Published December 3, 2025 by Ira Walfish

Should You Stay With the Current CPA Program or Switch to the New CPA Professional Education Program? 

As 2027 approaches, thousands of CPA candidates are asking the same big question:

“Should I start or continue in the current CPA program and write the CFE… or should I wait and enter the new CPA Professional Education Program launching in 2027?”

It’s a major career decision—one that affects your study plan, your timeline to designation, and your exam strategy. Below is a clear breakdown of the pros, cons, and strategic considerations to help you make the best choice.

Pros of Staying With the Current CPA System

1. Far Less Uncertainty: “Better the Devil You Know”

The current PEP + CFE system is fully established. There are no surprises about exam structure, workload, format, or expectations.
If you want predictability, the existing system wins—hands down.

2. A Decade of Exam History to Study From

We have exact exam formats, proven study strategies, and CFE exams dating back to 2015.
That’s a goldmine of practice material, markers’ reports, and debriefing insights the new system simply won’t have for several years.

3. No Need to Be a Guinea Pig

Switching to the new system means being part of the first cohorts—meaning:

• fewer practice cases

• uncertainty in difficulty

• unclear expectations

• early program “bugs” that take time to iron out

If you want to minimize risk, the current system is the safer path.

4. You Can Start Sooner—and Finish Sooner

The new program starts in 2027, but the first module isn’t offered until May 2027, and the first exam not until Fall 2027.
If you graduate in Spring 2026, that’s a one-year wait before you even begin.
Starting the current system means getting your CPA earlier, not later.

5. Sample Exams for the New System May Not Reflect Reality

When the UFE changed to the CFE in 2015, the sample cases provided in advance were not representative of the real 2015 exam.
Students were at a disadvantage for years until better practice materials existed.
Expect the same risk with the new system.

Pros of Switching to the New CPA Program (Starting 2027)

1. Modules May Be Shorter

Preliminary updates suggest the new modules could be 6 weeks instead of 8, which may work better for students juggling work and study.
(Not yet confirmed, but likely.)

2. More Frequent Exam Offerings

Under the current PEP:

• Exams = 4× per year

• CFE = 2× per year (only 1× in 2027 and 2028)

Under the new system:

• Exams will be offered at least 3× per year, giving students more flexibility and faster re-attempt options.

Uncertain Factors (Could Be Good or Bad)

1. Will the New Exams Be Easier?

Nobody knows.
There is no data yet on:

• pass rates

• difficulty

• case complexity

• multiple-choice vs written mix

CFE pass rates sit around 68%, but whether the new system will be higher or lower is impossible to predict.

2. Increased Use of Multiple-Choice Questions

If you like MCQs, this is great news.
If you prefer writing cases and analysis, this shift may feel like a drawback.

Conclusion: Which Should You Choose?

There is no universally correct answer—your decision depends on your priorities:

Choose the Current System If You Want:

✔ maximum certainty
✔ proven materials and a decade of exams
✔ no long waits
✔ predictable exam formats
✔ to avoid being in the first trial cohort of a new system

Choose the New System If You Want:

✔ potentially shorter modules
✔ more exam sittings
✔ to enter a new CPA pathway (with more MCQs)

If you’re risk-averse, the safe recommendation is:
? Stick with the current system—if you have the option.

Stay tuned on the PASS website as CPA Canada releases more updates, and check out our related blogs:

• “Help—I'm in Transition: What Do I Do?”

• “The New CPA Professional Program in 2027”