- NACPB-ACCOUNTING Cost Overview
- Exam Fees: Member vs Nonmember
- Accounting Principles Course Cost
- Retake Fees and Second Attempts
- Hidden Costs and What's Actually Included
- Does NACPB Membership Pay for Itself?
- Budgeting Your Study Timeline
- Cost vs Value: What You're Actually Buying
- Frequently Asked Questions
- NACPB members pay $80 for the exam; nonmembers pay $100 - a $20 difference per attempt.
- Retakes cost $40 (members) or $50 (nonmembers), roughly half the original exam fee.
- The self-paced Accounting Principles course lists at $319.20 for members or $399 for nonmembers.
- You need 75% or higher on both the course and the 50-question exam to earn the credential.
NACPB-ACCOUNTING Cost Overview
If you're planning to earn the standalone Accounting Certification from the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB), the total cost breaks into two clear buckets: the required Accounting Principles course and the certification exam itself. Unlike the full Certified Public Bookkeeper (CPB) license, this credential doesn't require work experience or a bundle of separate exams - it's built around one course and one 50-question test through the NACPB Online Testing Center.
That simpler structure makes budgeting straightforward, but the numbers still shift depending on whether you're an NACPB member. Before you register, it's worth understanding exactly where your money goes and whether membership is worth the upfront cost. For a broader look at what the credential actually covers, see our NACPB-ACCOUNTING Certification overview and the NACPB-ACCOUNTING Requirements guide.
Exam Fees: Member vs Nonmember
The Accounting Certification exam fee is set by NACPB at two tiers:
- NACPB members: $80 per exam attempt
- Nonmembers: $100 per exam attempt
The exam itself is identical regardless of membership status: 50 multiple-choice questions, a two-hour time limit, open-book access, and a minimum passing score of 75%. Because the test is open-book, some candidates assume they can lean heavily on reference materials during the exam - but with two hours to answer 50 questions across 11 distinct domains, there's not much time to look up concepts you haven't already internalized. That's a key reason candidates still work through structured prep like a dedicated NACPB-ACCOUNTING Study Guide before sitting down for the real thing.
Key Takeaway
The $20 gap between member and nonmember exam pricing is small on its own, but it compounds with the course discount below - making membership worth calculating before you register.
Accounting Principles Course Cost
To sit for the exam, you need to complete the Accounting Principles course (or submit approved equivalent coursework via transcripts for review). NACPB's listed pricing for the course is:
- Members: $319.20
- Nonmembers: $399
This course is self-paced, split into 11 chapters that map to a suggested 11-week study schedule, and it comes with six months of access starting from the first time you log in. Completing it also earns 22 CPE credits. You'll need at least 75% on the course itself, in addition to 75% on the separate certification exam - so the course isn't just a formality, it's a graded requirement in its own right.
If you already have equivalent coursework from another program, you can submit transcripts for approval instead of retaking the full course, which can save both time and money. For a breakdown of what qualifies, check the NACPB-ACCOUNTING Requirements page.
Why the Course Price Matters for Your Study Plan
Because the course is priced per enrollment (not per attempt), most candidates treat it as their primary study resource rather than buying a separate third-party textbook. The 11 chapters line up directly with the 11 exam domains, so completing the course thoroughly is effectively your domain-by-domain preparation.
- Six months of access means you can pace yourself slower than 11 weeks if needed
- 22 CPE credits are a bonus but not required annually for this certificate, since it does not expire
- A 75% course score is a checkpoint - treat low chapter quiz scores as a signal to revisit that domain before the exam
Retake Fees and Second Attempts
If you don't pass on your first try, NACPB charges a reduced retake fee rather than the full exam price:
| Attempt Type | Member Price | Nonmember Price |
|---|---|---|
| First Exam Attempt | $80 | $100 |
| Retake | $40 | $50 |
The retake fee is exactly half the original exam price in both tiers. That's a meaningful cushion if you come up short - but it's still money and time you'd rather not spend twice. Understanding exactly what score you need to pass and how the exam is structured across all 11 domains can help you avoid an unnecessary second attempt. Our Exam Domains Guide breaks down each content area in more detail than we can cover here.
Hidden Costs and What's Actually Included
Beyond the course and exam fees, there are a few cost-related mechanics worth knowing before you commit:
- Scheduling deadlines: You must schedule your exam by 3:00 p.m. Mountain Time on the business day before your intended test date. The exam link is then emailed by 3:30 p.m. Mountain Time that same day. Missing this window doesn't cost extra, but it does mean rescheduling and losing a testing day - plan around this using our Exam Dates Guide.
