Wyo. Code R. 061-0001-2
Accountants, Board of Certified Public
Chapter 2: Certificates
Effective Date: 12/29/1995 to 09/13/1996
Rule Type: Superceded Rules & Regulations
Reference Number: 061.0001.2.12291995
Section 1. Issuance. A certificate as CPA may be issued to those who meet the requirements of W.S. 33-3-109(a)(i) - (iv) or W. S. 33-3-116 , and can establish to the satisfaction of the Board that the certificate will not be used in violation or in such a manner as to appear to be in violation of W.S. 33-3-128(a)(ii).
Section 2. Applications for Certificate by Examination.
(a) An applicant for a certificate by examination shall file an application with the Board. Unless otherwise ordered, applicants shall furnish all information required by the form submitted and other information as required by the Board. Each application, when filed, shall be accompanied by a non-refundable fee, as determined by Section 3(g) of this Chapter payable to the Wyoming Board of Certified Public Accountants. Effective with the May 1995 examination, applications shall be postmarked no later than March 1 for the May examination and September 1 for the November examination. After the application has been filed, cancellations received up to ten (10) working days before the examination shall be eligible for credit towards the next scheduled examination. Cancellations received after that time shall only receive credit for documented emergencies as determined by the Board. Forms may be obtained from the Board's office located in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
(b) Applicants shall furnish, on forms provided by the Board, evidence of completion of the following education requirements:
(i) Prior to December 31, 1999, an applicant shall have a baccalaureate degree with a minimum of twenty-four (24) semester hours in accounting, a maximum of three (3) semester hours in business law may be included in the twenty-four (24) semester hour requirement. Applicants shall provide an official transcript conferred by a college or university which is accredited by one of the following accrediting associations:
(A) New England Association of Schools and Colleges; (B) Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools; (C) North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; (D) Northwest Association of Secondary and Higher Schools; (E) Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; or (F) Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
(ii) After December 31, 1999, an applicant shall have completed 150 semester hours of college education including a baccalaureate or higher degree conferred by a college or university which is accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) or one of the regional accrediting agencies listed in Section (i).
(iii) The official transcript which evidences compliance with the 150 semester hour requirement shall be forwarded to the Board's office directly from the college or university.
(iv) The official transcript shall document satisfactory completion (without repeat) of 30 semester hours in upper division or graduate level accounting courses in any of the following areas. At least one (1) three (3) semester hour course must be completed in the areas designated as (A), (B), (C), and (G):
(A) Financial Accounting and Reporting (B) Cost Accounting (Managerial) (C) Auditing (D) Report Writing (E) Financial Statement Analysis (F) Accounting Theory (G) Income Tax (H) Governmental/Non-profit Accounting (I) Accounting Systems (J) Accounting for Specialized Business (K) Professional Ethics and Responsibilities (L) Other courses which are principally accounting or auditing in nature may qualify, verification of accounting nature shall be obtained in writing from the college or university.
(v) The official transcript shall also document satisfactory completion (without repeat) of 30 semester hours in business related courses in any of the following areas, credit shall be allowed for no more than six (6) semester hours in any area. At least one (1) three (3) semester hour course must be completed in the areas outlined in (A):
(A) Commercial Law (Business Law, Legal Environment of Business) (B) Economics (C) Management (D) Marketing (E) Communications (F) Mathematics (as it relates to business) (G) Statistics (H) Technical writing (I) Finance (J) Data Processing (K) Quantitative Applications in Business (L) Business Ethics (M) Business Policies & Strategies
(N) Other courses which are principally related to business may qualify, verification of the business nature shall be obtained in writing from the particular college or university. Up to six (6) semester hours for internship may also be applied towards this requirement.
(vi) credit earned through life experience credit earned as a result of passage of the Uniform CPA Examination shall not qualify towards meeting any of these course requirements.
(vii) transcripts which document a graduate degree with a concentration in accounting from a program that is accredited in accounting by the AACSB shall be deemed equivalent to the requirements outlined in sub-sections (iv) and (v) of this Section.
(viii) One quarter (1/4) unit or hour is equivalent to two-thirds (2/3) of a semester unit or hour.
(c) Applicants shall furnish on forms provided by the Board, evidence of compliance with the following:
(i) An applicant shall be a resident of the State of Wyoming or have a place of employment in Wyoming, or as an employee be regularly employed in Wyoming;
(ii) An applicant shall have attained the age of majority in Wyoming;
(d) The Board reserves the right to deny the application of any individual who has been convicted of a felony under the laws of Wyoming or any other state or of the United States.
