The Uniform CPA Examination pass rate percentages are released by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and historically average around 45%-55%, varying by quarter and section. You can find the most recent CPA Exam pass rates on this page and historical pass rates for each section.
Surgent’s pass rates are nearly 40 points higher than the national average – AND our students are passing 50% faster! Try our award-winning software for free.
1.) How is the CPA Exam graded?
A passing CPA Exam score on each section is a 75 on a scale of 0 to 99; however, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to answer 75% of the questions correctly to pass.
Questions on the CPA Exam are not equally rated and are scaled by the AICPA based on their difficulty. Scores are based on a weighted combination of scaled scores between the multiple-choice questions and task-based simulations.
AUD, REG, FAR, BAR and TCP have a 50/50 weighting between multiple-choice questions and task-based simulations. ISC has a 60/40 weighting between multiple-choice questions and task-based simulations.
The last aspect of CPA Exam scoring is the positive grading system, which means you gain points for questions you answer correctly and do not lose points for questions you either answer wrong or don’t answer. This type of scoring is dissimilar to college exam grading, where you lose points for incorrect responses. Not so on the CPA Exam! You should try to answer every single question on the exam. If you get it wrong, you won’t be penalized. But if you get it right, you get points.
NASBA (the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy) releases CPA Exam scores to candidates and state boards. The score releases occur during different times of the year depending on candidates’ testing window.
Auditing and Attestation (AUD) contains more subjective material than any other section of the CPA Exam and is often considered one of the more difficult exams.
Compared to the more memorization-based concepts on the other three exams, the ability to apply concepts to specific situations is the key to passing. Often, there is a “best answer” on AUD multiple-choice questions (MCQs) instead of a clear-cut correct answer.
After a dip in 2021, AUD scores continue to lag slightly from previous years, indicating the need for better preparation among exam-takers.
Often considered the most difficult exam, Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) has had the lowest passing scores of the four exams. The amount of material CPA Exam candidates have to learn for the exam, coupled with the combination of memorization and application, makes this exam more difficult.
Though FAR is considered the most difficult section to pass, applicants can take heart in the slight upward trend observed recently.
FAR Historical Pass Rates
2017
44.42%
2018
46.22%
2019
46.16%
2020
49.98%
2021
44.54%
2022
43.76%
4.) Regulation (REG)
While tax applications make up a large portion of the Taxation and Regulation (REG) exam, tax law and business law are also incorporated. This section requires a fair amount of memorization coupled with the intricacies of dynamic tax law.
Regulation section pass rates increased dramatically from 2019 to 2020 but have since leveled off.
REG Historical Pass Rates
2017
47.24%
2018
53.16%
2019
50.80%
2020
62.29%
2021
59.88%
2022
47.90%
5.) CPA Exam pass rates with Surgent
With historical pass rates that hover around 50%, passing the CPA Exam isn’t easy, but with Surgent CPA Review, it’s much easier. Surgent CPA Review students average a 92%* pass rate.
Surgent students also go into the exam confidently, as their predictive ReadySCORE™ has been proven to be within 1% of students’ actual exam scores.
What are the pass rates for each section of the CPA Exam? Now let's discuss what's top of mind for all CPA Exam candidates–passing it. About half of the individuals who take the CPA Exam don't pass on their first attempt. According to the AICPA, the national average pass rate is 45-55%.
To pass a CPA Exam section, you must score a minimum of 75. Have you ever wondered how the AICPA calculates your CPA Exam section scores? Scores are reported on a scale that ranges from 0 to 99.
- According to the AICPA, there is a 33% decline in first-time candidates taking the CPA exam. - In 2022, there were 1.6 million Accountants/Auditors in the profession. - Of the 1.6 million, 300,000 left the profession and only 47,000 entered it. Jobs are increasing, Accountants are decreasing.
Turnover at CPA firms averages 15%, according to an INSIDE Public Accounting report, and turnover at professional services firms, including the Big Four accounting firms, averaged 13.4% in 2022. Almost 84% of accounting turnover is voluntary.
Both the CPA Exam and the Bar exam are notoriously difficult exams that require months of rigorous study and cover very different material. However, if you look at just the exam pass rate for first-time takers, then the CPA exam is harder, with only a 14 - 20% pass rate.
The FAR section of the CPA Exam is hard because it's the most comprehensive of the 4 exam sections, and it has a lot of math questions that are mentally taxing to get through. It has the lowest pass rate of all 4 exam sections and is considered the hardest CPA Exam section.
The CPA Exam has a low pass rate because there is a lot of material covered in the exam and much of it is complex. Studying with a trusted review provider can dramatically increase your chances of passing.
There is no limit as to the number of times you may repeat a failed section. You may take any unpassed section of the CPA Exam year-round. Your only restriction is waiting to receive your score from a previous attempt of the same section.
The CPA Examination is not curved. Every candidate needs to score 75 points in each section to pass the exam. The score of every candidate is entirely independent of other candidates.
The first testlet you receive will be of moderate difficulty. If you do well on it, the next testlet will be harder. Perform poorly, and the testlets get easier. Strategically dividing your time between easier and harder questions is therefore critical to achieving your best score.
You've probably heard quite a bit of intimidating details about how hard it is — it's long, it requires hundreds of hours of study time, it's so difficult that the average CPA Exam passing rate for first-time candidates is only 50%.
Students, recent graduates, and people with plenty of time to study should aim to sit for and pass 4 sections of the CPA Exam in about 6 months. This would have you taking an exam every 6-7 weeks and studying about 22-26 hours each week.
The CPA exam is widely regarded as the most challenging professional examination for a few reasons. Its length, number of topics, and technical details covered typically rank it harder than the BAR and MCAT.
Some 47,067 students earned a bachelor's degree in accounting in the 2021-22 school year, down 7.8% from the previous year, according to 2023 Trends: A Report on Accounting Education, the CPA Exam and Public Accounting Firms' Hiring of Recent Graduates.
The Uniform CPA Examination pass rate percentages are released by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and historically average around 45%-55%, varying by quarter and section.
As growth continues for accounting professionals in both public and private firms, hiring managers look for candidates with experience and certification. Earning your CPA puts you in the spotlight for promotion, rapid career advancement – and a better salary.
Just know that you're not alone—the CPA Exam is hard. The CPA Exam has a pass rate of around 50%. So, though millions of candidates have passed the CPA Exam, many first faced failure along the way.
Introduction: My name is Clemencia Bogisich Ret, I am a super, outstanding, graceful, friendly, vast, comfortable, agreeable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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