Foundation exam rules and regulations

Content Summary

Overview of the rules

When you undertake a foundation exam there are rules that apply to you. Make sure that you read and understand these rules and check My Online Learning for any updates that may affect your foundation exams.

Enrolments into foundation exams are valid for 12 months from the date of enrolment. You must sit your exam within 12 months of your enrolment. For example, if you enrolled on 4 August 2019, you must schedule and sit your exam before the expiry of 3 August 2020.

You must complete all your required foundation exams and advance to Associate status within 10 years of your first foundation exam enrolment.

You must schedule your exam appointments via My CPA Program. Failure to do so may result in you having to extend your enrolment period to ensure availability at your preferred location.

If you fail to schedule your exam appointment or there is inconsistency with the information you provide at enrolment and at the time of admission at the test centre environment, you will:

not be permitted to sit your exam
forfeit the entire enrolment payment
be required to re-enrol for the exam
receive a “Did Not Sit” on your record.

You will have a maximum of four exam attempts at any one subject and you are required to wait a minimum of 30 days between attempts. If you fail, do not sit, or cancel your subject enrolments you will not be entitled to any refund of your enrolment fee. If you wish to retake your exam, you will need to re-enrol and pay the full enrolment fee.

Results will not be re-examined or re-marked after the final exam results have been published.

Test centre entry requirements

Before attending a test-centre exam, please review the health and safety requirements on the Pearson VUE website to understand your personal responsibilities when entering a test centre. These requirements will be based on local health guidelines and are subject to change at any time. Best efforts will be made to communicate any changes prior to your exam appointment.

Entry requirements for test centres may vary. It is your responsibility to ensure you meet the entry requirements to sit your exam. In most circumstances, your confirmation and reminder letters from Pearson VUE will identify any entry requirements for the test centre, noting this may change in the lead up to the exam date. If this occurs, you will be notified by CPA Australia or Pearson VUE via email or text message.

Online exams

From Monday 22 January 2024, new online exam appointments will only be available for candidates who are unable to attend a test-centre exam due to extenuating circumstances. You'll need to contact us to determine your eligibility, and to schedule an online exam.

The following requirements and policies apply to any candidate approved to sit an online exam:

It is at CPA Australia’s sole discretion, acting reasonably, as to whether an online exam is made available. An online exam will be offered only in limited situations, where extenuating circumstances prevent a candidate from attending another exam format. If you wish to schedule an online exam, you must provide supporting information substantiating your extenuating circumstances. Extenuating circumstances are at the sole discretion of CPA Australia, but may include residing beyond a reasonable distance from a test centre (as determined by CPA Australia), and/or requiring an online exam to meet an approved Reasonable Adjustment.

Supporting information will be reviewed by CPA Australia, and it is at CPA Australia’s sole discretion as to whether you are eligible to sit an online exam. You will need to apply to seek approval of your eligibility each time you schedule an exam.

If you are approved to sit an online exam, the appointment will be scheduled by CPA Australia and we cannot guarantee that the preferred appointment date or time will be available.
It is your responsibility, when booking an online exam, to ensure you meet the territory, technology, device, system and room requirements. Failure to meet these requirements will result in the inability to attempt and complete the online exam. It is mandatory requirement that you successfully complete and pass the system test before your scheduled exam appointment time, and on the same device and from the same location you intend to sit your online exam. If you cannot meet the requirements, you must contact CPA Australia to reschedule your exam to a test centre (where available).

It is your responsibility to ensure you have suitable equipment to sit your online exam. A full device check should include the following:
- Review the OnVUE technical requirements and ensure the nominated device meets all listed requirements.
- Update any settings that don’t align with the recommendations of the technical requirements.
- Complete a system test before your exam appointment. The system test will check download speeds, and microphone and webcam functionality to ensure the device meets the minimum requirements.
- Switch off all applications (except OnVUE) running in the background, sign out of any cloud-based applications, and ensure no updates (e.g., Windows, antivirus, ISO updates) are scheduled to run during the exam.
It is your responsibility to prepare your exam room in accordance with the online exam policies, including:
- ensuring the room is enclosed and private, and free from any disruptions.
- any additional monitors, printers or other technological devices must all be unplugged.
- sitting the exam in a well-lit room so you are clearly visible to the proctor.
- ensuring clear workstation within arm’s reach and removing all material from the workstation.
- ensuring no other person can see your computer screen, can enter the room or speak to you throughout the duration of the entire exam.
It is at the sole discretion of the exam greeter and/or proctor to determine if your exam environment is suitable. In the event the greeter does not deem an exam environment suitable, the exam may be terminated.
You must check your exam confirmation or reminder email from Pearson VUE to ensure your details match your Government-issued identification documents, and confirm your exam date, appointment time and time zone.

