Wisconsin CPA Exam and License Requirements

Publication Date :

10 May, 2023

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Wisconsin CPA Exam

Wisconsin CPA (Certified Public Accountant) Exam License is the highest professional credential required to pursue accountancy in the U.S. province. Wisconsin law requires you to complete specific requirements for obtaining the CPA license. The state offers the perfect setting for starting a professional journey with a well-balanced economy, modern infrastructure, excellent amenities, and successful industries.

The Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) issues Wisconsin CPA License. The license protects the public interest by ensuring that only qualified professionals who abide by the state laws practice as CPAs.

Wisconsin does not require you to secure a CPA certificate. Instead, you may apply for the CPA license once the state-defined conditions are met. Thus, it puts the state among the one-tier jurisdictions.

Due to numerous state incentives, Wisconsin possesses a conducive business climate that encourages growth and job creation. Besides, it also has a favorable fiscal atmosphere that promotes entrepreneurship. CPAs benefit from the general business proliferation as every organization needs finance management.

Earning the globally recognized accounting certification in a state with only a three percent unemployment rate is undoubtedly an intelligent career choice. Moreover, Badger State has the required ingredients for a successful CPA career, i.e., a stable economy and advanced opportunities.

Now, let’s explore further the CPA license requirements in Wisconsin.

Particulars	Requirements
License Issuance Authority	Department of Safety & Professional Services
Licensing Pattern	1-tier
Age	Minimum of 18 years
Examination	Eligibility Criteria	120 semester hours
Fees	Initial Candidates	$444.15-$1233.60
Re-examination Candidates	$361.15-$1150.60
Education	150 semester hours
Experience	1 year of relevant work experience
Ethics Examination	Pass the DSPS-organized Ethics Exam

Contents

Wisconsin CPA License Requirements

CPA Exam Requirements
Eligibility Criteria
Fees
Required Documents
Education Requirements
Experience Requirements
Ethics Requirements

Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

Wisconsin License Information & Resources

Wisconsin CPA License Requirements

Below lie the requisites for a CPA license:

18 years of age
150 semester hours of education
Pass the CPA Exam within 18 months
1 year of relevant work experience
Qualify for the DSPS-organized online ethics exam

Application Process

Here is the step-wise breakdown of the CPA licensure application process:

Submit the CPA Exam application, fees, and documents to CPA Examination Services (CPAES).
Attempt the examination within a rolling 18-month period.
Once the official exam scores are released, NASBA will forward your documents to DSPS.
Gain the necessary work experience and pass the ethics exam
Apply for the license through DSPS along with the required fees ($43) and documents.

Note that DSPS may request additional documentation.

CPA Exam Requirements

The first step to obtaining a CPA license is passing the computer-driven test of four sections. A rolling 18-month term is given to finish the test that starts when you sit for the first passed CPA exam section.

Business Environment & Concepts (BEC Section)
Regulation (REG Section)
Auditing & Attestation (AUD Section)
Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR Section)

You must score at least 75 points on a scale of 0-99 in each section. The licensure test verifies your know-how and expertise to perform the services of a CPA.

It is supervised by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and conducted at Prometric centers in coalition with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). The state also takes part in the international CPA Examination program.

Each four-hour-long section is segregated into five testlets. The question types comprise multiple-choice questions (MCQs), task-based simulations (TBSs), and written communication tasks (WCTs).

Particulars	AUD	BEC	FAR	REG
Duration	4-hour	4-hour	4-hour	4-hour
Passing score	75 points	75 points	75 points	75 points
Testlets	5	5	5	5
Question types	MCQs	MCQs	MCQs	MCQs
TBSs	TBSs	TBSs	TBSs
-	WCTs	-	-

Eligibility Criteria

You must earn a minimum of 120 semester hours before applying for the exam with:

24 undergraduate-level or 15 graduate-level semester hours in accounting or an equivalent mix, including the following subjects:
- Financial accountingTaxationAuditing
- Accounting information systems
- Cost or managerial accounting

You can also utilize the NASBA Advisory Evaluation service and mark out any faults in the documents before submitting the application.

Fees

Let’s check the initial and re-examination fee structure for Wisconsin CPA Exam.

Particulars	Initial exam application	Re-exam application
4 exam sections	$1233.60	$1150.60
3 exam sections	$970.45	$887.45
2 exam sections	$707.30	$624.30
1 exam section	$444.15	$361.15

You can’t withdraw from the examination or request an NTS extension. Nevertheless, you may demand a limited repayment of the examination fees or extend your NTS in extreme situations.

