If your completed assessment indicates that you did not receive credit for a core course because the course you took does not meet the 10-year currency of education requirement, you have two options:
- Option 1 (Strongly recommended): Retake the course at the post-secondary institution it was taken or complete the equivalent CPA preparatory course.
- Option 2: Take the equivalent CPA preparatory course challenge exam. Complete the self-assessment tool. If you get a preliminary result of partial exemption granted, send an email to [email protected] and request the challenge exam for that course.
Note: To take a challenge exam, you are required to be an active CPA preparatory course student (i.e., annual student fees are paid). There is also a challenge exam fee for each challenge exam taken. See the CPA preparatory courses Administrative Fees for the current annual student fees and challenge exam fee.
You should have already received a copy of the self-assessment tool. If the assessors identify courses that may qualify for re-assessment, they will email the self-assessment tool to you when your assessment is complete. If you did not receive it, email [email protected] to request the self-assessment tool.
If you believe you have taken a course or courses that should have received credit as a core course in your completed transcript assessment, you can request the self-assessment tool by emailing [email protected]. Note: You may have already received a copy of the self-assessment tool. If the assessors identify courses that may qualify for re-assessment, they will email the self-assessment tool to you when your assessment is completed.
Complete the self assessment and return it to [email protected] so the assessors can review it. Note: Assessors will only review courses listed on a transcript submitted as part of the original request with a minimum grade of 60 percent (Assessors will confirm whether the converted grade is at least 60 percent).
After the re-assessment is reviewed by the Assessor, the possible outcomes are:
- No exemption: The outstanding core course must be taken.
- Partial exemption: A challenge exam has been granted for the outstanding core course
- Full exemption: You have received full credit for the core course requirement.
When completing the self-assessment tool, if you get a preliminary result of partial exemption granted, you are not required to submit supporting documents or syllabi if you are satisfied with being granted a challenge exam (The assessor will still need to verify that the course was taken and the converted grade is at least 60 percent). To be considered for full exemption, you will need to submit supporting documents and syllabi. Submitting supporting documentation does not guarantee full exemption will be granted.
If partial exemption is granted, taking a challenge exam requires you to be an active CPA preparatory course student (i.e., annual student fees are paid). There is also a challenge exam fee for each challenge exam taken. See the CPA preparatory courses Administrative Fees for the current annual student fees and challenge exam fee.
If you believe you have taken a course or courses that should have received credit as a non-core course in your completed transcript assessment, or you believe any of the other requirements were incorrectly identified as outstanding, you can request the re-assessment form by emailing [email protected].
Note: You may have already received the reassessment form along with the necessary information in an email. If the assessors identify courses that may qualify for re-assessment, they will email the reassessment form to you when your assessment is completed.
If you have questions about your assessment, the re-assessment processes, or challenge exams, contact the Transcript Assessment team by emailing [email protected] or calling 1.866.420.2350 ext. 6003.
Eligibility for a challenge exam will be included in your CPA assessment results once the re-assessment is completed. If you were granted a challenge exam for a prerequisite course, to register for the exam:
- You must first apply for admission to CPA preparatory courses and pay the annual student fee.
- Once your admission to CPA preparatory courses is approved, you can register and pay for the challenge exam.
For more information about challenge exams granted for prerequisite courses, please view the Challenge Exam FAQ for preparatory courses.
