CPA REG Registration and Scheduling

REG registration has two approvals

REG is a Core section of the Uniform CPA Examination, but you do not book it directly by choosing a Prometric date first. The registration process has a jurisdiction eligibility step and an exam-section authorization step. The licensing jurisdiction or its designated examination service decides whether you qualify to apply. After that, the section application and payment lead to a Notice to Schedule (NTS), which authorizes you to book with Prometric.

NASBA's FAQ says eligibility requirements vary by jurisdiction, including education and residency rules. The state or territory you choose can also affect document routing, fees, processing and NTS validity. Consider where you plan to seek licensure and what rules apply to your education before applying. Sitting at a test center in another state does not change your eligibility jurisdiction or bypass its rules.

Step 1: choose the jurisdiction and confirm eligibility

Read the current exam eligibility page for the board where you intend to apply. Check the degree, credit hours, accounting subjects, business subjects, age or residency conditions if applicable, foreign education evaluation rules, and how transcripts must be delivered. An unofficial transcript or a transcript forwarded by you may not satisfy a board's requirement for official records. Allow time for colleges and credential evaluators to send documents directly.

A jurisdiction may distinguish exam eligibility from the requirements to receive the CPA certificate or license. A candidate can be eligible to sit before meeting every licensure requirement. Do not assume an exam-eligibility page is a complete licensure checklist, and do not take the number of credits in another state's rules as a national requirement. If your intended license jurisdiction differs from the one where you took sections, check the receiving board's transfer and licensure rules before you begin.

Foreign-educated candidates should read the selected board's credential-evaluation instructions. An evaluation translates and assesses academic records for the chosen jurisdiction; it does not itself grant exam eligibility. NASBA notes that an evaluation is tailored to a particular jurisdiction's requirements. If you later change jurisdictions, you may need new evaluation documents or an updated report.

Step 2: submit the initial application and records

Follow the board's process. Some candidates apply through NASBA's CPA Portal and CPA Examination Services; others apply through a state board system. California, for example, processes exam applications through the California Board of Accountancy and sends approved section selections to NASBA for payment. Texas uses an Application of Intent and, once that is approved, a separate Eligibility Application for an exam section. These are examples of different administrative routes, not steps that every candidate must complete.

Gather the required identification, education history, addresses and supporting forms before starting. Disclose every institution the board requests, including schools where you earned credits that do not count toward the specific requirement. Make sure the name and identifying details on your application match your official records and expected testing identification. A mismatch can delay processing or prevent admission to the exam.

Submit transcripts and foreign evaluations exactly as directed. Some boards require electronic delivery from the school, sealed records or a designated evaluation service. Track requests and delivery confirmations. If a transcript is delayed or a course classification is unclear, contact the board before submitting a section application that could expire while the question is being resolved.

Processing can involve more than one organization. The board may evaluate education and background, NASBA may manage the section payment and NTS, and Prometric manages the seat reservation. Each organization has a different role. A question about whether a course counts belongs with the board or evaluator; a missing NTS belongs with the agency that issues it; an appointment change belongs with Prometric under its current rules. Contacting the right organization can prevent a delay from being passed between offices.

If you are already a candidate in another jurisdiction, do not open a second candidate path without understanding the transfer process. NASBA notes that candidates generally cannot be candidates for two jurisdictions at the same time. Moving or changing your intended license state can require a new education evaluation, updated transcripts or a credit transfer. Before requesting a transfer, ask both the current and receiving boards how your candidate record, passed sections and remaining eligibility will be handled.

Step 3: apply for the REG section and pay

After the board or service determines you are eligible, select REG as the section you want to take. Some processes let you apply for more than one section at a time; others require a separate section request. Review the section selection before paying because fees may be nonrefundable and the exam notice has a limited validity period. Apply for sections that fit your study and scheduling plans.

The cost can include a jurisdiction application or evaluation fee, an exam-section charge, and additional fees for international or Guam administration or late rescheduling. The amounts and labels differ. Read the fee article for your jurisdiction and the current NASBA payment instructions. An examination application fee is not a preparation-course price, and passing REG does not eliminate any later licensure application costs.

Once the payment is processed, retrieve the NTS through the delivery method identified in your jurisdiction's instructions. NASBA describes the NTS as authorization to begin scheduling with Prometric. It names the section and has an expiration date. Keep it accessible and follow the board's direction about whether a printed copy or electronic copy is accepted on exam day.