Section 3. Examinations - Certified Public Accountant.
(a) Written examinations for the certified public accountant's certificate shall be given at least once each year. The Board shall use the Uniform AICPA Examination and advisory grading service. An examination on the Rules of Professional Conduct adopted by the Board shall be satisfactorily completed. This special examination may be waived in lieu of satisfactory completion of a professional ethics course taken to meet the educational requirements outlined in Section 2(b)(iv) of this Chapter.
(b) The candidate shall receive a passing grade in each of the four (4)
examination sections prepared by the AICPA before a certificate will be issued. A passing grade shall be seventy-five percent (75%).
(c) Condition.
(i) A condition shall be granted to a candidate who received passing grades in any two (2) sections provided a minimum score of fifty percent (50%) is earned on each of the other sections written. In order to receive credit for sections in any subsequent examination, the candidate shall attain a minimum grade of fifty percent 50% on sections written, but not passed. Failure to obtain passing grades within a three (3) year period subsequent to being granted a condition shall require re-examination in all sections under the provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section. The three (3) year period may be extended by the Board at its discretion upon a showing by the candidate of the existence of conditions beyond control.
(ii) Effective with the May 1994 examination and pursuant to the three (3) year expiration provisions provided in subparagraph (i):
(A) A candidate who has been awarded conditional credit for the accounting practice section of a prior examination shall be awarded conditional credit for the Accounting & Reporting (ARE) section of the new examination.
(B) A candidate who has been awarded conditional credit for the business law section of a prior examination shall be awarded credit for the Business Law and Professional Responsibilities (LPR) section of the new examination.
(C) A candidate who has been awarded conditional credit for the Auditing section of a prior examination shall be awarded credit for the Auditing (AUDIT) section of the new examination.
(D) A candidate who has been awarded conditional credit for the Theory section of a prior examination shall be awarded credit for the Financial Accounting and Reporting - Business Enterprises (FARE) section of the new examination.
(d) A candidate eligible for re-examination is required to file a supplemental application and pay the required fee.
(i) re-application - transitional education requirements:
(A) a candidate who conditions the examination in the year 1999 or who holds conditional credit which would continue beyond December 31, 1999 shall be allowed to continue to sit under the conditional provisions outlined in paragraph (c) of this section;
(B) if a candidate's conditioning or eligibility status is lost, the candidate shall not qualify under this transition rule and shall be treated as a first time candidate and shall comply with the education requirements outlined in Section 2(b)(ii) of this Chapter.
(e) All candidates qualifying under W. S. 33-3-111 are required to submit an official copy of the final transcript showing the degree and date awarded. Education requirements shall be met before the certificate will be issued.
(i) Foreign candidates writing the Uniform CPA examination as Wyoming Candidates shall submit transcripts to a foreign accountants credentials service approved by the Board for evaluation. That evaluation shall verify that the degree awarded was transferrable to an institution of higher education in the United States and verify that the accounting courses are equivalent to those taken to qualify as a candidate in the United States.
(f) Credit shall be granted to a candidate for satisfactory completion of any section of the Uniform AICPA Examination given by the licensing authority in any jurisdiction, provided the conditional requirements as outlined in paragraph (c) of this Section have been met and written confirmation is furnished by the jurisdiction, which includes:
(ii) Grades obtained on all sections; and
(iii) Allowable credit shall be determined on the basis of compliance with the general provisions for certificates as if the candidate had taken the examination as a Wyoming candidate.
(iv) The Board may grant a certificate based upon the satisfactory completion of the Uniform CPA Exam and compliance with all other requirements for the original Wyoming certificate to an individual when the certificate originally issued by another jurisdiction has expired or been revoked/suspended for non-payment of fees.
(g) AICPA examination and re-examination fees shall be determined annually by the Board.
(i) Applications made for initial examination shall be accompanied by a fee of $200 for all sections of the AICPA Examination;
(ii) Applications made for re-examination shall be accompanied by a fee of $50 per section for all sections not passed;
(iii) Applications made by foreign accountants applying under the provisions of section 4(e) of this Chapter shall be accompanied by a fee of $400 .
(iv) Applications made by other state's candidates to be proctored in Wyoming must be accompanied by a fee of $25.
