Lessons · Accounting · when two sets of requirements are valid at once
When two sets of requirements are valid at once
When a state changes what it asks for, it rarely switches overnight. It usually runs the old requirements and the new ones side by side for a period, so that people already part-way through are not stranded. During that period both are genuinely valid, and a candidate has to know which one they are on.
Hone is a place to practise a career, one idea a day. This is one of its lessons, written out in full and free to read without an account.
In beta. This lesson was written for Hone and has not yet been checked by a qualified accountant. Practice material, not professional advice. What that means.
What it is for
California is in exactly this position, on more than one requirement at the same time, and it is the single most confusing thing about the road right now. It is also why two people can give a beginner flatly contradictory advice and both be telling the truth: they are describing different roads that are both open.
How to think about it
When you meet a requirement that seems to be described two ways, stop trying to work out which description is wrong. Assume both are right and look for the cut-off that separates them. Then work out which side of it you are on, and read only that side.
Worked example
Two descriptions of the same requirement, both from credible placesDo not pick. Look for a date.
A transition period in which both sets are acceptedThis is the normal shape of a rule change, not a mistake.
A later date after which only the new set is acceptedThe transition closes. This is the one to diary.
Which set applies to me is decided by a fact about MY timelineNot by which one I prefer, and not by which is easier.
Your turn
Name what you should look for when two credible sources describe a requirement differently.
Two valid descriptions usually mean there is a between them
Solve one, graded on the server
The trap
Deciding one source must be out of date and ignoring it. During a transition the older description can be entirely current for you, and the newer one can be irrelevant to you, and it depends on your dates rather than on the publication dates.