Georgia CPA Exam Requirements 2026
Georgia's current exam-eligibility formula is 24 accounting semester hours at a qualifying four-year institution. It is not expressed as one separate total-credit threshold. Check your education, application route, current known fees, deadlines, and next steps in one place.
Georgia CPA requirements at a glance
Exam eligibility and CPA licensure are different decisions. This page leads with the rules to sit and keeps licensing information in a separate comparison.
Recent rule activity: Do not treat a proposed or future-effective pathway as current.
- Adopted And Effective: 24 semester hours of accounting at a qualifying four-year institution, with no degree or total-hour minimum to sit. Effective January 1, 2026.
Are you eligible for the CPA Exam in Georgia?
Georgia's current sitting rule is: 24 accounting semester hours at a qualifying four-year institution. No separate total-hour number should be inferred. The application authority makes the final decision from official documents.
What to confirm before applying
- Meet the published good-moral-character requirement.
- Complete 24 qualifying accounting semester hours.
Named coursework and accreditation
- The 24 accounting hours must be completed at a four-year accredited college or university that offers a baccalaureate degree.
The 24 accounting hours must be completed at a four-year accredited college or university that offers a baccalaureate degree.
| Question | Current answer | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Can I sit before 150 hours? | Yes, if every other requirement is met. | Keep licensing education separate from exam eligibility. |
| Can I apply before the degree is awarded? | A degree is not required to sit; complete every published credit-hour and subject requirement by the applicable deadline. | Follow every final-transcript deadline. |
| Must I live in the jurisdiction? | No Georgia jurisdiction-residency rule was identified. | Check separate U.S. residency, citizenship, SSN, and identity rules. |
| Are nontraditional credits accepted? | Treatment differs by credit type. | Use the credit-treatment checklist below and confirm unknowns. |
Education-hour details
| Requirement | Semester hours | Quarter hours | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total college credit | Coursework formula | Coursework formula | 24 accounting semester hours at a qualifying four-year institution |
| Accounting | 24 | 36 | Course classification is determined by the application authority. |
| Business | Not required | Not required | No separate business-coursework minimum is part of the current exam-admission formula. |
Credit types to confirm
- Community-college credit: Allowed subject to the published conditions
- Online credit: Allowed subject to the published conditions
- CLEP credit: Not accepted under the published rule
- AP credit: Confirm with the application authority
- Pass/fail credit: Confirm with the application authority
- Internship credit: Allowed subject to the published conditions
Georgia eligibility gap planner
Enter your education and personal details to compare them with the published Georgia requirements. Nuanced course classifications still require an official evaluation.
Check 2 published eligibility gates
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How to apply for the CPA Exam in Georgia
NASBA CPA Examination Services (CPAES) is the application authority. Application method: online through the NASBA CPA Portal.
Your application sequence
- Audit your transcriptsMatch total hours, degree status, accounting, business, and named-course requirements.
- Read the current official instructionsConfirm personal rules, deadlines, fees, and the exact application route.
- Submit the applicationApply through NASBA CPA Examination Services (CPAES) and pay the amount shown in the live application.
- Send official documentsArrange transcripts and evaluations through the method required by the application authority.
- Resolve follow-up requestsMonitor the applicant portal and respond to education or identity questions.
- Download the NTS and scheduleUse the exact name and expiration printed on the Notice to Schedule.
Documents to prepare
- education evaluation application.
- official transcript from each school.
- CPA Portal exam-section application.
- NIES evaluation when applicable.
Processing time
Allow two to four weeks after the file is complete.
Always follow the live application instructions in case a recipient, document method, address, or fee has changed.
Build your Georgia application plan
The calculators use currently published numeric fees and time limits. Any amount or period not published is excluded.
CPA Exam cost calculator
Calculate the currently published fee components. Charges not listed by the application authority are excluded.
6-month NTS planner
Estimate the end of the published NTS period before purchasing more sections than you can reasonably take.
Georgia application checklist
Check off each step as you finish it. Progress is stored only in this browser.
See what the CPA Exam journey feels like—while fighting off zombies.
Open CPA Exam Survival inside the CPA Exam Arcade and choose Story Mode. You will experience a playful version of the journey from signing up through studying and sitting for the exam.
Choose Story Mode when the game opens. This is an educational game, not an official AICPA or Prometric exam simulator.
Georgia exam, NTS, and retake rules
Eligibility gets you into the exam. These rules determine how long your authorization and passing scores remain useful.
Pass four sections with a 75
Pass AUD, FAR, and REG plus one discipline: BAR, ISC, or TCP. Each required section uses a passing score of 75.
- Core sections are generally available through continuous testing.
- Discipline sections follow the applicable AICPA administration windows.
- Schedule only sections you can reasonably prepare for before the NTS expires.
Your 30-month credit window
Apply only when ready to test within the NTS period.
