The AICPA Board of Examiners has revised its CPA Exam Policy on New Pronouncements, which includes clarified testing windows for the CPA Exam. The updated CPA Exam Policy becomes effective with the testing window, beginning on April 1, 2016, and, “…will be applied to all accounting and auditing pronouncements issued after July 1, 2015.” Any standards issued prior to July 1, 2015, will follow the former CPA Exam Policy on New Pronouncements.
According to the AICPA Website, the revised CPA Exam Policy states that pronouncements are eligible to be tested on the CPA Exam in the later of
- The first testing window beginning after the pronouncement’s earliest mandatory effective date or;
- The first testing window beginning six months after the pronouncement’s issuance date.
How does this affect individual sections of the CPA Exam?
AUD (Auditing & Attestation)
Pronouncements for AUD are eligible to be tested on the CPA Exam:
- The first testing window beginning after the pronouncement’s earliest mandatory effective date or;
- The first testing window beginning six months after the pronouncement’s issuance date
REG (Regulation)
Internal Revenue Code and federal taxation, “…may be included in the testing window beginning six months after the change’s effective date or enactment date, whichever is later.”
All other REG subjects are eligible for testing, “…six months after their effective date, and uniform acts in the window beginning one year after their adoption by a simple majority of the jurisdictions.”
BEC (Business Environment & Concepts)
BEC section materials are eligible for testing, “…beginning six months after their effective date, and uniform acts in the window beginning one year after their adoption by a simple majority of the jurisdictions.
Please refer to AICPA’s detailed standard testing eligibility chart below for more details:
| Standard Number | Issued | First Window Eligible |
| ASU 2014 – 10 | Jun-14 | 15Q1 |
| ASU 2014 – 12 | Jun-14 | 15Q1 |
| ASU 2014 – 13 | Aug-14 | 15Q2 |
| ASU 2014 – 14 | Aug-14 | 15Q2 |
| ASU 2014 – 15 | Aug-14 | 15Q2 |
| ASU 2014 – 16 | Nov-14 | 15Q3 |
| ASU 2014 – 18 | Dec-14 | 15Q3 |
| ASU 2015 – 01 | Jan-15 | 15Q4 |
| ASU 2015 – 02 | Feb-15 | 15Q4 |
| ASU 2015 – 03 | Apr-15 | 16Q1 |
| ASU 2015 – 04 | Apr-15 | 16Q1 |
| ASU 2015 – 05 | Apr-15 | 16Q1 |
| ASU 2015 – 06 | Apr-15 | 16Q1 |
| ASU 2015 – 07 | May-15 | 16Q1 |
| ASU 2015 – 09 | May-15 | 16Q1 |
| ASU 2015 – 10 | Jun-15 | 16Q1 |
| GASB 72 | Mar-15 | 15Q4 |
| GASB 73 | Jun-15 | 16Q1 |
| GASB 74 | Jun-15 | 16Q1 |
| GASB 75 | Jun-15 | 16Q1 |
| GASB 76 | Jun-15 | 16Q1 |
| Amendments to IAS 16 and IAS 38 | May-14 | 15Q1 |
| Amendments to IFRS 11 | May-14 | 15Q1 |
| Amendments to IAS 16 and IAS 41 | Jun-14 | 15Q2 |
| IFRS 9 | Jul-14 | 15Q2 |
| Amendments to IAS 27 | Aug-14 | 15Q2 |
| Annual Improvements to IFRSs 2012-2014 Cycle | Sep-14 | 15Q2 |
| Amendments to IFRS 10 and IAS 28 | Sep-14 | 15Q2 |
| Amendments to IFRS 10, IFRS 12 and IAS 28 | Dec-14 | 15Q3 |
| Amendments to IAS 1 | Dec-14 | 15Q3 |
| SSARS 21 | Oct-14 | 15Q3 |