Applying for the CPA Exam in Massachusetts: FAQs

You may apply online using a credit card. Visit nasba.org and select “CPA Exam” and “Massachusetts” as the jurisdiction. Once there, you will find information about fees and the required documents (transcripts, photos, etc.) as well as a link to create an account at CPA Central. All required documents must be submitted within 45 days of your application. If you take the Exam before you have 150 educational credits, you will also need to file a Certificate of Enrollment form.

Each time you sit, you are required to pay an examination fee for each section as well as an application fee (first-time candidates) OR a registration fee (re-Exam candidates).
 
As of November 2021, each Exam section fee is $226.15, the application fee is $195 and the registration fee ranges from $117 to $177, depending on the number of sections you apply for. You can apply for more than one section at a time, however, you must be prepared to take all sections for which you applied within six months from the date you receive approval. If you don’t, you will forfeit your fees and you will need to reapply. To view the fee schedule, visit nasba.org and select “CPA Exam” and “Massachusetts” as the jurisdiction.

Yes. In May of each year, the MassCPAs Educational Foundation holds a lottery to award a limited number of $500 vouchers to assist with Exam costs. To be eligible, you must be a Massachusetts resident who plans to take one or more Exam sections before April 30 of the following year. In addition, you cannot receive financial assistance from your employer in the form of payments/reimbursements of Exam fees or review courses or receive a bonus when you pass.

As of July 1, 2020, testing windows for the CPA Exam have been replaced by continuous testing, allowing candidates to take the Exam year-round, without restriction, other than waiting to receive scores from prior attempts of the same section or when there is a major change to the Exam. For more information, please visit nasba.org/exams/continuous-testing.

No, you may take any section of the Exam in any testing window and in any order you wish. You will not be required to pass one section prior to applying for another, but you must pass all four sections within an 18-month period.  For that reason, you may consider taking your most challenging section as your first Exam. You will not be allowed to retake a section in the same testing window.

A Notice to Schedule or NTS is your notification of approval to take the Exam sections for which you applied. Once you receive it, you may contact Prometric to schedule your Exam appointment. It will expire in six months. If you cannot take all the Exam sections, you will NOT be able to extend it or receive a refund or credit. Verify that all information on the NTS is correct and that your name EXACTLY matches the name on the identification documents that you will use to check-in at the testing center. If the information is incorrect or the ID and NTS do not match, immediately contact CPAES (1.800.CPA.EXAM).

Visit prometric.com/cpa or call 800.580.9648. You must schedule a separate appointment for each Exam section, but it is not necessary to book your appointments all at once. To increase the likelihood of receiving your first choice of date, time and location, you should schedule at least 65 days before the desired date. Your NTS is valid for six months; if you do not take all sections for which you have been approved, you will forfeit your fees and will have to reapply.

You may take the Exam as a Massachusetts candidate at any Prometric testing center in the U.S., its five jurisdictions or at an approved international site. In Massachusetts, sites are in Boston, Brockton, Burlington, Lowell, West Springfield and Worcester. Visit prometric.com to locate a test center near you.

Special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may be requested as part of the application process. Visit nasba.org and select “CPA Exam” and “Massachusetts” as the jurisdiction.

The passing score for each section is 75 on a 0-99 scale. For more information, candidates are encouraged to review the CPA Exam Score Release Timeline FAQ found on the AICPA’s Exam site: aicpa.org/BecomeACPA/CPAExam.

a. Check out the “CPA Exam” section of thiswaytocpa.com and AICPA.org. Once there, you can:

•  Review the “Examination Blueprints” that detail what will be tested on each section of the Exam.
•  Review the policy on New Pronouncements.
•  Take the Exam tutorial and sample tests.
•  Subscribe to the free six-month subscription to the Professional Literature.

b. Read your NTS carefully.

c. Read the Candidate Bulletin.

Yes. Although the Society does not endorse one particular course, our members receive discounts with our partner providers: Becker; Roger CPA Review; Surgent CPA Review; Wiley Efficient Learning and Gleim. It is recommended that you select the program that best suits your learning style. Visit masscpas.org/benefits to view potential savings.