What An Att Is
Where a state accountancy board processes only their fees and leaves the actual exam fees to be paid directly to NASBA by the applicant themselves, the board will issue the student with an Authorization to Test once the application has been accepted and any application registration fees have been paid to them. Only once the student has received their ATT from the board, will they be permitted to contact the NASBA CPAES to pay the exam fees. Typically, like the NTS, the ATT expires if it is not utilized within a specific timeframe. It is also sometimes referred to as a payment coupon.
There are states that also charge for NASBAs fees and then apply to NASBA on the candidates behalf. Note that in cases where the CPAES handles the entire application process, the registration fees are paid to them as well.
Cpa Exam Dates 202: A Complete Guide
posted on January 19, 2022
CPA exam dates are an important piece of information to nail down as part of your test preparation.
Before 2020, there used to be a limited number of testing windows available each year. As you make plans to study for the CPA, youll need to know how to schedule the CPA exam, figure out the dates you want to take the test, and make sure you give yourself enough time.
There are a few organizations involved in applying for and scheduling your exam and submitting fees to cover your CPA costs. They are:
- NASBA: National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. You can find information and guidelines on their website. NASBA issues the candidate bulletin, which helps you with test readiness and also issues your CPA score release.
- AICPA: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The AICPA provides exam info and study materials. You can find a lot of answers to common questions on their website. They also publish pass rates.
- Prometric: this organization facilitates the CPA exam. You will register for and reserve a seat at a Prometric test center to take the CPA exam.
There are four parts to the exam, and each one is taken separately. You must pass all four sections within 18 months. Some sections, like FAR , are harder than others, so give yourself enough time between your exam dates to study.
2022 is a unique year for the CPA exam. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the CPA exam dates significantly.
Submit Transcripts And Application Fee
Before scheduling your CPA Exam, be sure to know what all the documents are needed to schedule the CPA Exam and have them ready. You will need to submit your academic transcripts from all the institutions youve attended. If you have education that is outside of the United States, you must have your international transcript validated by NASBAs International Evaluation Services or a transcription service provider that is approved by your State Board of Accountancy. Finally, you will need proof of identification, such as a state drivers license. Keep in mind that the name on your CPA Exam application should match the name on your proof of identification.
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How To Find The Nearest Prometric Cpa Testing Center
Location, location, location: These are genuinely the 3 most important words when scheduling your CPA exam. You just want to choose the site thats most convenient for you. Heres how you can find a list of Prometric CPA exam locations:
When youre ready to schedule your CPA Exam, you can go ahead and complete the scheduling process. If youre not quite prepared, I suggest reviewing the list of available test sites to ensure you have one close to you. If you have to drive a few hours or perhaps get a hotel room, youll need to do a bit more planning for exam day.
And, this likely goes without saying, but make sure you know how to get to the Prometric site before your exam day. Save yourself the stress! If youre relatively close, drive by the site. If not, take the time to look at the directions and familiarize yourself with the area.
May I Take The Examination Outside Of My Jurisdiction
Yes. You may schedule your examination at any Prometric site in any of the 54 jurisdictions. You do not have to sit in the same state where you applied.
In March 2011, in conjunction with the AICPA and Prometric, NASBA announced the opportunity for international administration of the Uniform CPA Examination. Please see the Test Internationally section of this website for more information.
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Exams With A Reasonable Adjustment
If you’ve been granted a reasonable adjustment, we’ll schedule your exam on your behalf and you’ll be advised of your exam date and time.
While we are committed to providing necessary modifications to our exams to support candidates, some adjustments may not be possible in an online-proctored environment. Please contact us to discuss your agreed Reasonable Adjustment.
CPA Program exams FAQs
Optimize Your Scheduling Experience
- Use our Seat Availability Tool to quickly check for appointment availability at the location of your choice. Note: You don’t need an Exam Section ID to use this tool!
- Use our site finder to get directions to a nearby test center.
- Need to change an existing appointment No account or password needed just your confirmation number.
Important information for Candidates wishing to sit for the CPA Exam in an International Location.
- Passport is REQUIRED to test for CPA at an international location
Testers in Guam or Puerto Rico, please select from the list below:
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What Should I Bring To The Cpa Prometric Testing Site
Again, you want to be as stress-free as possible come exam day. As part of this, you need to be prepared to walk into your Prometric site with everything required to sit for the exam.
On test day, Prometric requires you to have:
- 2 forms of identification
Now, you wont be able to take the CPA exam without the items Ive listed.
In other words, plan ahead and double/triple-check that you have them before you head to Prometric.
S To Register To Test In An International Location
Note: After the registration process is complete for each examination section, you will need to wait at least 24 hours before you are able to schedule your appointment.
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Obtain Your Authorization To Test
Once the board has approves your application, they will issue you an authorization to test . This document allows you to sign up for a CPA exam section in your state. Its usually only good for 90 days, so youll have to decide which section you want to take first before it expires. Once the 90 days is up, your $150 application fee will be lost and you will have to pay it again.
After you choose which section you want to take first, you will need to log into your National Association of State Boards of Accountancy account and pay the exam section fees. Each state charges slightly different exam fees, but most range $180 $250 per section. Thus all four sections will cost $1,200 on average.
Before you go crazy signing up for all the exam parts at once, you need to know one main thing: DONT! You have 6 months from receiving your NTS to schedule your exam dates. If the time limit is exceeded, your exam fees will be lost and you will have to pay them again.
This is probably the stupidest part of the application process because there is no reason for state boards or NASBA to do this. They just want your money. Either way, only sign up and pay for the sections that you want to take in the next six months. You can sign up for the rest later.
After you pay your fees, wait 3-6 weeks to get your NTS.
