What’s the learning format for a core CPA preparatory course?

CPA preparatory courses are delivered part-time in a focused and flexible format. They are an affordable and efficient way to take the prerequisite courses required to enter the CPA Professional Education Program (CPA PEP).

The fourteen CPA preparatory courses are divided into five non-core and nine core courses. This blog post discusses the learning format, course materials, and grading scheme for all redesigned core courses. 
 

Core courses registration and learning format

• Each core course is offered five times a year
• The course content provides a customized experience that integrates interactivity, real-time feedback, and multimedia resources.
• Self-study 
• Access to a facilitator
• Study groups 
• Tutoring services

Access course materials through Brightspace (D2L)

Brightspace (D2L) contains all course materials and resources. You must complete the Academic Integrity Quiz and Training Contract to unlock course materials. 

The completion of all these components will determine your exam eligibility:

• eBook & Adaptive Review – Students are assigned specific lessons in the eBooks that include detailed explanations and examples of technical material.
• Practice Problems - Students are assigned a series of short practice problems from the unit's SmartBook readings that are meant to resemble exam questions. Practice problems provide good preparation for the multiple-choice unit quiz and course exam questions.
• Task-Based Simulations - Students are assigned a set of Task-Based Simulations (TBSs). The TBSs are objective-style questions that provide further practice on the concepts covered in the SmartBook and Practice Problems.
• Unit Assessment & Course Survey - At the end of each unit, you will need to complete a unit assessment. Each unit assessment consists of 25 multiple-choice questions.

Please note: All CPA course materials, including Power BI and Brightspace (D2L), are specifically designed for the Windows operating system. As a result, there is a risk if you use any Apple product; please refer to Section 4.3 of the CPAWSB Student Guide for more information. The recommended operating system for the CPA preparatory courses is Windows. If you are using a computer provided by your employer, it may require administrative access to install programs such as Microsoft Power BI.
 

Grading scheme

To write the final course exam, you must achieve a minimum overall grade of 75 percent. Your overall grade is calculated based on your course components that take place over six weeks.    

To view your overall grade:

1. Go to your course page in Brightspace (D2L) 
2. Click on Grades 
   • At the bottom you will see your ‘overall course grade.’ 

Please note: Your overall score listed on the Wiley Efficient Learning system does not represent your overall exam eligibility grade. 
 

Final examination

The final examination is worth 100 percent of your final grade. A final grade of 60 percent or higher is considered a passing grade. 

Each core course concludes with a final exam that must be written on a scheduled exam date within one year of the course start date at a CPAWSB exam centre.

Students who do not complete course requirements within six instructional weeks or do not complete the final exam within the one-year time limit will fail the course, and an attempt will be charged. Students must retake the course to be eligible for another examination attempt. If the exam attempt is unsuccessful, students are eligible to register for an exam rewrite. Only one exam rewrite is permitted per core preparatory course.

Please refer to the Preparatory Courses Exam Blueprint for details on the exam format and length. 
 

Contact us

If you have questions about your core course registration, please contact the CPA preparatory courses Student Experience team at [email protected].

CPA Preparatory Courses Student Experience Team
Toll Free: 1 866.420.2350  Ext. 6008
[email protected]
 
Please feel free to schedule an appointment with an Advisor using our Bookings Calendar:
Student Experience and Examinations Calendar