CPA Exam Regulation | REG
CPA Exam candidates will find that Regulation (REG) is the most separate and distinct of the four sections. Experts recommend that you take REG at the end of your CPA testing. Tackle the other three sections and save REG for last. However, you can choose to schedule REG at any time during your CPA Exam process.
More than 60 percent of the REG exam focuses on Federal Taxation of individuals, entities and property transactions. The Regulation section of the CPA Exam also tests a candidate’s knowledge of business law, business ethics and professional and legal responsibilities.
Business Law content covers agency, contracts, business structure, debtor-creditor relationships and government regulation of business. Exam content on Ethics, Professional Responsibilities, and Federal Tax Procedures focuses on ethics and responsibilities in tax practice, licensing and disciplinary systems, federal tax procedures and legal duties and responsibilities.
The Regulation Exam is composed of 76 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and eight Task-Based Simulations (TBSs). You’ll see a total of five testlets.
The section begins with two 33-question MCQ testlets. Next on the REG Exam comes a 2-question TBS testlet followed by an optional 15-minute break. The break is not included in the allotted 4-hour test time. The section concludes with two additional TBS testlets. Each of the final TBS testlets consists of three questions.
CPA candidates will have four hours to complete the REG Exam. There is no requirement to take all the allotted time. You can set your own pace as you work through the Regulation testlets. You cannot go back to revise a testlet once you have submitted it. Candidates must earn an overall scale score of 75 or higher to pass the REG section.