- No refunds for incomplete attempts: Once you start the timer at login, you're expected to complete the exam in that sitting. There's no partial-credit or pause-and-resume option, so treat every scheduled slot as a full commitment.
- No annual renewal fee: NACPB certifications, including Accounting Certification, do not expire. The 22 CPE credits from the course are a nice bonus but are not an ongoing maintenance requirement for this specific certificate - so your cost is essentially a one-time investment (plus any retakes).
- No work-experience fees: Because prior work experience isn't required for this certification, you won't need to pay for supervised hours, verification paperwork, or experience audits the way some other credentials require.
Does NACPB Membership Pay for Itself?
Since both the course and the exam are cheaper for members, it's worth running the numbers before assuming nonmember pricing is simpler:
| Cost Item | Nonmember Total | Member Total |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting Principles Course | $399.00 | $319.20 |
| Exam Fee | $100.00 | $80.00 |
| Combined (before any retake) | $499.00 | $399.20 |
That's roughly a $99.80 difference between member and nonmember pricing on the course-plus-exam combination alone. If NACPB's annual membership fee is lower than that gap, joining before you enroll in the course is the more cost-effective path. If you're only pursuing this single certification and have no interest in ongoing NACPB membership benefits, compare the membership cost directly against that savings figure before deciding.
Key Takeaway
Calculate membership cost against the roughly $100 combined savings on course-plus-exam pricing before you enroll - it often tips the decision in favor of joining first.
Budgeting Your Study Timeline
Because the course includes a suggested 11-week schedule tied to its 11 chapters, it's natural to align your study calendar with the exam's domain structure. Here's how that mapping typically plays out, with heavier domains getting more breathing room:
Foundational Domains
- Domain 1: Accounting Principles and Reporting Standards
- Domain 2: Accounts Receivable and Uncollectible Accounts
- Domain 3: Notes Payable and Notes Receivable
Asset and Entity Domains
- Domain 4: Merchandise Inventory
- Domain 5: Property, Plant, and Equipment and Depreciation
- Domain 6: Accounting for Partnerships
Corporate and Capital Domains
- Domain 7: Corporations: Formation and Capital Stock Transactions
- Domain 8: Corporate Earnings and Capital Transactions
- Domain 9: Long-Term Bonds
Analysis and Review
- Domain 10: Financial Statement Analysis
- Domain 11: The Statement of Cash Flows
- Full review and scheduling your exam
This pacing keeps you inside the course's six-month access window with plenty of margin, even if life interrupts your schedule. If you want a deeper dive into any single domain - like how depreciation methods are tested under Domain 5, or how partnership equity accounts show up in Domain 6 - our Exam Domains Guide covers each one individually, and How Hard Is the NACPB-ACCOUNTING Exam? discusses where candidates tend to struggle most.
Cost vs Value: What You're Actually Buying
When you add up course and exam fees, the total investment sits in the low-to-mid hundreds of dollars - a modest outlay compared to many professional certifications that require ongoing renewal fees, continuing education purchases, or annual dues to keep the credential active. Because Accounting Certification doesn't expire, this is effectively a one-time cost rather than a recurring line item in your professional development budget.
It's also worth remembering that Accounting Certification (based on the Accounting Principles course) is a distinct credential from NACPB's Bookkeeping Certification (based on Accounting Fundamentals). If you're comparing the two, don't assume pricing or content overlaps - they test different material. Our NACPB-ACCOUNTING Meaning and What Is NACPB-ACCOUNTING Certification? articles clarify exactly how this credential is positioned relative to other NACPB offerings.
For candidates weighing whether the cost is justified by the outcome, our ROI Analysis and Salary Guide dig into the bigger picture beyond just the sticker price. And once you're ready to test your readiness against real exam-style questions, you can start practicing on our full NACPB Accounting practice test platform to see where your knowledge stands before you pay for a live attempt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Combining the Accounting Principles course and the exam fee, nonmembers pay around $499 total ($399 course + $100 exam), while members pay around $399.20 total ($319.20 course + $80 exam), before any retake fees.
Retakes cost $40 for members or $50 for nonmembers - half the price of the original exam fee in each tier.
No. NACPB certifications, including Accounting Certification, do not expire, so there's no separate annual renewal or maintenance fee tied to this specific credential.
You can submit transcripts from equivalent coursework for approval instead of taking the Accounting Principles course, which may reduce your overall cost. Check the requirements page for what qualifies.
It depends on the membership fee itself. The combined course-plus-exam savings for members versus nonmembers is roughly $99.80, so compare that figure against the membership cost before deciding.