Step 4: verify the NTS before booking

Check the NTS as soon as it becomes available. Confirm that REG is listed, the expiration date gives you enough time, and the identifying information matches the identification you will present. If an item is wrong, contact the issuing board or agency for a correction. Prometric handles appointments; it cannot change your eligibility or replace an incorrect NTS.

NTS validity varies by jurisdiction. NASBA states that it is valid for one testing event or until its expiration, whichever happens first, for the section listed. The expiration date can include non-testing days. If you let it expire without sitting, you may have to submit a new section application and pay again. The NTS itself provides the date that controls your appointment window.

In Texas, the state board says applicants generally have 180 days from Eligibility Application approval to pay the NASBA exam fee, schedule and take the section. In California, its instructions give a nine-month period to sit for selected sections after NASBA receives section fees, while candidates must make their selection within a separate period after board approval. These examples demonstrate why a candidate should use their own jurisdiction's dates, rather than assume one national NTS period.

Step 5: book the Prometric appointment

Use Prometric after the NTS authorizes scheduling. Select REG, enter the identifying information and section details requested, search for available centers, and choose a date and time within the NTS validity period. NASBA advises scheduling well in advance to improve the chance of getting a preferred location and time. Core sections, including REG, are currently offered through continuous testing, but individual test-center availability varies.

A test-center appointment is separate from the NTS. Save the Prometric confirmation and check its date, location and arrival instructions. If you need to move the appointment, act as early as possible. NASBA's current FAQ says no Prometric fee applies when rescheduling at least 61 days in advance; changes closer to the appointment can incur fees, and a very late change can require paying the seat fee. Read the current Candidate Guide and Prometric terms for the exact window and amount.

Schedule a date you can reach and prepare for. Allow time for application processing, transcript delivery, study and a final review before the NTS expires. A date that is technically available may not be a sensible appointment if you have not completed the blueprint or practised the simulation format. If your timeline changes, compare the cost and rules for rescheduling against the NTS expiration before deciding.

REG is a Core section and NASBA currently says Core appointments can be scheduled year-round under continuous testing. Year-round availability does not mean every Prometric center has an open seat on every day. Local hours, capacity and closures affect appointment choices. If a particular city or week matters to you, check site availability before you commit to an inflexible study or travel plan.

If you need accommodations or an international site

Candidates who need testing accommodations should use the accommodation process of the jurisdiction handling their application. The documentation and approval steps can take additional time. Start by reviewing the board's instructions and required forms, and do not assume that an appointment can be adjusted after you book without coordination.

An approved accommodation is tied to the candidate's authorization and testing arrangement. Make sure the approval is in place before booking in a way that depends on it. If you have already booked and later need an accommodation, contact the responsible agency to learn whether the current authorization or appointment must be changed. The board's process controls approval; the test center implements the arrangements it receives.

NASBA says an additional fee applies for international test locations, and Guam has a separate surcharge. An NTS may need an international administration fee paid before Prometric displays or permits an international appointment. The fee is charged per section administration as described by NASBA. Testing elsewhere in the United States or its territories does not transfer your candidate status to a new licensing jurisdiction.

Registration checklist

A useful way to plan is to work backward from the date you hope to test. Identify the last day you can sit under the NTS, then allow time before it for Prometric availability and final review. Before that, allow time for the section payment and notice to arrive. Earlier still, allow for board review, transcript delivery and any foreign credential evaluation. These stages do not have one national processing duration, so use the board's current estimates and monitor your own application status.

If a milestone is delayed, re-evaluate the later dates instead of assuming the original calendar still works. You may need to choose a different appointment or wait before paying for another section. A short call or message to the responsible board can resolve an unclear document status more safely than submitting duplicate applications.

• Choose the jurisdiction based on intended licensure and its current eligibility rules.
• Request official transcripts and any required foreign credential evaluation early.
• Submit the initial candidate or education application and all requested records.
• After eligibility approval, apply for REG and review each fee and refund term.
• Save the NTS, confirm the REG section, name and expiration date, and contact the issuer if anything is incorrect.
• Book the Prometric appointment within the NTS window and retain the confirmation.
• Check cancellation and rescheduling deadlines, required identification, and test-center procedures before exam day.

The exact first step depends on the jurisdiction. The consistent sequence is to establish eligibility, apply and pay for REG, receive an NTS, then book the appointment. Use the current board and NASBA directions for your candidate record.