You must access your exam through My CPA Program using your existing credentials (registered email address, along with your password).

You are required to present one, current and valid form of government-issued identification during the check-in process that includes your:
- full name
- date of birth, and
- a clear photograph.
This identity information must exactly match the information on record with CPA Australia, and must be presented in English. If there are discrepancies, you may not be able to complete your exam.

Expired IDs and digital IDs will not be accepted.
The following policies will also apply to an online exam:
- Pearson VUE Privacy Policies
- Pearson VUE Policies and Procedures
- Pearson VUE Online Proctored Exam Policies
Together, these are the Online Proctored Exam Policies.

If you are approved to sit an online exam, you have:
- Agreed to the Online Proctored Exam Policies
- Confirmed you are not sitting your exam from an Excluded Territory
- Confirmed you meet the Online Proctored Exam Identification Requirements.
- Confirmed you meet the requirements to sit the exam.
You can commence your exam check-in from 30 minutes prior to 15 minutes past your scheduled appointment time, by clicking ‘Manage Exam’. If you cannot see the ‘check-in’ button you are either too early or too late for your exam appointment.

After completing the check-in process, you will be placed in a queue with other candidates, waiting for a proctor to admit you into the exam. During this time, you are under exam conditions and must not leave the webcam view or use your phone (this includes contacting CPA Australia) as it is considered a breach of the Online Proctored Exam Policies.

You are required to comply with the greeter and/or proctor instructions. Any disruptive, threatening or fraudulent behaviour – or anything specifically against exam rules – may be grounds for the greeter and/or proctor to provide you with a warning and/or terminate your exam.

If you are waiting longer than 15 minutes, a banner will appear across the top of the screen, which includes a link to a secure webpage with a chat window to speak to Pearson VUE.

Please note, Foundation exams are closed book. You are ONLY permitted to have the following items with you during your exam:
- Your one form of government-issued ID, according to the requirements above
- A single, silent electronic calculating device which has the primary purpose as a calculator. Calculators may be of standard, scientific or financial varieties, but must not be programmable, must not have storage capability and must not have internet connectivity. Please visit the CPA Australia exam webpage for more information on permitted calculators. Please note: an on-screen calculator (scientific/standard) will also be available throughout your exam.
A clear glass of water.

You must always remain front-facing and in view of the proctor, otherwise, you may receive a warning. This may result in the revocation of your exam at the sole discretion of the proctor. During your online exam you are required to adhere to the exam rules:
- Candidates are not permitted to leave the exam workstation/desk, walk around the room, or move from the view of their webcam.
- Candidates are not permitted to readjust their webcam or move their webcam and workstation to another room unless this is explicitly requested by the proctor and/or greeter.
- Candidates are not permitted to access or use a mobile phone or messaging device. The Candidate’s mobile phone should only be retrieved in the event of a technical issue where the Candidate will be contacted by a proctor.
- Candidates are not permitted to use pen, pencils paper or a physical whiteboard during their exam. For any notetaking, Candidates will have access to an Online Whiteboard and Scratch Pad as part of their exam.
- Candidates are not permitted to speak, mumble, read out loud or cover their mouth during their exam. If assistance is required from the greeter and/or proctor, the Candidate can use the chat function to communicate.
- Candidates are not permitted to wear headphones, AirPods or any type of earpiece or headset during their exam.
- Candidates are not allowed to consume food, drinks (aside from a clear glass of water), chew gum or smoke.
- Candidates are not permitted to speak to another person during their exam (excluding the greeter and/or proctor), sit their exam with another person in the room or have another person enter the room during their exam.
- Candidates cannot disclose, publish, discuss, or reproduce exam content (this is also prohibited after the exam), as per the Academic Misconduct Policy.
You are permitted a single five-minute unscheduled break during your exam. This is the only opportunity where you are permitted to leave your workstation and webcam during the exam. If you do not use your full five minutes during your break, your are not able to use any remaining time from your break later in the exam (as no further breaks are permitted).

