Examinee Qualifications: The CPA examination as required by the Public

Examinee Qualifications: The CPA examination as required by the Public Accountancy Act is to determine minimum competency of an individual for licensure purposes. The CPA examination shall test the knowledge and skills required for performance as an entry-level certified public accountant. The examination shall include the subject areas of accounting and auditing and related knowledge and skills as the Board may require. In accordance with Rule 2.1. of these Rules and Regulations, an applicant for a CPA license must pass the CPA examination in addition to other licensure requirements. Candidates for the CPA examination must satisfy the following requirements to qualify to sit for the CPA examination as a Mississippi candidate: (a) Educational Requirement: Candidates who first sit for the CPA examination on or after July 1, 2016, must have completed at least 120 semester hours of college education including a baccalaureate or higher degree conferred by an accredited four-year college or university or the equivalent acceptable to the Board, with an accounting concentration determined by Board rule to be appropriate. (1) Accreditation acceptable to the Board shall be by one of the following accrediting agencies or its successor: a. For the accounting program or business school, accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business – International (AACSB), or b. For colleges or universities without AACSB accreditation, accreditation by one of the following regional accrediting agencies or its successor: i. Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; Middle States Commission on Higher Education ii. The Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of The New England Association of Schools and Colleges iii. North Central Association of Colleges Schools – The Higher Learning Commission iv. Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities v. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges vi. Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities (2) Accounting Concentration: The candidate shall be determined to have the equivalent of an accounting concentration if he has at least 48 semester hours of upper division or graduate level accounting and business related courses as approved by the Board at an accredited four-year college or university with a minimum of 24 semester hours of accounting at the upper division or graduate level, including a minimum of 3 semester hours each in courses covering the following subjects: a. financial accounting b. auditing c. taxation d. accounting information systems (3) The educational requirements must be completed before the candidate first applies to take the examination. (4) Credit for hours taken at accredited colleges and universities using the quarter system shall be counted as ⅔ of a semester hour for each hour of credit received under the quarter system. (b) Residency: The candidate must be a resident of the State of Mississippi. Residency shall be determined by the Board based on all of the facts and circumstances of each individual case. Factors normally considered by the Board in determining residency are as follows: (1) Place of registration as a voter (2) Vehicle registration and tags (3) Filing of Mississippi State Resident Income Tax Returns (4) Qualifying for Homestead Exemption in Mississippi and payment of real estate taxes to this state, and/or (5) Graduation from a Mississippi university or college (c) Good Moral Character: As the passing of the CPA examination is the initial qualification to licensure, a candidate must be able to demonstrate that he possesses good moral character in order to qualify to sit for the examination. In evaluating good moral character, the Board shall consider a candidate’s criminal record including but not limited to felony convictions or pleas; discipline before state, local or federal jurisdictions; and other documents and/or records determined appropriate in the circumstance.