CPA Exam Continuous Testing: Scheduling, Scores, and Retakes

CPA Exam continuous testing means you can schedule the three core sections on any day Prometric is open, without waiting for a quarterly window. The catch most candidates miss: the three discipline sections aren’t truly year-round. They’re offered only in January, April, July, and October, and scores for both types still come out on a published schedule rather than instantly.

What Continuous Testing Changed

The CPA Exam used to run on four testing windows with a blackout period at the end of each quarter for system maintenance and score processing. If you weren’t ready during an open window, you waited. Under the current model, your test date depends on your readiness and seat availability rather than the calendar quarter.¹

The practical effect is a steadier flow: you study at your own pace, sit when you’re ready, and avoid the end-of-window rush that used to make appointments competitive. Scheduling now depends mostly on the operating hours and seat capacity of your nearest Prometric center.

Core Sections Are Year-Round; Discipline Sections Are Not

This is where candidates get tripped up. Every candidate takes three core sections (Auditing and Attestation, Financial Accounting and Reporting, and Taxation and Regulation) and one discipline section chosen from Business Analysis and Reporting, Information Systems and Controls, or Tax Compliance and Planning.² Each section runs four hours, and passing requires a minimum score of 75.³

The core sections (AUD, FAR, REG) can be scheduled any day Prometric centers are open. The discipline sections (BAR, ISC, TCP) can only be taken in four months each year: January, April, July, and October.¹ Miss a discipline window or fail during one, and you wait for the next.

You’re only permitted to pass and keep credit for one discipline. If you fail the one you picked, you can retake it or switch to a different discipline on your next attempt.⁴ Many candidates use the months between discipline windows to knock out core sections, then sit for the discipline when its window opens. Building a study plan without that calendar in front of you is one of the easiest ways to add months to your timeline.

When Scores Actually Arrive

Year-round testing doesn’t mean year-round scoring. The AICPA processes scores in batches, and the timeline differs sharply between core and discipline sections.

Core Sections

Core scores are released on a rolling basis, roughly every two to three weeks. If the AICPA receives your exam data file by January 23, the target release date is February 10; a February 14 cutoff points to a February 24 release.¹ Expect 10 to 18 days from the cutoff, with scores generally posting around midnight Eastern Time on the target date.

Discipline Sections

Discipline scores follow a quarterly cycle tied to the four testing months. January testing produces mid-March scores. April testing means mid-June. July yields mid-September, and October produces mid-December.¹ That six-to-eight-week gap matters if your credit window is running short.

You check scores by logging into the NASBA candidate portal. If you fail, you also receive a candidate performance report breaking down how you did across content areas so you can target weak spots.⁵

Retaking a Section You Failed

Continuous testing makes retakes faster than the old system, but you still can’t sit for the same section while a previous score is pending. Once the failing score is released and recorded, you can reapply for a new Notice to Schedule and book a new appointment. The constraints are the time to get the new NTS, seat availability, and (for discipline sections) the next testing window.⁶

For a core section, you could realistically retake within a few weeks of receiving your score. For a discipline section, the gap can stretch to months because the windows are limited. That asymmetry is another reason to think carefully about when you schedule a discipline attempt relative to your overall timeline.

The 30-Month Credit Window

Once you pass your first section, a clock starts. You have a limited period to pass the remaining three before your earliest credit expires. For nearly 20 years, that window was 18 months. In April 2023, NASBA’s Board of Directors voted to extend it to 30 months under an amendment to UAA Model Rule 5-7.⁷

NASBA’s model rules are recommendations, not mandates. Each state board decides independently whether to adopt the 30-month window.⁸ Most boards have moved to 30 months, but confirm with your board before assuming you have the full window. If yours still follows the 18-month rule, your planning timeline shrinks considerably.

The clock is rolling, not fixed. Each passed section has its own 30-month (or 18-month) expiration measured from the score release date. If your earliest credit expires before you’ve finished, you’ll retake that section even if you scored well the first time. Continuous testing helps because a core retake can happen almost immediately, but the discipline testing calendar can still create tight squeezes.

What You Need Before You Can Schedule

Before you pick a date, expect a multi-step process that takes several weeks. You start by selecting the Board of Accountancy for the jurisdiction where you want to be licensed. You submit official college transcripts so the board (or an evaluation service) can confirm you meet the education requirements. Once the board verifies your eligibility, you apply for a Notice to Schedule through the NASBA portal.

The NTS is your formal authorization to sit. It carries the section IDs you’ll need when booking through Prometric, and all personal information on it must match your government-issued ID exactly. A mismatch at the testing center will get you turned away, and you’ll forfeit the appointment.

Fees

Costs stack across several categories. First-time applicants pay an initial application fee to their state board, which varies by jurisdiction. Each exam section carries an examination fee of roughly $263, totaling about $1,051 for all four sections. Some jurisdictions also charge a separate registration fee each time you apply for a new NTS. Because these fees are set at the state level and are non-refundable, check your board’s specific schedule before applying.

NTS Expiration

Your NTS is valid for one testing event or until it expires, whichever comes first. Most jurisdictions set validity at six months; a few allow up to nine. The NTS must be valid not just when you book but on the day you sit. If it expires before your appointment date, you’ll reapply and pay the fees again.⁶

Booking the Appointment

With a valid NTS, go to the Prometric website to reserve a seat. Enter the section ID from your NTS, search by zip code for a testing center, and browse open dates and times. NASBA recommends scheduling at least 45 days in advance for the best selection. Short-notice booking often means limited availability or none at all.⁹

After selecting a slot, you’ll confirm contact information and receive an email with the appointment details and center address. If you need to reschedule or cancel, changes made close to the exam date can incur fees that increase as the date approaches. The specifics depend on how much notice you give, so check Prometric’s cancellation policy when you book.

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