CPA exam to be two hours longer

The next version of the Uniform CPA Examination will be more “current, relevant, reliable, and legally defensible,” the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants announced April 4.

The changes being made to ensure a more coherent exam include: increasing the testing time by two hours, implementing additional task-based simulations, and increased assessment of cognitive skills, such as critical thinking and and problem solving ability. The exam’s four sections – Auditing and Attestation (AUD), Business Environment and Concepts (BEC), Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) and Regulation (REG) – will not change.

According to an April 5 article published by AccountingToday, the changes being made represent a methodological shift by the AICPA due to concerns that previous exams did not emulate enough situations CPAs would have face on a daily basis.

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