CPA Atlantic School

Study at CPA Atlantic School

Overview

CPA PEP is comprised of a series of six modules focused on preparing CPA candidates for a career in business and accounting, targeted toward mid-level to management-level positions.

The path through the six PEP modules is flexible with various start dates, choice of breaks, and two scheduled Common Final Exams each year. The CPA PEP Pathways outline multiple options through the program.

Courses

To complete the CPA PEP, you must complete six modules and the Common Final Examination (CFE).

Two Core Modules

Core 1: focuses on financial accounting and reporting
Core 2: focuses on management accounting, planning, and control

Two Elective Modules (out of these four)

Performance Management
Taxation
Audit & Assurance
Finance

Two capstone modules

Capstone Integrative Module (Capstone 1)
- Deepens strategic leadership competencies by using the knowledge acquired in prerequisite and earlier modules in a professional, team setting. You will complete a large business case, which relates to Day 1 of the CFE.
Capstone Examination Preparation Module (Capstone 2)
- Focuses on preparing candidates for entry into the profession by applying competencies acquired throughout the CPA program in complex and highly integrative cases. You will develop your enabling competencies in situations which simulate real-life projects and assignments that newly certified CPAs may encounter in their careers.

Common Final Exam (CFE)

The Common Final Exam (CFE) is a three-day examination requiring candidates to demonstrate depth and breadth of competency development in accordance with the CPA Competency Map.

Course Sequence

Two Core Courses

Core 1: Financial Accounting and Reporting

Core 2: Management Accounting, Planning & Control

Two Elective Modules

Performance Management
Taxation
Audit & Assurance
Finance

Two Capstone Modules

Capstone Integrative Module (Capstone 1)

Capstone Examination Preparation Module (Capstone 2)

Flexible Pathway

The CPA Common Final Examination (CFE) and two Capstone courses are offered twice per year, as per the CPA PEP schedule expansion introduced nationally in 2020.

TRADITIONAL PATHWAY

The majority of candidates will take their courses in a linear sequence, focusing on one module per semester and taking breaks where their individual circumstances may require. While up to six years is allowable for PEP coursework, the most common timeframes are between 16 to 24 months. Within these rules, there is great flexibility to customizing the PEP path. Candidates can easily choose from various scheduling options and course modalities, including the fast-track and extended courses outlined below:

FAST-TRACK PATHWAY

Candidates have access to faster pathways by taking PEP Core 1 and Core 2 simultaneously and/or PEP Elective 1 and Elective 2 simultaneously. This option is generally of interest to candidates who are not working for a period of time and can dedicate an average of 40 hours per week to their CPA studies.

With this approach, candidates can complete their first four modules during two full-time terms (Core 1, Core 2, Elective 1, Elective 2) and then finish their final coursework in two additional part-time terms (Capstone 1, Capstone 2, and the CPA Common Final Exam) and allowing for shorter program combinations, as follows:

Summer start: 10-month CPA PEP path
Fall start: 11-month CPA PEP path
Spring start: 13-month CPA PEP path
Winter start: 16-month CPA PEP path

EXTENDED PATHWAY

For other candidates, flexibility is more important than speed. In support of this, CPA Atlantic School offers extended versions of Core 1, Core 2, and the four PEP electives every summer term and every winter term (i.e. every second PEP semester).

Candidates who would prefer a more generous timeline to study and absorb the course material may choose to take the extended modality, which comprises the same content and structure as the regular course, but over an extended 20-week offering rather than the usual eight weeks. Candidates can take the extended Core 1 on its own, or choose to simultaneously take extended Core 1 and Core 2 together, bringing average study time back up to approximately 20 hours per week. This is applicable to the PEP electives as well.

Visualizing your CPA PEP Path

Options for Core 1 and Core 2

Pathways

SEMESTER 1

SEMESTER 2

SEMESTER 3

SEMESTER 4

Regular
- Estimated 20 hours of weekly study
- One course over one semester
- Breaks are allowed between semesters
- Take up to 6 years for CPA PEP and CFE

Core 1

Core 2

Fast-Track
- Estimated 40 hours of weekly study
- Two courses over one semester

Core 1

Core 2

Extended
- Estimated 10 hours of weekly study
- One course over two semesters

Core 1

Core 2

Options for Elective 1 and Elective 2

pathways

SEMESTER 1

SEMESTER 2

SEMESTER 3

SEMESTER 4

Regular
- Estimated 20 hours of weekly study
- One course over one semester
- Take up to 6 years for CPA PEP and CFE
- Breaks are allowed between semesters

