Self-Study Ethics Exam

Updated Oct. 24, 2011

Individuals applying for a Minnesota CPA Certificate must complete the Professional Ethics: The AICPA's Comprehensive Course. This is based on the Minnesota Board of Accountancy rule 1105.1800. The program can be ordered from the AICPA in text or CD-ROM format and currently costs approximately $120.00 for members of the AICPA and $150.00 for nonmembers.

Once you complete the self-study ethics course, you must complete an exam covering the materials from the course. You do not need to wait until you have passed all four sections of the CPA exam in order to take the self-study ethics course and exam, however. This can be completed at any time during the process. Note, this ethics exam must be completed and passed within two years preceding initially applying for your CPA certificate.

We recommend taking the exam online, as grading is completed immediately and you can print out your certificate of completion. There is an option to mail in a paper version of the exam, which can take 3-4 weeks for the exam to be processed.

Please note, for those working in public accounting or for the State or Legislative Auditor, you have 60 days to file for your certificate with the Minnesota Board of Accountancy once you've received notice that you have passed all four sections of the CPA exam and met the education and experience requirements set by the BOA. This 60 day window starts regardless of whether you've passed the ethics exam yet or not. So the earlier you can complete the self-study ethics exam the better. (BOA Rule 1105.2500)

For those not practicing in public accounting or for the State or Legislative Auditor, you must take and pass the self-study ethics exam within 3 years of passing all four sections of the CPA exam.