All CPA articles
CPA Exam Sections Explained: Core and Discipline (Full Guide)
A complete guide to the CPA Exam sections: AUD, FAR, and REG Core plus one Discipline (BAR, ISC, or TCP). Question counts, time, skill levels, scoring weights, and content-area breakdowns for each.
Study StrategyHow Long to Study for the CPA Exam
Plan for roughly 300 to 500 total hours for the CPA Exam: about 120 to 140 for FAR, 70 to 90 for AUD, 80 to 100 for REG, and 80 to 110 for your Discipline, spread over months.
Study StrategyWhich CPA Exam to Take First: Section Order Strategy
There is no required CPA section order, but your first PASS starts the 30-month clock. Here is how to choose between FAR, AUD, and REG first, with pros and cons of each ordering.
ScoresWhat Is a Passing CPA Exam Score?
A passing CPA Exam score is 75 on a 0 to 99 scale, but that 75 is a scaled competency score, not a percentage correct and not a percentile. Here is what the number actually means.
Study StrategyHow to Study for the CPA Exam
A realistic CPA study plan: how many hours each section takes, a three-phase routine that ends in simulations, what order to sit the sections in, and how to beat the rolling pass window.
DecisionHow to Choose Your CPA Discipline: BAR, ISC, or TCP
Your CPA Discipline choice, BAR, ISC, or TCP, does not restrict your license. Here is what each one covers and how to pick the one that fits your strengths and career goals.
ScoresCPA Exam Pass Rates: How Hard Each Section Is and What the Rates Mean
How hard is the CPA Exam? Pass rates run roughly in the 40s to high 50s percent by section, but because the exam is criterion-referenced and not curved, what the rates mean for difficulty is subtler than it looks.