(Posted September 2025)
CPA Canada has released more information regarding its CPA Professional Program that will be launching in 2027. To get a more in-depth overview of the program, please see our previous blog on the program here.
Program Overview
Admission
Admission into the CPA Professional Program will require meeting academic and non-academic requirements. The academic requirements consist of:
- A minimum GPA;
- A post-secondary degree OR meeting the non-degree-holder requirements;
- At least 120 credit hours of post-secondary education; and
- Prerequisite knowledge demonstrating current accounting and business competencies.
The non-academic requirements consistent of eligibility to work and study in a Canadian province and good character as defined by the applicable provincial CPA body.
Entry Based on Prerequisite Knowledge
Candidates who have completed 45 credit hours in accounting and business education (specific competency coverage to be defined in 2026) from a recognized Canadian or international post-secondary institution will begin the CPA Professional Program at the Foundational Development module.
Candidates without this educational background will be required to pass a Knowledge Assessment before entering the CPA Professional Program. This knowledge assessment will first be offered in March 2027 and will consist of 100-125 multiple choice questions across the specific and foundational competency areas. For more information on the examinable competencies, see the Competency Map 2.0.
Program Path
The new program consists of four modules, which each require a passing grade to complete, followed by an assessment or exam. Exams are expected to be held in January, May, and September each year. A phased-in approach will be used starting with the Foundational Development module in late May 2027 and the related exam in September 2027.
- Foundational Development Module – The goal of this module is to build on the entry-level knowledge requirements and all specific, foundational, and sub-foundational competencies will be covered.
- Foundational Development Exam – This will be a three-hour exam, consisting of multiple choice questions and two to three short cases.
- CPA Core Module – This module focuses on the assurance and trust, big data and data analytics, financial and non-financial reporting, and tax specific competencies. There will be two separate streams offered for this module:
- The Common stream will be for those learners who do not want to obtain a Public Accounting License.
- The Licensure stream will enable learners to obtain a public accounting license (along with the relevant additional experience) and will be a longer module with more in-depth content related to these competencies. For those who are unable to complete the licensure requirements as part of the certification program, the Post-Designation Public Accounting (PDPA) program will continue to be available as part of the new program.
- Professional Final Exam Part 1 – For the common stream, this will be a three-hour exam consisting of multiple choice questions and two to three slightly longer cases. Learners who take the licensure stream will have an additional 2-hour licensure case making their exam five hours in length.
- CPA Leadership Module – This module will introduce longer simulations and will be highly integrative.
- Professional Final Exam Part 2 – This will be a five-hour exam, consisting of a single case.
- Professional Experience Completion – The CPA Professional Program will contain a practical experience requirement that will require a period of 24 months, net of leave. The experience requirements will require 8 months at a foundational level and 16 months of professional experience with the proficiency increasing in line with the competency map. Learners must submit an experience plan for approval prior to starting.
- CPA Professional Readiness Module – This is expected to be an in-person full-time module with group work, facilitated discussion, and presentation requirements.
- Professional Final Exam Part 3 – This will be a three-hour exam, consisting of two cases, one with a strategic focus and one with an ethics focus.
Transition from PREP / PEP to the New Program
The current PEP program will be ending in 2027/2028 depending on what stage you are at in the program. Here are the final dates for the current PEP program:
- Core 1 – Final Module starts January 2027, Final Exam offered June 2027
- Core 2 – Final Module starts May 2027, Final Exam offered Sept 2027
- Electives – Final Module starts October 2027, Final Exam offered March 2028
- Capstone 1 presentation – June 2028
- Capstone 2 completion – August 2028
- CFE – September 2028 (the last spring CFE is June 2026)
- Practical Experience completion – January 1, 2029
Where you finish up in the PREP or PEP programs will dictate where you transition into the CPA Professional Program:
- If you are still in CPA PREP as of the start of 2027, and you have an accounting major, you will enter the new program at the Foundational Development Module. If you do not have an accounting major, you will need to successfully write the Knowledge Assessment (first offering in March 2027) before entering the modules.
- If you have completed Core 1 or Core 2 but not both as of September 2027, you will enter the program at the Foundational Development module. If you have completed both Core 1 and Core 2 as of September 2027, you will enter at CPA Core.
- If you have completed at least one PEP elective as of March 2028, you will be required to write the Professional Final Exam Part 1 for the CPA Core Module but will not be required to take the module itself.
- If you have passed CFE Day 1 but not CFE Day 2/3 as of September 2028, you will be required to write the Professional Final Exam Part 1 (for the CPA Core Module) and Part 2 (for the CPA Leadership module) but will not be required to take the modules.
- If you have passed CFE Day 2/3 as of September 2028, you will be eligible to start at the CPA Professional Readiness Module once your experience requirements are complete.
More information will be posted as it becomes available on CPA Canada’s website, CPA Leads the Way or with your provincial institute: