On Thursday, September 28, our staff will be participating in an educational event from 11 to 12 pm MT in observance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. 9/27/2023 10:35:40 PM (MT)
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Examinations

CPA examinations are written in exam centres throughout Western Canada on CPA-issued laptops and marked by CPA Canada national markers. All CPA exams are written in Surpass (SecureClient), a lockdown exam writing software. CPA preparatory course results are typically released the third Monday after the exam. 

Registering for an Exam

Registering for an Exam

Exam registration is separate from module registration and must be completed at least six weeks before your preferred exam date. For details about exam dates, registration and withdraw deadlines, please review the exam schedule. 

Core course exams must be written within one year of the course start date. Non-core course exams must be written within one year of registering for the course. 

Learn more on exam registration and withdrawals

When registering for a CPA preparatory course exam, select one of the following locations within Western Canada to write the exam: 

Primary exam locations (on-site IT support): 

  • BC: Abbotsford, Burnaby,  Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Prince George, Surrey, Vancouver, Victoria 
  • Alberta: Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer 
  • Saskatchewan: Regina, Saskatoon 
  • Manitoba: Brandon, Winnipeg 

Secondary examination locations (remote IT support):  

  • BC: Castlegar, Cranbrook, Fort St. John, Revelstoke, Terrace 
  • Alberta: Fort McMurray, Lloydminster, Peace River 
  • Nunavut: Iqaluit 
  • Saskatchewan: Swift Current 
  • Manitoba: The Pas, Thompson 
  • Yukon: Whitehorse 
  • Northwest Territories: Yellowknife 

Anyone living over 150 km away from one of the exam locations listed above can submit an Alternate Exam Location request through My CPA Portal.  Learn more about alternate exam locations in section 6.5 of the CPA Preparatory Courses Student Guide. 

Requests to change exam locations must be made at least six weeks before the exam by emailing prepexams@cpawsb.ca. Changes are subject to availability. 

Exam locations include convention centres, hotel conference centres, banquet halls, or post-secondary institutions. Specific details (address, start times, etc.) will be emailed to registered students approximately two weeks before the scheduled exam date. Exam locations and times may differ from day to day. 

CPA Canada has strict policies regarding acceptable items to bring into the exam centre. Students are responsible for reviewing the CPA Examination Regulations before every exam as it is updated regularly.  

Students are required to bring their own Texas Instruments BA II Plus calculators to the exam and are encouraged to purchase one to use through the duration of the course to become familiar with the functions. CPAWSB does not provide calculators at the exam and no other models – including the Texas Instruments BA II Professional – are permitted. The Texas Instrument BA II Plus is available for purchase from online retailers and office supply stores.   

Learners will continue to use their laptops to complete coursework; however, learners will use CPA -issued laptops preloaded with lockdown software Surpass (SecureClient) at the examination writing centre to write their exams. For more information on Surpass (SecureClient), and to help familiarize you with the exam writing environment, please refer to the CPA Canada website .

CPA Western School of Business provides reasonable one-time and ongoing exam accommodations to students for a variety of reasons.

Learn more about exam accommodations.

Are you ready to register in an exam?

Are you ready to register in an exam?

Check out the Exam Schedule