How Long Does It Take to Become a CPA in 2027? Your Full Timeline

If you’re asking how long it takes to become a CPA, you’re really asking about three clocks. One runs on your degree, one on the Uniform CPA Exam, and one on your work experience. Each state board sets its own rules for all three, so no single number fits everyone.

What we can do is lay out each clock using the figures the boards publish. That way you can add them up for your own state. This guide uses the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), the Virginia Board of Accountancy, the North Dakota State Board of Accountancy and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). All pages were read on October 11, 2026.

How Long Does It Take to Become a CPA, Step by Step?

Here’s the short version. The table lists the figures the boards publish.

Your total depends on your state, because some steps can overlap and your board decides how much. Let’s take them in order.

How Long Does the Degree Take?

Start with the degree, because it’s the part you control most. A standard bachelor’s degree is 120 semester hours. NASBA describes the traditional route as a bachelor’s degree in accounting plus 30 additional semester credits, for 150 semester hours in all.

How many years those credits take depends on how many classes you take each term. A full-time student and a working adult going part time will land in very different places. Our bachelor’s in accounting list shows credits and format for each program, so you can compare how fast you could finish.

The BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education for accountants and auditors. So the first 120 hours get you into the field even before you pursue the license.

What Is the 150-Hour Route?

The 150-hour route is the traditional path. The BLS says state Boards of Accountancy license CPAs and that all states require 150 semester hours of coursework for licensure. NASBA’s current description of the traditional pathway matches that. It pairs the 150 hours with one year of experience and a passing exam score.

You can reach 150 hours in a few ways:

• Add a 30-credit master’s in accounting after your bachelor’s.
• Take extra undergraduate courses while you’re still enrolled.
• Add graduate credits later, once you know what your board counts.

Boards also care about which courses you take, not just the total. North Dakota’s board asks for 24 semester credits in accounting courses and 24 in other business courses. Check your own board’s list before you register for anything.

What Is the Newer 120-Hour Route?

Some states now offer a second path. NASBA calls it the “New 120-Hour Pathway.” You earn a 120-hour bachelor’s in accounting, then complete two years of professional experience and pass the exam.

That trades 30 credits of school for one extra year of work. If you’d rather start earning than keep paying tuition, it may fit you better.

There’s a catch. NASBA says implementation dates vary, and each jurisdiction has to enact its own legislation. So the route may not be open in your state yet. NASBA points readers to its New Licensure Pathways page and to CPAMobility.org for each state’s effective date.

How Long Do You Have to Pass the CPA Exam?

The exam has four sections. You pass each one with a score of at least 75. Virginia’s board describes them as four-hour sections. North Dakota’s board says you can take them individually and in any order.

The clock that matters most is the credit window. In Virginia, each passing score has a lifespan of 30 months beginning on the score release date. North Dakota says you must pass all sections within a rolling 30 month period.

Here’s how that plays out:

1. You pass your first section. The clock starts on the day your score is released.
2. You have 30 months to pass the other three.
3. If the clock runs out first, your oldest passing credit expires and you retake that section.

Not every state uses 30 months. NASBA says your State Accountancy Board determines whether credit is granted and how long it stays valid. Its exam FAQ points to the credit rules by jurisdiction in the candidate guide. Look yours up before you book your first section.

Virginia’s board also notes that starting in July 2027, the exam administration and score release schedule will change. If your plan runs past that date, check the schedule the board links to.

NASBA also says that where you take the exam doesn’t depend on where you plan to practice, and that scores can be transferred to any state for a license. Its exam FAQ adds that the online score transfer service covers only certain jurisdictions, so ask your board how to move yours.

For a closer look at how many candidates pass each section, see our CPA exam pass rates guide. For the fees you’ll plan around, see the CPA exam cost guide.

Can You Take the Exam Before You Finish 150 Hours?

In some states, yes. North Dakota’s board says it may permit a candidate to take the examination with at least 120 semester hours. You still need 150 semester hours before you can be licensed there.

That can shorten your overall timeline. You could be studying for sections while you finish your last 30 credits. But it only works if your board allows it, so ask first.

Our CPA exam guide covers who can sit for the exam and how the sections work.

How Much Experience Do You Need?

Experience is the third clock, and it’s the one with the most variety. NASBA says many states require at least one year of public accounting work experience. Other states accept different types of work in place of public accounting, and some ask for a set amount of auditing experience.

North Dakota gives a concrete example. An exam passer must complete 2,000 hours and one calendar year of qualified experience before becoming licensed. The state’s rules say those 2,000 hours must be gained within four or fewer calendar years.

On the newer 120-hour route, NASBA lists two years of professional experience instead of one. Your own state may set a different amount, so confirm it with your board.

You can start building experience in an entry-level accounting job. The BLS notes a median annual wage of $83,680 for accountants and auditors in May 2025. That figure covers licensed and unlicensed workers together, so it’s a field-wide guide, not a CPA paycheck.

What Could Slow You Down?

A few things can stretch your timeline, and it helps to know them early.

• Credit that doesn’t count. Your board may not accept every course. Confirm coursework before you enroll.
• An expired exam credit. If you pass one section and then pause for a long stretch, the 30-month clock keeps running.
• A state that hasn’t adopted the 120-hour route. You may need the full 150 hours.
• Moving. Experience and education rules differ by state, so check both boards if you might relocate.

None of this is a reason to hold back. It’s a reason to read your board’s page first. The work you put in on the degree, the exam and the job all count toward the same license.

How Can You Plan Your Own Timeline?

Here’s a simple way to build your own number:

1. Find your state board of accountancy and note its education rule: 150 hours, 120 hours plus experience, or both.
2. Write down the credit window for exam sections and the experience requirement.
3. Count the credits you already have and divide the rest by how many you can take each term.
4. Pencil in the exam sections after you know which ones your board lets you take early.
5. Add the experience time, and ask whether any of it can overlap with the exam.

Choosing a program that matches your board’s rules saves time. Our list of accounting programs for CPA candidates shows which programs name CPA preparation on their own pages. For the full license steps, see our CPA requirements guide, and for what the job looks like, read about the certified public accountant career.