The CPA Exam pass rates for Q4 2009 have been released and as predicted – the fourth quarter passing rates dropped 10% over Q3 2009.

What was not predicted however, was that the fourth quarter pass rates would be the worst of the year.

Typically, Q1 always has the lowest pass rate for the CPA Exam and hovers around 45-46% per section. This is attributed to “busy season” for tax and audit employees.

The lower-than-usual dip in Q4 pass rates could be a result of job stress/job hunting and the “holidays”.

The 2009 CPA Exam Pass Rates are as follows:

Here is the breakdown for 2009:

Auditing and Attestation:
Q1: 47.61%
Q2: 51.79%
Q3: 51.52%
Q4: 47.99%

Business Environment and Concepts:
Q1: 46.23%
Q2: 48.62%
Q3: 52.27%
Q4: 45.65%

Financial Accounting and Reporting:
Q1: 45.54%
Q2: 50.58%
Q3: 51.18%
Q4: 46.15%

Regulation:
Q1: 47.96%
Q2: 52.25%
Q3: 52.41%
Q4: 46.57%

Get the report from cpa-exam.org here.