Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Checklist & FAQ

Checklist Overview

Preliminary Steps

  1. Research the education requirements.
  2. Open an online account.
  3. Submit the Credentials Evaluation Application appropriate to your education or situation.
  4. Request official transcripts from every post-secondary institution you have attended.
  5. Look for an emailed results letter approving you to sit for the exam or outlining your deficiencies.

Begin testing:

  1. Submit the Initial Exam Request through your ILBOE online account.
  2. Using the jurisdiction id found in your Initial Exam approval letter, establish an account with NASBA.
  3. Look for an enrollment verification email from NASBA. 
  4. Pay NASBA’s bill (Payment Coupon) for your exam(s).
  5. Schedule your exam(s) at Prometric using your Notice to Schedule (NTS).
  6. Pass all four sections of the Uniform CPA Exam within 18 months.
  7. Pass the AICPA Ethics Exam and submit your certificate to the ILBOE.

Certification and Licensing:

  1. Look for an emailed certification letter from the ILBOE.
  2. Apply for a license at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
  3. Congratulations! Once you are licensed, you can officially call yourself a CPA.

Additional Information:

For detailed information from NASBA about the testing process, download the Candidate Guide.

For information about the content of the Uniform CPA Exam, investigate CPA Exam Resources and the CPA Exam Blueprint

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you accept the transfer credits shown on my university transcript?

No, we do not accept transfer credits for coursework. We ask to see the credits as they were earned at the originating institution. If the credits earned are CLEP or AP, we accept them as they appear on the originating school’s transcript

My Business Communication and/or Business Ethics class was not accepted by my evaluator. Why?

Your evaluator does not have confirmation from your school via a template that the course qualifies. Email your evaluator to see if she needs an NR letter.

Do you accept CPA Review courses?

Review classes are accepted in limited circumstances and in a limited number.

Do you accept life experience?

Since it is not possible to quantify life experience such as work experience, we accept only credits for internships as they appear on a college transcript.

Do you accept study abroad courses?

Credit earned outside the United States that is not earned as part of a domestic school’s formal study abroad program is considered foreign. These must be evaluated by NASBA.

My school uses a quarter system with quarter credits. How are these credits converted to semester hours?

Quarter credit hours are converted to semester credit hours by multiplying quarter credit hours by two-thirds.

I don’t see my school listed in the College Templates. Is that something I should be concerned about?

No. Not all schools have submitted a template. Please provide your transcripts and if any concerns arise, your evaluator will contact you.

Does the ILBOE accept ACCA (Association of Chartered Accountants) credentials and/or credits?

Currently, NASBA does not have a Mutual Recognition Agreement with the ACCA.