Elective 1

Elective 2

Fast-Track
- Estimated 40 hours of weekly study
- two courses over one semester

Elective 1

Elective 2

Extended
- Estimated 10 hours of weekly study
- One course over two semesters

Elective 1

Elective 2

Capstone Module and the CFE

pathways

SEMESTER 1

SEMESTER 2

SEMESTER 3

SEMESTER 4

Regular
- Back to back
- Lead into the Common Final Exam (CFE)
- Offered twice a year

Capstone 1

Capstone 2

CFE

Fees and Schedules

CPA PEP Fees

CPA Eligibility Assessments & Secondary Program Fees

Eligibility Assessment fee for transcripts from institutions inside Canada, The United States, and Bermuda
- $130 (Non-refundable) +HST
Eligibility Assessment fee for transcripts from institutions outside Canada, The United States, and Bermuda
- $365 (Non-refundable) +HST
Program licensing fee
- $875 (Non-refundable) +HST
CPA annual candidate dues to be renewed on the anniversary of the initial CPA PEP registration
- $750 (Recurring) +HST
Late registration fee
- $230 + HST

CPA PEP Module & Exam Fees

Core 1
- $1,695 + HST
Core 2
- $1,415 + HST
Elective Module 1
- $1,415 + HST
Elective Module 2
- $1,415 + HST
Capstone 1
- $1,415 + HST
Capstone 2
- $1,415 + HST
Subtotal CPA PEP module tuition fees over the six modules
- $8,770 +HST

CPA PEP Challenge Exam*
- $435 + HST (Core 1, Core 2, and Electives only)
CPA PEP Re-Write Exam*
- $490 + HST
Late registration fee:
- $230 + HST
Workshop or Assignment Accommodation fee (per day)
- $165 + HST

**Not all students are eligible to re-write or challenge a CPA PEP module exam. Please visit this page and review the CPA Harmonized Education Policy (Vol.1) for the CPA PEP for additional information on challenge and re-write exam eligibility.

CPA PEP Module/Exam Withdrawal & Deferral Fees

Course withdrawal prior to course start date (payment submitted): As outlined in student contract
Course withdrawal prior to course start date (payment not submitted): No fee
Course withdrawal after course start date (prior to 4^th Friday): As outlined in student contract
Course withdrawal after course start date (after 4^th Friday): No refund
Course deferral (prior to module start date): No fee
Course deferral (after module start date & prior to 4^th Friday):
- $230 + HST
Exam withdrawal or deferral fee (applicable from date registration was submitted, regardless of payment status):
- $230 + HST

CPA PEP Module Review & Appeal Fees

Core, Electives, and Capstone 1 Module result review fee
- $200 +HST
Audit of a module fee
- $625 +HST
Administrative appeal fee
- $415 +HST

CPA Transcript & Enrollment Letter Fees

CPA Official Transcript Request (current and former students):
- $25 +HST
Letter confirming enrollment in the CPA PEP:
- No charge

Please email registrations@cpaatlantic.ca to request a transcript or confirmation of enrollment letter.

Common Final Examination (CFE)

Common Final Examination, 3-day exam
- $1,720 +HST
Common Final Exam Deferral Fee
- $230 +HST

CFE Re-Write Fees

Day 1 only
- $745 +HST
Day 2 and day 3 only
- $1,315 +HST
All 3 days
- $1,720 +HST

CFE Appeal Fees

Day 1 appeal only
- $225 +HST
Day 2 and day 3 appeal only
- $450 +HST
All three days appeal
- $675 +HST

Performance Analysis Report (PAR)

Day 1, PAR only
- $350 +HST
Days 2 and 3, PAR only
- $700 +HST
Days 1, 2, and 3, PAR only
- $1,050 +HST
Appeal and PAR (day 1 only)
- $575 +HST
Appeal and PAR (day 2 and day 3 only)
- $1,150 +HST
Appeal and PAR (all 3 days)
- $1,725 +HST

