The CPA Examination is offered two out of every three months of each quarter. The months when testing is available are called "testing windows." The testing schedule is as follows:
| Testing is Available | Testing is NOT Available |
| January and February | March |
| April and May | June |
| July and August | September |
| October and November | December |
Candidates can sit for one or more parts of the exam during a test period but may not take a specific part of the exam more than once during that same test period. Each State Board can establish its own policy on the time frame in which a candidate must pass all four parts of the exam. The AICPA has recommended that the period be 18 months.
