By Meg Killian, PICPA vice president – member relations

The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) and the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) announced that, as of July 1, 2020, the black out windows for CPA Exam testing have been eliminated. That means the CPA Exam now will be administered all year – an increase of 75 more days each year to take the exam.

In addition to this good news comes the announcement that scores will be released on a rolling basis. Not only will candidates have more options and flexibility to schedule their test dates, but they will also be able to retake a part (if need be) without waiting for the next testing window to open. Yes, the 18-month deadline to pass all four parts is still in place, but the new open schedule format gives candidates more options to take the exam during that time, increasing the chances of getting all four parts passed in the 18-month window.

Details on this and the list of states where continuous testing is available can be found on the NASBA website. Currently seven states do not offer year-round testing, but six of them are working on legislative fixes to change that.

The latest improvements to the exam process continue to create a more flexible and convenient path toward CPA licensing and will help the profession modernize of the CPA credential.

More resources on the CPA Exam and licensing are available on PICPA's website.

Sign up for weekly professional and technical updates in PICPA's blogs, podcasts, and discussion board topics by completing this form.