More than 3,600 candidates took at least one section of the CPA Exam in Pennsylvania in 2016. That was a five-year high! Find out more about overall exam results last year.
By Meg Killian, vice president - member relations
More than 3,600 candidates took at least one section of the CPA Exam in Pennsylvania in 2016. That was a five-year high, and maybe not surprising given that an updated version of the CPA Exam was scheduled to launch this year. Regardless, more is better. Let’s review the numbers:
Year | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
SCs | 936 | 871 | 842 | 944 | 1,067 |
As I reported last year, the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy’s candidate performance reports now include cohort tracking, which looks at candidate performance based on the year in which they started the exam process. In Pennsylvania, 316 candidates passed their fourth part within 12-18 months after taking their first part, and 272 candidates passed the final part more than 24 months after taking their first part.
Fifty-three candidates passed within six months, which represents 5.7 percent of all Pennsylvania successful candidates in 2016. This is a bit lower than the national average of 6.3 percent of successful candidates who did the same.
I need to include a shout-out to Pennsylvania schools and colleges who continue to produce strong CPA Exam candidates. The Elijah Watt-Sells Award winners were announced as I was writing this, and six out of the 58 went to schools in our state. Check out the full list here. Congratulations to all the winners!
Our work is far from done. Last year saw a surge because of the new CPA Exam launch. While early number of 2017 successful candidates are coming in pretty good, history has shown that every time the exam changes there is a significant decline in candidates. The gains of 2016 could be offset if that trend continues. Couple that with a few lean years prior to 2016, and that means less candidates in the pipeline. We need to continue with our mission of educating students and their influencers on the benefits and opportunities of obtaining the CPA credential. In this time of transition that message is more critical than ever.
Statements of fact and opinion are the authors’ responsibility alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of PICPA officers or members. The information contained in herein does not constitute accounting, legal, or professional advice. For professional advice, please engage or consult a qualified professional.