Should You Study for the Next CPA Section While Waiting for Your Score?
Usually, yes. If more sections remain, I generally would not let a score-release gap completely stop your progress.
Take a short reset first
You do not need to leave Prometric and immediately open the next section. Take a day or two, then move.
Why moving on makes sense
If you wait several weeks and passed, those weeks produced no progress. If you failed, you still eventually need other sections.
What if you failed?
Reassess when the score arrives. You can pause the new section and retake, finish the new section first, or use a hybrid plan depending on the score, progress, testing windows, and credit deadlines.
Should you keep the old section fresh?
If the score wait is long and you genuinely think failure is likely, a tiny maintenance dose such as 20 mixed MCQs once or twice per week can be reasonable.
Do not study two full sections at once without a reason
Maintenance is different from running two complete study plans simultaneously.
What if the Exam felt terrible?
Feeling terrible is not enough reason to freeze progress.
What if it was your last section?
Then do not invent section five. Take the break and wait for the result.
Move-on decision tree
More sections + no major issue
Start the next section.
More sections + strongly expect retake
Lightly begin the next section and maintain old material.
Score release very soon
A short break may be reasonable.
Final section
Wait.
Overlap can make moving on even better
FAR → AUD, AUD → ISC, and REG → TCP can reinforce some knowledge rather than replace it.
The takeaway
Do not let waiting for information become weeks of automatic inaction.
Take a short reset, then keep moving.