Quick answer: If you are looking for cpa exam information, start with the decision you need to make. The Uniform CPA Examination is a four-section, 16-hour assessment: three Core sections—AUD, FAR, and REG—plus one Discipline choice—BAR, ISC, or TCP. AICPA controls tested-content and scoring information, NASBA provides candidate administration and score information, Prometric provides test-center delivery information, and the relevant state board controls jurisdiction-specific eligibility and licensure. This page is checked as of September 11, 2026; the goal is to help you find the right source and take the right next step, not to turn every changing detail into a permanent list.
Checked for this edition: September 11, 2026
Update owner: CPA Exam Prep editorial team. Recheck this page when AICPA publishes a new Blueprint, NASBA changes candidate guidance or score information, Prometric changes delivery procedures, or your jurisdiction changes an eligibility or licensure rule.
For a broader preparation path, continue with our CPA Exam Study Guide.
CPA Exam Information: The Short Answer
What the exam includes
The current exam path has three Core sections and one selected Discipline. The Core sections are Auditing and Attestation (AUD), Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR), and Regulation (REG). The Discipline choice is Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR), Information Systems and Controls (ISC), or Tax Compliance and Planning (TCP). The AICPA overview describes each section as four hours, which produces 16 hours of total testing time. You do not take all six labels as six required sections.
What this overview cannot decide
A broad guide can orient you, but it cannot determine whether your education, experience, credits, fees, application, or license path qualifies in a specific jurisdiction. The exam content is common, while the path to sit for the exam and become licensed can vary. Treat this page as a map to the correct owner, then verify the fact that controls your own decision.
The Five Decisions Inside CPA Exam Information
Instead of collecting every fact in one bookmark, sort your question into one of five lanes. This is the article’s Information Map: it makes the next source and the next action visible.
| Decision lane | Question to ask | First owner | Useful output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Understand | What are the sections, format, and tested skills? | AICPA | A current section or Blueprint note |
| Qualify | Can I sit for the exam or pursue licensure? | Relevant state board | Jurisdiction-specific requirement list |
| Apply | What application, NTS, or registration step comes next? | State board and NASBA | A dated application or candidate record |
| Prepare | What should I study and practice next? | AICPA Blueprint plus your study resource | One topic, task verb, and practice action |
| Verify or score | Is a date, score, or test-center detail still current? | NASBA or Prometric | A live page, date checked, and next trigger |
Understand the exam before optimizing the plan
Start with the common map: three Core sections and one Discipline. Then open the relevant AICPA Blueprint if your question is about content. This sequence prevents a familiar review-provider summary from becoming your only source for what can be tested.
Qualify and apply without guessing
Use the state board for education, experience, credit, fees, and licensure requirements. Use NASBA for candidate-service and application guidance that applies to your route. Keep the two records separate: being able to study a section does not itself prove that you are eligible to sit or licensed.
Prepare and verify one decision at a time
Once you know the owner, record the exact version or date, name the decision it affects, and choose one action. A small record is more useful than a folder full of screenshots because it tells you what would cause a recheck.
What the CPA Exam Tests and How It Is Delivered
Core and Discipline structure
The current structure is three Core sections—AUD, FAR, and REG—and one selected Discipline—BAR, ISC, or TCP. The former BEC label belongs to historical transition material; it is not part of the present four-section map. If an older page treats the former BEC label as a required section, date the page and compare it with the current AICPA materials before changing your plan.
Blueprints, multiple-choice questions, and task-based simulations
The AICPA Blueprints organize each section by Areas, Groups, Topics, task statements, skill levels, references, and item types. AICPA also says each section uses five testlets, with multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and task-based simulations (TBSs). Use a current Blueprint for the scope and task verbs; use the AICPA sample test to learn the software experience, while remembering that the sample test is not scored and does not determine readiness.
Format facts should change how you practice, not what you claim to predict. An MCQ can check recognition or calculation; a TBS can require document interpretation, analysis, or a multi-step conclusion. Move from “I saw this definition” to “I can explain the trigger, rule, setup, and conclusion.”
CPA Exam Information for Eligibility, Application, and Test Day
State board first for eligibility and licensure
Questions about education hours, experience, residency, fees, credit windows, application deadlines, and licensing belong to the board or jurisdiction where you plan to apply. The exact requirement is not a universal property of the exam. If a commercial guide gives a state example, treat it as an example until your own board confirms it.
NASBA for candidate administration
NASBA’s CPA Exam pages provide candidate guidance, application-service links, the Candidate Guide, and score information. Its role is different from AICPA’s content role. Before scheduling, follow the current process for your jurisdiction and make sure you have the required Notice to Schedule (NTS) or other authorization described by the responsible service. Do not use an old screenshot as proof that your current record is ready.
Prometric for delivery-site details
When your question concerns appointment availability, test-center closures, permissible items, identification, or what happens at the delivery site, open the current CPA page at Prometric and the linked candidate guidance. Availability depends on the location and live system. Bring only what the current instructions permit, and recheck before the appointment because center procedures can change.
