Hey

Usually how long shall I register in advance for CPA exam?

Do you know usually how long does the process take, especially for Virginia? I mean from the time I register it to the time I can settle for my specific exam schedule

Hey, I'm in Virginia.

If you are applying to get approved to sit for the CPA exam in Virginia, it takes a few weeks, on average.  You have to apply, send in your college transcripts, etc. and then they will notify you of your eligibility to sit for the exam.  I think they say allow 4-6 weeks, but I applied the beginning of 12/1/08 and got my eligibility letter on 12/12/08.  Some of the process time depends on how long it takes your university to send your transcripts to the Virginia BOA.  The university I requested my transcripts from is in the same city as the VA BOA, so mine didn't take very long.  You may apply for a section as part of the initial process.  I got my form from NASBA indicating I was eligible for this section, along with a payment coupon on 12/13/08, the next day.

For subsequent sections of the exam, once you are approved, you just go their website and apply for the next section you want to sit for.  I applied for my next section and got my payment notice from NASBA the same week. 

After I paid NASBA for each of my sections, I got my notice to schedule with Prometric within a few days.

I think Virginia is pretty efficient and I haven't experienced any delays.  Compared to what I've heard about turnaround times in other states, the time I had to wait for my requests was minimal. 

Good Luck!