(h) All original candidates shall sit for all sections of the examination. Re-examination candidates shall sit for all sections not passed. This requirement applies to all Wyoming candidates regardless of the testing location. The Board will not release grades or award any applicable credit to candidates who have not complied with this requirement.
(i) Any candidate alleged to have engaged in cheating during the examination process shall be entitled to due process as afforded under the Administrative Procedure Act. The following actions may be considered cheating:
(i) Communication between candidates inside or outside of the examination room while the examination is in progress;
(ii) Copying another candidate's answers or permitting answers to be copied by another candidate;
(iii) Impersonating a candidate or having an impersonator take the examination;
(iv) Reference to crib sheets, text books, or other material inside or outside the examination room while the examination is in process;
(v) Removal of any examination booklet or answer sheet in violation of prescribed examination procedures;
(vi) Selling, buying, distributing or receiving any portion of future or current examination used by the Board.
(vii) Effective with the May 1996 examination, disclosure, in whole or in part, of any information concerning the Uniform CPA Exam questions or content that the applicant has as a result of taking the examination.
(j) The Board may impose the following penalties based on the seriousness of the situation;
(i) The entering of a failing grade on one or all parts of the examination;
(ii) Suspension of the right to sit for future examination;
(iii) Immediate expulsion from the examination room;
(iv) Notification of all examination jurisdictions of the findings and actions taken by the Board;
(v) Disqualification from holding the CPA certificate at any future date;
(vi) Other appropriate sanctions as may be determined by the Board.
(k) The Board will allow a Wyoming candidate to request that the Advisory Grading Service review the grades earned to insure that the examination papers were graded consistent with the grading guides, and/or they may request permission to review the examination questions and answers from the AICPA under the auspices of the Board of Accountancy.
(i) To request a review a candidate must make application no later than thirty (30) days after the uniform national grade release date of the examination in question.
(ii) The application shall be accompanied by fees assessed by the AICPA or Advisory Grading Service plus an additional $50 application fee to cover administrative costs associated with the review of examination questions and answers.
Section 4. Special Provisions. The Board will accept requests for reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates who, because of special circumstances, believe they will need additional time to complete the examination and/or special arrangements for the taking of the examination. Requests for additional time exceeding one hour per section will be considered only after a second opinion has been provided by an expert of the Board's choice, provided that such additional time does not compromise the security of the examination and that all other requirements can be satisfied.
To request special accommodations, a candidate shall submit a written request for specific accommodations with the application no less than sixty (60) days prior to the examination date. The Board may confer with consultants on the appropriateness of the request, or may request the candidate submit a second opinion. The candidate shall supply the following materials for the Board's evaluation. All materials are to be signed, original statements. Photocopies will not be accepted:
(i) Learning Disabled Candidates:
(A) A certified psychologist shall provide a written description of the learning disability, describing the disability in behavioral and clinical terminology based on a neuropsychological examination. The psychologist's statements shall also relate a precise statement of needs to the deficiencies found by the diagnostic process.
(B) A qualified physician's report that there are no sensory or motor impairments or that the impairments have been corrected by sensory aids shall be provided.
(C) A statement from the candidate's professors and teachers, with the history of accommodations granted in the classroom setting shall be provided.
(A) A qualified physician's report diagnosing the physical impairment shall be provided. The physician's statement shall include a precise statement of needs.
(B) A statement from the candidate's professors and teachers showing the history of accommodations granted in the classroom setting shall be provided.
(iii) The Board shall respond to all requests detailing what accommodations will be provided. The candidate shall sign and return this letter to the Board indicating the candidate's acceptance of the specified accommodations.
(iv) No changes in any special accommodations granted may be made unless further documentation is presented that proves that there has been a change in the condition of the candidate. The Board may request confirmation of the original diagnosis every two (2) years.
(v) The candidate shall pay for the statements submitted to the Board. The Board's consultants and any second opinions shall be paid by the Board.
(vi) When accommodations are made for candidates proctored for other jurisdictions, the jurisdiction requesting the candidate be accommodated shall incur the cost of any applicable accommodation.
(a) Duly qualified persons may be certified under W.S. 33-3-116. They shall submit applications and proof of their qualifications and other information as may be required by the Board, and shall pay a reasonable fee to defray the administrative cost of issuance (thirty-five ($35) dollars). Qualified persons are deemed to be those persons meeting or exceeding Wyoming requirements for certification by examination as outlined in W. S. 33-3-109 (a) (ii-iv).
