13,458 Applicants Registered for the First Certified Public Accountant Exam... Competition Ratio 6.12 to 1

Financial Supervisory Service (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] According to the application results for the 56th Certified Public Accountant (CPA) 1st exam in 2021, a total of 13,458 candidates applied, recording a competition rate of 6.12 to 1.

On the 20th, the Financial Supervisory Service reported that this year's number of applicants increased by 2,584 (23.8%) compared to the previous year (10,874). The competition rate also rose from last year's 4.94 to 1.

The regional distribution of this year's applicants shows Seoul (10,548) as the highest, followed by Busan (1,075), Daegu (770), Gwangju (482), and Daejeon (583).

Among the applicants, 58.8% are male and 41.2% are female. The proportion of female applicants has been on the rise since 2017 (31.7%), increasing to 32.6% in 2018, 34.3% in 2019, and 37.4% in 2020.

The average age of applicants is 26.4 years old, with those in their late 20s accounting for 44.9%, the largest group. This is followed by early 20s (41.9%) and early 30s (9.2%).

By educational background, university students make up the largest portion at 60.9%, among whom 75.1% are majoring in business-related fields.

The 1st exam passers will be selected up to twice the minimum number planned for the 2nd exam (1,100), totaling 2,200 candidates. This selection is based on those who scored at least 60% (330 points out of 550) without failing any subject in the 1st exam, ranked by highest scores.

If the number of candidates exceeds twice the minimum planned number due to tied scores, all tied candidates will be accepted as passers.

The locations and times for the 1st exam will be announced on February 5th on the Financial Supervisory Service CPA exam website and the Financial Services Commission website.

The 1st exam will be held on February 28th in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, and Daejeon, and the results for the 1st exam passers will be announced on April 9th.