Uniform CPA Examination — Auditing and Attestation (AUD)
The CPA Core section on audits, attestation and review — from ethics and independence to risk, evidence and the report.
About the exam
Auditing and Attestation (AUD) is one of the three Core sections every CPA candidate must pass. It tests what a newly licensed CPA needs on audit, attest, review and compilation engagements: ethics and independence, planning and risk assessment, gathering evidence, and reporting — including the internal-control and IT content that moved here from the old BEC section.
The section runs 4 hours in five testlets: two testlets of multiple-choice questions (78 in all) followed by 7 task-based simulations such as document review and authoritative-literature research. Multiple choice and simulations each count for half your score, and AUD is the only section that tests the Evaluation skill level.
Our practice covers all four Blueprint areas with scenario questions built on engagement facts — what the auditor should do next, and which report fits. Add flashcards for standards and terms, case simulations that unfold like a real engagement file, and illustrated guides to the audit process and the report wording you need to know.
How we track your progress
Every blueprint domain moves through five levels as you study:
- Not startedNo questions answered in this domain yet.
- Getting startedFirst questions answered — not enough yet to judge.
- DevelopingAt least 5 answered and 50% or better on your recent questions.
- ProficientAt least 15 answered and 70% or better on your recent questions.
- Exam readyAt least 25 answered, 80% or better recently, and holding up on hard questions.
The exam blueprint
AICPA Uniform CPA Examination Blueprints, effective January 1, 2026 (Core section) — 4 content areas, each a set percentage range of the section. Tap a domain to see its topics.
1 Ethics, Professional Responsibilities and General Principles 15–25% of the exam
92 practice questions in this domain so far
2 Assessing Risk and Developing a Planned Response 25–35% of the exam
133 practice questions in this domain so far
3 Performing Further Procedures and Obtaining Evidence 30–40% of the exam
156 practice questions in this domain so far
4 Forming Conclusions and Reporting 10–20% of the exam
69 practice questions in this domain so far
What you get when you access this exam
Free with your QuizMe account.
Questions built on the AICPA Blueprint
Every question is tagged to an AUD content area and Blueprint topic — independence, risk of material misstatement, sampling, confirmations and report modifications.
Hints that teach the rule
Reveal the standard or concept behind the question — the AU-C section, the independence rule, the threshold. Every answer comes with the full rationale.
Adaptive practice
Questions steer toward your weakest areas, weighted like the real exam, and get harder as you get stronger.
Timed practice exams
Blueprint-weighted multiple-choice exams — 78 questions in 100 minutes, the realistic MCQ share of your 4 hours — with a pacing indicator and full review.
Flashcards, case simulations and guides
120 flashcards, 8 unfolding case simulations in the spirit of task-based simulations — planning, testing and reporting on an engagement where each decision changes the file — and interactive illustrated guides you explore hotspot by hotspot.
Progress in every content area
Each area moves from Not started to Exam ready, so you know exactly what to study next.
Test at home or at a center
The CPA Exam is given only at Prometric test centers — there's no online or at-home option. Apply through your state board (many use NASBA), get your Notice to Schedule (NTS), then book with Prometric. Core sections test year-round, any day Prometric has a seat, with scores released on a rolling basis.
At a Prometric test center
- Centers across the U.S. and in select international locations — book early, especially near quarter-ends.
- Bring your NTS and unexpired government-issued photo ID with a name that matches it exactly.
- Phones, bags, watches and notes go in a locker; the exam has a built-in on-screen calculator — no personal calculators.
- Allow extra time for check-in and security checks before your 4-hour clock starts.
Exam-day game plan
How to walk in ready — and how to pace 78 multiple-choice questions — the MCQ share of the AUD section.
Pacing checkpoints
Checkpoints cover the two multiple-choice testlets (78 questions). The real section also has 7 task-based simulations in testlets 3–5 worth 50% of your score — save roughly 140 minutes for them. AICPA has announced a move to a new testing platform in 2027, with no testing planned July 1–11, 2027 and a slower score-release schedule for a while afterward — if you're planning around mid-2027, check AICPA's and NASBA's current notices.
The week before
- Take one full-length timed MCQ practice exam 3–5 days out, then rest.
- Drill the report types and modifications — qualified, adverse, disclaimer, emphasis-of-matter and other-matter paragraphs.
- Review independence rules side by side: AICPA Code, SEC/PCAOB, GAO and DOL.
- Confirm your NTS, ID name match and Prometric appointment — and that your NTS hasn't expired.
During the exam
- Find the cue in the stem: first, most likely, least likely, best evidence.
- Ask what kind of engagement it is — audit, review, compilation or attestation — before you pick a procedure or report.
- Pick your best answer, flag it and move on — but review flags before you submit each testlet; you can't go back to it.
- Answer every question — there's no penalty for guessing.
Keep your head
- A few nerves sharpen focus. If you freeze, take three slow breaths and reread the question.
- Some questions are unscored pretest items you can't identify — one hard question tells you nothing.
- 75 is a scaled score against a fixed standard, not 75% correct and not a curve.
After you pass
- In most jurisdictions you now have 30 months from your first passed section to pass the rest (a few use 18 or 36) — check your board's rule and when its clock starts.
- To be licensed you need 3 Core sections plus 1 Discipline, along with your state's education and experience rules and, in most states, an ethics exam; licensed CPAs then complete state-set CPE (commonly about 120 hours every 3 years, including ethics).
- Most candidates pair AUD with FAR or REG and then choose a Discipline — BAR, ISC or TCP — that fits the career they want.
Official sources and further reading
- AICPA — Learn what is tested on the CPA Exam ↗Official Blueprints, summary of changes and the policy on when new standards and laws become testable.
- NASBA — CPA Exam information ↗Applying, the Notice to Schedule (NTS), fees and credit-window rules by jurisdiction.
Ready to start?
450 questions and scenarios across the blueprint — and growing.
Uniform CPA Examination® and AICPA® are trademarks of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. QuizMe and thinQtank Learning are not affiliated with or endorsed by the AICPA, NASBA, Prometric or any board of accountancy. Details are summarized from the AICPA's 2026 Exam Blueprints and NASBA's candidate information; fees and policies change — always confirm at aicpa-cima.com and nasba.org. Our Exam ready level asks for 80% or better.