Preparatory Examinations

CPA Ontario preparatory examinations take place at the end of each term. Students are required to enrol in their course and examination during the same term. If you have previously completed a course module, ensure any outstanding examination is attempted within 12 months of your preparatory course start date.

Students are permitted three attempts to pass a CPA preparatory course successfully. Students who are unsuccessful with a course after three attempts must complete the requirements through a post-secondary institution and complete a transcript reassessment. Students can choose to pursue other CPA preparatory courses during this time.

Review the preparatory course schedule for examination dates. You can register for examinations via My Portal and select Manage My Journey.

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Key information

In-person examinations

The CPA preparatory core course examinations will take place in person at writing centres across Ontario.

Refer to the following resources for information on in-person examinations:

Remote Examinations

All non-core examinations in 2024 will be delivered remotely. These examinations will be written using a web-based examination software on students’ personal computers. 

Refer to the following resources for information online examinations:

July 2024 Preparatory In-Person Examination Locations

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Toronto WestThe International Convention Center (Hall 5 - Entrance 78)6900 Airport Road, Mississauga, ON L4V 1E8
OttawaOttawa Conference and Event Centre200 Coventry Road, Ottawa, ON K1K 4S3
HamiltonConvention Centre by Carmen's1 Summers Ln, Hamilton, ON L8P 4Y2
LondonBest Western-Stoneridge Inn6675 Burtwistle Ln, London, ON N6L 1H5
KingstonDoubleTree by Hilton Kingston1550 Princess St, Kingston, ON K7M 9E3
SudburyHoliday Inn Sudbury1696 Regent St, Greater Sudbury, ON P3E 3Z8
Sault Ste. MarieDays Inn & Suites332 Bay Street, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 1X1
WindsorQuality Inn & Suites675 Goyeau St. Windsor ON N9A 1H3
Thunder BayThe Superior Inn Hotel & Conference Centre555 Arthur St. W, Thunder Bay, ON P7E 5R5
TimminsMNP Office2185 Riverside Dr, Timmins, ON P4R 0A1
Fort FrancesBDO Office607 Portage Avenue, Fort Frances, ON P9A 0A7

Examination Deferrals

If you have completed your required course activities but are unable to sit your examination, you can defer your examination to the subsequent term. Students can request a deferral in the 14 days prior to their examination. The Deferral Fee is $200 + HST. Students may withdraw from a preparatory course or examination by going to My Portal, selecting Manage My Journey ► Actions for the course or examination ► Defer Exam.

Examination re-marks

Students who are unsuccessful at passing a core course may submit a request for re-mark of their examination results. You must request a re-mark within three business days of the final results release. Your request can be completed by logging into My Portal, selecting Obligations & Requests ► Student Requests ► Exam Re-marks and Performance Analysis Review (PAR).

A fee of $100 + HST applies for all re-marks. Re-marks take approximately 10 business days. If it is successful, the fee will be refunded.

Examination rewrites

If your minimum grade is inadequate for a successful pass (60 per cent for core courses), you may be eligible to rewrite the examination in order to increase your final grade.

Only students who receive a final grade of 49.5 to 59.4 per cent in core courses are eligible to rewrite the examination. Eligible students can enrol in the rewrite examination by logging into My Portal. The rewrite examination counts as a course attempt. Students who are unsuccessful at the rewrite examination for their second-course attempt will need to retake the full course. An examination re-write costs $200 + HST.

Note: Rewrite examinations are not deferrable. If a student does not attempt the rewrite examination in the semester immediately following the original attempt, they must attempt the entire course again.

A student who is unsuccessful on the first attempt in a core course with a mark of less than 49.5 per cent must retake the full course before a second attempt at the examination is permitted.

A student who is unsuccessful in a non-core course must repeat the entire course before attempting the examination again.

Preparatory courses FAQs