CPA Professional Program (CPAPP)

The New 2027 CPA Professional Program (CPAPP)

Driven by the new Competency Map 2.0, the CPA certification program is being completely rebuilt to focus less on rote technical memorization and more on critical thinking, technology, and decision-making. The new program officially launches in January 2027 with the first modules beginning May 2027 and the first exams taking place September 2027 (alongside the second to last CFE). You can also check out ore article on the transition, which also includes a webinar describing what we know now.

Transition Deadlines

If you are in the current PEP program, you have until December 2028 to finish all exams and your PERT requirements.
If you do not finish by the December 2028 deadline, you will be forced to transition into the new CPAPP.
As a reminder, the deadline will also be enforced by exam offerings, specifically there are only 3 remaining CFEs to take to complete in the current program: September 2026, September 2027, September 2028. We talk more about the timing concerns to be mindful of in this YouTube Video – The Final Countdown – Only 4 CFEs remain.

New Module and Exam Structure

The traditional Core, Elective, Capstone, and CFE structure will be replaced by four new modules, each with its own exam:

Foundational Development (FD): Followed by the Foundational Development Exam (FDE).
Core (CR): Offers a choice between a Licensing or Non-licensing path, followed by Professional Final Exam 1 (PFE1).
Leadership (LD): Followed by Professional Final Exam 2 (PFE2).
Professional Readiness (PR): An intensive 5-day in-person experience culminating in Professional Final Exam 3 (PFE3).

Work Experience Changes

The total required experience will be a 24-month minimum, divided into foundational and professional stages.
All work experience must be completed before you can sit for the final PFE3 exam, making it a major bottleneck.

What We Are Waiting to Hear

Because the program is still under construction, CPA Canada is still ironing out several major details. The biggest unknowns include:

International Accountants: CPA Canada will be updating their MOU/MRA agreements starting in 2027. However, we do not yet know exactly which modules or exams international students will be required to take, or which they will be explicitly exempt from under the new program rules.
Module Blueprints: We know the overarching topics, but we do not yet have the official exam blueprints, competency weightings, or time limits for each individual module’s assessment.

When Can We Expect to Know More?

CPA Canada has completed the design phase and is now actively building the course materials, cases, and exams. You can expect more concrete details, including firm blueprints, pricing, and specific transition policies, to be released gradually throughout 2026 as we approach the January 2027 launch date.

Our best guess is that CPA Canada might share more in the fall of 2026. We know their team is working hard to support the June and September CFE writers so our best guess is that after they get that wrapped up they will have the capacity to finalize CPAPP details.

Follow along for CPAPP updates