CPA Exam Score Release Dates: 2026 Schedule, Cutoffs, and What to Do Next

As of September 15, 2026: the official cpa exam score release dates schedule shows target dates, not guaranteed timestamps. For 2026 Core sections, the next listed target release is October 9 for an AICPA file received by September 30. For 2026 Discipline sections, the next listed release is December 15 for testing during October 1-31. The date that controls the cycle is when AICPA receives the Prometric data file, not simply the day you sat.

That distinction answers most calendar confusion. Your exam appointment date starts the process, but it does not by itself choose a release cycle. Prometric sends an exam data file, AICPA scores and reviews it, and NASBA processes the result before you see it through the candidate route. Therefore, use the schedule as a planning tool and keep the official page close when your testing window approaches.

For the scoring terms behind the result, continue with our CPA Exam Scoring guide. This update focuses on dates, cutoffs, score access, and what to do when the result is not visible.

For a broader preparation path, continue with our CPA Exam Study Guide.

CPA Exam Score Release Dates: The Current Answer

The published cpa exam score release dates are target release dates tied to AICPA receipt of the Prometric file. The AICPA page checked on September 15, 2026 lists the remaining 2026 Core cycles as September 30 to October 9, October 23 to November 10, November 15 to November 24, December 8 to December 16, and December 31 to January 12. The first date in each pair is the file-receipt cutoff; the second is the target release date.

Core sections AUD, FAR, and REG use rolling testing and release cycles. Discipline sections BAR, ISC, and TCP are administered during the first month of each quarter, so their schedule has a different shape. Read the relevant table below before you set a study, travel, or credit-expiration plan.

CPA Exam Score Release Dates: 2026 Core Schedule

The table includes the full 2026 Core schedule shown on the current AICPA page. Rows marked past are included so you can compare an older result or understand the sequence; upcoming means the target date had not arrived on the September 15, 2026 check date.

The September 15 row is a target date, not proof that every candidate will see a result at the same hour. If AICPA receives a file after a cutoff, the file generally moves to a later cycle. Also, testing on a cutoff date does not guarantee that Prometric will transmit the file in time.

CPA Exam Score Release Dates: 2026 Discipline Schedule

BAR, ISC, and TCP are listed separately because the 2026 Discipline sections are administered in the first month of each quarter. The current AICPA table contains these two 2026 rows:

Do not merge a Discipline testing window into the Core table. A candidate who tests BAR, ISC, or TCP should use the Discipline row, then verify the current AICPA page before relying on the target date. The schedule owner can change a date without changing the exam content itself.

What Changed and What Has Not

Confirmed update: the AICPA page checked September 15, 2026 now presents current 2026 Core and Discipline tables, 2027 schedules, and a later schedule for the technology-delivery transition beginning in July 2027. The future rows are useful for planning, but they are not a reason to rewrite the 2026 table or promise a 2027 result today.

• What changed for planning: the published calendar gives a current cutoff-to-target pair for each listed cycle, and the later platform transition has its own administration windows.
• What remains unchanged: target release dates can change, AICPA must receive the Prometric file before scoring, and the selected Board of Accountancy may add processing time.
• What is not published as a universal rule: an exact release hour or a state-by-state posting order. Do not turn a commercial countdown into an official promise.
• What the date does not tell you: it does not predict your score, guarantee that a cutoff-day appointment is included, or replace your jurisdiction’s credit and expiration instructions.

In other words, the update is a current planning map, not a guarantee engine. Save the source date with your own section record so a later review can show whether the schedule changed.

CPA Exam Score Release Dates: Why the Cutoff Date Controls the Release Cycle

The schedule is based on the movement of an exam data file. That is why the AICPA column says it receives the file by rather than simply asking when you tested:

1. Prometric transmits the file. After the appointment, the exam data must reach AICPA. A test date and a file-receipt date can differ.
2. AICPA scores and reviews it. AICPA applies its scoring and quality-assurance processes before sending results onward.
3. NASBA processes the result. NASBA receives the results, processes them, and makes them available through the candidate route for most participating jurisdictions.
4. The candidate checks the result. The advisory score and the later Score Notice are separate checkpoints, and the board’s own processing can affect what appears first.