Both the application and examination fees are non-refundable. Therefore, attempt the applied section(s) before the expiry of the NTS (six months).

Required Documents

Here is the listing of all the required documents.

Documents	Submission
Official school transcript(s)	By your academic institution
Testing Accommodations Request Form	By you

You must transfer the credit hours earned at foreign institutions to a U.S.-based authorized bachelor-degree granting institution. Ensure that your institution submits the e-transcripts directly to NASBA.

Note that CPAES does not accept photocopies of transcripts and regards them as unauthorized.

Education Requirements

Ensure to attain a bachelor’s degree from an authorized institution. Additionally, you must earn 150 semester hours through one of the following pathways.

Particulars	Pathway 1	Pathway 2	Pathway 3
Degree	Master’s degree in accounting from an accredited institution	At least a bachelor’s degree from an approved business program or college of business	At least a bachelor’s degree from an authorized institution
Accrediting Agency	Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)	-	-
Accounting Hours	-	Minimum 24 undergraduate-level or 15-graduate level semester hours in accounting, including: Financial accounting Auditing Accounting information systems Taxation Cost or managerial accounting	Minimum 24 undergraduate-level or 15-graduate level semester hours in accounting, including: Cost or managerial accounting Auditing Accounting information systems Financial accounting Taxation
Business Hours	-	-	Minimum 24 undergraduate-level or 15-graduate level semester hours in business & economics courses (except for accounting courses), including: Information technology Finance Business law Statistics or data analytics Economics

Courses required to obtain the additional coursework may be from any institution approved by an accrediting agency recognized by the federal education department.

As mentioned above, the initial 120 hours are required to take up the CPA Exam. Therefore, the remaining 30 hours are a requisite for full CPA licensure.

Experience Requirements

You must acquire at least 12 months of public accounting experience or its equivalent within five years before submitting the licensure application. It may be full-time or part-time. However, the latter is designated little weight. If combined, full-time experience is deemed more relevant.

The acceptable employment areas may incorporate government, industry, teaching, and law. It must demonstrate high standards of understanding, knowledge, and capability.

Note that the rank and nature of an employee’s job role are considered for examining relevant experience. You must attach the position description for each employment verification. Ensure to get it signed and dated by the employer.

Ethics Requirements

The last step to Wisconsin CPA licensure is passing the DSPS-regulated open-book ethics examination. It contains 50 questions associated with laws and mandates for managing the public accounting practice in the state.

The applicable fee for the ethics exam is $75. WSBOA will email you the authorized passcode and exam instructions after receiving the licensure application and all supporting documentation.

Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

Once you earn the CPA license, ensure its renewal with 80 CPE credit hours over a biennial period. The licensure renewal fee is $43.

Let’s see all the related details.

Particulars	Requirements
License Renewal Date	December 14 (odd years)
CPE Reporting Period	December 15-December 14 (Biennially)
Required CPE hours	80 hours with minimum of 20 hours annually
Renewal of license issued within 1–2 year period before expiration	40 hours, including: 20 hours obtained in the second year of the reporting period 20 hours meeting the formal learning requirement
Renewal of license issued less than 1 year before the expiration	Exempt from CPE requirements
Ethics Requirement	3 hours
Other Requirements	Minimum 40 hours from formal learning activities meeting board stipulated requirements
Credit Calculation	Instruction	1 hour class = 3 CPE hours
University/College Credit	Credit Courses	1 semester hour = 15 CPE hours
1 quarter hour = 10 CPE hours
Non-Credit Courses	Actual classroom time
Partial Credit	Accepted in one-tenth increments
Carryover	Maximum of 40 CPE credits allowed
Home State Exemption	Licensees meeting other state-specific CPE requirements are exempt from Wisconsin CPE requirements

Congratulations! You managed to pass all the hurdles and bag the most challenging yet rewarding certification in accounting. What adds one more feather to your cap is gaining it in a state with CPA-friendly regulations.

Wisconsin is one of the few U.S. territories that does not demand U.S. citizenship, state residency, or even a Social Security Number. As a result, it gives you the much-needed peace of mind to only focus on the exam and licensure preparation.

Now that you are a Wisconsin CPA, the only thing left is to pick your specialization area. Lastly, keep up with the Wisconsin CPA license renewal requirements. It will ensure a successful professional life with plenty of benefits! You may learn more about CPE Credits for CPA.