What Section Of The Cpa Exam Should I Schedule First
Many candidates agonize over which CPA Exam section to take first. Its a personal choice, but there are four common ways people choose:
- Take the section youre most interested in first.
- Take the easiest section first.
- Take the hardest section first.
- If the exam is going to change soon, take the section that will change the least first.
We cover the pros and cons and offer our guidance for each below.
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Get Your Notice To Schedule
Before you can even think about scheduling your CPA exam, you will need to finish your application process and receive approval from your state board. Once you are approved for a section, they will send you an NTS with an ID number. You will need this in order to schedule any test at Prometric. Once you have it, you can start thinking about where you want to take the exam.
Taking The Easiest Section First
Whether its because youve recently taken a course on financial planning or currently work as a tax preparer, some sections of the CPA Exam will be easier for you than other sections. Beginning your studies with the material you know best is a common way to schedule your CPA Exam.
Pros More likely to pass on the first try Less time spent studying for your first section Build confidence in your abilities and knowledge If your score expires, youll likely only need to retake an easy section
Cons Delays taking more difficult exams After passing an easy exam, you may not study enough for harder exams Starts your 18-month timer before youve passed your hardest section
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How Do I Get My Nts
Once you have paid the Payment Coupon , the NTS will be available at your Gateway account in 1-3 business days. It is important to print your NTS because it is a required document on test day.
The Notice to Schedule is a key document used to schedule your exam at Prometric. You must also present it at the Prometric Center on test day along with two acceptable forms of ID. You will be denied entrance without these three things.
Reapplying For The Cpa Exam
The following table presents the instances where you cannot reschedule or receive a fee refund.
| Particulars | |
|---|---|
| Not Possible | After 5-7 days |
However, if you missed your scheduled appointment due to extreme circumstances, you can request an extension. You may contact NASBA immediately with the required documents for the extension. Or else, approach your BOA or its designated agent with additional fees to reschedule.
In the event of reapplying, ensure to apply only after the specified period. This is because Prometric takes 5-7 days to send your no-show attendance status to NASBA. Also, NASBA takes around seven days to process the NTS expired status.
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How To Design Your Cpa Exam Schedule
How should you design your CPA exam schedule? Well, it depends on your work and family commitment. The most important part is that you do, in fact, plan out the schedule. Because this is a very important, complex exam and the fees are costly, you want to have a strategy going in.
In general, I recommend taking the 4 parts one at a time, because:
- You can focus 100% on one part of the exam.
- You tend to do better after getting some exam-taking experience.
- The CPA Exam fees are the same anyway
An exception is for those who incur a lot of traveling and accommodation costs to get to the exam centers, e.g. international candidates who need to travel by air to the US. Now, lets look at the strategy for putting this exam schedule together.
When To Reschedule Cpa Exam
You can reschedule your appointment up to 24 hours before the day of the examination. However, try to reschedule as far in advance as possible to avoid paying rescheduling fees. This is because rescheduling fees are usually charged depending on when you notify Prometric of the change in your schedule.
Moreover, remember that rescheduling does not affect your NTS expiry date. Hence, reschedule within the NTS validity period . Or else it will result in a no-show attendance status. You cannot refund your exam fees with a no-show status.
Furthermore, you can reschedule without any penalty in case of test center closure due to an emergency. Always reschedule an exam section only after you have prepared for it.
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Receive The Authorization To Test
Once youve met the educational requirements to sit for the CPA Exam, visited the NASBA Website, chosen the jurisdiction where youll sit for the CPA Exam, and paid all fees, youll receive approval to take the CPA Exam. This approval is called the Authorization to Test . The ATT allows you to choose the CPA Exam section you want to take.
What To Expect On The Test Day
Please note that AICPA, Boards of Accountancy, and NASBA have developed the Prometric CPA Exam steps.
Pre-requisite documents for CPA Exam Day are:
- Two forms of ID
The appointment time on your confirmation notice will display four hours and 30 minutes. Know that the additional half an hour includes exam log-in, survey, and a standardized break.
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Cpa Exam Notice To Schedule
About 3 to 6 weeks after you pay your registration fees for the CPA exam parts you signed up for, youll receive your Notice to Schedule for those sections. This is the document that legally allows you to sit for a section of the CPA exam in the United States. After you receive this document, you will be able to schedule a testing date and time with a Prometric testing center. Be aware! Without this document, you will not be able to schedule a testing date. Also, your NTS is only valid for 6 months. Hence, if you dont schedule your exam within that window, your NTS will be invalidated and you will be required to pay the same exam fees in order to get another one.
Thats the basic process of scheduling your exam. Now that you understand how the scheduling system works, lets look at when you can actually schedule your exam.
What Day Is Best To Schedule Your Exam
This is a somewhat common question for first-time candidates. There is no real best day of the week to schedule your exam. Some people prefer to take their exams on Mondays because it gives them the entire weekend to cram for the test.
Other candidates prefer the middle of the week simply because they can get out of work to take the exam.
Honestly, it doesnt matter which day you actually take the exam. The important thing is what you do leading up to the exam day. If taking it on Monday will help you prepare, then take it on Monday. The same is true about any other day of the week.
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Locating The Nearest Test Centre
Know that not every Prometric testing center offers the CPA Exam. Hence, select your exam first and then go through the scheduling process carefully.
Follow these steps to locate the nearest Prometric CPA test centre:
Finalize the scheduling process as soon as possible since the availability may change at any time.
In case of unexpected test center closures, the Prometric rescheduling department will contact you within 48-72 hours to reschedule your exam without penalty. Besides, you can visit the Site Updates page and check out the status of your testing centre location.