CPA Exam Day Checklist
Protect your appointment with the current NTS, identification, arrival, security, calculator, and break rules before you leave for Prometric.
Quick answer
Bring the correct NTS and acceptable identification, make sure the names match, and arrive at least 30 minutes early. Bring as little as possible. Prometric stores permitted personal belongings in small lockers, and personal electronics cannot be accessed during the exam or breaks.
Printable CPA Exam day checklist
Use your browser's Print command to save or print this checklist. Recheck the official Candidate Guide if your appointment occurs after the reviewed date.
Night-before and arrival checklist
Official rules reviewed 2026-08-02
- Download and print the correct NTS, keep a saved backup, and confirm its section ID, Launch Code, and expiration date.
- Make sure the name on the NTS matches the identification you will present.
- Review the current Candidate Guide identification rules for your domestic or international test center.
- Confirm the Prometric address, appointment time, route, parking, and test-center notices.
- Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled appointment.
- Bring only essential items. Personal calculators, watches, notes, bags, food, and phones are prohibited in the testing room; verify the current clear-water exception before arrival.
- Practice the official sample-test interface and remember the five-minute introductory-screen limit.
What to bring, store, or leave at home
“Allowed at the test center” does not mean “allowed at the workstation.” The NTS and identification are used for admission. Most other personal items stay outside the testing room or in the storage location directed by staff. Sponsor-specific CPA instructions control if they conflict with a general Prometric policy.
| Item | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| NTS | Download and print the correct NTS, keep a saved backup, and bring the current document. | Prometric states that a CPA candidate cannot test without the NTS. |
| Accepted identification | Bring the current required ID and make sure the name matches the NTS. | A valid appointment does not cure an identification mismatch. |
| Backpack, purse, or briefcase | Leave it at home when possible or store it exactly as the center directs. | A backpack cannot enter the testing room, and storage instructions vary by center. |
| Phone, watch, notes, or personal calculator | Keep them out of the testing room and do not access prohibited items during breaks. | Security rules continue during both clock-running and standardized breaks. |
| Still water | Use only a clear, transparent, label-free capped container if current CPA instructions permit it. | An opaque, labeled, or otherwise noncompliant bottle may be rejected. |
| Food | Store it outside the testing room and ask staff when locker access is permitted. | Having food in a locker does not automatically permit access during every break. |
| Medication or approved item | Follow the pre-approved-item or accommodation process before test day. | Do not assume a medical need creates an on-the-spot security exception. |
| Layered clothing | Choose simple layers and follow staff instructions for inspection or storage. | Outerwear and bulky items may need to remain outside the room. |
NTS and identification: two exact-match examples
These CPAPass scenarios illustrate how to apply the official rules. They are not substitutes for the current Candidate Guide or appointment-specific Prometric instructions.
Domestic appointment
Alex downloads the NTS, verifies the scheduled section, and compares the candidate name with the unexpired government-issued identification planned for check-in. A nickname used in a course or email account is irrelevant. The names on the official testing records are what must satisfy the current Candidate Guide.
International appointment
Samira is testing at an international location, so she checks the NTS against the passport that Prometric requires for international CPA testing. She also confirms the international registration and location instead of assuming a domestic authorization automatically exposes an international seat.
If either example reveals a mismatch, contact the issuing application service before the appointment. The check-in desk is too late to treat an NTS issuance problem as a spelling preference.
A concrete four-hour clock and break example
In this CPAPass timing illustration, suppose a candidate finishes the two MCQ testlets and the first TBS testlet with 105 minutes left. The standardized 15-minute break offered at that point does not reduce those 105 minutes. If the candidate instead takes an optional break after another testlet, the four-hour clock continues. The operational rule is simple: confirm which break is being offered before leaving the room.
The introductory screens have their own five-minute limits. Read and respond within each limit. Do not use those screens to organize notes or leave the room, because exceeding an introductory-screen limit can terminate the session before the four-hour exam begins.
What happens after you arrive
- Admission and security: staff check the NTS and identification, capture a photograph and fingerprint, and perform the required security screening.
- Provided materials: the current guide says the center provides scratch paper, pencils, and a hand-held calculator. Return those items when the session ends.
- Launch: enter the Launch Code from the NTS and complete the introductory screens within five minutes. The four-hour testing clock begins after the introduction.
- Testlets and break: complete two MCQ testlets, then the first simulation testlet. The standardized 15-minute break is offered at that point and does not reduce testing time.
- Exit: return provided materials, sign out, and keep the Confirmation of Attendance for incident-reporting instructions.
Items and ID rules can affect admission
Calculator, spreadsheet, and exam software
Do not bring a personal calculator. The current Candidate Guide describes test-center-provided materials, and the exam interface supplies the tools associated with the item. Use the official AICPA sample test before the appointment to practice opening exhibits, navigating between questions inside a testlet, using the spreadsheet and calculator, and submitting a testlet.
Interface familiarity and content readiness are separate. A candidate can move quickly through the sample software and still be unprepared for a FAR reconciliation or an AUD evidence task. Conversely, strong technical knowledge can be wasted if the candidate spends exam time discovering where an exhibit or spreadsheet function lives. Rehearse both, but measure them separately.
Security rules continue during either break
Security rules remain active during breaks. Do not access a phone, notes, or another prohibited item. If a medical device or accommodation is necessary, confirm that the approved arrangement appears in the appointment process before test day rather than relying on a general exception.
If something goes wrong
- The NTS and ID names do not match: contact the responsible application service before the appointment. Do not wait for the test-center check-in desk to resolve an issuance problem.
- You may arrive late: contact Prometric, but plan for the possibility that admission is denied and fees are forfeited. The 30-minute recommendation is a protection against travel and check-in delays, not extra testing time.
- A technical incident occurs: alert test-center staff immediately, document what happened, and keep the Confirmation of Attendance. Follow its incident-reporting instructions rather than trying to reconstruct the event after score release.
- You are unsure whether an item is permitted: leave it stored and ask staff before accessing it. A locker does not make a prohibited item available during the exam or a break.
- The center closes or the appointment changes: use the current Prometric appointment and closure instructions, preserve every confirmation, and do not create a replacement appointment against the same section ID unless the official process tells you to do so.
- An accommodation is missing: stop before the appointment and contact the organization that approved or schedules the accommodation. A standard online seat is not proof that the approved testing arrangement followed the appointment.
Official resources to open before test day
After the appointment
Keep the Confirmation of Attendance and record any incident promptly. Then use the 2026 CPA score-release schedule for the current target release window. Do not infer a result from how the exam felt.
Keep your next practice session ready
Create your free CPAPass account before test day so your section history and next-step practice are ready when you return.
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