ESU to offer trial of new CPA exam

The ESU School of Business will give students a chance to try out the new computer-based Certified Public Accountant exam that will be adopted nationwide next year.

The four-part Uniform CPA exam is a cornerstone of the accounting profession, traditionally given twice a year over a grueling two day period. The new exam will be offered at the student's convenience and may be taken over the course of two months.

"Students will schedule a time at a Sylvan or Prometrics testing center," said associate dean John Rich. "No one will take exactly the same test, whereas the written version is always the same on a given day."

The School of Business will work with representatives the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants to administer a pre-test of the exam Oct. 3 and 4. Reviewers will gather information on the quality of the new questions and study how the computerized delivery works out.

"For our students, it's an opportunity to preview the test," said Rich. "It doesn't cost them anything, but their scores don't count."

Students who have taken the pencil-and-paper test will notice a few changes. The new exam will feature "assimilation" exercises in which students will have to refer to tax laws, auditing standards and other resources to produce a recommended solution to a specific problem.

Examinees will also have to use the computer's accounting calculator and spreadsheet programs.

Students who fail one or two of the CPA exam's sections have traditionally been able to retake those specific sections. According to Rich, the AICPA will give those students 18 months to schedule their next attempt.

Last Updated July 2, 2007>