Business practices have changed during the past millennium
. Businesses have
evolved over time from bartering goods and riverside trading, to small local
stores, mega malls, and business over the Internet. Through all these
changes, companies needed to keep records of their equity, assets,
liabilities, and cash flows in order to remain competitive in their field.
Accounting standards have also changed over the years, through FASB, CAP, and
APB, issuing updated efficient standards called GAAP. Due to the drastic
changes in the business world, CPA requirements for the twenty-first century
are being updated to reflect current business demands; these changes will
affect undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals in the accounting
field.
Requirements for sitting for the CPA exam are changing in Ohio as well as in
other states. William Bentz, OSU Professor and Legislative Task Force Member
says, "A total of 41 states, including New York, Florida, Ohio, Illinois, and
Texas have passed similar legislation.1" The change requires candidates to
have 150 semester hours or 225 quarter hours, a college degree, and the
equivalent number of credit hours needed for an accounting major to sit for
the CPA exam. This requirement will begin in Ohio with the May, 2000
examination. Any candidate who began the CPA exam process on or before
November 1999 will be covered under the old exam requirements. However, in
order for candidates to be successful in the accounting field, further
education will be needed to adapt to changing business standards and to
compete with accountants who passed the exam under the new requirements.
There ar ...