Factors Distinguishing Exceptional Performance on the Uniform CPA Exam

The Uniform Certified Public Accounting (CPA) exam has been used to define what an accounting professional should know before beginning practice. This study examined the factors associated with passing all parts of the CPA exam on the first attempt. Results of a discriminant analysis, for which we used a cross-validation hold-out sample methodology, indicate three variables (i.e., CPA review course grade, high school class rank, high school class size) contribute to the discriminatory power of the discriminant function. Interpretations, implications, and directions for future research are discussed.