Post Designation Public Accounting Program
The Post Designation Public Accounting (PDPA) program provides CPA Ontario members an option to qualify for a public accounting licence (PAL). Participants complete the mandatory education and examination requirements. The PDPA program is available to members, with exceptions, in good standing who are without public accounting practice rights.
The PDPA program is offered annually, although the frequency of future PDPA offerings may change depending on demand. PDPA participants will have a maximum of three attempts in a rolling five-year period to pass the PDPA examination.
To apply for a PAL, participants will need to both successfully complete the PDPA program and meet specific experience requirements.
PDPA program dates
PDPA eligibility assessment requests | April 20 – May 18, 2026 |
Submit a request for eligibility assessment between these dates. |
PDPA enrolment | May 18 – July 17, 2026 |
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New PDPA module materials* | May 16, 2026 |
The new module materials became available on this date. |
Module available | May 16 – September 24, 2026 |
You must complete the module within these dates. |
| PDPA withdrawal deadline | July 30, 2023 |
Module + exam: no refund once you receive access to module. You are eligible to defer your exam if it is more than 6 weeks before the exam date. Exam deferrals within 6 weeks are subject to a fee of $200 and must be completed prior to the scheduled start time of the exam. Exam only: 80% refund up until the schedule start time of the exam. |
PDPA examination | September 24, 2026 |
The PDPA examination will be offered in various testing locations across Ontario. A list of cities are available on the enrolment site. |
PDPA examination results release | December 11, 2026 |
Results will be emailed to all participants. |
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Toronto GTA |
TBD |
September 24, 2026 9:00 a.m. |
Ottawa |
Ottawa Conference and Event Centre – 200 Coventry Road, Ottawa ON K1K 4S3 | September 24, 2026 9:00 a.m. |