(b) Applicants for reciprocal certificates and certificates issued by transfer of grades from another jurisdiction will be required to complete a professional ethics examination adopted or approved by the Board. This requirement shall be effective for original certificates issued and examination successfully completed on or after May 5, 1976.
(c) The conditional requirements imposed on Wyoming candidates shall not be imposed on individuals who have been certified in another jurisdiction.
(i) Accountants holding certificates from foreign countries comparable to the CPA certificate are required to meet all qualifications for certificates provided in W. S. 33-3-116.
(ii) The Board shall waive the Uniform CPA examination and issue certificates to foreign accountants who have completed an approved examination comparable to the Uniform CPA Examination administered by a foreign authority that regulates the practice of public accountancy.
(A) Individuals applying under this sub-section shall pass a uniform qualifying examination with a minimum score of seventy-five percent (75%). Examinations which have been approved by the Board shall test competence in accounting principles, auditing standards, commercial law, and income tax law specific to the United States. The Board shall administer this qualifying examination in connection with the Uniform CPA Examination as often as it determines is necessary.
(I) Individuals applying for this examination shall file an application with the Board and furnish all information called for by the form and other information as may be required by the Board. Each application, when filed, shall be accompanied by a non-refundable fee payable to the Board. Applications shall be received in the Board office no later than February 15 for the May examination and August 15 for the November examination. No refunds or cancellations are available.
(II) In lieu of applying for certification by direct examination application, individuals may provide evidence of completion of an approved uniform qualifying examination which was administered by another United States board of accountancy or an approved examination administration service.
(III) Fees for the application shall be submitted by money order or a properly encoded draft drawn on a United States Bank in US funds.
(B) Individuals applying under this sub-section shall provide evidence of completion of the education requirements imposed on other candidates. All applicants shall also provide evidence of satisfactory completion of the comparable examination administered by the foreign authority.
(I) Foreign candidates shall submit transcripts to a foreign accountant's credentials service approved by the Board for evaluation. That evaluation shall verify that the degree awarded was transferrable to an institution of higher education in the United States and verify that the accounting courses are equivalent to those taken to qualify as a candidate in Wyoming.
(C) Individuals applying under this sub-section shall also satisfactorily complete an examination on the Rules of Professional Conduct adopted by the Board.
(D) Individuals applying under this sub-section shall provide certification from an appropriate foreign authority that no designation awarded has expired, been revoked, suspended, or is under investigation and is in good standing.
All certificate holders who do not qualify for or maintain a permit or qualify for retired status shall maintain the certificate on an inactive status and may assume or use the title 'certified public accountant' or 'CPA' if:
(i) The assumption or use of the designation is not incident to the practice of public accounting as defined in Chapter I, Section 2(g) of the Rules and Regulations; and
(ii) The certificate holder pays an annual fee equal to one-half (1/2) of the current fees assessed to those who maintain the permit-to-practice. Fees are not prorated, late fees of one half (1/2) of the current renewal fee shall be assessed if annual fees are submitted after December 31.
(iii) Individuals who maintain certificates on an inactive status shall not be subject to the continuing education requirements.
(a) The Board may waive the requirement that certificate holders maintain permit or inactive status and allow a holder to retire the certificate and continue to assume or use the title 'certified public accountant' or 'CPA' if:
(i) The assumption or use is not incident to the practice of accounting;
(ii) The certificate has not been revoked or suspended by any jurisdiction for any reason except non-payment of fees;
(iii) Written information has been provided which documents specific reasons why the waiver should be granted; and
(iv) A fee of $10 is paid annually to maintain retired status. Fees are not prorated, late fees of one-half (1/2) of current renewal fees shall be assessed if submitted after December 31.
(a) The Board may waive the requirement that certificate holders maintain permit or inactive status and allow a holder to voluntarily surrender the certificate. A voluntarily surrendered certificate shall not remain in good standing.
(i) Voluntary surrender of the certificate will relinquish any individual's right to assume or use the CPA designation in any manner in the State of Wyoming.
(ii) The Board may refuse to allow a certificate holder to voluntarily surrender the certificate when it determines other disciplinary action may be warranted.
(iii) Upon written application and after hearing and for good cause shown, the Board may consider reinstatement of a surrendered certificate.