Kokua Line

By June Watanabe

Saturday, March 22, 1997

CPA exam in Hawaii
same as in other states

Why is the state CPA exam twice as hard as say, California, which is the one I'm familiar with? It seems they make it difficult for local kids to pass the exam.

The state is not making it harder for Hawaii students -- it's only following national guidelines on administering the test, said Verna Oda, executive officer of the state Board of Public Accountancy.

The four-part exam is administered nationwide on the same day, she said. Most states require all four parts to be taken at the same time. California is one of only four states that allow applicants to sit for one part at a time, Oda said.

Based on the national guidelines, applicants have to pass at least two parts of the exam to get credit, while getting a minimum score in the other parts.

Oda said there is a trend toward uniformity, so she suspects that eventually California and the other states will fall into step.