[Happy]

I just got my score notification email, and noticed something interesting. I don’t know if this has been mentioned before, but it was news to me.

Scores don’t expire exactly 18 months from when the Exam was taken. They give you up to another 30 days (depending when you took it) until the end of the month.

For example, I took REG 2/2/12. Exactly 18 months from then would be 8/2/13. However, they give me until the end of that period – 8/31/13.

I took AUD 4/2/12. Exactly 18 months from then would be 10/2/13. However they give me until the end of that month – 10/31/13!

I noticed Kricket took two exams on 4/3/12 to avoid expirations. https://www.another71.com/cpa-exam-forum/topic/2-test-in-1-day-post-game-show-sorry-no-highlights

So my question is, that it seems from here that exams only expire at the end of months, and not exactly 18 months to the day the exam was taken!

I’m not sure how to post pics on this site, but maybe this will work!

https://tinypic.com/r/v789bo/6

REG- 2/12 - 90 | AUD- 4/12 - 94 | BEC- 5/12- 85 | FAR- 8/12 - 82
DONE!!! I used Becker Self Study & Ninja Notes/Audio

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately that does not apply to all states. Kricket and I are both in Louisiana and ours expires on the actual date not at the end of the month. I wish that were the case for us though.

[Happy]

Oh, I see! I'm in NJ.

REG- 2/12 - 90 | AUD- 4/12 - 94 | BEC- 5/12- 85 | FAR- 8/12 - 82
DONE!!! I used Becker Self Study & Ninja Notes/Audio

[Anonymous]

Oh how I wish that were the case in Louisiana!

[Anonymous]

Each state varies. Here in NY, the 18 months doesn't begin until the last day of the non-testing window. So if you took the test in January and passed, your 18 month time limit won't start until March 31st.

[Happy]

@CPAMan – “Begin the last day of non-testing window”. Where do you get that from? I would imagine they give you an expiration date as opposed to a ‘beginning date. Anyway, if it starts March 31, that means your scores expire September 30.

Since September is a dark month, the last time to take the 4th exam is August 31st. Effectively, instead of allowing you to the end of the month like NJ, they allow you to the end of the period.

REG- 2/12 - 90 | AUD- 4/12 - 94 | BEC- 5/12- 85 | FAR- 8/12 - 82
DONE!!! I used Becker Self Study & Ninja Notes/Audio

[Anonymous]

I took FAR on 4/2/11 when I passed it. My expiration date is 12/31/2012. AUD has the same expiration date since I took it at the end of May, which is the same testing window.

It's unfair because I got an extra 3 months. If I were in Louisiana, my expiration date would've been 10/2/12. But then again, I passed my last section on 2/25/12, so I didn't need those extra 3 months. 😀

[Happy]

@ CPAMan – I'm just pointing out, that expiring 12/31/12 is the same as expiring 11/30/12 since December is a dark month.

In Louisiana it would expire 10/2/12

In NJ it would expire 10/31/12

and in NY you have until 11/30/12 to take it.

A difference of 2 months vs LA, a difference of 1 month vs. NJ.

Keep in mind, that if you and someone in LA and someone in NJ all take it on 5/31, they will all have to take last one by 11/30/12 so the disparity only arises when you take the first one at the beginning of a month/window.

REG- 2/12 - 90 | AUD- 4/12 - 94 | BEC- 5/12- 85 | FAR- 8/12 - 82
DONE!!! I used Becker Self Study & Ninja Notes/Audio

[Anonymous]

True, but that 1-2 months difference could've meant a passing score on FAR for Kricket.

[Luckynumber75]

For Illinois it's 18 months to the day from when you passed a section.

AUD: Passed
BEC: Passed
FAR: Passed
REG: Passed
Ethics: Passed

[Anonymous]

When I knew that I was going to have to take and pass FAR and AUD before April 4th I looked on Prometric's website, hoping I could take one on Monday and one on Tuesday. There were no available tests on Monday for either exam. My options were one on Tuesday and one on Wednesday but I wasn't sure when BEC would expire. My boss advised me to call the State Society and ask them if I could test on Wednesday and keep my BEC score. They weren't sure and told me to call the State Board. The lady I spoke to wasn't sure if the score expired at midnight on the 4th or at 11:59pm on the 3rd. Unfortunately, there wasn't anyone in the office who knew for sure. So I scheduled both on the 3rd. I really think that IF I had known for sure, without any doubt, that I would not have lost the BEC credit by testing on the 4th, that I would be done right now. But it is what it is and there is nothing I can do about it now. I just have to keep moving forward and not think about what could have been.

[OH – CPA Hopeful]

For Ohio they allow you the next six testing windows to pass. So if you pass during 4th Qtr 2011 you would have until the last day of the 2nd Qtr 2013 to pass the remaining sections. It doesn't matter if you passed the first day of the 4th qtr or the last day. You would still get a full six testing windows.

FAR - 67,79 BEC - 71,73,81 AUD - 48,47,70,75 REG - 50,66,71,75

[oneFREAKINGpoint]

Does it irk anyone else that so little of this process is standardized across the country?? Application prices, education requirements, testing window length, score report details…it's all different depending on your state!

@ Kricket, I hope you expressed your situation in the comments box at the end of your exams. “How satisfied were you with the service provided by your state board?” *VERY dissatisfied.

[Author]

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