CPA Exam Score Release: 2026 Dates, Process, and What to Do if It Is Delayed

As of September 15, 2026: the current cpa exam score release answer is a target date tied to when AICPA receives the Prometric data file. It is not a guaranteed release hour. For the next listed 2026 Core cycle, AICPA shows a September 30 file-receipt cutoff and an October 9 target release. For the next 2026 Discipline cycle, testing during October 1–31 maps to a December 15 target release.

However, that wording matters because the day you sit, the day Prometric sends the file, the day AICPA completes scoring, the day NASBA processes the result, and the day your board or candidate route displays it are related but different events. A target date helps you plan; it does not prove that every handoff has finished.

For context, use the CPA Exam score release dates calendar for the longer cutoff list. This guide focuses on how to read a release cycle, what each status means, and how to record the first missing event. For score mechanics, see our CPA Exam Scoring guide.

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

CPA Exam Score Release: The Current Answer

First, the current cpa exam score release schedule is organized around AICPA receipt of the Prometric data file. Afterward, the release process moves through named handoffs. Meanwhile, Core sections—AUD, FAR, and REG—use rolling testing and release cycles. By comparison, Discipline sections—BAR, ISC, and TCP—use quarterly testing windows, so the same question has a different answer depending on the section and testing window.

Therefore, read every pair as file cutoff or testing window → target release date. Instead, do not read it as “I tested on this date, so my score must appear at that hour.” In turn, NASBA explains that the file moves through Prometric, AICPA scoring and quality review, NASBA processing, and the candidate or board access route. Any of those handoffs can affect when the result becomes visible.

What the Current Schedule Says

In this check, the compact table below captures the 2026 rows that matter after the September 15, 2026 check. For clarity, “Past” is included to make the sequence auditable; meanwhile, “upcoming” means the target had not arrived on the check date. The AICPA page remains the source of truth if a row changes.

Next, if you are checking a completed 2026 cycle, compare the section and the file-receipt cutoff first, then use the detailed calendar page to trace the matching target. In short, the table is intentionally compact, and it is not a promise that every participating jurisdiction will display a result at the same moment.

What Changed for 2026 and 2027

Meanwhile, the current schedule has two different rhythms. Core sections continue through rolling windows, while Discipline sections are grouped into quarterly testing months. As a result, that distinction changes how you plan a retake: a Core result can be tied to a short cutoff cycle, while a Discipline plan may need to respect the next quarterly window.

In addition, the current AICPA schedule lists Q1 and Q2 2027 rows and describes an adjusted July 2027 transition schedule. Specifically, the transition includes a July 1–11 blackout and a July 12 resumption. Treat those future rows as live update material, not permanent calendar facts: reopen the AICPA page before booking study leave, travel, or a retake around them.

What has not changed in the way you should read the result is just as important:

• For planning, a target release date is an estimate, not a guaranteed clock time.
• Similarly, the Prometric file-receipt event matters more than the candidate’s memory of the appointment date.
• Meanwhile, a board or participating candidate route may add processing or access timing.
• Finally, a scaled score is not a percentage-correct report; the scoring page and Score Notice remain separate evidence.

How the CPA Exam Score Release Process Works

In practice, think of the cpa exam score release as an owner-and-event chain. When a result is missing, the useful question is “which event has not been confirmed?” rather than “why is my score late?”

1. First, Prometric sends the file. After the section is delivered, Prometric sends the exam data file through the testing process. A candidate does not manually upload a score file to AICPA.
2. Next, AICPA scores and reviews it. AICPA receives the file, performs scoring and quality review, and prepares the result for the next processing stage.
3. Then, NASBA processes the result. NASBA receives the processed result and handles the release workflow used for the relevant jurisdiction.
4. Afterward, the board or candidate route makes it available. In participating jurisdictions, the Candidate Portal or CPA Mobile App may be the access route. The selected Board of Accountancy can control local instructions or add its own timing.
5. Finally, the candidate verifies the evidence. The visible advisory result, the later Score Notice, and—when applicable—the Candidate Performance Report should be saved as separate items.

As a result, this chain explains why a delay does not automatically indicate a scoring error. It also gives you a responsible owner for the next question: Prometric for the file event, AICPA or NASBA for the processing sequence, and your board for jurisdiction-specific access instructions.

Target Date, Advisory Score, and Score Notice

By contrast, these three terms are easy to blend together, but they answer different questions.

Target release date

First, the date AICPA publishes for a schedule row. It is based on the file-receipt cutoff or testing window and may change.

Advisory score

Then, the candidate-facing result that becomes visible through the applicable route. It is the first result signal, not the same document as the Score Notice.

Score Notice

Finally, the official notice associated with the result. NASBA says it is generally available within 72 hours after the advisory score is posted; follow the selected board’s route if its instructions differ.

Even so, AICPA scoring guidance describes the CPA Exam score as a scaled score from 0 to 99, with 75 as the passing score. In other words, that is not a percentage of questions correct. For a failed section, the Score Notice may be accompanied by a Candidate Performance Report, so keep the notice and the CPR together when the route provides both.

Build a CPA Exam Score Release Log

To make this useful, a private release log turns a countdown into evidence. Record only the minimum information you need, and never put an ID, password, confirmation code, or personal score in a public note. Use these fields:

• section: AUD, FAR, REG, BAR, ISC, or TCP;
• Prometric test date and the applicable Core cutoff or Discipline window;
• AICPA target release date, labeled “target”;
• official source URL and the date you checked it;
• the time you checked the Candidate Portal or CPA Mobile App;
• advisory score status, without copying sensitive account data;
• Score Notice status and whether a CPR is present;
• the first event still missing; and
• the next owner and a reasonable verify-again time.

For example, a fictional candidate who tested on September 30 should not write “score promised October 9.” The safer entry is “Core file cutoff: September 30; target: October 9; verify official schedule and portal during the release window.” That language preserves the useful date without turning a target into a guarantee.

If Your CPA Exam Score Release Is Delayed

If a result is delayed, use the first-missing-event rule. Start with the earliest event you cannot confirm, then stop escalating until that event’s stated window has passed.

1. First, the target date has not arrived: wait and use the current AICPA page. Do not treat an earlier commercial calendar or a social post as a new official date.
2. Next, the target date has passed and no advisory score is visible: verify that you used the correct section and cycle, reopen the official schedule, and check the applicable portal or app. Testing on the cutoff date does not guarantee that the file reached AICPA in time.
3. Then, the advisory score is visible but the Score Notice is missing: record the advisory result time and allow the stated notice window. NASBA’s current guidance says the notice is generally available within 72 hours after the advisory score posts.
4. Finally, the stated window has passed without resolution: save the source URL, check time, section, and missing event. Then contact the responsible board or NASBA route with a concise evidence record rather than submitting duplicate applications or guessing at a scoring problem.

Finally, when a schedule page changes, add a new line to the log instead of overwriting the old date. A short change history shows whether the issue is a changed target, a missing portal result, or a missing Score Notice.

What to Do Next

In short, open the current AICPA schedule and write one row in your private release log: section, file cutoff or testing window, target date, source-check date, and the first event that is still missing. If you are past the target, verify the correct portal route before escalating. If the advisory score is already visible, track the Score Notice separately.

This gives you a specific next action without promising an exact release hour. It also keeps the detailed calendar, scoring explanation, and jurisdiction-specific instructions in their proper places.