Illinois Board of Examiners

What Illinois Board of Examiners does

The Illinois Board of Examiners (ILBOE) is an Illinois state regulatory agency, founded in 1903, that evaluates the academic credentials of CPA candidates and certifies those who meet statutory requirements. It serves approximately 10,000 CPA examination candidates per year, certifying roughly 1,500, and is the sole authorized credentialing body for the Illinois CPA certificate under the Illinois Public Accounting Act. The Board itself is an 11-member body appointed by the Governor, with members drawn from CPA practitioners, accounting faculty, and the public.

The agency's core products are credential evaluation services and CPA certificate issuance, delivered through a self-service online portal (vo.ilboa.org) and supported by a maintained College Template database that pre-approves coursework from 200+ accredited institutions. The platform is integrated with the national CPA examination infrastructure: NASBA for account management and score release, AICPA for the Uniform CPA Examination itself, and Prometric for physical test center administration across 52+ US jurisdictions and internationally. The agency's nine staff are employed through Northern Illinois University, which has served as the Board's administrative host since July 2013.

ILBOE's business model is fee-for-service, with a published fee schedule including Pre-Evaluation ($50), Domestic Evaluation ($200), Combination Evaluation ($200), Score Transfer Complete ($345), IQEX Application ($345), Exam Application ($40-$120 per section), and Verification ($30). NASBA separately collects its own per-section fees. Distribution is to individual candidates, not institutions, with a long-tail B2C customer base. The agency does not compete in any market — its function is statutorily mandated and exclusive — and its revenue and throughput are tied to Illinois accounting-program graduate volume and the attractiveness of the CPA credential rather than to competitive dynamics.

Name

Illinois Board of Examiners

Legal name

Illinois Board of Examiners

Website

https://ilboe.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Illinois Board of Examiners is a state regulatory agency, founded in 1903 and administratively hosted by Northern Illinois University, that evaluates academic credentials and certifies roughly 1,500 of approximately 10,000 annual Illinois CPA exam candidates via an online portal integrated with NASBA, Prometric, and AICPA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Licensing & Certification Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150), Public Administration (92)

akta.pro primary industry

National/State Examination Boards & Testing Agencies (EDADAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Test Administration, Proctoring & Security Authorities (EDADAFAH), Assessment & Examination Integrity Audits (EDADAGAE)

Keywords

• CPA certification services
• Credentials evaluation
• Professional licensing
• Exam administration
• Regulatory certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Naperville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Pre-Evaluation Application: Optional evaluation service for candidates uncertain about qualifications. $50 non-refundable fee. Performed once, does not lead to exam approval.
2. Domestic Credentials Evaluation: Standard evaluation for US-educated candidates. $200 fee. Includes consideration of transcripts and education requirements.
3. Domestic/Foreign Combination Evaluation: For candidates with both US and foreign education. $200 fee. Transcripts processed separately then compiled.
4. Score Transfer - Complete Exam: For candidates who passed all 4 CPA exam sections in another jurisdiction. $345 fee. Must be educationally qualified based on rules in place on first exam date.
5. IQEX Application: For international accounting professionals with passing IQEX score of 75. $345 fee. For candidates from non-US professional associations with mutual recognition agreements.
6. CPA Exam Application Fees: ILBOE processing fees: 1 exam section $40, 2 sections $76, 3 sections $108, 4 sections $120. Plus 3% credit card recovery fee. Candidates must select number of exams they commit to taking in 6 months.
7. Verification of Certification: $30 fee for reporting exam scores and/or certification to other jurisdictions. Reported to IDFPR automatically for Illinois candidates at no charge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Illinois Board of Examiners (ILBOE) is a state government regulatory agency that evaluates academic credentials of prospective Certified Public Accountants, approves candidates to sit for the Uniform CPA Exam, and issues certificates of CPA Exam Completion to individuals who pass both the Uniform CPA Exam and the AICPA Ethics Exam. It charges fees for credentials evaluation, exam applications, score transfers, and interstate verification services, processing approximately 10,000 exam candidates annually.

Product overview

The Illinois Board of Examiners (ILBOE) is a regulatory agency that administers the CPA certification process in Illinois. The organization offers a unified service portfolio centered on credentials evaluation, exam administration, and certification. Core offerings include the Credentials Evaluation Services (Pre-Evaluation, Domestic, Foreign, and Combination evaluations), the Uniform CPA Exam Administration (covering AUD, FAR, REG, and discipline sections), Exam Application Processing, AICPA Ethics Exam Coordination, Score Transfer Services for cross-jurisdiction candidates, IQEX applications for international professionals, Provisional Status Processing, and Certification Letter issuance. These services are accessed through the ILBOE Online Account System and supported by Interactive Forms. The organization works in partnership with NASBA, Prometric, AICPA, and IDFPR.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Credentials Evaluation Services Evaluation of academic credentials for CPA exam eligibility, including Pre-Evaluation ($50), Domestic Education Evaluation ($200), Foreign Education Evaluation (free via NASBA), and Domestic/Foreign Combination Evaluation ($200). For individuals pursuing CPA certification in Illinois.
• Uniform CPA Exam Administration Administration of the four-section Uniform CPA Exam (AUD, FAR, REG, and one discipline section: TCP, ISC, or BAR) including exam applications, Notice to Schedule (NTS), and score management. For CPA candidates in Illinois.
• Exam Application Processing Processing of Initial Exam Requests and Re-Examination Requests with fees ranging from $40 (1 exam) to $120 (4 exams), plus 3% credit card recovery fee. For candidates approved to sit for the CPA Exam.
• AICPA Ethics Exam Coordination Administration and coordination of the required AICPA Ethics Exam (Professional Ethics: The AICPA's Comprehensive Course) for certification. Candidates must score 90% or higher.
• Score Transfer Services Score Transfer for Completed Exam ($345) for candidates who passed all four sections in another jurisdiction, and Score Transfer for Partially Completed Exam for those transferring up to three exam sections.
• IQEX Application International Qualification Examination application ($345) for accounting professionals who are members of non-U.S. professional associations with mutual recognition agreements.
• Certification Letter and Certificate Issuance Email delivery of official certification letter containing certificate number, plus optional physical certificate on cardstock. Required step before applying for CPA license from IDFPR.
• Interstate Score and Certification Verification $30 fee for reporting exam scores and/or certification to other jurisdictions. Reported to IDFPR automatically for Illinois candidates at no charge. Processing time 1-3 business days for online requests, 1-2 weeks for mailed requests.
• Provisional Status Processing Allows candidates currently enrolled in qualifying classes to test before officially meeting all requirements. Automatically granted when eligible.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 1,500 candidates certified annually from ~10,000 exam takers

