Maryland CPA Requirements

Education Requirements Other Requirements
Hours Required for Exam: 120 semester hours or 180 undergraduate quarter hours Residency Required: No
Hours Required for Licensure: 150 hours Minimum Age: Not required
Degree Required: Bachelor's or higher degree in Accounting Application Fee: $60.00
Additional Notes: Maryland has detailed course requirements. See below link to Maryland's State Board of Public Accountancy. Additional Requirements: Non-United States transcripts must be evaluated by FACS. FACS evaluationswill be considered by the Maryland Board.
In order to sit for the uniform CPA exam in the state of Maryland in 2015, candidates must complete a series of educational requirements, fulfill the age requirement, apply for the test and pay certain fees. Several other pertinent details are also necessary during the testing process. It is important to keep in mind that while passing the CPA exam is one step on the way to being a fully licensed CPA; passing the exam alone will not automatically bring about full licensure.

Educational Requirements:

Different jurisdictions will require slightly different educational components to be completed by the time the CPA test is taken. Here is what the state of Maryland requires for 2015:
  • A bachelor’s degree in accounting or equivalent with 120 semester hours completed through an accredited college or university (150 semester credits needed for licensure).
  • At least 51 credit hours in accounting (a “major” in the field). Course requirements are broken down into two groups:
  • Group 1 = 30 semester hours to include: three credits in auditing, cost accounting, U.S. federal income tax, ethics; and, nine hours in both financial accounting and in other supporting accounting courses.
  • Group 2 = 21 semester hours in five of the nine approved business-related courses with at least 3 semester hours in 5 of the nine approved subjects, which include:
      • Computer Science/Information Systems
      • Corporate or Business Finance
      • Management
      • Statistics
      • Economics
      • U.S. Business Law
      • Business Communication
      • Qualitative Methods
      • Marketing

Age, Residency, and other Requirements

In addition to meeting the educational requirements above, applicants in Maryland should also be aware of the following:
  • You must be at least 18 years old on or before the first day of testing.
  • You do not need to be a U.S. citizen to take the CPA test in Maryland
    • For certification and licensure, additional requirements apply.
    • State recognized photo ID (such as a valid driver’s license or passport) is required on all dates of testing.
    • Application fees (totaling approximately $1,000.00) and testing fees (generally less than $90.00) are required.
    • Re-exam fees are the same as the initial fees.

Exam Process

In order to be ready for the exam, you will also need to submit the appropriate application by the deadline for your desired testing cycle. Your application will need to be accompanied by payment of appropriate fees. Also, keep in mind the following:
  • Name on application needs to appear exactly the way it is on your main form of ID which you will need on the dates of testing.
  • The state board will need your transcripts, so be sure you send them as soon as possible.
  • Once all the requirements are validated then you will receive the “Notice to Sit” which is good for 180 days and will allow you to start scheduling your exam parts in any order.
  • Exam fees are generally non-refundable.
  • Completing review courses through a qualified CPA exam review program is highly recommended.
  • The four sections of the exam and their corresponding time limits are:
  • Auditing and Attestation (4.5 hours)
  • Financial Accounting and Reporting (4.0 hours)
  • Regulation (3.0 hours)
  • Business Environment and Concepts (2.5 hours)
    • Scores are released twice during the testing windows, depending on which month you take your tests. Waiting times will vary.

Before Scheduing your exam(s), prepare with:

Still have questions about the Maryland CPA Exam, education requirements, or the process as a whole? Let us help. We can answer your questions and alleviate you concerns. After all, we've been helping exam candidates just like you since 1971. Since then, we've successfully helped more than 150,000 pass!

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