CPA Australia strongly suggests that candidates who have a medical condition and/or other concerns that prevents them from complying with a single five-minute break, schedule a test-centre exam. An online exam will strictly only accommodate one five-minute break, and if you leave the view of the webcam outside of this accommodation, your exam will be revoked/terminated by the proctor.

You must adhere to the online exam policies regarding mobile phone access:
- You may use your mobile phone while checking in for your exam and/or if you experience a technical issue. Any other mobile phone use, including but not limited to actively taking a call and having a conversation with a third party who is not a Pearson VUE proctor, texting, and/or accessing apps may result in your exam being revoked.
- Once the exam has started, you are required to store your mobile phone in the room where you are testing but not within your workstation – it must be kept out of arm’s reach once the exam has started.
- If a proctor is contacting you, the number will display as 617-379-0635, and/or caller ID may identify as Pearson VUE. If this number or contact appears, you must answer the call as the proctor is trying to contact you. If the mobile phone rings during the exam, but it is not a call from Pearson VUE, it cannot be answered – any mobile phone use (other than engaging with a proctor) is strictly prohibited and will result in the exam being revoked.
- You are prohibited from making outbound calls during your exam for any reason. In the event of a technical issue, you are required to contact Pearson VUE Support via the chat feature.
In the event of inappropriate behaviour, lack of adherence to exam rules despite a prior warning from the proctor, or suspected misconduct or a breach of any of the Online Proctored Exam Policies, the Pearson VUE proctor may terminate your exam. For the avoidance of doubt, inappropriate behaviour may include, but is not limited to, urinating during your exam or engaging in inappropriate communication with the proctor (verbal, non-verbal or written).

In the event there is an exam incident (whether technical or an alleged breach of exam rules), you must cooperate and fully assist with CPA Australia when undertaking the investigation, including providing any requested information within a specified timeframe.
A technical incident may occur during the check-in, greet and/or during an online exam. A technical incident may include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Your technology does not meet the minimum Technical Requirements and you are unable to pass the diagnostic test during the check-in process.
- Your technology and internet connectivity do not meet the minimum Technical Requirements and the greeter is unable to launch your exam.
- You are unable to sustain consistent connectivity to the exam resulting in a technical revocation of your exam.
- You have third-party applications running on your device, resulting in repeated disruption of the exam, and or a technical revocation.
In the event of a technical issue, it is your responsibility to follow the instructions of the greeter and/or proctor to resolve the issue. In the event of a technical revocation of the exam, you will be unable to resume the exam at a later stage.

If a technical issue is unable to be resolved, and results in a technical revocation, it is at the sole discretion of CPA Australia to determine if you are eligible to re-sit the exam. If your are eligible to re-sit the exam, you must be rescheduled to another appointment time and complete the full exam.

CPA Australia will not be held liable for technical issues during your exam and will not refund enrolment fees or offer financial compensation.

Reasonable adjustments

CPA Australia is committed to providing access to exams for students who require alternative exam arrangements due to a disability or learning impairment.

If you require a reasonable adjustment for a foundation exam, this must be arranged prior to scheduling your exam. For enquiries about special arrangements for materials and exams, contact [email protected]

You should contact us to advise of your circumstances as soon as is reasonably possible following enrolment.

Rescheduling exams

If you need to reschedule your exam, you can do so:

up to 72 hours before your exam, no fee applies
between 72 to 24 hours before your exam, a fee applies.

You cannot reschedule or cancel your exam appointment within 24 hours of your exam appointment. No refunds will be issued for the cancellation of a subject enrolment or for failure to sit an exam.
If you cancel an exam appointment in order to change to another exam delivery mode, you will be giving up that appointment time and you are not guaranteed the same appointment in an alternative format.

If you fail to sit a scheduled exam, you will receive a “Did Not Sit” on your record.

To avoid a “Did Not Sit” result, you can:

cancel your subject enrolment. You must do so at least five (5) days before your scheduled exam appointment
reschedule your exam to a date within your 12-month (or otherwise extended) enrolment period, at least 24 hours before your scheduled exam appointment.

You are not permitted to sit a foundation exam and subsequently apply for a foundation subject cancellation.

Deferrals

Deferrals are not available for foundation exam subjects.

