself ten times over.
Before embarking on your CPA exam, it is important that you understand what fees you will be expected to pay. This is not as simple as it sounds, because there is no single fixed amount. Furthermore, each state has its own charges, so your expenses will vary depending on where you live. You also need to remember that you may not pass the exam on your first attempt. This could mean additional registration fees.
In the following article we have broken down each of the fees you will be expected to pay and offered a rough estimate of the total cost.
| Types of Costs / Fees | Price Range | Estimated Average | Paid To |
| CPA Exam Application Fee | $50 – $200 | $125 | Your State Board |
| CPA Exam Fees | About $200 each | ~$800 (4x $200) | Payment varies by state. More information is available on the NASBA website |
| Registration Fees | $65 – $100 per exam section | $300 | Payment varies by state. More information is available on the NASBA website |
| CPA Ethics Exam Fees | $189 – $315 | $245 | AICPA |
| Total: | $4,400 |
If your application is approved, you will receive your Authorisation to Test (ATT). If your application is rejected, you will need to reapply and pay your application fees again. To avoid this, make sure you are familiar with your state’s CPA examination requirements before you apply.
Varies by state: About $200 (for each of the four sections of the exam)
Payable to NASBA.
At this stage, you will need to choose which section(s) of the CPA examination you want to take first. You will pay only the relevant exam fees.
It is best to only pay for the sections that you plan to take in the next 6 months. This is because the Notice to Schedule (NTS) that you receive after your ATT is only valid for 6 months. So, if you apply for too many exams at once and can’t complete them within this time frame, you will need to pay your exam and registration fees all over again.
The exam registration fee is paid at the same time as your examination fee (described in the paragraphs above). Some states have a tiered system, for example: in Massachusetts, registration fees are payable in the following manner:
While it seems like it would save you money to register for all exam sections at once, this is a risky move. Completing and passing all four sections of the exam in six months is not an easy task. If you do so, you will up the chances of failing and are likely to need to rebook your test, which will only mean paying more fees in the long run. It is recommended that you register for no more than two exams at a time.
Not every state requires an ethics examination to be written. Before you apply, find out whether your state requires an ethics exam. If you are still uncertain, it may be worth calling your state board and inquiring.
State | Apply through | Exam fees | Paid to | Registration fee | Ethics exam fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
State board | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | State board | n/a | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $90 3 sections - $90 2 sections - $90 1 section - $90 | $189 - $245 | |
State board | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | State board | n/a | $189 - $245 | |
State board | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | State board | 4 sections - $120 3 sections - $105 2 sections - $90 1 section - $75 | $0 | |
State board | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | n/a | n/a | |
NASBA's CPAES | n/a | NASBA | n/a | n/a | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $224.99 FAR - $224.99 REG - $224.99 BEC - $224.99 | NASBA | 4 sections - $85 3 sections - $85 2 sections - $85 1 section - $85 | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $85 3 sections - $85 2 sections - $85 1 section - $85 | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $85 3 sections - $85 2 sections - $85 1 section - $85 | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $85 3 sections - $85 2 sections - $85 1 section - $85 | n/a | |
State board | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $105 3 sections - $90 2 sections - $75 1 section - $60 | n/a | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $85 3 sections - $85 2 sections - $85 1 section - $85 | n/a | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $100 3 sections - $100 2 sections - $100 1 section - $100 | n/a | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $85 3 sections - $85 2 sections - $85 1 section - $85 | n/a | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | n/a | $189 - $245 | |
State board | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | State board | 4 sections - $120 3 sections - $108 2 sections - $76 1 section - $40 | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $110 3 sections - $95 2 sections - $85 1 section - $70 | n/a | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $90 3 sections - $90 2 sections - $90 1 section - $90 | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $85 3 sections - $85 2 sections - $85 1 section - $85 | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA | AUD - $209.99 FAR - $209.99 REG - $209.99 BEC - $209.99 | NASBA | 4 sections - $120 3 sections - $90 2 sections - $60 1 section - $30 | n/a | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $80 3 sections - $80 2 sections - $80 1 section - $80 | n/a | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $85 3 sections - $85 2 sections - $85 1 section - $85 | n/a | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | n/a | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $177 3 sections - $157 2 sections - $137 1 section - $117 | n/a | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | n/a | n/a | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | $85 | $189 - $245 | |
State board | AUD - $224.99 FAR - $224.99 REG - $224.99 BEC - $224.99 | State board | n/a | n/a | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $100 3 sections - $100 2 sections - $100 1 section - $100 | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $100 3 sections - $100 2 sections - $100 1 section - $100 | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $85 3 sections - $85 2 sections - $85 1 section - $85 | $189 - $245 | |
State board | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | n/a | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $160 3 sections - $160 2 sections - $160 1 section - $160 | n/a | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | $80 | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $95 3 sections - $95 2 sections - $95 1 section - $95 | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $224.99 FAR - $224.99 REG - $224.99 BEC - $224.99 | NASBA | 4 sections - $85 3 sections - $85 2 sections - $85 1 section - $85 | n/a | |
State board | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | State board | n/a | 0-$315 | |
State board | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | State board | n/a | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $224.99 FAR - $224.99 REG - $224.99 BEC - $224.99 | NASBA | n/a | n/a | |
State board | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $75 3 sections - $75 2 sections - $75 1 section - $75 | $189 - $245 | |
State board | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | n/a | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $105 3 sections - $105 2 sections - $105 1 section - $105 | n/a | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $224.99 FAR - $224.99 REG - $224.99 BEC - $224.99 | NASBA | 4 sections - $130 3 sections - $130 2 sections - $130 1 section - $130 | n/a | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $224.99 FAR - $224.99 REG - $224.99 BEC - $224.99 | NASBA | n/a | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $224.99 FAR - $224.99 REG - $224.99 BEC - $224.99 | NASBA | 4 sections - $105 3 sections - $90 2 sections - $75 1 section - $60 | $189 - $245 | |
State board | AUD - $256.15 FAR - $256.15 REG - $256.15 BEC - $256.15 | State board | n/a | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | 4 sections - $150 3 sections - $125 2 sections - $100 1 section - $75 | $189 - $245 | |
State board | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | $15 per section | $0 | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | AUD - $110 FAR - $95 REG - $80 BEC - $65 | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | n/a | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | |
State board | AUD - $360 FAR - $360 REG - $360 BEC - $360 | State board | n/a | n/a | |
State board | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | n/a | $189 - $245 | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | n/a | $189 - $245 | |
State board | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | $40 per section | n/a | |
NASBA's CPAES | AUD - $1,185.60 FAR - $934.45 REG - $683.30 BEC - $432.15 | NASBA | n/a | $75 | |
State board | AUD - $226.15 FAR - $226.15 REG - $226.15 BEC - $226.15 | NASBA | n/a | $189 - $245 |
Most states that allow international candidates to take the exam in their jurisdiction charge a $150 – $200 fee. This is because your state will need to assess whether your education meets the minimum requirements.
Unfortunately, you will have to pay all the required fees to be eligible to write the CPA exam. Because of these costs, you probably don’t want to break the bank gathering your 30 extra credit scores. Luckily, you can do this pretty cheaply if you go through the right program. CpaCredits is the most cost efficient way to meet the 150 college credit requirement.
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