Preparatory courses allow aspiring accountants to gain some or all of the prerequisites required for entry to the CPA Professional Education Program (CPA PEP).

Delivered on a part-time basis for maximum flexibility and accessibility, the preparatory courses are offered online or in a classroom setting and are currently offered in five semesters each year. You need to complete only the courses you require.

Effective November 2019, CPA students must register for CPA Preparatory courses and their corresponding examinations separately. In addition, students have up to 12 months from the course start date to write the associated examination.

Grade and GPA Requirements

An overall GPA of 65 per cent in the core courses is required for admission into the CPA PEP, with a minimum grade of 60 per cent in each core course and 50 per cent in non-core courses. Courses are also subject to Currency of Education — refer to the Harmonized Education Policies (HEP), Vol.1 and 3, for more information.

Schedule and Fees

Refer to the 2020 Preparatory Courses Schedule for information on enrolment deadlines, course dates and fees. For full information on CPA Ontario fees, visit our Schedule of Fees.

Enrol

To enrol in a preparatory course you must first be registered as a student with CPA Ontario. Visit Become a CPA for more information, or refer to the preparatory course enrolment guide for the CPA preparatory courses.

Already a Student?

Students can log into My Portal and select Manage my Journey.

Course Material

At least one week prior to the course start date, you will receive an email from Brightspace (D2L), the online learning platform, with your login and password. All course materials will be delivered through Brightspace (D2L), where you also have access to webinars, discussion boards and other learning tools. Should you experience any difficulty with Brightspace (D2L), please submit a ticket through the CPA Canada Student Support Web Portal. Please include your Candidate ID in the ticket submission.

Examination Software

CPA preparatory courses use Surpass, a special "lockdown" software, for examinations. Students will use CPA Canada provided laptops at examinations.

Results

CPA preparatory course examination results are posted on Brightspace (D2L) approximately two weeks after each exam. Students are permitted three attempts per course. Students who are unsuccessful after three attempts may complete the requirements through a post-secondary institution.

Reviews and Remarks

Students who are unsuccessful at core courses may submit a request for review of their examination results. To request a remark event, you can log into My Portal, select Manage my Journey and then click the Request Exam Remarks button within three business days of the final results release. A fee of $100 plus HST applies for all reviews. Reviews take approximately ten business days. If the review is successful, the fee will be refunded.

Rewriting Examinations

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 will be contacted directly via email with details on how to enrol. 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. 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.

Withdrawals

Students may withdraw from a preparatory course or exam by going to My Portal, selecting Manage My Journey and then Actions under the Actions column for the course or exam. Finally, click on Withdraw. By completing a withdrawal, students accept the terms laid out in the refund policy.

Refund and Cancellation Policy

Students are subject to the refund and cancellation policy of CPA Ontario for CPA preparatory courses. Students wishing to withdraw from a preparatory course may do so by going to My Portal, selecting Manage My Journey and then Actions under the Actions column for the course. Finally, click on Withdraw. Students wishing to withdraw from a course should read the refund policy in the enrolment guide for the CPA preparatory courses.

Once you have completed the prerequisite education requirements, your file will be reviewed for eligibility to enter the CPA PEP. If you are deemed eligible to enrol in CPA PEP, you will be notified by the Transcript Assessment team with details on how to proceed.

Conditional Enrolment

If you are currently enrolled in your final CPA preparatory course you may be eligible to conditionally enrol in CPA PEP, pending your final grade. Instructions will be included in the communication from the Transcript Assessment team.