FAR (Financial Accounting and Reporting) is generally considered harder than AUD (Auditing and Attestation) due to its massive volume of content, calculation-heavy questions, and lower pass rates (~39-43% for FAR vs. ~45% for AUD). While FAR tests comprehensive GAAP knowledge, AUD is often viewed as more subjective, relying on conceptual understanding and professional judgment.
Among the three core sections, FAR has a reputation for being the hardest, and it typically has the lowest pass rate. AUD and REG tend to be middle of the road.
FAR provides groundwork material that helps you with every other exam, no other exam relates back to FAR the way FAR relates back to the other exams. FAR is the financial statements, everything else is about the financial statements. For that reason alone you should take FAR first.
While difficulty varies from person to person, historical CPA sections pass rates and feedback from candidates provide insights into the hardest parts: FAR (Financial Accounting and Reporting) – Most Difficult.
Auditing in and of itself is not difficult. Once you have a decent knowledge base and become adept at using excel, you can tackle almost anything that gets assigned to you. For me, the hard part about auditing was maintaining focus.
Scores are not curved. When you fail an Exam section, you'll also receive a Candidate Performance Report that assesses your performance on that specific section. CPA Exam scoring is treated with a high level of importance, due diligence, and attention to accuracy.
How long should I study for FAR? Becker recommends spending between 120 to 150 hours studying to pass FAR.
FAR was the most popular answer, with 63% of all candidates choosing this as the most difficult section. Surprisingly, AUD came in second place as the hardest CPA Exam, with 24%. BAR had just 8% of votes, while REG, TCP, and ISC fell much lower.
You may wonder, can you really pass all four sections of the CPA exam in 3 months? The answer is yes, you can! While the preparation will be tedious, it's definitely doable.
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We're also seeing very high demand for many accounting positions through 2025, from entry-level positions up to senior-level management positions. Staff accountants are essential to the day-to-day accuracy of an organization's financial operations and are often the backbone of an accounting department.
To be in the top 1% of US earners, you generally need an income well over $700,000 nationally, with figures around $794,000 cited for recent years, but this varies significantly by state, requiring over $1 million in places like Connecticut and Massachusetts, while being around $400,000-$450,000 in lower-cost states like West Virginia and Mississippi.
The situation is worst at Big Four accounting firms. Almost three-quarters (71%) of survey takers who work for them said they feel their mental health suffers because of work pressures. Additionally, 51% of them said they've considered resigning from their job because of wellbeing issues.