The AICPA Professional Ethics Exam is an open-book, self-study course based on the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct that most states require CPA candidates to pass before licensure. You need a score of at least 90% to pass, and the course costs $250 for AICPA or CIMA members and $320 for nonmembers, with one year of online access from the date of purchase.1AICPA & CIMA. Professional Ethics: The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Comprehensive Course (For Licensure)
Check Whether Your State Accepts It
Each state board of accountancy sets its own licensing requirements. Many boards specifically require the AICPA Professional Ethics course. Others substitute their own state-specific ethics exam focused on local statutes and regulations. A handful of states don’t require an ethics exam at all.
Getting this wrong is expensive. If your state requires its own course and you complete the AICPA version, the board won’t accept it, and the reverse is also true. Some candidates only discover the mismatch after submitting a license application, which can delay licensure by weeks. Confirm with your state board before purchasing any materials.
What the Exam Covers
The exam is built entirely around the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. The Code was restructured in 2014 away from the old numbered-rule format (Rule 101, Rule 102, and so on) into a topical organization using a conceptual framework approach, sometimes called the “threats and safeguards” approach.2AICPA & CIMA. AICPA Ethics Codification Project If you encounter older study guides referencing Rule 101 for independence or Rule 102 for integrity, that numbering is obsolete.
The current Code is organized into three parts. Part 1 covers members in public practice, Part 2 covers members in business, and Part 3 applies to all other AICPA members.3AICPA & CIMA. AICPA Code of Professional Conduct Within each part, topics are grouped by subject area rather than rule number. The key areas you’ll encounter include:
- Independence (ET 1.200): Rules governing financial interests in audit clients, restrictions during attest engagements, and how non-attest services can create conflicts.
- Integrity and Objectivity (ET 1.100): Standards requiring accountants to avoid subordinating professional judgment to pressure from clients or employers.
- General Standards (ET 1.300): Professional competence and due care expectations for every engagement.
- Fees and Remuneration (ET 1.500): Restrictions on contingent fees and commissions that could compromise objectivity.
- Confidential Information (ET 1.700): Rules protecting client data from unauthorized disclosure.
The conceptual framework approach means questions don’t just test whether you memorized a list of prohibitions. Realistic scenarios ask you to identify threats to compliance, evaluate their significance, and determine whether safeguards can reduce them to an acceptable level. Expect situations involving audit independence when a firm also provides consulting services, or how unpaid client fees might impair a CPA’s objectivity.
Format, Passing Score, and Retakes
The exam is open-book and consists of multiple-choice questions drawn from the course materials. You work through the material at your own pace and answer online. There is no proctored test center or scheduled sitting.
You need a minimum score of 90% to pass.1AICPA & CIMA. Professional Ethics: The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Comprehensive Course (For Licensure) That threshold sounds steep, but the open-book format makes it manageable if you’ve actually read the material. Most questions test whether you can locate and apply the right section of the Code to a given fact pattern, not whether you memorized paragraph numbers.
If you don’t pass on your first try, you can retake the exam. The AICPA does not publicly state a fixed number of allowed attempts in its current course materials, and some candidates report being able to retake the exam multiple times within their access window. The safest assumption is that your attempts are limited to the one-year access period after purchase.
How to Register and What You Get
You purchase the course through the AICPA’s online store, or through your state CPA society if it offers the same product. Pricing is $250 for AICPA or CIMA members and $320 for nonmembers.1AICPA & CIMA. Professional Ethics: The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Comprehensive Course (For Licensure) The course is delivered entirely online.
Once purchased, you have one year of access to the course materials and the online grading system.1AICPA & CIMA. Professional Ethics: The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Comprehensive Course (For Licensure) If your access expires before you pass, you’ll need to buy the course again. Make sure the name and contact information you enter during registration match what your state board has on file, because mismatches can cause problems when your score is reported.
When to Take It
Timing varies by state. Some states let you take the ethics exam at any point during the CPA Exam process, with the passing score remaining valid indefinitely. Others require you to complete it within a specific window before or after submitting your license application.
The most restrictive states set a window of six months or less before your initial license application. If you take the exam too early in those jurisdictions, the score may not count. More permissive states treat the passing score as permanent. Your state board’s website or candidate handbook will spell out the exact deadline.
Don’t leave the ethics exam for last. It’s easy to underestimate because it’s open-book, but working through the material takes real time. Finishing early removes one variable from an already complicated application timeline.
How Your Score Reaches the State Board
After you pass, your score needs to reach your state board of accountancy. In many cases, this happens through an electronic data exchange between the AICPA and the board. Some states instead require you to upload a completion certificate to your online licensing portal or mail a physical copy. Check your board’s instructions so you know which method applies.
Processing time varies. Some boards reflect the score in your licensing file within a few business days; others take longer, particularly if manual submission is involved. If you’re close to a licensing deadline, follow up with the board directly rather than assuming the score has arrived. The board verifies your ethics exam result alongside your CPA Exam scores, education transcripts, and work experience before issuing your license.
CPE Credit Earned
Completing the course earns 8.5 continuing professional education credits.1AICPA & CIMA. Professional Ethics: The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Comprehensive Course (For Licensure) Whether they count toward your first CPE reporting period depends on your state. Many states waive CPE requirements entirely during the first year of licensure, so the credits may not reduce future reporting obligations at all. If your state does require CPE immediately after licensing, having 8.5 hours already banked gives you a head start.