CPA Exam Schedule 2025-2026: Testing Windows and What NASBA Actually Confirms

Unlike a school exam with a printed timetable, the CPA Exam does not run on a single published national schedule that applies identically to every candidate. NASBA's role, as described on its own site, is to support state boards and operate services like CPA Examination Services, not to publish a master testing calendar for 2025 or 2026. The Uniform CPA Examination itself is administered under rules that vary by jurisdiction, and the specific testing windows, appointment availability, and any blackout periods that apply to you depend on your state board of accountancy and the scheduling system it uses. Before assuming any date you find online, verify it against your own jurisdiction's current guidance. If you're still deciding how exam scheduling fits into your overall plan, it helps to first understand the CPA exam pattern and how to register for the CPA Exam, since eligibility approval has to happen before any scheduling question becomes relevant.

Historical CPA Exam administration has, at various points, used defined testing windows with brief gaps between them, but nothing in NASBA's current published pages on the Exam or licensure process states whether blackout periods apply for the 2025-2026 cycle, or what they would be. Because testing appointment availability is arranged through the exam's testing centers under jurisdiction-specific rules, any gap in availability would be a scheduling detail set at that level rather than a universal rule stated by NASBA. Rather than repeat an unverified date range, the accurate answer here is that a candidate should confirm current availability directly with their state board of accountancy or through NASBA's official CPA Exam page before finalizing study plans around specific dates.

This is one of the more concrete facts NASBA does confirm: score timing is not uniform across the country. Because NASBA does not develop or score the CPA Exam itself, and because it does not control when each jurisdiction's board releases results, a candidate in one state may see scores post on a different timeline than a candidate in another. If your state's board releases scores through NASBA, check the CPA Exam page on NASBA's site; if your jurisdiction does not, your own state board of accountancy is the authoritative source for when your specific score will be released. Do not rely on a generic 'scores release X weeks after testing' claim without confirming it against your jurisdiction.

What NASBA does confirm is the sequence that comes before scheduling: a candidate must first be declared eligible by their state board of accountancy before they can apply to take a section of the Exam. Only once eligibility is confirmed does appointment scheduling become relevant, and that step happens through the exam's testing center network, not through NASBA directly. Lead time for booking an appointment is a logistical detail set by testing center capacity and location, which is why it isn't something NASBA publishes as a fixed rule. Candidates planning around a specific date should build in buffer time and confirm current appointment availability once their Notice to Schedule is issued, rather than assuming a fixed number of weeks' notice will guarantee a slot.

An NTS is issued once a candidate's application to sit for a section is approved, and it's what allows them to book a testing appointment. Because eligibility determination and application processing vary by jurisdiction — some candidates apply through the CPA Portal, NASBA's online system, while others go through boards using different processes — the exact NTS validity window is not a single rule NASBA states applies universally. Confirm the specific NTS validity period that applies to your application with your state board of accountancy or through the CPA Portal if that is the system your jurisdiction uses, since scheduling past the valid window typically requires reapplying rather than simply booking late.

This is one of the clearest gaps between what candidates want to know and what NASBA's general CPA Exam and licensure pages actually cover. NASBA describes its role as processing applications, evaluating credentials, and reporting scores through CPA Examination Services, but it does not publish a universal rescheduling policy, fee schedule, or missed-appointment procedure on the pages reviewed here. Because appointment booking happens through the exam's testing centers under jurisdiction-specific rules, rescheduling terms — including any fees or notice periods — are set at that level. If you need to reschedule, check the guidance tied to your Notice to Schedule and your state board of accountancy directly rather than assuming a standard policy applies everywhere.

This variation is one of the most consistently stated facts across NASBA and AICPA's materials. Education requirements to sit for the Exam differ by state, with some requiring 150 total semester hours and others requiring fewer, according to NASBA. Which jurisdictions use the CPA Portal for applications, and which jurisdictions NASBA directly provides licensing services to, also varies — NASBA states it provides licensing services directly to Colorado, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Georgia, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Montana, and the Virgin Islands, while other jurisdictions are handled by their own boards (NASBA). This means a candidate's actual scheduling process, eligibility path, and even which portal they use can genuinely differ depending on the state where they apply.

Continuous testing — the idea that candidates can retake a failed section without waiting for a new testing window to open — has been part of CPA Exam administration history, but the NASBA and AICPA pages used as sources for this article do not describe current continuous testing rules, blackout periods, or how they interact with 2025-2026 scheduling specifically. Rather than repeat an unverified claim about how continuous testing currently works, the accurate position is: check NASBA's official CPA Exam page or your state board of accountancy for the current policy, since exam administration rules are exactly the kind of detail that changes between testing cycles and needs confirming at the time you're actually scheduling, not from a general guide.