While the CPA Professional Program will be different from the current program, the rigour of the current program will be maintained. The new program is being developed to meet the standards set out in Competency Map 2.0 whereas the current program meets the standards of the Competency Map that is currently in effect.
Recent accounting and business knowledge is required to enter the CPA Professional Program, as applicants without it will struggle to be successful. Applicants can demonstrate prerequisite knowledge by completing 45 credit hours in accounting and business education (with specified competency coverage) from a Canadian or international post-secondary institution or by passing the Knowledge Assessment. Practice exams will be available. Additional information and specific course requirements will be provided in 2026.
The CPA Professional Program consists of four modules, four exams, and a practical experience component.
View the program overview.
The CPA Professional Program will include three comprehensive, summative examinations keeping with the current practice of incorporating cases to test the competencies of anyone on the path to the CPA. This was informed through comprehensive research across accounting bodies and other professions around the world to examine best practices and modern approaches as well as looking at the latest pedagogical methods.
The CPA preparatory courses will be offered until at least December 2026 and we are considering options to extend for one year, after which point they will no longer be available. We anticipate that we will share the final offering dates later this year. Students who have successfully met the degree and GPA admission requirements for the CPA Professional Program but have not completed all coursework requirements will be eligible for the following options:
- Complete the remaining courses at a post-secondary institution (PSI) and enter the CPA Professional Program Foundational Development module directly.
- Pass the Knowledge Assessment to gain entry to the CPA Professional Program Foundational Development module.
If you complete the CPA preparatory courses or equivalents before December 31, 2028, and meet the other admission requirements, you may be eligible to enter the CPA Professional Program at the Foundational Development module.
Details about the exam structure will be provided in 2026.
We recommend that you continue in the current program until the module or exam you require is no longer offered, at which point you will need to transition to the new program. Everyone eligible to transition to the new program must transition by December 2028. For example, if you do not pass Core 2 by its final offering, you will need to transition to the new program.
View the transition overview.
There will be a CFE in June 2026 and September 2026. In 2027 and 2028, there will be one CFE written in September of each year. The September 2028 CFE is the final one.
Yes, the exams will be consistent across the country.
Employers should contact [email protected] or the Partnerships team for more about education and exam transition.
Employers should continue to reach out to their current Practical Experience contact for more information.
