This Year, 13,458 Candidates Applied for the First Round of the Accountant Exam... 24% Increase Compared to Last Year

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ji-hwan Park] The Financial Supervisory Service announced on the 20th that a total of 13,458 candidates applied for this year's Certified Public Accountant (CPA) first exam, resulting in a competition ratio of 6.12 to 1.

The number of applicants increased by 2,584 (23.8%) compared to last year. The competition ratio rose from 4.94 to 1 last year.

The number of applicants for the CPA first exam had been declining for three years since 2016 but turned to an increasing trend last year. This year, the growth rate expanded to 23.8%. The number of first exam applicants this year is the largest since 2003, when there were 14,565 applicants.

Among the applicants, 58.8% were male and 41.2% were female. The average age was 26.4 years old, with those in their late 20s accounting for the largest share at 44.9%. This was followed by early 20s (41.9%) and early 30s (9.2%).

Applicants currently enrolled in university accounted for 60.9%, and 75.1% majored in business-related fields.

The locations and times for the first exam will be announced on the 5th of next month. The first exam is scheduled for the 28th of next month, and the successful candidates will be announced on April 9. The number of candidates passing the first exam is twice the minimum planned number of 1,100 for this year's second exam selection.