CPA PEP Schedules

Winter 2023

Course and exam	Registration deadline*	Re-write and Challenge Registration Deadline**	Start Date	Workshops	Exam Date and Time (AST)	Results released	Appeals deadline
Core 1	Jan. 3	Jan. 30	Jan. 28	Orientation: Jan. 28-29 Workshop: March 4-5	Mar. 30	Apr. 14	Apr. 18
Core 1 Extended	Jan. 3	N/A	Jan. 28	Orientation: Jan. 28-29 Workshop: Apr. 29-30	June 29	July 14	July 18
Core 2	Jan. 3	Jan. 30	Jan. 28	Mar. 11-12	Mar. 29	Apr. 14	Apr. 18
Core 2 Extended	Jan. 3	N/A	Jan. 28	May 13-14	June 28	July 14	July 18
Performance Management	Jan. 3	Jan. 30	Jan. 28	Feb. 4-5	Mar. 30	Apr. 14	Apr. 18
Performance Management Extended	Jan. 3	N/A	Jan. 28	Feb. 11-12	June 29	July 14	July 18
Assurance	Jan. 3	Jan. 30	Jan. 28	Feb. 11-12	Mar. 30	Apr. 14	Apr. 18
Assurance Extended	Jan. 3	N/A	Jan. 28	March 4-5	June 29	July 14	July 18
Finance	Jan. 3	Jan. 30	Jan. 28	Feb. 18-19	Mar. 29	Apr. 14	Apr. 18
Finance Extended	Jan. 3	N/A	Jan. 28	March 25-26	June 28	July 14	July 18
Taxation	Jan. 3	Jan. 30	Jan. 28	Feb. 25-26	Mar. 29	Apr. 14	Apr. 18
Taxation Extended	Jan. 3	N/A	Jan. 28	Apr. 8-9	June 28	July 14	July 18
Capstone 1	Jan. 3	N/A	Jan. 21	Jan. 21-22	Mar. 17-23	Mar. 24	N/A

Spring 2023

Course and exam	Registration deadline*	Re-write and Challenge Registration Deadline**	Start Date	Workshops	Exam Date and Time (AST)	Results released	Appeals deadline
Core 1	Mar. 31	May 1	Apr. 29	Orientation: Apr. 29-30 Workshop: June 3-4	June 29	July 14	July 18
Core 2	Mar. 31	May 1	Apr. 29	June 10-11	June 28	July 14	July 18
Performance Management	Mar. 31	May 1	Apr. 29	May 6-7	June 29	July 14	July 18
Assurance	Mar. 31	May 1	Apr. 29	May 13-14	June 29	July 14	July 18
Finance	Mar. 31	May 1	Apr. 29	May 20-21	June 28	July 14	July 18
Taxation	Mar. 31	May 1	Apr. 29	May 27-28	June 28	July 14	July 18
Capstone 1	Mar. 31	N/A	May 6	May 6-7	July 1-6	July 17	N/A
Capstone 2	Mar. 3	N/A	Apr. 1	Apr. 1-2	N/A	May 19	N/A
Common Final Exam	Mar. 3	Mar. 3	N/A	N/A	May 30 - June 1	August 18	N/A

Summer 2023

Course and exam	Registration deadline*	Re-write and Challenge Registration Deadline**	Start Date	Workshops	Exam Date and Time (AST)	Results released	Appeals deadline
Core 1	June 23	July 24	July 22	Orientation: July 22-23 Workshop: Aug. 26-27	Sept. 21	Oct. 6	Oct. 11
Core 1 Extended	June 23	N/A	July 22	Orientation: July 22-23 Workshop: Oct. 21-22	Dec. 14	Jan. 12	Jan. 16
Core 2	June 23	July 24	July 22	Sept. 2-3	Sept. 20	Oct. 6	Oct. 11
Core 2 Extended	June 23	N/A	July 22	Nov. 4-5	Dec. 13	Jan. 12	Jan. 16
Performance Management	June 23	July 24	July 22	July 29-30	Sept. 21	Oct. 6	Oct. 11
Performance Management Extended	June 23	N/A	July 22	Aug. 12-13	Dec. 14	Jan. 12	Jan. 16
Assurance	June 23	July 24	July 22	Aug. 5-6	Sept. 21	Oct. 6	Oct. 11
Assurance Extended	June 23	N/A	July 22	Aug. 26-27	Dec. 14	Jan. 12	Jan. 16
Finance	June 23	July 24	July 22	Aug. 12-13	Sept. 20	Oct. 6	Oct. 11
Finance Extended	June 23	N/A	July 22	Sept. 16-17	Dec. 13	Jan. 12	Jan. 16
Taxation	June 23	July 24	July 22	Aug. 19-20	Sept. 20	Oct. 6	Oct. 11
Taxation Extended	June 23	N/A	July 22	Sept. 30 - Oct. 1	Dec. 13	Jan. 12	Jan. 16
Capstone 2	June 16	N/A	July 15	July 15-16	N/A	Sept. 1	N/A