How Scores and Study Materials Fit Into CPA Exam Information
What a passing score tells you
NASBA’s score information states that a candidate needs 75 or higher on a section. The score is not a license by itself: you still have to satisfy your jurisdiction’s education, experience, and other requirements. NASBA also explains that AICPA is responsible for scoring the Uniform CPA Examination and that MCQs and TBSs contribute according to the section’s current weighting. Use the live score page for timing and interpretation rather than copying a static release table.
How to date-check a study resource
For the next chapter or video you plan to use, record four things: the resource edition or update date, the current AICPA Blueprint version, the affected section or task, and the action you will take if they do not match. If the source has no date, write date not stated instead of inventing one. This is especially important for tax and regulation material, where effective dates matter.
A study provider can make a difficult topic easier to learn, but it is not the final owner of the tested-content boundary. Use provider explanations for teaching and the Blueprint for scope. If the two appear to conflict, pause the chapter, save both links, and resolve the discrepancy before turning it into a study rule.
The CPA Exam Information Card: A Worked Example
The Information Card is a five-field record for a question that could change your next step. It is intentionally small; the point is to make a decision auditable without creating paperwork that no candidate will maintain.
The five fields
- Question: Write the decision in one sentence, such as “Can I schedule my first section?”
- Owner: Name the authority that controls each part. A state board may control eligibility, NASBA may handle the candidate process, and Prometric may handle the appointment.
- Proof: Record the URL, page title, date checked, edition, or effective date. If the source is silent, write that it is silent.
- Action: Choose one step supported by the evidence, such as request a transcript review, follow a current application instruction, or compare one Blueprint task.
- Recheck: Record the trigger: a new Blueprint, a candidate notice, a provider revision, a test-center change, or a jurisdiction update.
Worked example: Can I schedule my first section?
Imagine a candidate who has finished an accounting course and wants to book a first section. The correct answer is not a generic yes or no. The candidate makes three linked entries: first, ask the relevant board whether the education and other eligibility rules are satisfied; second, follow the current NASBA or examination-service process and confirm the NTS or authorization step; third, use the current Prometric scheduling page to check the available location and date. Each entry has a different owner.
| Card field | Worked entry | What it prevents |
|---|---|---|
| Question | Can I schedule my first section? | A vague search with no decision |
| Owner and proof | Board, NASBA service, and Prometric links checked on the same date | Mixing three authorities into one claim |
| Action | Resolve eligibility, confirm authorization, then look for a seat | Booking before the record is ready |
| Recheck | New board notice, NTS change, or appointment update | Treating live information as permanent |
Route Your CPA Exam Question
Choose the source owner before changing your application or study plan; one broad page cannot own every CPA fact.
- AICPA for tested content, Blueprints, and scoring process
- NASBA for candidate administration, NTS, and current score information
- Prometric for test-center delivery and permissible-item rules
- Your state board for eligibility, education, experience, and licensure
Check your reasoning
Answer: Match the question to the owner, then record the page date/version, the decision it affects, your next action, and the recheck trigger. If a question crosses owners, keep separate card entries instead of blending them.
Source routing prevents a static review page or a rule from one jurisdiction from being treated as a universal answer. The interaction is a short decision aid, not an official eligibility test or exam question.
Common CPA Exam Information Mistakes
Counting six labels as six required sections
The current structure is three Core sections plus one Discipline choice. Keep historical transition language labeled as historical, especially when an older page treats the former BEC label as part of the present map.
Using a commercial page as the final source
Commercial study pages can be useful for teaching, navigation, and practice planning. They should not replace the current AICPA Blueprint, the live NASBA candidate information, a Prometric instruction, or your state board’s rule. A visible “updated” label is a clue to inspect, not proof that every claim is current.
Mixing eligibility, exam content, and licensure
Knowing what a section tests does not establish that you can sit for it in a particular jurisdiction or that you meet the requirements for a license. Keep the owner and the decision beside the note so a general explanation cannot silently become personal legal or licensing advice.
CPA Exam Information FAQ
How many sections must I take?
You take three Core sections—AUD, FAR, and REG—and choose one Discipline section from BAR, ISC, and TCP. The six names describe the full map, not six required exams.
Who decides whether I am eligible?
The relevant state board or jurisdiction determines the applicable education, experience, application, and licensure rules. Use current NASBA candidate guidance for the administration process connected to that route. This page cannot substitute for a jurisdiction decision.
Where should I check score and scheduling information?
Use current NASBA score and candidate pages for score information and process guidance, and use Prometric for live appointment and delivery-site information. Target dates and availability can change, so record when you checked the page.
Can I use an old CPA Exam guide?
Use it for historical context or explanations, but date-check its section labels, Blueprint version, score information, and jurisdiction examples. If the claim could change your plan, compare it with the current official owner before relying on it.
Your Next CPA Exam Information Check
Make one card before you open another tab
Write one unanswered question, name its owner, record the current URL and date/version, and choose the action that follows from the evidence. If the question is about content, open the AICPA Blueprint. If it is about a candidate process or score, open NASBA. If it is about a delivery site, open Prometric. If it is about eligibility or licensure, open your state board. Then set the recheck trigger and return to studying.
A good information page does not try to own every changing fact. It gives you a reliable starting map, makes its limits clear, and leaves you with a small record that can be updated when the official source changes.