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Prometric CPA: How to Schedule (and Reschedule) Your Exam Online
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From CPA application to the actual exam, the process is complicated and stressful. One of the many tasks is scheduling your CPA exam at the so-called “prometric center”.
What is it, and how does it work?
Prometric CPA Overview
This is a 5-minute video that summarizes what you need to know about the Prometric for the purpose of the CPA exam:
Below is the text version with some additional information.
What is a Prometric Center?
Prometric is a company that specializes in administrating computerized examinations in exam sites throughout the USA. The Uniform CPA Exam is just one of the many standardized tests administered by Prometric – it also hosts the CMA certification exam, as well as other tests for doctors, lawyers and all sorts of professionals.
How to Pick the Testing Site?
Did you know that you are not restricted to the exam site in your state? You can take it anywhere – Hawaii if you wanna get a nice sun tan afterwards! But seriously, there are circumstances that you may want to take in a different state, and it is great that Prometric and the CPA examiners give you this flexibility.
How Exactly to Schedule My CPA Exam at Prometric?
I believe you get the instruction together with the NTS (Notice To Schedule). Anyway, it is pretty simple:
- Go to the Prometric site for CPA
- Click the start button. You will be asked to pick a state
- Enter the exam section ID and 4 letters of your last name.
- Register away!
Prometric CPA Timing (When Should I Schedule?)
Anytime you feel comfortable to fix a date for the exam, but within 6 months of your NTS issuance. (Exception: if you register in Texas, you only have 3 months)
If you are lagging behind, or don’t want to pressure yourself to a fixed deadline to finish your study, you can schedule the exam later. Here are two important considerations:
- If waited for too long, you run the risk of Prometric center being full.
- Given each CPA exam section takes 3-4 hours, the center can’t fit that many candidates in a given time slot. Therefore, I suggest that you schedule at least 3 weeks (preferably 4 weeks) prior to your preferred exam date.
Prometric CPA Reschedule Procedure
Yes, you can reschedule the test online as long as you have the exam section ID ready. You can change the date within the testing window up to 24 hours before the exam:
- 30 days or more in advance: no penalty
- 5-30 days in advance: penalty of $35
- 1-5 days in advance: penalty of a full charge by Prometric
- <24 hours: impossible to reschedule and you’ll have to reapply.
What to Do Before the Exam?
- Double-check that the information on your primary photo ID exactly matches the name you are scheduling under
- Confirm with Prometric that your space is indeed reserved on that particular exam site in that particular time slot
- Make sure you know exactly how to get to the Prometric center and take into consideration the traffic condition around the time of your exam
- Get familiar with how the computerized exam works by trying the computerized test tutorial in the Uniform CPA exam website
- If you plan to drive, make sure your car is functioning properly. Check the gas the day before.
Consider Taking a Test Drive
For $30, you can book 30 minutes for a real-life experience at the center. Nothing will be graded. You can also take the opportunity to find out the best way to travel to the site. Click here for details.
Now, Have You Picked a CPA Review Course Yet?
Here is a list of top 10 course providers and their pros and cons.
You can also read my Frequently Asked Questions to learn about the CPA exam process, or sign up one of the free mini-courses below. Please pick the one most suitable for your needs:
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| For US candidates (Those with US degrees, or graduate/live/work in the US) |
For Intl Candidates (Those who study abroad, or graduate/live/work outside of the US) |
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!
