What is the easiest US CPA exam?

Asked by: Ms. Bernadine Legros DDS  |  Last update: December 5, 2023
Score: 4.4/5 (29 votes)

CPA Exam Written Communication Testlets
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.

Which state has easiest 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.

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.

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.

What is the toughest CPA paper?

Hardest Section of The CPA Exam – AUD, BEC, FAR, or REG?
  • AUD is the section that will cover all auditing and assurance public accounting services. ...
  • BEC is a comprehensive analysis of the environment that businesses operate in. ...
  • FAR is often considered the most difficult section.

Full Guide: 2024 CPA Exam Changes and What it Means for You

27 related questions found

What CPA section has the highest pass rate?

Business Environment & Concepts (BEC) CPA Exam Pass Rates

It has the least amount of material and is typically more easy to understand. Historically, the average pass rate of BEC is the highest among all four exam sections.

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.”

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 never pass CPA exam?

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%. Cumulative pass rates reported by the AICPA for the calendar year 2021 show that FAR had the lowest pass rate at 44.54% and BEC had the highest pass rate at 61.94%.

How many people pass the CPA exam on the first try?

The overall pass rate for each section of the CPA exam hovers around 50%, but how many people manage to pass all four sections on the first try? About 20%. Around 1 in 2 people will pass a specific section of the exam, and about 1 in 5 people will pass each section on their first try.

Which CPA exam is best to take first?

For your first exam, the section that you feel most confident about passing is your best bet. If you're fresh out of an audit class and still know the terminology, start with the Audit section of the CPA exam.

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.

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 is the most difficult subject in US CPA?

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.

Is the CPA getting harder?

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.

Which state us CPA is best?

Here's which states ranked best for a career in finance or accounting.
  • New York. Total Number of Accounting Jobs Available: 10,213. ...
  • Minnesota. Total Number of Accounting Jobs Available: 2997. ...
  • Illinois. Total Number of Accounting Jobs Available: 6,719. ...
  • New Jersey. ...
  • Maryland. ...
  • Pennsylvania. ...
  • Virginia. ...
  • Florida.

What age do most people pass 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.

How many hours to study for CPA retake?

You only need 2-6 weeks to study for this retake assuming you can put in around 15-20 hours per week of CPA exam study time. The less time you give yourself and the higher intensity you study the better. This will help you avoid burnout.

What happens if you don t pass all 4 CPA exams in 18 months?

The second time limit: passing all 4 sections within 18 months. Once you have passed your first section of the CPA Exam, a new timer begins counting down. You have 18 months to pass the remaining three sections of the CPA Exam; if you do not pass them all, you'll lose credit for the first section you passed.

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.

What is considered a good CPA score?

According to the AICPA a high CPA exam score is anything over 85. Since less than 50% of candidates don't get above a score of 75, a score of 85 is in the top 10 percentile. Remember, the CPA exam isn't scored on a percentage basis. It is a standardized test that is scored on percentiles.

Is the CPA exam curved?

Scores are not curved. When you fail an Exam section, you'll also receive a Candidate Performance Report that assesses your performance on that specific section. CPA Exam scoring is treated with a high level of importance, due diligence, and attention to accuracy.

Is passing the CPA impressive?

A CPA designation is commonly recognized as difficult to achieve, making the certification even more impressive when earned.

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.