Fall 2023

Course and exam	Registration deadline*	Re-write and Challenge Registration Deadline**	Start Date	Workshops	Exam Date and Time (AST)	Results released	Appeals deadline
Core 1	Sept. 15	Oct. 16	Oct. 14	Orientation: Oct. 14-15 Workshop: Nov. 18-19	Dec. 14	Jan. 12	Jan. 16
Core 2	Sept. 15	Oct. 16	Oct. 14	Nov. 25-26	Dec. 13	Jan. 12	Jan. 16
Performance Management	Sept. 15	Oct. 16	Oct. 14	Oct. 21-22	Dec. 14	Jan. 12	Jan. 16
Assurance	Sept. 15	Oct. 16	Oct. 14	Oct. 28-29	Dec. 14	Jan. 12	Jan. 16
Finance	Sept. 15	Oct. 16	Oct. 14	Nov. 4-5	Dec. 13	Jan. 12	Jan. 16
Taxation	Sept. 15	Oct. 16	Oct. 14	Nov. 11-12	Dec. 13	Jan. 12	Jan. 16
Common Final Exam	June 16	June 16	N/A	N/A	Sept. 12-14	Dec. 1	N/A

Please note:
All course offerings, locations, dates, and times are subject to change at the discretion of CPA Atlantic School.
* Late registration fees will apply after the posted registration deadlines. If you have questions on the CPA Atlantic School late registration fees for the CPA PEP and CFE, please review the FAQs found here.
* Re-enrolling in a module after an unsuccessful attempt; As the registration deadline occurs prior to the result release date for the previous cohort, Candidates will have a one-week (7-day) grace period to re-enroll in a module for the upcoming cohort once their unsuccessful result has been released. During this period you will note that a late fee is still automatically applied to your invoice/balance owing through the registration portal. If you are within the grace period for an unsuccessful attempt, please contact finance@cpaatlantic.ca to have the late fee removed from your balance owing. Your re-enrollment must be received prior to 11:59PM on the 7th day of the grace period.
** Candidates wishing to enroll in a CPA PEP challenge or re-write exam after the posted “Re-write and Challenge Registration Deadline” will require pre-approval from the school prior to enrolling. Please contact exams@cpaatlantic.ca if you wish to enroll in a re-write or challenge exam after the deadline, as registration will not be available through the registration portal. Any approved late registrations for a re-write or challenge exam will be subject to a late enrollment fee.

CPA PEP Facts

Modern

The CPA PEP prepares candidates for a career in business, not just accounting. The program focuses on developing competencies in a number of areas including management, communications and business ethics.

Nationally developed

CPA PEP is nationally developed by CPA Canada and delivered locally by CPA Atlantic School of Business in Atlantic Canada and Bermuda. The program is designed to prepare candidates with the professional knowledge and skills for business and accounting, in compliance with lnternational Federation of Accountants Canada (IFAC) standards for professional accounting bodies.

Hands On

During their pre-accreditation path (and mainly concurrent with their studies) candidates have a requirement to gain paid practical experience, during which candidates demonstrate that they have gained the professional knowledge, skills, values, ethics and attitudes required for entry to the CPA profession. Candidates may track their practical experience before, during, and/or after their CPA PEP studies.

Affordable

CPA PEP maintains one of the lowest tuition rates for a professional, post-graduate education program at less than half the price of a post-graduate degree from a Canadian university.

Flexible

CPA Atlantic School offers multiple entry points per year into the CPA PEP. All paths allow candidates to work around their personal schedules and towards their career goals while working towards the Common Final Examination (CFE). The program is part-time to allow candidates the opportunity to work full-time throughout their studies and study where they want, when they want.

Accessible

CPA PEP uses a combination of eLearning with face-to-face workshop instruction and examinations. Workshops and exams are available throughout the Atlantic provinces and Bermuda, and CPA PEP instruction and courses are offered in both official languages.

CPA Professional Education Program

Study at CPA Atlantic School

Overview

Courses

Contact an Advisor

Course Sequence

Two Core Courses

Two Elective Modules

Two Capstone Modules

Flexible Pathway

TRADITIONAL PATHWAY

FAST-TRACK PATHWAY

EXTENDED PATHWAY

Visualizing your CPA PEP Path

Fees and Schedules

CPA PEP Fees

CPA Eligibility Assessments & Secondary Program Fees

CPA PEP Module & Exam Fees

CPA PEP Module/Exam Withdrawal & Deferral Fees

CPA PEP Module Review & Appeal Fees

CPA Transcript & Enrollment Letter Fees

Common Final Examination (CFE)

CFE Re-Write Fees

CFE Appeal Fees

Performance Analysis Report (PAR)

CPA PEP Schedules

Winter 2023

Spring 2023

Summer 2023

Fall 2023

CPA PEP Facts

Modern

Nationally developed

Hands On

Affordable

Flexible

Accessible

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