I’m a recent accounting grad in cali, how do i know which CPA path is for me, i have no experience yet.?

You can take the CPA exam without any experience but you must complete experience requirements before you receive your license.

I would recommend taking the exam as soon out of college as possible so that everything is still relatively fresh in your mind. A bunch of the stuff that is on the exam was probably not gone over in your college education so I would highly recommend that you do some good hard studying with either test prep books or classes. The exam is expensive and time consuming so I guarantee that you will not want to fail and have to repeat any of it.

Once you have completed the exam you have to complete your experience in order to get your license. In California the amount of experience varies based on what kind of license you are applying for and how much education you have (i.e. if you have a masters degree then the general experience requirement will be lower). If you want to be licensed to do audit work you will have to have done very specific audit experience.

Check out the link below for full detail from the state board.

You can (and should) take the CPA exam even though you may not meet the experience requirements of your state to be a ‘licensed’ CPA. Most states require at least one year of accounting experience plus passing the exam before you can be licenses, but if you pass the exam, the experience is the easy part.

Nearly every company wants its people in the accounting field to have their CPA. If you are looking at controller or higher, it is essential. It not only shows that you are willing to do whatever it takes to succeed, it shows that you are serious about your chosen field-accounting.

The CMA is fine if all you want to do is work for someone else the rest of your life. If you ever want to venture out on your own and start your own practice, you must have a CPA.

I took the CPA exam, and then changed careers. (I couldn’t stand working in the Big 4 environment).

For me, I decided that I HATED public accounting, and then went for the CMA route. For me, that is the route to go. But then, you need to decide which path you want to be working in come the next 5-10 years.

Every state has a different experience requirement, so will need to check with the State Board of Public Accountancy where you eventually want to practice. In TX (where I live, there is an experience requirement).

Totally, with your knowlege, the exam will be a cinch.

Many of the accountants at say, H&R Block are hired as secretaries, and then they become finance assistents within a few years……they do our taxes for us, and that is why they are so liberal in the returns….

Go for the exam, you know the laws, fresh out of college, you have the best shot at it. Also, do you live near LA, I will ask you to do our taxes next year if yes?

it would be the same as taking the bar if you havent been a lawyer yet..

so yes. study while its all fresh in your head from school and take the damn test..

GOOD LUCK!!!!