CPA scores after the target date: Score Notice and delays

From your exam to your score

NASBA describes the chain every CPA Exam section goes through:

1. Prometric, which delivers the exam, transmits your exam data to AICPA.
2. AICPA scores the exam and runs quality assurance reviews.
3. AICPA sends results to NASBA.
4. NASBA processes them and distributes them to the jurisdictions.

Your target date depends on step 1. For Core sections, each target date covers exam data AICPA receives by a deadline. The Core and Discipline guide explains how to match your exam to its date.

What happens after the target date

The target date is when AICPA plans to release scores, not when every candidate sees one. NASBA says scores are generally posted within 48 hours after it begins receiving them from AICPA, and that target dates are estimates published by AICPA and are not guaranteed. A score that appears a day or two after the target date is normal.

AICPA and NASBA do not publish an order in which states receive scores, and neither publishes a time of day.

The Score Notice

NASBA calls the Score Notice the official document that accompanies your score release. It contains your official score information and, for a section you did not pass, your Candidate Performance Report. Score Notices are typically available within 72 hours after the advisory score posts.

Why a score can be late

• Your exam data reached AICPA after the cutoff for a target date, which moves your score to the next date.
• Your exam needed additional processing before it could be released.

NASBA says a delayed score does not necessarily indicate a scoring issue and should not be read as a sign of how you performed.

Who to contact

If a score is well past the target date and the 48 hour posting window, NASBA lists 800-CPA-EXAM (800-272-3926) and email support for missing scores. Some candidates deal with their state board of accountancy instead, depending on their jurisdiction.