Extension of enrolment expiry date

You can extend your enrolment expiry date via My CPA Program for a non-refundable fee. You may purchase a minimum of one month and a maximum of six months' additional time to take your exam. An extension does not cancel your current exam appointment. You must reschedule your exam appointment accordingly. Failure to do so will result in a "Did Not Sit" result.

Expired enrolments cannot be extended.

If you wish to extend your enrolment expiry beyond your program end date you must contact CPA Australia for any additional extension of time, which will be assessed on a case by case basis. If you do not contact us and proceed to purchase an extension for your enrolment, the maximum amount of time your enrolment expiry is extended by, will be up to your program end date. This may be less than the full extension period purchased.

Fees

Your enrolment fee covers:

access to your study guide
resources within My Online Learning
sitting your exam
covers the cost of exam marking and administration.

Local currency options are available for some locations. Find out which fees are applicable for your exams.

Personal information

The foundation exam is a distance learning education program. You must have a valid email address and you must check your email regularly. Email is the official way we will communicate with you and no waivers or consideration will be given if you miss important information because you did not check your email.

You must have access to the internet for the purposes of receiving updated information throughout your enrolment and to access study materials.

It is your responsibility to provide current personal information to CPA Australia, including:

the correct spelling of your name
residential address for exam scheduling
email address for program and exam information
contact numbers.

You must ensure this information exactly matches the identification requirements for admission into exam centres and/or online exam.

If there is inconsistency with the information you provide, you may not receive critical information relating to your enrolment.

Non-disclosure agreement

Non-compliance with the non-disclosure agreement will result in:

not being permitted to sit the foundation exam
forfeiting the entire enrolment payment
receiving a “Did Not Sit” result
being required to enrol and pay the required fee for the exam again.

CPA Australia either owns or has a right of use by way of licence to the intellectual property, copyright and trademarks used in providing the foundation exams.

Foundation exams non-disclosure agreement

Your exam is confidential. CPA Australia owns the rights in the intellectual property, copyright and trademarks used in providing the exam and are protected by law. The exam is made available to you as a student, solely for the purpose of your assessment. You are expressly prohibited from disclosing, publishing, reproducing, or transmitting the exam, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means including visual, aural, verbal, written, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the prior express written permission of CPA Australia. The exam questions and answers are not released or available for viewing due to the secure nature of the exams and the process adopted by CPA Australia in establishing passing standards.

The personal data which you provided at enrolment will be used to transmit your score to CPA Australia and for monitoring purposes. Your personal data and exam data will be stored in the Pearson VUE database. CPA Australia reminds you that you have the right to access, delete and modify your personal data. To exercise this right, contact CPA Australia.

Integrity is a fundamental principle underpinning the profession. Actions by foundation exam students, whether members of CPA Australia or not, such as but not limited to plagiarism, cheating, collusion and any other conduct whereby the student has sought to obtain an unfair academic advantage are not permitted. These actions may be treated by CPA Australia as academic misconduct. Allegations of academic misconduct will be reviewed by CPA Australia's Certification Unit and the exam results may be withheld pending the outcome of a referral to CPA Australia’s Professional Conduct Unit for investigation. Penalties include but are not limited to the following: exclusion from admission as a member; fine; results withheld; failure of a subject.

You must accept the terms of the non-disclosure agreement at the commencement of your exam to proceed with your exam.

Privacy statement

CPA Australia Ltd (CPA Australia) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. By enrolling in foundation exams, you agree to accept the terms and conditions of CPA Australia’s privacy policy.

CPA Australia processes assessment, membership and other payments using EFTPOS and online technologies.

All transactions processed by CPA Australia meet industry security standards to ensure member details and payments are protected. For more information about our security procedures and payment processes, contact us.

All students are bound by the terms and conditions and these foundation exams program rules and regulations, including the non-disclosure agreement and privacy statement, as updated from time to time.

Foundation exam rules and regulations

Content Summary

Overview of the rules

Test centre entry requirements

Online exams

Availability

Technical requirements

ID requirements

Excluded Territory

Testing procedures and policies

Technical incident

Reasonable adjustments

Rescheduling exams

Deferrals

Extension of enrolment expiry date

Fees

Personal information

Non-disclosure agreement

Foundation exams non-disclosure agreement

Privacy statement

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