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Let’s start at the beginning: scheduling your Uniform CPA Examination. Once you have met your CPA requirements by state to sit for the CPA exam, you can follow the steps to schedule the test.
What Are the Steps to Schedule Your CPA Exam?
There is more that goes into scheduling your CPA exam than you may have anticipated, so let’s go over how to apply for the CPA exam.
Steps to schedule your CPA exam:
1. Submit your CPA exam application and fees
Your application will be approved by your respective state board of accountancy or NASBA (as some states contract NASBA to process applications), using NASBA’s CPA Central.
2. Receive your Authorization to Test (ATT) in the mail
Once your ATT is received, you have 90 days to pick which CPA exam section(s) to sit for and when. Once you decide, you will then register and pay your exam fees on the NASBA website.
Note: Some states will send your ATT directly to NASBA, so be aware of this as your 90 days to choose your section(s) will have begun.
3. Verify the information on your Notice to Schedule (NTS)
Between three and six weeks later, you’ll receive your Notice to Schedule (NTS), which allows you to sit for a section of the CPA exam in the United States or at an international testing center.
4. Schedule your CPA exam section
Now, you can schedule a testing date and time with a Prometric testing center. But know that your NTS is valid for six months only (in most states, see below for exceptions to this rule), so don’t wait to make your plans or risk paying more exam fees.
Exceptions to the six-month NTS window include:
- Texas (90 days)
- California, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Utah (9 months)
- Virginia (12 months)
Scheduling your exam takes some time to carry out. Be smart planning your studies and CPA exam schedule.
Also, be strategic with the timing of your Notice to Schedule (NTS).
As mentioned above, most states will issue you a Notice to Schedule that is valid for six months—but some states issue an NTS that’s valid for only 90 days, and a few are 9 months or 12 months.
EXPERT TIP
If you don’t schedule and take an exam section during the prescribed period, you forfeit your exam fees.
Due to various life circumstances, it is advisable to schedule two exam sections on your first NTS instead of all four. This allows you flexibility within the prescribed NTS period. You will then need to reapply with your state board/NASBA to get another NTS.
Also, you don’t have to wait for your first NTS to end before applying to obtain another one—they can overlap.
IMPORTANT
Applying for each of the four tests separately will require you to pay a re-application or registration fee each time in addition to the exam fee.
CPA Exam Scores and Retesting
Beginning on July 1, 2020, NASBA eliminated CPA testing windows and implemented continuous testing for the CPA exam, eliminating blackout dates. You may retake a CPA exam section as soon as your CPA score release date has passed for any previous attempt of that section.
When Can I Expect to Get My CPA Exam Score? |
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What You Need to Know About Scheduling Your CPA Exam Dates & Testing Center
You’ll use the Prometric website and information from your NTS to look up a test center near you and available CPA test dates to schedule your exam.
How to Select a CPA Exam Testing Center on Prometric
Use the exam section ID from your NTS and locate the testing center of your choice on the Prometric website. They’ve made it remarkably easy to find and select a testing center.
You can search for the nearest test center from your location and then use Prometric’s Seat Availability Tool to quickly check for appointment availability at that testing center. You don’t need an Exam Section ID to use this tool!
If you want a specific date, schedule it well in advance (45 days is recommended) as openings may fill quickly. Be sure to save your confirmation number, just in case.
Do I Have to Sit for the Exam in the State Where I Applied?
No, you are not required to sit for the exam in the state where you applied. You are also not required to live in the state in which you applied.
So, if you are going to school in New Mexico, but plan to move to Colorado, you can apply in Colorado and physically sit for the exam in New Mexico (or any other Prometric Testing Center) if you so desire.
Remember, you must follow the requirements of the state where you apply, regardless of where you physically sit to take the test.
EXPERT TIP
If you plan to use a calculator on test day, make sure to practice with a very simple device. A simple online calculator will be available to you during the exam, or you can request a handheld calculator.
How to Reschedule Your CPA Exam
You may reschedule your CPA testing date 30 or more days in advance at no cost.
There is a change fee to reschedule your exam between 29 and six days prior.
The Reschedule Fee is
If your test is scheduled five or fewer days away, you aren’t able to reschedule.
Prometric also makes it easy to reschedule or cancel your CPA testing date, using their Proscheduler tool. You will need your confirmation number to reschedule your exam date.
