CPA Exam Location: How to Apply in One State and Take Test in Another

There are many reasons why a candidate wants to register for the exam in one state and physically take the exam in another.

For example, an international candidate finds New Hampshire the most favorable in the qualification requirement, but since his cousin lives in California, he wants to go to CA for the exam.

Another example: a candidate is currently working in NY and plans to relocate to TX 6 months later. She can take some parts of the exam in NY and the rest in her new state.

The Flexibility of CPA Exam Location

AICPA, the administer of the Uniform CPA Exam, let you choose your own CPA exam location. It allows all CPA candidates to physically sit for the exam in any prometric centers around the country (including the 4 jurisdictions: Washington DC, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands).

What is a Prometric Center?

AICPA outsources the administration of the CPA Exam sites to Prometric, a company specialized in computerized testing and assessment services.

Prometric administers standardized tests for many professions in accounting, finance and medical field. The company has delivered more than 10 million exams through a network of over 10,000 testing locations in more than 160 countries.

International CPA Exam Location

Since August 2011, CPA exam locations area available outside of the US, namely in Japan, Brazil and 4 Middle East countries. There are certain residency restrictions on how one can get qualified. Please refer to this page for details.

If you work in Asia and prefer an exam site in this time zone, Guam is a great choice. Note that there is a surcharge of US$110 per exam section to take the exam in Guam.

For Your Further Reading

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About the Author Stephanie Ng

I am the author of How to Pass The CPA Exam (published by Wiley), and I also passed all 4 sections of the CPA Exam on my first try. Additionally, I have led webinars, such as for the Institute of Management Accountants, authored featured articles on websites like Going Concern and AccountingWeb, and I'm also the CFO for the charity New Sight. Finally, I have created other accounting certification websites to help mentor non-CPA candidates. I have already mentored thousands of CPA, CMA, CIA, EA, and CFA candidates, and I can help you too!

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