CPA Exam: FAR
Past exam questions and practice questions based on official past exams
Exam info
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- Type
- Professional certification
- Field
- Accounting
- Provider
- American Institute of CPAs (AICPA)
- Sections
- Financial Reporting (18) · Select Balance Sheet Accounts (18) · Select Transactions (14)
- Questions · Time
- 50 questions · 120 min
- Format
- The real FAR section lasts 4 hours and has 50 multiple-choice questions and 7 task-based simulations (one simulation is an unscored pretest item). Multiple-choice and simulations each count for 50% of the score. This site practices the 50 multiple-choice questions only; each has 4 answer choices with one correct answer. The practice mock gives you 120 minutes, about half of the real section time, because simulations are not included. The split of questions across the three content areas on this site is a study estimate based on the official blueprint ranges.
- Passing score
- The real FAR section is scored on a scale of 0 to 99, and you need 75 to pass. The scaled score is not the same as percent correct. This site uses 75% correct as a practice goal only.
- Eligibility
- Each state board of accountancy sets its own rules for who may sit for the CPA Exam, usually based on education credit hours. You apply through your state board or NASBA, then schedule the section. Check your state's rules before you apply.
Exam outline
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Tap a unit name to see its key concepts and sample questions.
Financial Reporting18 questions
- Unit 1: General-Purpose Financial Statements★★★★★Weight 45%Concepts
- Unit 2: Not-for-Profit Entities★★★★☆Weight 30%Concepts
- Unit 3: State and Local Governments★★★★☆Weight 25%Concepts
Select Balance Sheet Accounts18 questions
- Unit 1: Cash, Receivables, and Investments★★★★★Weight 35%Concepts
- Unit 2: Inventory, PP&E, and Intangibles★★★★★Weight 35%Concepts
- Unit 3: Payables, Debt, and Equity★★★★☆Weight 30%Concepts
Select Transactions14 questions
- Unit 1: Revenue Recognition and Leases★★★★★Weight 50%Concepts
- Unit 2: Accounting Changes, Income Taxes, and Other Transactions★★★★★Weight 50%Concepts
CPA Exam: FAR study tips
Written by our team- Study order
- Start with Select Balance Sheet Accounts, because it is 30–40% of the exam and its chapters (cash, receivables, investments, inventory, property, debt, and equity) are the base for everything else. Next, study Select Transactions, beginning with Revenue Recognition and Leases. Finish with Financial Reporting, where you put it all together in full statements and learn the special rules for not-for-profit entities and state and local governments.
- Topics people often miss
- State and Local Governments uses different measurement focus and basis of accounting for fund and government-wide statements, so make a small table for each fund type. In Accounting Changes, Income Taxes, and Other Transactions, separate a change in principle, a change in estimate, and an error correction, because each is handled differently. In Revenue Recognition and Leases, follow the five revenue steps and the lease classification tests in order every time.
- Test day tips
- The real section is 4 hours long, with 50 multiple-choice questions and 7 simulations, and the two parts each count for half the score. Do not spend too long on one multiple-choice question, so you keep enough time for the simulations. Write down each step of a calculation on your scratch sheet, and read every question for words like "not" and "except."
▼ More about CPA Exam: FAR (trends · overview · FAQ)▲ Hide
CPA Exam: FAR exam trends
The official blueprint splits FAR into three areas: Financial Reporting (30–40%), Select Balance Sheet Accounts (30–40%), and Select Transactions (25–35%). Financial Reporting covers financial statements for businesses and not-for-profits and the basics of state and local government reporting. Balance sheet accounts include cash, receivables, investments, inventory, property and equipment, intangibles, payables, debt, and equity. Select Transactions include revenue recognition, leases, accounting changes and errors, contingencies, income taxes, fair value, and subsequent events. The chapter splits on this site are study groupings, and chapter weights are estimates.
Learn the balance sheet accounts first, because they connect to almost every other topic. Then practice revenue recognition and leases step by step. Save some time for not-for-profit and government reporting, which use different rules from businesses.
About CPA Exam: FAR
Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) is one of the three core sections of the Uniform CPA Examination. It tests the U.S. GAAP rules that business, not-for-profit, and state and local government entities use to prepare financial statements. Short practice sets here let you work on one topic at a time, and a mock exam puts 50 multiple-choice questions together.
FAQ
- Q. How many questions are on the FAR section?
- FAR has 50 multiple-choice questions and 7 task-based simulations in 4 hours. One simulation is an unscored pretest item. This site practices the multiple-choice part only.
- Q. What score do I need to pass FAR?
- You need a scaled score of 75 on a scale of 0 to 99. The scaled score is not the same as percent correct, so this site uses 75% correct as a practice goal only.
- Q. Does FAR test government and not-for-profit accounting?
- Yes. Area I includes financial statements for not-for-profit entities and the foundational concepts of state and local government reporting.
- Q. Are these real CPA Exam questions?
- No. Every question here is an AI-made practice question written for study. Use this site together with the official AICPA sample test and blueprint.
- Q. Is this site connected to the AICPA or NASBA?
- No. This site is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the AICPA, NASBA, or any state board of accountancy.
CPA Exam: FAR reviews
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