EXPERT TIP
The option to reschedule is valuable. If you put two exam sections on one NTS, as advised above, you will have more flexibility with the timing on your NTS if you should desire to postpone/reschedule an exam section.
How to Schedule a Prometric Test Drive
Going through a walk-through, or test drive, of the CPA testing process can help you avoid mistakes on your actual exam date. This 30-minute “dry run” allows CPA candidates to walk through all check-in and testing procedures.
The test drive is $30 and includes:
- Check-in
- ID confirmation
- Documentation checking
- Image capture
- Seating
- Tutorial
- 1 generic sample test
- A survey of the experience
- An end-of-test report
- And, check-out, including access to lockers for your personal items.
EXPERT TIP
Be mindful of the parking situation at the testing center, location of the bathroom, drinking fountain, and paid parking meter, if applicable. You likely will utilize your 15-minute break between the 3rd and 4th testlets to use the restroom, so use that time wisely and know where they are in advance.
What to Do If You Need Accommodations
Depending on where you live and where your Prometric testing center is located, you may have to travel some distance to get to your test location.
If you need to rent a car, your AICPA membership offers you a range of car rental discounts to help lower the cost if in the U.S.
If you need to book lodging, you will need to do so as you would for any personal trip, though some accounting firms may reimburse or cover your travel costs if you are taking the CPA exam as part of your career development plan.
Your best option to save on costs is to use a travel website such as Expedia or Kayak. Airbnb has also become a slightly lower-cost option in some instances. Just be sure to book lodging that is near your testing location to reduce the likelihood of delays or being late on your test date.
How to Take the CPA Exam in an International Location
Eligible international candidates can take the CPA exam at Prometric testing centers in Bahrain, Brazil, England, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Scotland, Nepal, South Korea, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Isreal, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The exam and licensure process is basically the same for international candidates as for U.S. CPA candidates.
- Make sure you are eligible to take the CPA exam as an international candidate.
- Submit an application to a participating U.S. jurisdiction.
- Use your Notice to Schedule (NTS) to apply to take the exam in an international location.
Please visit the NASBA website for international candidate information and application.
What Section of the CPA Exam Should You Schedule First?
One of the most common questions CPA candidates have when deciding to register for the exam is: in what order should I take the CPA exam?
Choosing between the four CPA exam sections differs by individual and by how the exam content can change each year. Consider how much content you’ll need to learn when deciding which order to take the CPA exam.
In general, when considering which part of the CPA exam to take first, most people choose to do the FAR CPA exam or AUD CPA exam as their first or second choices.
To learn more about all four parts of the CPA exam, including which is the hardest and easiest section, please read our Guide to CPA Exam sections.
How to Retake the CPA Exam
With the implementation of continuous testing, CPA candidates who fail a section will no longer have to wait until the next CPA testing window to retake the exam.
From NASBA’s May 2019 State Board Report: “According to the revised Rule [Uniform Accountancy Act Model Rule 5-7(a)(2)], when system changes have eliminated the need for test window limitations a Candidate can retake a Test Section once their grade for any previous attempt of the same Test Section has been released.”
That means, for those who take the exam early in the CPA exam window and just barely miss a passing score, they have the option to quickly retake (and presumedly pass) the exam and still maintain their planned exam schedule.
- Receive initial test score.
- Schedule your CPA exam section if you are still within your NTS testing window. Please note you will still have to pay to retake a section.
- Submit your CPA exam application and fees if your NTS testing window has passed.
Wiley CPA Review Course
Preparing for the CPA exam is hard enough, you don’t want to fail a section and have to take it again. And if you do, you want to make sure you have the best chance of passing the second time around.
That’s why many exam candidates use a CPA test prep course to study for the exam. And many of those candidates study with Wiley because 9 out of 10 students who use a Wiley CPA Review Course pass all 4 sections of their CPA exam.
When you study with Wiley, you get:
- Unlimited Access Until You Pass
- Expert Mentors
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Personalized Exam Planner
- Bite-sized Lessons
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On top of our industry-leading features, Wiley also consistently updates their study materials, so you will be fully prepared for the upcoming CPA exam changes.
CPA Exam Schedule Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Have some questions about the CPA exam schedule? Here are some of the most frequently asked questions and answers.
- Under the continuous testing model, the CPA exam is now offered year-round.
- There is a $35 change fee to reschedule your exam if it is between 29 and six days prior to the exam date. If your test is in 5 days or less, you aren’t able to reschedule.
- IYou can take the CPA exam as many times as needed until you pass.
