The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy’s board of directors voted unanimously to approve a set of proposed amendments to the Uniform Accountancy Act model rules for education, paving the way for major changes in the way CPAs are educated for the accounting profession.

NASBA has been working with the American Institute of CPAs on a CPA Evolution initiative to update CPA education and exam requirements to emphasize more advanced technology skills in line with the changing demands of the profession. In July, NASBA’s board of directors and the AICPA’s governing Council voted to advance the CPA Evolution initiative (see story). Changes in the UAA model rules for education, which provide a model for various state boards of accountancy to follow, are also needed. In May, NASBA’s UAA Committee released an exposure draft of the proposed amendments to the model rules, which were last updated in 2018, and asked for comments from state boards of accountancy and state CPA societies. The NASBA board of directors voted unanimously last week to approve the final versions of the amendments to UAA education model rules.

“The approved UAA amendments will better align the model education rules with rules already adopted by a majority of Boards of Accountancy,” said Daniel Dustin, NASBA vice president of state board relations, in a statement Tuesday. “The revisions will also update the model rules to recognize changes related to the implementation of the CPA Evolution Initiative.”

The Uniform CPA Exam will also be updated to reflect the changes from the CPA Evolution initiative starting in 2024.