Per NASBA, here is the best time to take the CPA exam. Spoiler alert: It’s right after you graduate.
I’m sorry if you clicked on this thinking NASBA was going to tell you the best testing window to pass. Yeah right. Still, this is pretty interesting and all the more reason to get the exam out of the way as early as possible.
It’s clear that taking the CPA exam right after graduation leads to success. It makes sense if you think about it, concepts are fresh in your mind and you’re in the best position to tackle the exam fresh out of school. Not only is the information still in your head but you’re probably unencumbered by kids/mortgages/lawns and all the other shit that makes being an adult hard and annoying, hence taking away from the effort you can put into tackling the exam.
What’s really interesting is the 26-34 age brackets showing pretty much the same results. The takeaway here is that if you test early, you have a clear advantage over older test-takers, but if for whatever reason you do delay the CPA exam until your mid-20s, there’s no real advantage at 26 versus 34.
What’s the takeaway here? Get the exam over with when you’re 22 without a care in the world other than crippling student loan debt.
