CPA Exam Schedule
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How to Schedule the CPA Exam?
As a first-time candidate, you must meet the state board's exam requirements to register and apply for the CPA Exam. Those include academic, age, and residency requirements. Please note that the CPA Exam is held in 55 U.S. jurisdictions and territories. The US territories include Guam, Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Washington, DC, and the Virgin Islands.
Each state has a unique set of rules and requirements to sit for the CPA Exam. Hence, it is of the utmost importance that you understand and fulfill your state’s unique eligibility criteria. Check our comprehensive resource, CPA Requirements by State, and double check with your jurisdiction’s licensing agency for state-specific requirements for scheduling the exam and associated CPA Exam costs and fees.
Steps to Schedule Your CPA Exam
Let’s start at the beginning: scheduling your Uniform CPA Examination. Once you have met the requirements to sit for the CPA Exam, you can follow these steps to schedule the test.
You will need an account to access NASBA’s CPA Portal. Through this portal, you can apply for exams, make payments, and view all of your details.
Apply for an evaluation application to determine if you are eligible to sit for the exam. Based upon the requirements of your State Board of Accountancy, submit your university transcripts and pay the evaluation application fees.
This is your approval to take the CPA Exam. You can apply for one exam section per application. It is strongly suggested that you wait until you are ready to take a section to apply for it.
Once you pay your CPA Exam fees, you will receive your NTS for each section. Your NTS will list the exam section(s) that you are approved to take, enabling you to contact Prometric to begin the scheduling process. Your NTS number will be required while scheduling the exam.
Schedule your exam appointments as soon as possible after you receive your NTS through the Prometric website.
CPA Exam Dates and Score Release
Candidates must check the exam schedule and score release dates released by AICPA before scheduling their exam. Here are the dates for the 2025 CPA Exam (subject to change).
Core sections are available with continuous testing in 2025.
| If the AICPA receives your exam data file on or before | Target Score Release Dates |
|---|---|
| January 23 | February 7 |
| February 14 | February 25 |
| March 9 | March 18 |
| March 31 | April 9 |
| April 23 | May 8 |
| May 16 | May 28 |
| June 8 | June 17 |
| June 30 | July 10 |
| July 23 | August 7 |
| August 15 | August 26 |
| September 7 | September 16 |
| September 30 | October 9 |
| October 23 | November 7 |
| November 15 | November 25 |
| December 8 | December 16 |
Discipline sections will be administered in the first month of each quarter in 2025.
| Testing Dates | Target Score Release Dates |
|---|---|
| January 1 - 31 | March 14 |
| April 1 - 30 | May 1 |
| June 1 - 30 | July 17 |
| July 1 - 31 | September 11 |
| October 1 - 31 | December 16 |
Become Familiar With Prometric
The CPA Exam is administered by Prometric Testing Centers, which are open year-round, six days a week, with locations across the US
Prior to scheduling your exam through the Prometric website, be sure to have available:
- Your NTS for eligibility verification
- A primary photo identification
- A personal calendar for choosing the date, time, and location
Things you can accomplish on the Prometric website:
- Schedule your CPA Exam
- Locate a Prometric test center
- Reschedule your CPA Exam
- Cancel your CPA Exam
- Confirm your CPA Exam test date
Choosing a Prometric Center
There are hundreds of Prometric testing centers available across the US and in many countries internationally. You are not always obliged to sit for the CPA Exam in the state you’re applying to, though some states may require you to sit for the exam in the United States.
Before choosing a prometric center, you must select your preferred date. Here are the steps to choosing a Prometric center:
- Go to the CPA area of the Prometric Testing Center Website.
- Choose “Locate” on the left navigation bar.
- Choose which CPA Exam section you want to take in the drop-down menu of the ProScheduler and click next.
- Put in your address and requested date(s) to find a test center on the day you prefer.
- Choose the location for the closest test centers that are populated.
If you don’t find a testing center that is close to you, try toggling different dates. Locations will populate based on the testing date and seat availability.
Schedule Appointment
After you choose your exam date and location, you can move on to the next step of scheduling your exam as follows:
- Go to the prometric proscheduler main page and select “Schedule”.
- Choose “Uniform CPA Exam” under Test Sponsor and Program and click on the next arrow
- Read the Identification Policy carefully before proceeding and click next
- Agree to the Policy Notice and Personal Data Privacy Disclosure & Consent
- Put in your exam Section ID and the first 4 characters of your last name and click next
- Choose your testing center location and then click on “Schedule an Appointment.”
