Scheduling the CPA exam: the NTS, retakes and test centres

How long a Notice to Schedule lasts, what happens when it expires, how soon you can retake a failed section, and where you are allowed to test. Sourced to NASBA. Last reviewed 2026-08-10.

How long is a CPA exam Notice to Schedule (NTS) valid?

A Notice to Schedule (NTS) is valid for 6, 9 or 12 months from its issue date depending on the jurisdiction you applied to. The NTS is the document that lets you book a seat with Prometric, and you must present it at the test centre or you will be refused entry. The validation period counts non-testing days, so it runs continuously rather than only on days you could have tested.

The validity period is set by your jurisdiction, and PocketCPA does not hold a per-state NTS figure, so confirm yours against the NASBA Candidate Guide or your board. Requirements by jurisdiction are on the requirements index.

What happens if your NTS expires before you take the exam?

If your NTS expires before you sit the section, you cannot reschedule, and you receive no credit and no refund of the fees already paid. You must reapply for the section and pay the fees again. NASBA does not extend an NTS except by an approved Exception to Policy for a documented hardship such as a medical emergency, military deployment, visa rejection or a death in the immediate family, requested within 30 days.

Can you retake a failed CPA exam section right away?

Yes, subject to a short wait. The CPA exam uses continuous testing, so sections are available year-round rather than in fixed windows. After a failing score you must wait at least 72 hours from receiving that score before you can re-register for the same section, and you need a new Notice to Schedule with a new section ID, because a section ID is valid for only one testing event. You cannot apply for a new NTS in advance on the assumption that you failed.

What is continuous testing on the CPA exam?

Continuous testing means the CPA exam is offered year-round rather than in fixed quarterly testing windows. The only practical limit on how often you can retake a section is the time it takes for the score to be released, to re-register, to obtain a new Notice to Schedule and to find an available seat.

Do you have to take the CPA exam in the state you applied to?

No. You may sit at any Prometric test centre that offers the CPA exam, regardless of the jurisdiction you applied to. Your jurisdiction determines your eligibility and your licence, not where you physically test.

Can you take the CPA exam outside the United States?

Yes, with two conditions. You must first pay an international administration fee, currently about $390 per section, before international scheduling becomes available on your NTS. And candidates who applied through Alabama, Idaho, North Carolina or the US Virgin Islands are not permitted to schedule at international test centres at all.

How long do you have to pass all four sections once you pass the first?

Once you pass your first section, a rolling 30-month clock starts (measured from that section’s score-release date). You must pass the remaining three within that window or the first credit expires and rolls forward. NASBA amended UAA Model Rule 5-7 in April 2023, replacing the old 18-month window with 30 months. Most jurisdictions have adopted it; a few are still updating their rules. The exceptions are worth naming, because a vague reference to most jurisdictions fails exactly the candidate who is in one: Hawaii still runs 18 months; Indiana, South Carolina, Washington allow 36 months. Check your own jurisdiction rather than assuming 30.

Sources: NASBA Candidate Guide and the NASBA CPA Exam FAQ, retrieved 2026-08-10. Older NASBA state bulletins still circulating describe an 18-month window and fixed testing windows; both were superseded, the window by the April 2023 amendment to UAA Model Rule 5-7 and the windows by continuous testing.

Studying for the CPA exam

PocketCPA covers all six CPA exam sections with 5,443 questions, each cited to the specific standard or statute it tests, and 1,012 lesson pages written from primary source text. A full-length FAR mock exam is free with no account. See also what drives the cost of becoming a CPA and how to check whether study material is current.