Indian Students
US CPA Credential Evaluation Cost and Application Fees
By SimplyCPA · 11 October 2026
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- NIES evaluation: $250, covering all your institutions and listing each course with its US equivalent.
- Board education evaluation fee: Paid when you apply to the board — $96 (Colorado, New York, Washington) to $146 (Montana) among the boards we checked.
- Exam application fee: Paid per section application — $96 to $171.
- NIES extras: $135 to add education (report under five years old); $25 duplicate after one year; extra fees for verification and translation.
- No refunds: NIES doesn't refund fees, and incomplete files are denied after 90 days.
The two kinds of fee at this stage
- The evaluator's fee — for converting your education (NIES, or another approved agency).
- The board's fees — for reviewing your eligibility and processing each section application.
NIES fees
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| International credential evaluation | $250 |
| Additional education evaluation (within 5 years) | $135 |
| Duplicate report (after 1 year) | $25 |
| Resend within 1 year if the board doesn't have it | Free |
| Education verification | Additional fee |
| Translation | Per page |
A report is not valid after five years — a new full evaluation is then required.
Board fees (from NASBA's state pages)
| Board | Education evaluation | Exam application (per section) |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $121 | $109 |
| Colorado | $96 | $96 |
| Guam | $136 | $116 |
| Massachusetts | $136 | $148 |
| Montana | $146 | $96 |
| New Hampshire | $96 | $171 |
| New York | $96 | $96 |
| Washington | $96 | $103 |
Worked example
A candidate applying to Montana pays NIES $250 + Montana education evaluation $146 = $396 before any exam section. Each section then adds the $96 application fee, $268.59 exam fee and $460 India fee.
Avoiding wasted fees
- Use an evaluator your board accepts — many accept only NIES.
- Get every document to NIES within 90 days to avoid forfeiting the fee.
- Don't apply for a section until you can take it within the NTS validity period.
- If you change boards, your NIES report is tied to the original jurisdiction — budget for a change-in-jurisdiction service.