- Finally, choose “Complete Registration” to complete your CPA Exam scheduling.
When to Schedule Your CPA Exam
Several variables should be considered while selecting when to schedule your CPA exam.
Consider Available Study Time
Before scheduling your CPA Exam, it is important to consider your estimated study time to ensure you are adequately prepared on exam day. If you underestimate your study time, you may end up rescheduling the exam and wasting money. UWorld Roger CPA Review students have full access to our CPA Exam study planners. This is a great way to gauge how much time you will need for each section of the CPA Exam, while considering your personal schedule.
Early Scheduling
Since the CPA Exam is offered throughout the year, it’s easy to find a time that fits your study schedule. However, it’s important to not wait until the last minute to schedule your CPA Exam. Try to plan your CPA Exam at least one month in advance of your desired exam date. This increases the likelihood of obtaining the desired exam dates, time, and testing site.
How to Reschedule Your CPA Exam
CPA candidates may reschedule or cancel their CPA Exam test dates by reaching out to Prometric testing centers. If you contact Prometric at least 30 days prior to your testing date, there is no fee for rescheduling or canceling your exam. If you contact Prometric between five and 30 days before your exam, you will need to pay a fee directly to Prometric.
If you reach out to Prometric less than five days before your exam, you will have to pay the full amount for the CPA Exam section you are canceling. Please note that you will not be able to change your CPA Exam test date with less than twenty-four hours notice. At that point, you will need to reach out to your State Board of Accountancy for further direction.
Steps to reschedule the CPA Exam:
- Go to the prometric proscheduler main page and select “Reschedule”
- Enter your confirmation number that you received from your first scheduling process
- Provide four characters of your last name
- Finish the process by selecting “Reschedule Appointment”
- Wait for the rescheduling confirmation via email
CPA Exam Scheduling for International Candidates
If you are an international candidate, you need to apply through a State Board of Accountancy that participates in international testing.
- You will need a passport to take the CPA Exam at an international location.
- Visit the NASBA website to apply. If you don’t see your jurisdiction on the NASBA website, then that means you cannot take the CPA Exam internationally through that jurisdiction.
- If your jurisdiction allows international testing, then you’ll need to pay the international fees and complete your international registration.
- You will be asked to provide identifying information as well as information from your NTS.
- After you’ve completed the registration process for each CPA Exam section, you’ll need to wait 24 hours before you’re able to schedule your exam.
- Choose the location where you want to take the CPA Exam. In addition to the U.S, the CPA Exam is offered internationally in these locations:
- Bahrain
- Brazil
- Egypt
- England
- Germany
- India
- Ireland
- Israel
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Nepal
- Philippines
- Republic of Korea
- Saudi Arabia
- Scotland
- United Arab Emirates
- Choose “Schedule an Exam.”
- Review and agree to the policy information before proceeding.
- Enter your CPA Exam section ID number from your NTS and then enter the first four letters of your last name and choose the bottom right arrow to move ahead.
- Choose your location, date and time, and then choose “Complete Registration.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Have some questions about the CPA exam schedule? Here are some of the most frequently asked questions and answers
- If you have any problems scheduling, rescheduling, or canceling your CPA Exam, submit an email request for help, or call Prometric at 1-866-PROMETRIC (776-6387).
- Official academic transcripts must be received directly from the institution. Most State Boards of Accountancy have both an electronic way to receive transcripts and a mailing address to which you can send transcripts. Please contact your State Board of Accountancy to find out which method they prefer.
- Citizenship requirements vary from state to state. You must check your state board of accountancy to confirm the citizenship requirement.
- Yes. In most states, your Authorization to Test (ATT) expires after 90 days. However, please make sure to verify with your individual state board.
- Yes, after receiving your Notice to Schedule (NTS), you have to schedule and take your CPA Exam within a certain period of time, which varies by jurisdiction from 90 days to 9 months. The NTS will state the earliest and latest date you can sit for each section of the exam you have applied to take.
- There are several theories about the order in which you should take the CPA Exam, but ultimately, the decision is up to you. Our recommendation is to start with the exam section you think will be the most difficult and time-consuming section for you. This strategy is based on the fact that your window to complete the four-part exam does not start until after you’ve passed your first exam section.
- You can take the CPA exam as many times as needed until you pass.