Applying for the CPA Exam

MAKE SURE YOU ARE ELIGIBLE

Before filling out an application, make sure you meet the requirements to sit for the exam. Find more information on general, educational, and experience requirements here.

SUBMIT CPA EXAM APPLICATION & FEES

Once you meet the eligibility requirements and have transcripts on hand, you can submit the CPA exam application. Send the application in with the applicable exam fees and wait for approval.

Before filling out an application, make sure you meet the requirements to sit for the exam. Find more information on general, educational, and experience requirements here.

SCHEDULE YOUR EXAM

After the board approves your application, you will receive a notice to schedule (NTS) which is valid for six months. This allows you to schedule a date to take a section of the CPA Exam.

Note: Schedule your exam at least a month out as some testing dates and locations can fill up quickly.

Before filling out an application, make sure you meet the requirements to sit for the exam. Find more information on general, educational, and experience requirements here.

PREPARE FOR YOUR EXAM

Study the Exam Blueprints and use all available exam resources and study tools to prepare.

Learn the exam’s format and functionality by practicing with the sample tests and accessing the
tutorial topics found by selecting the “Help” button in each sample test. Review the test structure of each exam section.

Note: Use your NTS to get six months of free access to NASBA’s Professional Literature package.

TAKE YOUR EXAM

You must receive a minimum of 75 on each section in order to pass the exam. You must pass all four sections within an 18-month window. You can take more than one exam section per test window; however, you cannot retake the same section in the same test window.

APPLY FOR YOUR LICENSE

With the recent movement to add a third pathway to licensure, it is important to check the requirements in your state. For more requirement information, visit the NASBA website.