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Let’s Enjoy These CPA Exam Pass Rates From Before the Entire World Went Down the Can

Posted on by Adrienne Gonzalez

I realized the other day we hadn’t posted about pass rates in a while, and upon looking it up I found my hunch was correct, as the last time they were mentioned was January when we touched on 2019 CPA exam pass rates. Y’all remember January? Oh if only we knew then what was coming down the road like an out-of-control semi on some icy highway in Wyoming.

As it turns out, the AICPA has released pass rates for Q1 2020, although the data is thin for reasons I shouldn’t need to explain. Considering Q2 was basically a loss and continuous testing launched mid-year, this means 2019 was basically the last time we’d see all four quarters filled in and neatly lined up (even if we didn’t know that at the time) based on testing windows what with continuous testing and all.

So, about those 2020 pass rates. Here’s what we’ve got.

2020 Pass Rates

Compare this to the same data from 2019:

2019 Pass Rates

And overall pass rates for 2019:

2019 Pass Rates

The AICPA psychometrics and scoring page states, “Pass rates for each section of the Exam are announced quarterly,” so perhaps we can assume they’ll still break scores out by quarter, just normal quarters and not based on testing quarters bookended by blackout windows like it used to be prior to the launch of continuous testing. This should be helpful as some candidates mistakenly believe higher or lower pass rates by section in certain quarters mean the exam is harder or easier during those quarters when in fact it may mean candidates were more prepared, or changes to exam content stumped them, or sometimes it really doesn’t mean anything at all except to data nerds. Pass rates are merely a snapshot in time that tells us how candidates who sat performed on the sections they took, there’s not much more to extrapolate from them than that on the candidate side.

That said, it will be interesting to see how Prometric closures, scheduling issues, the Rona, and just the general state of the world these days impact pass rates for the remainder of 2020. Gonna go out on a limb here and guess they’re coming in just a touch under 2019.

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How a New Graduate Can Pass the CPA Exam (Almost) Before May 2011

This CPA exam candidate changes her name too often on Twitter to be linked to but asks us the following:

I am graduating this fall from [University of San Francisco] with an undergraduate degree in Accounting. My goal is to study and pass the test by May 2011.

I appreciate your input and advice.

First off, I love specific questions like this. If you have them you are, as always, welcome to send them in for future columns. If you have a particular goal (like passing before the 2011 changes or learning how to balance work, family and the exam), I feel better about wasting my time yelling at you because you’re much more likely to succeed. ROI, we all want one.

Anyway.


– Let’s start with the California Board of Accountancy. If you call their exam unit, they will tell you to expect a wait of 4 – 6 weeks for your application to be processed and you’ll get really excited when they cash the $100 application fee check three days after you mailed it. Don’t get excited, that’s the first thing they do (duh, it’s California). In reality, you can expect to wait about 8 weeks from the date you submit your application if you’re freshly graduated and applying with many other accounting grads in the state at the same time. Expect to wait 10 days for your payment coupon and 10 days for your Notice to Schedule once you get your ATT (Authorization to Test). So let’s say your school already posted your degree to your transcripts and you sent in your application today (7/16). You may not get approved until 9/16. Best case scenario they get you approved quickly and you get your ATT on 8/16 (don’t count on it).

Once you have that, it could be another 3 weeks until you are actually scheduling your exams. This year (since your goal is 2011, we’re assuming you’re starting as early as possible before new exam changes hit), the last window of the year will be especially hard to schedule. We’re just guessing on that since everyone seems afraid of CBT-e. It will be interesting to see the actual numbers once they are released.

Get the Hard Stuff Out of the Way – If you can get in one part this year, great. If you had to ask me which one you should take I’d usually say the one that will be hardest for you (since your rolling 18 month window doesn’t start until you actually sit for and pass that first one) but because of the 2011 changes I’m telling most candidates to take FAR. A lot of them are also trying to squeeze in BEC – I imagine they don’t like the idea of written communications and more economics but I could be wrong. Don’t take the easy route, you’ll regret it when you’re trying to pass that last really difficult section you put off and end up losing scores because 18 months came and went.

Don’t Be an Overachiever – I know the old timers will pipe in on this and say back in their day they didn’t have calculators and had to walk uphill both ways in the snow to get to the exam center twice a year to take all 4 parts over 19 1/2 hours but we humbly suggest sitting for no more than two parts per testing window. If you can get in for Q4 2010, you will have one exam done then take two more in Q1 2011 and the last one Q2 2011. So you may not exactly hit your May target but it’s OK to adjust your plans (don’t get mad at the Board of Accountancy but if you want a shortcut around their 8 week application time, get in touch with me) and you can still say you reached your goal.

The only other issue is getting those extra units to actually be licensed under Pathway 2 (the best idea for your own mobility) since you are an undergrad but you can get those in anything and have five years to meet the licensure requirements before you lose your exam scores.

Worry about that later. As for how to study, we’ve talked about CPA review courses, study strategies and things not to do in previous posts. Good luck!