- Only one section may be selected per exam-section application.
- The 30-month credit period begins on the score-release date.
- Discipline sections follow AICPA testing windows.
Check CPA score-release timing · Compare how long CPA Exam scores last.
Compare review courses by the support you actually need.
Evaluate teaching style, practice tools, access length, guarantees, and total price before spending.
Important limits for international candidates
Foreign-education acceptance, the application jurisdiction, and the country where you physically test are separate decisions.
If your education was earned outside the U.S.
- Foreign education accepted: Yes, subject to evaluation conditions
- Credential evaluation required: Yes
- NIES required: Yes
- Approved evaluation services: NASBA International Evaluation Services (NIES)
- Certified translation: Required
The NIES report must be submitted to CPAES.
If you want to test outside the United States
An international Prometric location does not create independent CPA Exam eligibility. You must first qualify through a participating U.S. jurisdiction.
Confirm that Georgia participates for the country where you want to test and check the international administration fee before scheduling.
Check NASBA's current international administration list · Compare CPA jurisdictions for international candidates.
Georgia CPA licensure comparison
Passing the exam is not the same as receiving a CPA license. This limited comparison prevents the licensing threshold from being mistaken for the rule to sit.
| Requirement | To sit for the exam | For licensure |
|---|---|---|
| Education | 24 accounting semester hours at a qualifying four-year institution | Varies by pathway; review the current routes below |
| Experience | Not treated as an exam-sitting requirement unless the application instructions expressly say otherwise | Varies by pathway; use the experience term stated for your route below |
| Ethics exam | Separate from the Uniform CPA Exam | Confirm |
| Alternative pathway | Do not apply a licensure alternative automatically to exam eligibility | Adopted And Effective: Georgia licensure routes include a bachelor's degree plus 150 hours and one year of experience, a qualifying master's degree plus one year, or a bachelor's degree plus two years. Accounting and business concentrations also apply. |
Current licensure pathways
Choose the route that matches your education and experience. These are licensure routes, not automatic exam-admission rules.
Published licensure routes
Georgia licensure routes include a bachelor's degree plus 150 hours and one year of experience, a qualifying master's degree plus one year, or a bachelor's degree plus two years. Accounting and business concentrations also apply.
Effective: January 1, 2026
Pathway timing matters: Effective date: January 1, 2026. Licensure education and experience are separate from the current 24-accounting-hour exam rule.
Georgia CPA Exam requirements FAQ
How many college hours do I need to sit for the CPA Exam in Georgia?
Georgia's current education formula is: 24 accounting semester hours at a qualifying four-year institution. The jurisdiction does not express that formula as one separate total-hour threshold.
Do I need 150 semester hours to sit in Georgia?
No. Georgia allows a qualified candidate to begin testing before completing 150 hours. Licensure education is a separate requirement.
Do I have to live in Georgia to take the CPA Exam?
No Georgia jurisdiction-residency requirement applies to exam eligibility. Other personal requirements can still apply.
Can I apply before my degree is awarded in Georgia?
Georgia does not require a degree to sit. Every published credit-hour and subject requirement must still be complete by the application deadline unless the official instructions expressly provide otherwise.
How much does the CPA Exam application cost in Georgia?
The current known first-section total is $460.59, using every mandatory fee layer in the verified snapshot. Returning-candidate and later-section totals can differ. Always confirm the live amount before payment.
How long do Georgia CPA Exam credits last?
Georgia provides a 30-month examination-credit window. Follow the jurisdiction's exact start-date rule and the expiration shown in your candidate account.
Can I use education earned outside the United States for Georgia?
Georgia accepts foreign education subject to an approved credential evaluation. The official instructions require NIES.
Your next CPA Exam research steps
Use this Georgia page as your eligibility command center, then move into application timing and study-material research.
Official Georgia sources used for this guide
Open the controlling source before paying a non-refundable fee if your education, residency, identity, or pathway is unusual.
Confirm your situation before applying: We reviewed each requirement against the official sources below. Rules, fees, and Board interpretations can change quickly and sometimes without a widely distributed announcement, and your transcript or circumstances may be evaluated differently. Before you apply, pay a fee, or enroll in coursework, confirm your situation directly with NASBA CPA Examination Services (CPAES).
- Georgia CPA ExamNational Association of State Boards of Accountancy · NASBA
- Georgia Board Rule Chapter 20-3Georgia State Board of Accountancy · Regulation
- Georgia Licensing RequirementsNational Association of State Boards of Accountancy · NASBA
Editorial standard: Proposed rules are not presented as effective, and interactive results are planning guidance rather than official eligibility determinations. Official sources last reviewed: August 8, 2026.
Reviewed by Bryan Kesler, CPA
Bryan Kesler is the founder of CPA Exam Guide. Regulatory eligibility is always determined by the applicable Board or examination authority.