Although certified public accountants perform the same duties of the accountant, they are held to higher standard. Therefore, a CPA can also demand higher compensation for the duties and responsibilities that they perform for an individual, organization, government agency or a large corporation. To become a certified public accountant, the student will have to complete a four-year bachelors program. Their concentration must be in the area of accounting. To obtain the certification, the student will have to take additional schooling in order to prepare for the Certified Public Accountant Examination. There are also different eligibility requirements for taking the examination. For example, the best Sacramento CPA Firms must spend 75% of their time performing audits and they must work as an accountant for 15 years in order to be eligible to take the CPA exam. Each state, however, has their own eligibility requirements and they are based on the state’s accountancy boards. This information can be found online via the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy’s web page.