Hi everybody.
My name's Katie, and I'm from Roger CPA Review and today we're here to tell you about provisionary
periods.
What is a provisionary period?
Well, it's an allotted amount of time that your state may have for you to sit for the
CPA Exam before you meet the education requirements.
For example, if you graduate, say, in June, and you meet the education requirements in
June, and your state has a provisionary period of 180 days or 6 months, you can actually
sit for the CPA Exam starting in January.
Which is fantastic because you can start early.
Some of the states that include Washington, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa,
Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Maine, New York and Tennessee, 14 in all.
Now the states can be...the provisionary period can be anywhere between 60 to 200 days just
depending on your state and how you find out that information, is you're going to want
to go Roger CPA Review website, and go to the education requirements pages.
You search your state, you can not only find what credits you need, how many you need,
what type of classes, what type of degrees you need to meet those education requirements.
But what the provisionary period is...now how you actually go about going through this
process is you go to your state Board of Accountancy website, download the paperwork, take it to
your campus where they're going to fill out some information, just saying, "Yes, this
person's good to go.
They're going to meet the education requirements within the allotted amount of time," and then
apply like you normally would.
Then you go and you sit for the CPA Exam, you can do 1 part, you can take 4 parts, you
can really take as many as you want depending on what your schedule will allow.
The catch is, you won't actually receive your scores until after you meet the education
requirements, so again, if you've started in January, you've taken 1 or 2 parts, but
you don't graduate or meet the education requirements until June, you're going to have to wait until
June to receive your scores.
But, don't worry.
I mean, it might make you more anxious or more worried, but it's worth it.
And that's a question you guys might be wondering.
Why should I even sit for the CPA Exam?
Why is it even worth my time if I'm going to be in school or if I'm going to be working?
That's a great question.
The first reason, I would say, is because you can get ahead in your career.
If you have...don't have a job yet, but graduation's closing in fast, having your CPA or even starting
your CPA can put you ahead of a candidate next to you.
So, firms, many firms spend 1000s of dollars motivating you and paying for the CPA Exam
because it's really important to them that you become a CPA.
So, showing that you're taking that initiative and starting the process shows them a lot
about who you are and that you're dedicated to this process.
Second is, you can pass sooner.
A lot of people think, "Oh, I'll start taking the CPA Exam once I get into work because
I'll have more time."
Well, the average accountant spends, what, 40, 50, 60 hours a week sometimes working
and then comes busy season, and the last thing you're going to want to do after working a
12 hour day is come home, study for the CPA Exam.
I mean, it's just not very realistic.
Because if you want to get it done early, the earlier the better.
Get it done before you start work in the fall, and you'll be good to go.
There's actually a fun fact, too.
Well, it actually might not be so fun for some of you.
But if you wait over a year after graduation to take the CPA Exam, your scores drop 10%,
and the reason this is, is because you're in that mindset of studying, you know how
to study, you know how to take a test.
And those skills that you learn in school can really translate well into the CPA Exam.
And the 3rd point is, let Roger help you with the CPA Exam, and your current classes.
If you are taking an auditing class, for example, take the auditing portion of the CPA Exam
and kill 2 birds with 1 stone.
Makes a lot of sense.
And the last point is, you can save a lot of money.
We have, actually, a special student discount of 1595, which you can save...that's hundreds
of dollars off of our retail price of our course.
Our recommendation would be, if at all possible, if time permits, if your state allows it,
use the provisionary period and sit for the CPA Exam early.
You can get ahead of your career, you can pass sooner, let Roger help you with your
classes and in the end, save money.
That would be our recommendation.
Good luck and happy studying.