CPA Preparatory Course Learning Formats

Non-core courses are offered through open enrollment. You can register for non-core courses at any time. Non-core courses are self-study and the final exam must be written on a scheduled exam date, at a CPAWSB exam centre, within one year of the initial course registration date. You can select from one of five examination dates that are available throughout the year.

Access to course materials is granted within five business days of the course registration date. Online learning materials include an e-textbook, student notes, practice problems, and more. Access to a facilitator is also provided. The required study time per week is an estimated 15 to 20 hours per course, if you plan to write the final exam in the same semester that you started the course. 

The final grade is calculated based solely on the final exam mark and a grade of 50 per cent or higher is required to successfully pass each course.

Non-core courses:

• introductory Financial Accounting (IFA) 
• Introductory Management Accounting* (IMA) 
• Economics (ECO) 
• Statistics (STA) 
• Business Law (BUL) 

*Introductory Financial Accounting or an equivalent course at a post-secondary institution must be completed before or concurrently with Introductory Management Accounting.

Core courses are offered five times annually*. Each core course includes six units and then culminates in a final exam. The final exam must be written at a CPAWSB exam centre, within one year of the initial course registration date. You can select from one of five examination dates that are available throughout the year.

Students receive access to course materials via the online portal no later than the Friday before the course starts. Within each of the six units, students complete course activities and learn through interactive and adaptive SmartBook assignments, practice problems, task-based simulations, and unit quizzes. Students need to achieve a minimum overall grade of 75 percent on the course activities by the end of the six-week course to be eligible to write the exam. The required study time per week is an estimated 15 to 20 hours per course. Please refer to the Preparatory Course Delivery FAQ for more information.

The final grade is calculated based solely on the final exam mark and a grade of 60 per cent or higher is required to successfully pass each redesigned core course.

*Note: For the 2023/2024 academic year, Intermediate Financial Reporting 1 (IF1) and Taxation (TAX) are being piloted as open enrollment, self-paced courses. You can register for these courses at any time and can access course materials within five business days of enrollment. Students can complete the course materials and qualify for the final exam at their own pace, as long as the final exam is written at one of the available exam sittings within one year of the course registration date. For more information about the open enrollment pilot, please review our frequently asked questions. 

Core preparatory courses:  

• Intermediate Financial Reporting 1 (IF1)  
• Intermediate Financial Reporting 2 (IF2)  
• Advanced Financial Reporting (AFR)
• Corporate Finance (COF)
• Audit & Assurance (AUA)  
• Taxation (TAX)
• Intermediate Management Accounting (MAA)
• Performance Management (PMA)
• Information Technology (ITE)