TL;DR: CPAR (CPA Review School of the Philippines) is the country's pioneer CPA review school, founded October 31, 1976, and based at 837 F. Cayco Street, Sampaloc, Manila. It publishes tiered rates from about ₱2,500 (conditional retakers) to ₱10,000 (first-time reviewees), and claims 1,637 CPA board topnotchers over its history — the most any Philippine CPA review center reports. It remains one of two dominant Sampaloc-based CPA review schools, alongside ReSA.
Introduction
If you're a BS Accountancy graduate mapping out your CPALE review, CPAR is one of the first names you'll hear — often before you've even picked a thesis topic. It's the oldest CPA review school still operating in the Philippines, and its name shows up in nearly every "best CPA review center" list, every alumni group chat, and every University Belt conversation about board exam prep.
This guide focuses specifically on CPAR: where it is, what its programs and fees look like, what its topnotcher track record actually claims, and where to go if you want the CPAR-vs-ReSA debate settled properly. If you're still comparing review centers broadly, or want the full rundown on the CPALE itself, links to those guides are included below.
What Is CPAR?
CPAR, or the CPA Review School of the Philippines, is a review institution dedicated to preparing BS Accountancy graduates for the Certified Public Accountant Licensure Examination (CPALE). It was established on October 31, 1976 — according to CPAR's own materials, by seven individuals who shared a passion for accounting education and wanted to give graduates a dedicated venue to prepare for the CPA boards. Nearly 50 years later, it remains the longest continuously operating CPA-specific review school in the country. CPAR describes itself on its own site as "the biggest CPA review school in the country," a claim built on its near five-decade history and self-reported topnotcher count.
Where Is CPAR Located?
CPAR's main and, based on publicly available information, only campus is the CPAR Building at 837 F. Cayco Street, Sampaloc, Manila 1008. This puts it squarely inside Manila's University Belt, the same few blocks that host ReSA and Team PRTC — the Sampaloc area is effectively the country's CPA review district. The campus sits within walking distance of the LRT-2 Legarda and Recto stations, making it accessible by rail from across Metro Manila.
Unlike some newer review centers — REO and Team PRTC, for example, both operate branches in Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and other cities — CPAR does not publicly list regional branches. Reviewees outside Metro Manila who want CPAR specifically typically relocate to Sampaloc for the review period, often boarding nearby, or choose a center with wider physical or online reach.
Branch and campus details can change; verify directly with CPAR before making relocation or enrollment plans.
How Much Does CPAR Cost?
CPAR publishes a tiered pricing structure rather than a single flat fee, based on reviewee category:
| Reviewee Category | Who It's For | Approx. Fee (PHP) |
|---|---|---|
| First Timer | Fresh graduates, first-time reviewees | ~10,000 |
| Former | Retakers or reviewees transferring from another school | ~8,000 |
| Scholar | Latin honor graduates | ~5,000 |
| Conditional | Retaking only 1-2 failed subjects | ~2,500 |
These figures come from CPAR's own published rate categories and sit within the broader ₱8,000-₱12,000+ range commonly cited for major Manila CPA review centers. Budget an additional ₱2,000-₱5,000 for materials, transportation, and PRC-related fees on top of the review tuition itself.
Figures change per intake and school year — always confirm current rates with CPAR directly before enrolling.
What Programs Does CPAR Offer?
CPAR's core offering is CPALE review covering all six board subjects: Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR), Advanced Financial Accounting and Reporting (AFAR), Management Advisory Services (MAS), Auditing, Taxation, and Regulatory Framework for Business Transactions (RFBT). Reviewees can choose between:
- Weekday sessions — roughly 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, spread across the week
- Weekend sessions — roughly 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays, for reviewees who work or study during the week
Both formats run for several months leading up to the May and October CPALE administrations, with the discounted Conditional track available for reviewees who only need to retake one or two failed subjects rather than the full battery.
CPAR's Topnotcher Track Record
CPAR's headline claim is that it has produced 1,637 topnotchers — reviewees who placed in the top 20 of the CPA board exams — over its nearly 50-year history, per the school's own materials. This figure is self-reported by CPAR and is also cited in other CPA review roundups on this site, but it has not been independently verified against Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) data, since the PRC publishes passer lists by graduating school, not by review center attended.
For context on how CPAR's claimed record stacks up against other major review centers — and how national CPALE passing rates have moved recently (34.02% in October 2025, 33.11% in May 2025) — see our complete CPALE guide.
CPAR's Teaching Style
CPAR is best known for exam-simulation drilling: long problem sets designed to mirror the actual board exam format, fast-paced lectures, and a competitive classroom atmosphere. Reviewees who struggle with the computation-heavy subjects — FAR, AFAR, and MAS — often say CPAR's repetition-based approach sharpens their speed and accuracy under time pressure. It is generally not the gentlest environment for reviewees who prefer a slower, more conceptual pace.
CPAR vs ReSA: Which One Should You Choose?
CPAR and ReSA are the two most-debated CPA review centers in the Philippines, and the choice between them comes down to teaching style more than price — both sit in a similar fee range and are located a few blocks apart in Sampaloc. Rather than duplicate that comparison here, see our dedicated breakdown: CPAR vs ReSA: Which CPA Review Center Is Right for You? It covers pricing, schedules, teaching philosophy, and a side-by-side table to help you decide.
If you want the fuller field — REO, Team PRTC, Pinnacle, and the more budget-friendly options like CRC-ACE — see Best CPA Review Centers in the Philippines.
How to Choose Between CPAR and Other Review Centers
If you thrive under pressure and want computational drilling, CPAR's exam-simulation approach and long track record make it a strong default choice, especially if FAR, AFAR, or MAS are your weak subjects.
If you need a physical branch outside Metro Manila, CPAR is not the center for you — REO and Team PRTC both operate multi-city branch networks that CPAR does not currently match.
If budget is your main constraint, CPAR's Conditional (₱2,500) and Scholar (₱5,000) tiers are competitive, but reviewees needing the full First Timer program (~₱10,000) should also compare CRC-ACE and BSA Review Center, which run lower across the board.
If you're deciding between CPAR and ReSA specifically, read the full comparison before committing — the right answer depends on whether you want intensive drilling or a more supportive classroom environment.
Ready to find the right school? Browse schools or compare tuition and reviews across hundreds of Philippine schools on SchoolFinderPH.
Sources
- CPA Review School of the Philippines (official site) — founding date, address, fee tiers, topnotcher claim
- CPA Review School of the Philippines listing — address confirmation
- Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) — CPALE administration and national passing rate data, as cited in SchoolFinderPH's CPALE guide
