• Certified public accountants help businesses succeed.Accounting image by Guitar75 from Fotolia.com
  
  Accountants provide tax help and budget management services for virtually every industry in the United States, making accounting an attractive and lucrative career. In fact, the Wall Street Journal found in a 2010 study that accounting ranked as the ninth best job in the U.S. Becoming a certified public accountant (CPA) in Idaho makes it possible to have a rewarding career in a low-cost state. To become a CPA in Idaho, you will need advanced knowledge of accounting practices, tax law and financial services and you will need to meet CPA exam qualifications for the state.
  
  

Bachelor's Degree

• You must have a bachelor's degree in accounting from an accredited college or university to be eligible to become a CPA in Idaho, but the degree does not need to come from a school in Idaho, according to the Uniform CPA Exam qualifications in Idaho and the U.S. Fields of study within accounting include accounting theory, auditing practices, and specific accounting practices for areas such as oil and gas, charitable organizations and income tax preparation. Students in Idaho can earn an accounting degree from any state-accredited university or college. The state of Idaho's official website lists those schools.
  
  idaho.gov/education/suniv.html
  
  

Semester Hours

• A bachelor's degree in accounting requires a minimum of 150 semester hours, 30 of which should be in business administration. Make sure that you have enough credit hours and that you have completed required courses. You can have the 150 semester hours and yet be ineligible to take the CPA exam if you have not taken the right courses.
  
  

Age and Residency

• To take the Uniform CPA Exam in Idaho, you do not have to be a U.S. citizen nor a resident of the state. As long as you are or were at one time a resident, you are eligible. Also, if you have intention of becoming an Idaho resident, you may take the exam. In short, the exam is open to anyone with the appropriate level of education, so long as that person is at least 18 years old.
  
  

Fees and Application

• The test is challenging and the cost of the test is about $1,000, including application fees and administration fees, as of 2010. If you should fail your first exam, retakes cost about 5 percent of the initial fee, To keep up with changes in application requirements and fee schedules, contact the Idaho State Board of Accountancy or visit the official website.
  
  Idaho State Board of Accountancy
  1109 Main, Suite 470
  Boise, ID 83702
  208-334-3584
  isba.idaho.gov/