CPA Exam & licensure FAQs

Four. Every candidate takes three Core sections — AUD, FAR, and REG — plus exactly one Discipline section of their choice: BAR, ISC, or TCP. See the CPA Exam overview for the full Core + Discipline model.

No. All three Discipline sections lead to the same CPA license — there's no separate credential or designation tied to which one you pick. See how to choose between BAR, ISC, and TCP.

A scaled 75 on a 0–99 scale, in every section. It's not a percentage of questions answered correctly, and it's not curved against other candidates. See how the CPA Exam is scored for why that distinction matters.

In most states, yes — for licensure, even though many of those same states let you sit for the Exam itself with just a bachelor's degree (120 hours). As of 2025, NASBA and the AICPA have also approved alternative pathways some states are adopting, including one that doesn't require the extra 30 hours at all. See eligibility & experience requirements and check your state's specific rules.

It depends entirely on your state board — there's no single national price. Expect an application fee, a per-section examination fee, and sometimes a separate registration fee, plus a licensure fee later. See applying, costs & scheduling for the fee structure, and your state board's own fee schedule for actual amounts.

At a Prometric testing center, using the appointment window granted by your Notice to Schedule (NTS). Core sections are offered continuously; your Discipline section is only offered during four quarterly testing windows a year. Full details on applying, costs & scheduling.

No. Written-communication tasks existed only on the legacy exam's BEC section and were removed exam-wide with the 2024 CPA Evolution transition. Today's Exam is multiple-choice questions and task-based simulations only.

Your state sets a completion window measured from your first passing score — commonly around 30 months, though some states allow longer. If the window lapses before you've passed all four, you can lose credit for sections passed earliest. Confirm your exact window with your state board.

No. We show real accuracy on real, explained questions, but we won't present that as an official score or a pass probability without real, disclosed calibration data behind it. See how the CPA Exam is scored and why CARE exists.