What score do you need to pass the CPA Exam?
You need a 75 to pass any section of the CPA Exam, and the same 75 applies to all six sections. You must pass 4 sections, the three cores plus one discipline, within a rolling 30 month window.
The short answer
- Passing score: 75, on every section
- Sections to pass: 4, being FAR, AUD, REG and one discipline
- Time limit: 30 months from the score release date of your first pass
- Length: 4 hours per section
How the score is built
5 testlets per section: 2 multiple-choice + 3 task-based simulations. MCQ and TBS are weighted 50/50 (ISC is 60/40).
No. NASBA states it directly: "A score of 75 does not mean you answered 75% of the questions correctly." The AICPA uses a statistical process that weighs whether an answer is correct together with the relative difficulty of the question, so there is no fixed percentage of correct answers that guarantees a pass.
No. Scores are not curved: your performance is measured against an established standard rather than against other candidates, and NASBA states that the AICPA does not adjust scores to achieve a target pass rate. A 75 means the same thing whenever the section is taken, which is why a difference in pass rates between sections reflects who sat them rather than an easier or harder curve.
A simulation is scored cell by cell, so partial credit is available within a task. A multiple-choice question is scored whole. That distinction matters more than it sounds: a simulation you only partly complete still earns the cells you answered correctly, so an unfinished task is worth attempting rather than abandoning.
Question counts differ by section: AUD 78 MCQ and 7 TBS, FAR 50 and 7, REG 72 and 8, BAR 50 and 7, ISC 82 and 6, TCP 68 and 7.
Passing once is not the whole requirement
The 30 month clock starts on the score release date of the first section you pass, not on the day you sit it. How the 30 month window works sets out the rule, and what order to take the sections is largely a question of which one you want that clock to start on.
Scoring detail from NASBA, Score Information, read 2026-09-06. Pass rates are the AICPA published candidate pass rates for 2026 through Q2, read from AICPA & CIMA on 2026-08-17. The AICPA publishes them quarterly.
Common questions
What score do you need to pass the CPA Exam?
You need a 75 to pass a CPA Exam section. The same passing score applies to all six sections, cores and disciplines alike.
How many sections do you have to pass?
4: the three core sections FAR, AUD and REG, plus one discipline chosen from BAR, ISC and TCP. All 4 must be passed within the rolling 30 month window.
How is a CPA Exam section scored?
MCQ and TBS are weighted 50/50 (ISC is 60/40). A simulation is scored cell by cell, so partial credit is available within a task. A multiple-choice question is scored whole.
Is there partial credit on the CPA Exam?
Yes, within a task based simulation. A simulation is scored cell by cell, so partial credit is available within a task. A multiple-choice question is scored whole.
How long is each CPA Exam section?
Every section is 4 hours. 5 testlets per section: 2 multiple-choice + 3 task-based simulations.
Does a score of 75 mean you answered 75% of the questions correctly?
No. NASBA states it directly: "A score of 75 does not mean you answered 75% of the questions correctly." The AICPA uses a statistical process that weighs whether an answer is correct together with the relative difficulty of the question, so there is no fixed percentage of correct answers that guarantees a pass.
Is the CPA Exam curved?
No. Scores are not curved: your performance is measured against an established standard rather than against other candidates, and NASBA states that the AICPA does not adjust scores to achieve a target pass rate. A 75 means the same thing whenever the section is taken, which is why a difference in pass rates between sections reflects who sat them rather than an easier or harder curve.