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Northern Illinois UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2013ILBOE has been affiliated with Northern Illinois University since July 2013. NIU provides administrative support including staff employment for Evaluation, Certification, and Finance departments. Executive Director is an ILBOE employee. Board meetings are held at NIU Naperville campus.
• NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy)coreTechnology or IntegrationNASBA handles application processing (800.272.3926), payments and NTSs (866.696.2722), ADA accommodations ([email protected]), and international evaluations through NIES (855.468.5382). ILBOE relies on NASBA for score storage, Payment Coupon billing, and Notice to Schedule issuance.
• PrometriccoreTechnology or IntegrationPrometric administers the computer-based CPA Exam at testing centers worldwide. Handles scheduling, cancellations, rescheduling, and test day operations. Illinois candidates can test at any Prometric location in 52 US jurisdictions and internationally.
• Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIDFPR handles CPA licensing, Continuing Professional Education (CPE) requirements, and enforcement for Illinois. ILBOE reports certified candidates to IDFPR on the 1st and 15th of each month. Candidates apply for license at idfpr.illinois.gov.
• AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants)coreTechnology or IntegrationAICPA develops and administers the Uniform CPA Exam content and scoring. ILBOE requires candidates to pass the AICPA Ethics Exam (minimum 90%) for certification. Score release dates determined by AICPA. CPA Exam Blueprints and sample tests available through AICPA.
• Illinois CPA SocietystrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerICPAS provides discounted pricing for AICPA Ethics Exam preparation. ILBOE board members serve on ICPAS boards and committees. Collaborative educator conferences and exam resources sharing.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy): The national umbrella body that ILBOE directly partners with for payment processing, NTS issuance, score storage, and international evaluations. Comparable as the national-level coordinator of the same state-board function that ILBOE performs at the Illinois level.
• AICPA (American Institute of CPAs): National professional body that develops and administers the Uniform CPA Exam content and the Ethics Exam required by ILBOE for certification. Comparable as a key upstream participant in the same credentialing pipeline that ILBOE completes at the state level.

Direct peers

• Texas State Board of Public Accountancy: Texas's state board that oversees CPA candidates and licensees. Directly comparable to ILBOE in mandate and process: evaluating educational credentials, approving candidates for the Uniform CPA Exam, and certifying completions, with similar integration into the national NASBA/Prometric/AICPA ecosystem.
• Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy: Pennsylvania's state board of accountancy that evaluates credentials and certifies CPA candidates. Closely comparable to ILBOE in mandate, structure, and reliance on the national NASBA/Prometric infrastructure, with a similar volume scale of annual candidates.
• Florida Board of Accountancy: Florida's state board of accountancy that regulates CPA candidates and licensees. Directly comparable to ILBOE in core mandate — education evaluation, exam approval, certification — though housed within DBPR rather than a standalone affiliated structure.
• California Board of Accountancy: California's state board of accountancy that licenses CPAs and certifies candidates. It is the most direct functional peer to ILBOE given its identical mandate (CPA credential evaluation, exam approval, certification) within the largest US state, mirroring ILBOE's structure and partnerships with NASBA and Prometric.
• Ohio Accountancy Board: Ohio's state regulatory body for the accounting profession, performing CPA credential evaluation, exam approval, and certification. Directly comparable to ILBOE in operating model, fee structure, and dependence on NASBA/Prometric for test administration.
• New York State Board for Public Accountancy: New York's state regulatory body for the CPA profession, housed within the State Education Department. Performs the same credential evaluation, exam approval, and certification functions as ILBOE for a comparable large-state candidate population, with a similar NASBA/Prometric-dependent delivery model.

Others

• PCAOB (Public Company Accounting Oversight Board): The federal regulator that oversees audits of public companies and the auditors of broker-dealers. Adjacent to ILBOE's function in the accounting profession's regulatory ecosystem, but focused on audit oversight rather than individual CPA candidate certification.

Regional players

• CPA Canada: The national Canadian accounting body that administers the CPA credentialing process across Canadian provinces. Comparable to a state-level board in structure and function but operates at a national scope outside the US, with similar partnerships with Prometric for CBT delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100068943558573
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinois-board-of-examiners
• Instagraminstagram.com/ilnboe2024

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Illinois Board of Examiners