Exam Tips

How to Become a Licensed CPA in Nebraska

Nebraska requires candidates to complete 150 credit hours before they can sit for the exam or obtain a CPA license. You also have to be a resident in order to apply to take the exam. NE is a little different than most states because it still operates a two-tier system that allows you to receive your CPA certificate as soon as you pass the exam. You can later apply for the license and fulfill the work experience qualifications.

Let’s take a look at what you need to do to take the exam and get licensed.

Nebraska CPA Exam Requirements

In order to be eligible to sit for the exam in Nebraska, candidates must meet the following personal qualifications and educational requirements.

  • No minimum age limit
  • Not Required to be a US citizen
  • Must be a NE resident
  • Valid Social Security Number Required
  • NE does participate in the International Examination Program

Educational Requirements to Sit

In Nebraska, you must graduate with a bachelor’s degree or higher AND complete 150 college credit hours in order to sit for the exam. Many students do this by either double majoring in accounting and finance or by going on to get a master’s degree. Here’s what you will need to do:

 

Bachelor’s Degree or higher (at least 150 semester hours) including:

  • 30 credit hours of upper level Accounting including auditing, financial and managerial accounting, and taxation
  • 36 credit hours of General Business courses including: Management, Finance, Business Law, and Economics

Nebraska allows students to take the exam before they graduate as long as they are set to complete the 150-hour rule within 60 days of taking the first section.

Exam Fees

The total cost to take the CPA exam in Nebraska is $889.08 including an initial one-time $160 application fee. The cost for each section is listed below.

 

AUD – Audit $192.03
FAR – Financial Accounting and Reporting $192.03
BEC – Business Environment and Concepts $172.51
REG – Regulation $172.51

 

The fees are typically based on the duration of the exam. That’s why the FAR and AUD exams cost the most.

IMPORTANT – Don’t try to get ahead of yourself and register for all four sections at once. Your notice to sit (NIT) will expire if you don’t take the exam in 6 months and you will have to re-register. The bummer is you will have to pay again in order to register. Re-registration application fees are $65 and varied depending on how many you register for, so only sign up for the exams that you are ready to sit for in the next 6 months.

Registration Fees

Luckily, NE has some of the most affordable registration fees out of any state, but it doesn’t mean you need to pay all of them. Here is the breakdown for the registration fees you will have to pay if you re-register in Nebraska. As you can see, registering more exams at once will save you some money.

  • 1 section $65.00
  • 2 sections $80.00
  • 3 sections $95.00
  • 4 sections $110.00

CPA License Requirements

The entire exam process can be overwhelming when you first start looking into it. It’s okay! You can make it. Applying for the test is just the first step in becoming a CPA in NE. Once you pass the exam, there are just a few simple things you have to do before you can legally call yourself a Certified Public Accountant and start working as one.

Since Nebraska is a two-tier state, you will be issued your CPA certificate as soon as you graduate and pass the exam.

 

After you have your certificate, you’ll need to fulfill the licensure requirements and apply for a state license. Here is the basic process.

Pass the Exam

You’ll have to pass all four sections of the exam with a score of at least 75 in an 18-month period.

Paperwork

Submit all the required paperwork to the state board usually includes transcripts, license application, and proof of work experience.

Fees

Pay the license/certification fees with your application.

Ethics Exam

Take and pass the AICPA Professional Ethics exam (found on the AICPA website)

Additional Education

No additional requirements are necessary because you had to fulfill the 150 credit limit in order to sit for your first section.

Work Experience Requirements

Nebraska has a pretty standard one-year work experience requirement for all CPA candidates. Here are the details.

2-years or 4,000 hours of general accounting and auditing skills in Public Accounting supervised and verified by a CPA in good standing.

More Exam Resources and Information

Gathering your paperwork, applying to sit, and actually taking the exam can be pretty involved. I know. It can be even worse if you transferred to multiple colleges during your undergraduate program. This is something not a lot of applicants think about. Yes, the Nebraska state board needs proof of all of your education. You will have to send in transcripts from every college you’ve attended. This can be a pain depending on your school.

This is why I think it’s always a good idea to contact the state board directly. You can find out what they already have on file and more importantly what they need to complete your application. Nothing is worse than finding out they need something after the fact.

 

For instance, states don’t always receive your test scores from Prometrics. Things can get lost or forgotten about. Unfortunately, most state boards rarely notify you that something is missing. Directly contacting the board is the fastest way to confirm that they have everything they need before you get too far along in the process.

Here is the contact info for the state board.

Nebraska State Board of Accountancy

Nebraska CPA Application Forms

    • P.O. Box 94725
    • Lincoln, NE 68509-4725

 

  • Phone: 402-471-3595
  • Fax: 402-471-4484