What is a Passing Score on the CPA Exam?

By now you have a great superb understanding of when the CPA Exam is given, how hard the Exam is, and which section of the Exam is the hardest. However, from the get-go, there has been that one teeny-tiny question about the CPA Exam that you have been dying to ask. Let it out already. Scream it at the top of your lungs. “WHAT IS A PASSING SCORE ON THE CPA EXAM?” Okay, maybe not that loud 🙂 “What is a passing score on the CPA Exam?” Ah, much better. Fortunately, the answer to this question is clear-cut. In order for you to pass all four parts of the CPA Exam, you need to earn a score of at least a 75 on each section.

75 Out of What?

Great question! Each section of the Exam is evaluated on a scale from 0 to 99. This means passing scores are from 75 to 99 and “studying more scores” are from 0 to 74. Earning a specific score does not mean that you answered a specific percentage of problems correctly because questions differ in terms of difficulty level, discrimination ability, and guessing aptitude. Therefore, it is possible for you and your CPA study buddy to answer the exact same number of questions correctly but earn two different scores (99 and 98 of course).

Secret Society: The 300+ Club

Perhaps you have heard of secret societies or finals clubs such as Skull & Bones or The Phoenix Club. These secret societies pale in comparison to the legend, the myth that is known as The 300+ Club. Before I go on to describe the inner workings of The 300+ Club, you must pinky promise that you will not tell anyone else about The 300+ Club. “What 300+ Club?” you say. Exactly!

The way that we, The 300+ Club members, know if someone else is a member of The 300+ Club is by seeing those beautiful three letters, CPA, behind that someone else’s last name. The members of The 300+ Club eat, sleep, and breathe certain principles such as integrity, objectivity, and independence. We seek to make the world a better place through our collective powers of assurance, tax, and advisory.

We, The 300+ Club, all share one common virtue and that is scoring at least a 75 on all four sections of the CPA Exam. Upon passing the four sections of the CPA Exam, you, an aspiring CPA, will be granted the opportunity to become the newest member of our society. You can and will succeed. We look forward to seeing you on the other side. As always, remember to breathe.