cpa exam registration: 2026 step-by-step guide

cpa exam registration guide with one white-presenting adult learner reviewing an NTS and scheduling checklist

Quick answer: cpa exam registration is a sequence, not one form. First, the jurisdiction or its designated service reviews your eligibility. Then you apply for an exam section and complete the required payment steps. After you receive a valid Notice to Schedule (NTS), you use the NTS to choose an appointment through Prometric. The board, NASBA, and Prometric each own a different part of that path.

This guide helps you record the owner, stage, evidence, date, and next action at every handoff. Requirements, fees, accepted documents, NTS validity, and seat availability can change, so use the official links and access date as a recheck point before you pay or book. The goal is a defensible next step—not a guessed nationwide answer.

CPA Exam Registration: The Short Answer

To register successfully, work in this order: choose the jurisdiction that will review you; confirm its current eligibility instructions; submit the required application, records, and fees; wait for the eligibility decision; apply for the section you are ready to take; receive and check the NTS; then schedule the appointment with Prometric. You cannot safely skip from “I have enough credits” to a test-center booking, because a credit total does not itself create an NTS.

NASBA’s current CPA Exam FAQ says candidates cannot schedule until they receive an NTS. It also says the minimum advance time for an appointment is five days and recommends scheduling about 45 days ahead when possible. Treat those as current guidance to recheck, not as a promise that every center will have a seat.

Before You Start, Separate the Four Registration Stages

Many mistakes happen because “apply,” “register,” and “schedule” are used interchangeably. Put the stage at the top of your notes before you open a portal.

Stage	Primary owner	Evidence to save	Stop when
Eligibility review	Selected board or designated service	Current rule, transcripts or evaluation, identity details, receipt	The board has not declared you eligible
Exam-section registration	Board, NASBA, or the jurisdiction’s stated portal	Section selected, payment receipt, application status	You cannot explain which section the payment covers
NTS check	NASBA or the jurisdiction’s issuing process	Saved NTS, section ID, issue and expiration dates	Name, section, or dates do not match your plan
Appointment	Prometric	Confirmation number, center, date, time, reschedule policy	You have not confirmed the seat or the NTS window

Step 1: Choose the Jurisdiction That Will Review You

You do not automatically apply through the state where you live. NASBA explains that a candidate may apply through a jurisdiction when its requirements are met, although some jurisdictions have residency conditions. The better question is: Where do I intend to be licensed and practice, and which board owns the education and application decision?

Open the board’s current application page and write down its exact route. Some jurisdictions use NASBA’s online system; others direct candidates to the board or a different designee. Do not choose a route because a commercial page displays a lower headline fee or a shorter-looking checklist.

Step 2: Prepare the Record Packet Before Paying

Build a small folder with the documents the selected route actually requests. Common items can include official transcripts from every institution that awarded relevant credit, an approved international evaluation when required, identity information, degree or conferral evidence, and any jurisdiction-specific form. The word “official” is operational: follow the board’s accepted delivery method instead of assuming an applicant-uploaded PDF will count.

Record the institution name and the channel that will send the record.
Keep your application name consistent with the identification you will present at the test center.
Separate exam eligibility from later license requirements; they may use different evidence.
Save the receipt, submission date, and the page that stated the current requirement.

Step 3: Submit Eligibility and Section Registration in the Stated Order

Follow the selected board’s order for the eligibility review. NASBA’s general FAQ says CPA Examination Services candidates first submit an education evaluation application when that step applies; after being deemed eligible, they submit an exam-section application to obtain an NTS. Other jurisdictions may use a board-owned sequence. If your portal offers an “Apply Now” button, confirm whether it means education evaluation or exam-section registration before submitting.

Pay only for a section that fits your realistic preparation and NTS window. Fees and refund rules are jurisdiction-specific. A receipt proves that a transaction occurred; it does not prove that the board accepted every education field or that an NTS has been issued.

Step 4: Read and Save the NTS

The NTS is the handoff that lets you begin appointment scheduling for the specified section. Save a local copy and check the candidate name, section, section identification number, issue date, expiration date, and any regional designation. The same section ID is not a reusable universal booking code. If something is wrong, contact the board or agency that owns the application before trying to fix the appointment in Prometric.

NASBA’s CPA Portal guidance recommends printing and saving the NTS because you may not be able to retrieve it at the test center. Put the expiration date in your calendar with an earlier reminder. An NTS that expires before you sit can require a new application or registration, and the exact consequence depends on the jurisdiction’s current rule.

What Happens Between Registration and the Prometric Appointment?

Once the NTS is valid, open the official Prometric CPA page and use the schedule path. Search the location and date you want, then compare the proposed appointment with the NTS expiration date. Prometric controls seat availability independently by center, so an open seat in one city does not mean the same date exists everywhere. NASBA recommends acting early because waiting can reduce the choice of site and time.

