What is the easiest part of the CPA exam?

Asked by: Retta Brakus  |  Last update: December 5, 2023
Score: 4.9/5 (43 votes)

BEC is the only CPA exam section with WCTs. Some students find this makes the exam easier, but some do find WCTs to be harder than TBSs. Either way, BEC is considered the easiest part of the CPA exam because it has the highest pass rate.

What is the hardest to easiest CPA Exam?

FAR had the lowest pass rates, while BEC had the highest. AUD had the second-lowest pass rate, and REG had the second-highest pass rate. Therefore, the pass rates tell us that the hardest section of the CPA Exam is FAR, and the easiest section of the CPA Exam is BEC.

What is the most difficult section of CPA Exam?

4.)

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.

What is the best part of the CPA Exam to take first?

First CPA Exam – Choose Your Strongest Section

If you are a bookkeeper then FAR would probably be your best bet, if you've been doing tax returns for the last 6 months then REG would most likely be your strong suit, and if you have been working in the finance sector then BEC would likely be a good fit.

Which CPA Exam has the least material?

There are several reasons why the BEC section is considered the easiest section of the four. In addition to the fact that it covers the least material and is of the shortest of the four exam sections, BEC also does not have any simulation questions; however, it does contain 3 written communication questions.

Which CPA Exam Section Should I Take First?

45 related questions found

How many people fail CPA Exam first time?

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%.

How many people fail CPA Exam?

The average CPA exam pass rate is around 50%.

Is new CPA exam harder or easier?

It is likely that the 2024 FAR core will be less difficult and contain less content than the 2022 or 2023 FAR exam you will take. The CPA Evolution Blueprint has moved some of the more difficult FAR topics (e.g., governmental accounting, derivatives, consolidation, etc.) into the BAR discipline track.

What order do most people take CPA exam?

Having a general idea of what to expect from each test will allow you to rank each section by difficulty level.
  • Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) ...
  • Audit (AUD) ...
  • Regulation (REG) ...
  • Business Environment and Concepts (BEC)

Is the CPA exam very hard?

The CPA exam is notoriously difficult for a number of reasons. Overall, it covers an extensive amount of information—everything newly licensed CPAs will need to know to perform their jobs well. And each section of the exam has its own unique challenges.

Is it common to fail the CPA exam?

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. Remember, not passing the CPA Exam doesn't mean you can't do this.

What percentage of people pass CPA Exam on first try?

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%.

Which is harder CPA or bar?

Just look at the pass rates for first time exam takers. You passed the bar, but the CPA Exam will be much more difficult,” came the advice from my CPA friends. My attorney colleagues had this to say, “Well, after studying for and taking the Bar Exam, the CPA Exam will be a piece of cake for you.”

What is the lowest CPA pass rate?

Visit our BEC CPA exam guide for more information and tips! FAR: While we saw a slight increase from Q1'22 to Q2'22, that was short lived as the pass rate dropped below 45% on average for 2022. With a pass rate of 44.3% in Q3'22, FAR continues to have the lowest pass rate.

Is passing the CPA exam a big deal?

CPAs Get Better Opportunities

It doesn't matter whether you are working as a public accountant or an internal accountant at a company. Once you pass your exam, doors will open for you. Public firms will allow you to advance up the hierarchy into senior positions that could even lead to becoming a partner one day.

How to pass CPA easily?

10 tips & strategies to pass the CPA Exam
  1. Determine your why. ...
  2. Set your desired timeline. ...
  3. Determine a study schedule that works for you. ...
  4. Get a review course. ...
  5. Get a CPA mentor/coach or join a CPA study group. ...
  6. Stick to your study patterns. ...
  7. Limit the distractions during your study hours.

Are fewer people taking CPA exam?

The latest figures by the AICPA show that just over 67,000 people took the CPA exam in 2022, down from 72,000 in 2021 and below its forecast of 74,000, according to its annual report. That was the lowest level since the beginning of records for the modern exam in 2006.

What state is the easiest to take the CPA exam?

Colorado's (CO) CPA exam requirements are possibly the most advantageous of all the states. It does not require 150 hours to sit. With no requirement to be a US Citizen, a resident of CO, or a certain age, it makes Colorado one of the easiest states to sit for the CPA exam and become licensed.

Has the CPA gotten easier?

People always wonder if the cpa exam is harder than it used to be. Don't worry about the cpa exam difficulty increasing over time. If you are already worried about this, then you are just preparing your excuse. If you look at the test scores over the years, test scores have been going up.

Why is becoming a CPA so hard?

Ultimately, it isn't any one topic or section that makes the CPA Exam difficult—it's the sheer scope of the exam in its entirety. The CPA Exam has 18 content areas divided into four sections. Within those content areas are almost 600 representative tasks.

Why is being a CPA so hard?

Breadth of Material

That's one of the main reasons why the CPA Exam is so difficult—and there's no way to cut that down. It makes efficiency crucial when studying so you can get through all the material and truly understand it and be able to apply it later.

Is CPA Exam getting harder 2024?

Basically, the CPA Evolution initiative means that the CPA Exam will change by January 2024. And since you will need to demonstrate your skills in the core content areas plus a sub-discipline, the CPA Exam could become much more challenging.

What is the average age to pass the CPA exam?

CPA Exam Rate by Age

As per the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), the average age of qualified candidates in 2016 was 28.9 years at one of the examinations. In 2015, a NASBA report observed that the mean age of successful candidates was 29, with the median age being 25 years.

What is the average age of a CPA?

Certified public accountant demographics research summary.

There are over 478,783 certified public accountants currently employed in the United States. 56.8% of all certified public accountants are women, while 43.2% are men. The average certified public accountant age is 43 years old.

What state has the highest pass rate for the CPA exam?

In 2019, the jurisdictions with the highest pass rates were: Utah (66.0%), Wisconsin (63.4%) and Iowa (62.2%).