Therefore, a cutoff is a gate, not an appointment promise. Even if you test on September 30, the current AICPA and NASBA guidance does not guarantee that your file will be received in time for the October 9 target. Give yourself a buffer when a release date matters for travel, a retake decision, or a credit deadline.

Build a Score-Day Evidence Card

Create one private record for each section. The card is not an official portal and should never contain a public password, full candidate ID, or unnecessary personal information. Its purpose is to keep the date logic and the evidence trail together:

1. Section: AUD, FAR, REG, BAR, ISC, or TCP.
2. Test date: the appointment date shown by Prometric.
3. File cutoff: the AICPA receipt-by date that appears in the matching table.
4. Target date: the published target score-release date, labeled as subject to change.
5. Source check: the official page URL and the date you last verified it.
6. Portal check: the time you checked the NASBA Candidate Portal or CPA Mobile App, if your jurisdiction uses that route.
7. Advisory score: the result you see first; save it privately according to your own record-keeping needs.
8. Score Notice: the later official document; keep it separate from the advisory result.
9. Next owner: AICPA for scoring, NASBA or the board for processing and access, and you for the follow-up decision.

This method is especially useful when a result affects whether you reapply, change your study plan, or protect an expiring credit. It also gives support staff a clean timeline without exposing a passport, password, or full confirmation code.

If Your Score Is Missing on the Target Date

Start with the label on the schedule. A target date is an expected release date, not a guaranteed deadline. Then use the following order:

1. The target date has not arrived: do not escalate based on a countdown. Recheck the current AICPA page and your section’s cutoff.
2. The target date has arrived but no advisory score is visible: check the Candidate Portal or CPA Mobile App, note the time checked, and allow for the AICPA-to-NASBA and board-processing sequence. A delay does not by itself indicate a scoring problem.
3. The advisory score is visible but the Score Notice is missing: keep the advisory result and allow up to 72 hours for the Score Notice to appear, as NASBA explains. The notice is a separate document.
4. The result remains missing after the stated processing window: check the selected Board of Accountancy’s release route, then contact the board or NASBA with the section, target cycle, and time checked. Do not send a public passport scan or full password.

Finally, if the file missed the cutoff, the result may move to a later cycle. The right response is to verify the route and preserve the evidence, not to assume that the score was lost or that you failed.

CPA Exam Score Release Dates FAQ

Are CPA Exam score release dates guaranteed?

No. AICPA calls them target score release dates. They depend on receipt of the Prometric data file and can be affected by additional processing. A board may also need more time before the result appears to you.

Does testing on the cutoff date guarantee my score will be in that release?

No. The file must reach AICPA by the applicable cutoff, and the official guidance says that testing on the cutoff date does not guarantee timely receipt. Schedule earlier when the cycle matters.

Where do I check my CPA Exam score?

For most participating jurisdictions, start with the NASBA Candidate Portal or CPA Mobile App. If your board uses a different release route or has an extra processing step, follow that board’s instructions. Neither a commercial calendar nor a social-media post replaces the official candidate route.

Is the Score Notice the same as the score?

No. The score is the result for the section. The Score Notice is the official document that reports it; for a failed section, it can include the Candidate Performance Report. Save the notice when it appears because NASBA says it is not available indefinitely.

CPA Exam Score Release Dates: What to Do Next

For your next cpa exam score release dates check, write down your section, Prometric test date, matching AICPA file cutoff, and target release date. Then open the current AICPA schedule and NASBA Score Information page on the day you verify the row. Use the target as a planning marker, keep a buffer, and set a private reminder to check the portal rather than assuming an exact release hour.

Sources and Update Log

Verified September 15, 2026. This update was checked against the AICPA score-release schedule, NASBA Score Information, the NASBA CPA Exam FAQ, and the AICPA scoring and pass-rates resource. The editorial owner should review this page when AICPA changes a cutoff or target date, when the technology-delivery transition changes its schedule, when NASBA changes portal or Score Notice guidance, or when the selected Board of Accountancy changes processing timing. Do not publish a date change without refreshing the official source and this update log.