For a domestic appointment, keep the NTS and primary identification ready. For an international appointment, read the separate NASBA and Prometric instructions first: an additional registration or administration fee, a participating jurisdiction, a passport or other required identification, and a waiting period may apply. Do not infer the international path from the domestic screen.

four-stage handoff from board eligibility to exam section, NTS, and Prometric appointment

Protect Your NTS and Appointment Before You Click Complete

Use this short check immediately before final scheduling:

Correct section: the appointment matches the section identification on the NTS.
Correct name: the application and primary photo ID use matching information.
Valid window: the appointment date falls before the NTS expiration.
Realistic logistics: travel time, work, accommodations, and your study plan fit the date.
Saved proof: you have the NTS and the Prometric confirmation number in two places.

Prometric’s current page advises candidates to confirm the appointment 24 hours before the scheduled exam. Changes can also carry fees or a deadline. Read the cancellation and rescheduling terms attached to your appointment rather than relying on an old forum answer.

NTS and appointment checks for section, name, dates, logistics, and saved proof

A Worked Example: Two Registration Records, Two Next Actions

Jordan has sent transcripts and paid an education-evaluation fee, but the selected board has not yet declared Jordan eligible. Jordan’s record should say: Owner—board or designated service; Stage—eligibility review; Evidence—transcript delivery receipt and current rule; Next Action—resolve the missing document or wait for the decision. Jordan should not try to schedule a Prometric seat yet.

Riley has a valid NTS with 12 days left. Riley’s record says: Owner—Prometric for the seat; Stage—appointment; Evidence—section ID, expiration date, ID match, and confirmation number; Next Action—check available seats immediately. Riley should not assume that cancelling an appointment resets the NTS clock. The NTS date remains the controlling boundary.

The point of the record is not bureaucracy. It prevents a candidate from sending a scheduling problem back to the board, or an eligibility problem to Prometric, and it makes the next question narrow enough to answer.

Choose Your Next Registration Check

Registration readiness checklist

Mark every check that is complete. The first unchecked item is the next action; do not move to Prometric until the NTS check is complete.

Mark each step as you complete it.

I recorded the jurisdiction or board that owns my eligibility decision. I saved the current document route, submission receipt, and application status. I confirmed the selected exam section and received its NTS. I checked the NTS name, section ID, issue date, and expiration date. I saved the Prometric confirmation number and the rescheduling deadline.

What the first unchecked item means: If the first unchecked item is the jurisdiction or document route, return to the selected board or designated service. If it is the NTS, resolve eligibility or section registration with the responsible owner. If the NTS checks are complete, use Prometric and save the appointment proof. For international or changed appointments, follow the current separate instructions.

Why this check matters: The checklist turns the registration handoff into evidence: owner first, then application proof, NTS proof, and appointment proof. It prevents a payment receipt from being mistaken for permission to schedule.

Common CPA Exam Registration Mistakes

Scheduling before the NTS: an application receipt is not an appointment authorization.
Using the wrong ID: NASBA distinguishes a jurisdiction candidate ID from a national candidate ID. Use the identifier requested by the current portal instructions.
Buying a section too early: fees, NTS windows, and readiness should be considered together; do not register from an optimistic calendar.
Assuming every state uses the same portal: read the selected board’s route and owner before submitting.
Leaving proof in one inbox: download the NTS and confirmation number, then record the expiration and recheck dates.

CPA Exam Registration FAQ

Can I register for the CPA Exam before I am eligible?

You may be able to begin an eligibility application, but you cannot safely schedule an exam section until the responsible process has declared you eligible and issued an NTS. The exact first form and owner vary by jurisdiction.

Where do I schedule the CPA Exam?

After receiving the NTS, you generally arrange the appointment through Prometric. You do not normally need to sit in the jurisdiction through which you applied, but that does not remove the original board’s education or licensure requirements.

How long is an NTS valid?

It varies by jurisdiction. Read the expiration date printed on your NTS and plan the appointment before that date. Do not substitute a common “six months” claim for the document you actually received.

What if I need to reschedule?

Use Prometric’s current change instructions and check the fee deadline. A rescheduled appointment still has to fit the NTS window, and a last-minute change may not be possible.

Your Next Action

Create one Registering-Ready Record now: write the owner, stage, evidence, date checked, and next action. If the first blank is eligibility, contact the selected board or designated service. If it is appointment availability, use Prometric with the NTS in front of you. Save the source URL and recheck date beside the record.

Sources and Update Note

Verified September 14, 2026 by the CPA Exam Prep editorial team. The process, NTS, and scheduling statements above are bounded by the official sources below. Requirements, fees, providers, portal behavior, appointment availability, and deadlines can change; recheck the selected jurisdiction, NASBA, and Prometric before acting.

CPA Exam Registration: How to Apply, Get Your NTS & Schedule at Prometric