ISC: Information Systems and Controls
Last reviewed
The ISC section of the CPA Exam has a 68.56% pass rate for 2026 through Q3, number 2 of the three discipline sections.
- Pass rate, 2026 through Q3
- 68.56%
- Pass rate, 2025
- 67.79%
- Section type
- Discipline, one of three you choose between
- Length
- 4 hours
- Score weighting
- 60% multiple choice, 40% task based simulations
Discipline: IT governance, SOC engagements, security, and controls. Pairs well with an advisory or IT-audit path. In 2025 it was 67.79%, so it has risen 0.77 points.
ISC pass rate by year
| Year | Pass rate |
|---|---|
| 2026 (through Q3) | 68.56% |
| 2025 | 67.79% |
| 2024 | 58.00% |
ISC was first tested in 2024, when the exam moved to three cores and three disciplines. Every section, every year has the quarterly figures and where each year comes from.
What is tested, by AICPA blueprint area
| Area | Content | Score weight |
|---|---|---|
| ISC.I | Information Systems and Data Management | 35 to 45% |
| ISC.II | Security, Confidentiality and Privacy | 35 to 45% |
| ISC.III | Considerations for System and Organization Controls (SOC) Engagements | 15 to 25% |
Area weightings are the AICPA published score ranges. Pass rates are the AICPA published candidate pass rates for 2026 through Q3, read from AICPA & CIMA on 2026-10-22. The AICPA publishes them quarterly.
Every ISC blueprint area, group and topic
Which discipline to choose compares BAR, ISC, TCP side by side.
Common questions
What is the ISC CPA Exam pass rate?
The ISC section of the CPA Exam has a 68.56% pass rate for 2026 through Q3, number 2 of the three discipline sections.
Is ISC hard?
The ISC section of the CPA Exam has a 68.56% pass rate for 2026 through Q3, number 2 of the three discipline sections. In 2025 it was 67.79%, so it has risen 0.77 points.
What is tested on ISC?
Discipline: IT governance, SOC engagements, security, and controls. Pairs well with an advisory or IT-audit path. The AICPA blueprint splits ISC into 3 content areas, each with a published score weight range.
How long is the ISC exam?
Every CPA Exam section including ISC is 4 hours. 5 testlets per section: 2 multiple-choice + 3 task-based simulations.
See also
- CPA Exam pass rates by section
- Pass rates by year since 2006
- What score you need to pass
- When scores are released
- When your credit expires
- Which section is hardest
- Which discipline to choose
- What order to take the sections
- When the 30 month window starts
- Which standards the exam tests
- CPA requirements by state