Certified Public Accountant
The CPA is a state license that lets an accountant offer public accounting services such as audits and attest work. Every candidate passes the same national Uniform CPA Exam, but each state board sets its own education, experience, and ethics rules before it grants the license.
Issued by State boards of accountancy (Connecticut State Board of Accountancy, through the CT Department of Consumer Protection); exam by AICPA and NASBA · Official page
Who can apply
- National pathways (NASBA, Dec 2025): the traditional route is a bachelor's degree in accounting plus 30 more semester credits (150 total) with one year of experience; a newer route is a 120 credit bachelor's in accounting with two years of experience. Both require passing the CPA Exam. Exact rules depend on the state.
- Connecticut exam education (CT DCP exam page): coursework from a CHEA regionally accredited school, including 27 semester hours in accounting (one introductory course may count) and 24 semester hours in economics and business administration or related subjects.
- Connecticut certificate education (applications on or after Oct 1, 2025): a bachelor's degree or equivalent with at least 27 semester hours of accounting and 24 semester hours of business and economics outside accounting.
- Connecticut experience: 2 years with an accounting concentration bachelor's, or 1 year with a bachelor's plus 30 extra semester hours or a post-bachelor's degree. Experience must be verified by a qualifying supervising CPA (SBA-12 form) and be no more than 10 years old at application.
- Connecticut ethics: complete the AICPA Professional Ethics for CPAs comprehensive self-study course with a score of 90 or higher.
- Connecticut exam applicants need a Social Security Number; there is no residency requirement (NASBA).
Exam
- Exam
- Uniform CPA Examination
- Format
- Four sections taken individually in any order: three Core sections (AUD Auditing and Attestation, FAR Financial Accounting and Reporting, REG Taxation and Regulation) plus one Discipline section chosen from BAR Business Analysis and Reporting, ISC Information Systems and Controls, or TCP Tax Compliance and Planning. Questions are multiple choice and task-based simulations.
- Questions
- Data unavailable
- Time
- 4 hours per section, 16 hours in total
A score of at least 75 is needed on each section. In Connecticut all four sections must be passed within a rolling 30 month window that starts on the score release date. NASBA administers the exam for Connecticut.
Official fees
| Fee | Amount | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut exam application fee (NASBA) | $96 | Nonrefundable. | Official page |
| Connecticut exam section fee (NASBA) | $269 | Per section; NASBA lists one rate for all sections. Four sections are required. | Official page |
| Connecticut education evaluation application (NASBA) | $96 | Listed by NASBA for Connecticut candidates. | Official page |
| Connecticut CPA certificate registration, initial | $40 | Annual renewal is also $40. A certificate alone does not allow practice as a CPA. | Official page |
| Connecticut CPA license, initial | $150 | Required to practice. | Official page |
| Connecticut CPA license, annual renewal | $565 | Paid each year to keep the license active. | Official page |
Only fees published by the issuer or regulator are listed. Blank amounts mean no official figure was available to verify.
Renewal and continuing education
- Cycle
- Annual (Connecticut license)
- Requirement
- Connecticut licensees complete 40 hours of continuing education each year, plus four hours of ethics education every three CPE cycles. A certificate registration without a license has no CE requirement.
State rules
Connecticut details are shown. CT DCP and NASBA describe Connecticut exam education differently: the DCP exam page lists 27 accounting and 24 business credits, the DCP license page says exam eligibility needs at least 120 semester hours with 46 in accounting and related subjects (24 in accounting), and NASBA's Connecticut page lists 120 semester hours with 24 accounting and 22 business credits. Candidates should confirm with the Board or NASBA before applying. Other states set different rules.
Related careers
| Occupation | National median wage |
|---|---|
| Accountants and auditors | $83,680 |
Sources
- AICPA & CIMA: Everything You Need to Know About the CPA Exam, accessed October 18, 2026
- AICPA & CIMA: Seven things to know about the new CPA Exam, accessed October 18, 2026
- NASBA: New CPA Licensure Pathways and CPA Mobility, accessed October 18, 2026
- NASBA: Connecticut CPA Exam, accessed October 18, 2026
- CT DCP: CPA Exam Information, accessed October 18, 2026
- CT DCP: CPA Educational Requirements, accessed October 18, 2026
- CT DCP: Certified Public Accountant Initial CT Registration or License, accessed October 18, 2026
Verification notes
Total question count per section is not published on the pages reviewed, so exam.questions is null. The AICPA exam page does not itself state the 150 hour rule; the general 150 hour and 120 hour pathways come from NASBA's Dec 2025 post. Connecticut exam education figures conflict across official pages (see state_note). No issuer-stated typical timeline was found.
ConnectPrep is not affiliated with State boards of accountancy (Connecticut State Board of Accountancy, through the CT Department of Consumer Protection); exam by AICPA and NASBA. Credential names may be trademarks of their owners.