SHARE:  Author: Dina Barabash, Content Development & Web Specialist Thousands of candidates attended the latest Navigating the CPA Exam webinar. We at NASBA understand that candidates have lots of important questions during their CPA journey, and we are eager to provide insightful responses. Below are some of the most recent questions we received with their corresponding answers. How long will my passed Exam credits be extended in 2024 after the transition to CPA Evolution? My current credit expires on 6/30/2025. There are three different “credit extension” processes, which are occurring with the transition to CPA Evolution. One is the Transition to CPA Evolution. All CPA Examination candidates with credit set to expire between January 1, 2024 and June 29, 2025, will have their credits extended until June 30, 2025 (this has already been completed). The extension was granted to support those candidates with the delay in testing and score release due to the transition to CPA Evolution. Next, is the Changes in Conditional Credit. Prior to the launch of CPA Evolution, all condition credit was set to expire within 18 months of your Exam date. This rule is set and regulated by each individual State Board of Accountancy. NASBA made a recommendation for the state boards to change this conditional credit. It is up to each individual Board of Accountancy to adopt these changes and will require the board to set the rules and implement the changes. You will need to contact your state board directly for information on their process and how your credits would be affected. Lastly, there is the Credit Relief Initiative (CRI). Some state boards allowed their candidates to have some expired credits reinstated due to hardships associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. You may contact [email protected] for more information regarding this process. When will “testing windows” and “score release windows” go back to normal? When will we see the testing windows/score release windows for 2025? Whenever a new Exam is launched, additional analysis is needed before candidate scores can be released. The schedule for score releases in 2024 is similar to the schedules released in 2011 and 2017, when new versions of the Exam were launched. With the new Exam blueprints, there is a good deal of new content on the Exam, which requires additional analysis after candidates have completed testing. For the first testing window of a new Exam, a new passing score must be set, and this requires further analysis in several steps. Accordingly, scores for the first testing window take longer than scores for subsequent windows. These windows should return to normal once the AICPA has had time to completely and thoroughly vet the new Exams. The schedule for 2025 should be updated on the AICPA’s website around August/September. What are the specific educational requirements needed to apply for licensure and who can sign-off on my work experience? Each individual state board sets their requirements for the education required to take the CPA Exam and to obtain a CPA License. The jurisdiction you apply to for the Exam and seek licensure will determine where you can find this information. If you visit our https://nasba.org/exams/cpaexam/ webpage, you can look at this list of jurisdictions in the box. After clicking on a specific jurisdiction, it will give you the information needed as a candidate applying for the CPA Exam. It will either direct you to your state board for additional information, or, if NASBA handles the evaluation, it will give you that information, as well as a contact if you need to reach someone for more information. The licensure process is similar. If you visit our https://nasba.org/licensure/nasbalicensing/ webpage, you can see the licensure process that NASBA administers on behalf of individual boards. If your board is not listed, you must contact them directly regarding any licensure questions. If your board is listed, you can click on the state, and it will give you additional information, as well as contact information should you need further assistance. Why can we not apply for multiple sections of the CPA Exam on a single NTS? With the transition to CPA Evolution, it was decided that it was best for the candidates to sign up for individual Exam sections. Most candidates who applied for more than one section never took the additional sections, and lost those fees associated with the additional sections. I have an International Evaluation Report, which states I am eligible for the CPA Exam, but I am still required to submit an Education Evaluation Application. Why is that? The International Evaluation Report, no matter who it is from, does not determine your eligibility for the CPA Exam. This is only a conversion of your international education to a U.S. equivalency, which can then be used to evaluate your international education to the requirements set forth by your state board. Each International Evaluation Report is completed based on a specific jurisdiction and the specific requirements of that jurisdiction, so it cannot be used towards an application for a jurisdiction other than what is listed on the evaluation report. I am studying for the FAR Exam. Where should I focus most of my attention? How many MCQs are there? How is my Exam graded and why am I listed as stronger/weaker in subject areas? The blueprints for each individual Exam section can be reviewed here: https://www.aicpa-cima.com/resources/article/learn-what-is-tested-on-the-cpa-exam. The blueprints will include a breakdown of each area of content for the Exam and coverage. To learn more about how the AICPA grades its Exam and the Candidate Performance Report, visit: https://www.aicpa-cima.com/resources/article/learn-more-about-cpa-exam-scoring-and-pass-rates. I had an issue at the testing site while taking my Exam. During the Exam, the computer shut down. Testing site personnel were able to restart the Exam and it picked up where I left off, but I am unsure if I lost any time or if it saved my information. It is highly recommended that candidates actively save their responses while progressing through the Exam. If the computer shuts down, it will pick back up where you left off and everything “submitted” prior to the shutdown is saved. Your timer will also start back where it left off. This also goes for the Exam shutting down due to your Exam time running out. All questions answered at the time of the Exam timer stopping are captured and will be submitted with your Exam file. If you have any concerns about the experience you had during your Prometric Exam appointment, you can email [email protected], no later than five (5) days from the date of your examination. Be sure to include your Exam appointment information and what issues you experienced in your message. I am taking the Exam internationally and I am unable to see the same available appointments when trying to schedule my Exam, even though I can see open appointments when looking for availability. How can I find Exam centers near me, and how come I can only schedule so far in advance? On Prometric’s website, there are two options to view available appointments (the ‘locate’ tool and ‘schedule’ tool). The ‘locate’ tool will allow you to enter your address and the Exam you are taking. In turn, the tool will allow you to view available appointments and nearby testing sites. The Prometric website only shows appointments up to six months in the future and only in two-week increments. So, six months from the current month is the latest you would be able to see availability and book appointments when using the ‘schedule’ tool, but you will need to change the 2-week block to coincide with when you are looking to schedule. Once you are ready to schedule your Exam, use the ’schedule’ tool. Some international candidates experience an issue where they can see appointments in an international location, but when trying to schedule their Exam, they do not see the same availability. This is because your NTS is not “set” to allow you to schedule your Exam internationally. You must pay the international administration fee located under the “VIEW NTS” button before you can schedule an appointment at an international location. The international administration fee must be paid every time you take an Exam at an international location. More information can be found here: https://nasba.org/exams/internationalexam/. Will Prometric open any testing centers in my area? Testing center locations are determined by the existence of established Prometric testing centers and the volume of candidates, which could be impacted by opening a center in a new location. Regarding opening new international locations, it would also depend on volume demand as demonstrated by candidates from those countries taking the Exam in the United States, the ability to deliver the Exam without overly burdensome legal obstacles, any security threat to Exam (both physical security at test center and intellectual property security of Exam content) assessed at levels equivalent to those presented domestically, and the existence of established Prometric test centers. If you would like to request a testing center to be opened in a specific location, email [email protected] and your information will be forward to the appropriate party for review. Please note: You will not receive any email response back with an approved/denied decision of your request. Inquiries received will just be taken into consideration. |
