To reserve a seat, candidates must have applied to a state board of accountancy or a designated agent and received a notice to schedule (NTS). Candidates who do not have a valid NTS may not schedule an exam.

The computerized CPA exam, which officially launches on April 5, will be delivered at over 300 Thomson Prometric test centers in the United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The computer-based exam is a joint effort of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) and Prometric.

Prometric offers three scheduling methods:

• online at www.prometric.com/cpa
• via telephone, 1-800-580-9648
• on-site at a test center

Prometric recommends that candidates register via the Internet, because the system is available at all times and offers instant confirmation of test appointments.

Candidates must reserve their seats at least five days in advance of their desired exam date. However, the AICPA, NASBA and Prometric encourage candidates to schedule appointments as early as possible -- preferably 45 days in advance. Test seats are booked on a first-come, first-served basis.

Further information about the computerized CPA exam, including tutorials and sample tests, may be found at www.cpa-exam.org.