Are CPA Exam Scores Confidential, and Who Can See Them?
See the normal CPA Exam score reporting chain, how employer disclosure can work, why state rules matter, and how score privacy differs from the exam NDA.
Who can see a score?
An individual CPA Exam score is not simply posted as a national public list. NASBA describes a reporting chain that includes AICPA, NASBA, the candidate's jurisdiction, and the candidate access process. Employers, schools, and other boards may receive information through a jurisdiction-specific authorization or request process rather than through open access.
Scores follow a controlled reporting chain, but rules vary
Do not turn that general pattern into a universal privacy-law promise. State-board disclosure and public-record rules can differ. Texas and Washington, for example, publish different candidate-facing procedures. Check the board or examination service controlling your record before telling a recipient what can be released and how.
- 1AICPA scores the examAICPA produces the score after receiving the completed examination data.
- 2NASBA receives the resultNASBA participates in transmitting scores through the administration system.
- 3The jurisdiction receives itThe application jurisdiction receives or controls the applicable candidate release process.
- 4The candidate accesses itThe candidate uses the named portal or board process and may request an authorized disclosure where available.
Visual sources: NASBA CPA Exam score information
Editorial method: The request checklist is the CPAPass editorial method for applying the official access process.
Know who participates in the normal score flow
AICPA scores the examination and transmits results through the administration system. NASBA receives scores and makes them available to participating jurisdictions and candidate systems, while some boards use a separate release path. That operational access is different from an employer independently searching for a candidate's exact score.
The candidate should begin with the portal or board named by the application jurisdiction. Save the score notice or official record during its available period and follow the stated process when another authorized recipient needs it. Avoid sending a screenshot when the recipient requires a board-to-board or board-to-employer transmission.
Employer access examples show why jurisdiction matters
Texas states that the candidate must provide written consent before the board releases score information to a university, review provider, or employer. Washington offers a request process through which a candidate can ask the board to send exam or credential information to an employer, another board, a professional organization, or the candidate.
Those current examples support a practical answer: an employer may receive a score through an authorized official process, but that does not mean every employer can search every score. Ask what the employer needs, identify the board controlling the record, and use that board's current release form or instructions. Do not reuse one state's form for another state.
Score confidentiality and exam-content confidentiality are different
A question about whether an employer can see a score concerns access to a candidate record. A question about repeating an MCQ, simulation, exhibit, or answer after testing concerns the AICPA nondisclosure agreement. Prometric requires candidates to accept that NDA before starting the CPA Exam. The two obligations protect different information.
Candidate permission to send a score does not permit disclosure of exam content. Conversely, the NDA does not by itself answer a state public-record or score-release question. Keep the record request limited to the score or credential information the official process allows, and never reconstruct live exam material in an email, interview, forum, or study group.
| Question | Current official example | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Who handles the result? | AICPA, NASBA, the jurisdiction, and the candidate process | Operational access is not an open public list |
| Can a Texas employer receive it? | Texas requires written candidate consent | Texas procedure is not a national rule |
| Can Washington send it? | A candidate may request delivery to named recipient types | Use the Washington request process for a Washington-held record |
| Can the candidate discuss exam items? | The AICPA NDA protects exam content | Score authorization never waives the NDA |
Visual sources: NASBA CPA Exam score information, Texas State Board CPA Exam score release authorization, Washington Board sharing exam and credential information, Prometric CPA Exam scheduling
Editorial method: The cross-jurisdiction limitation is the CPAPass comparison of current board procedures.
Use a precise disclosure-request checklist
Write down the exact record needed: a numeric score, pass status, attendance, examination history, or credential verification. Confirm the recipient's name and delivery method, then find the current instructions from the board or service that holds the record. If consent is required, use the official authorization and include only the identifiers it requests.
Before submitting, check whether the recipient accepts a candidate copy or requires direct delivery. Retain the request and confirmation without exposing portal credentials. If the official page is unclear, ask the controlling board which form applies. This is safer than assuming that a general records request, transcript, or screenshot will satisfy the recipient.
Keep this answer separate from scoring and release dates
This page focuses on access, the normal reporting chain, and candidate-authorized disclosure. The scoring guide covers scaled scores and the passing standard. The score-release schedule covers expected dates, while the candidate performance report guide explains diagnostic information. None of those pages should inherit a universal privacy claim from this one.
The NASBA, Texas, Washington, and Prometric sources were reviewed on August 15, 2026. Board forms, authorized recipients, portals, and public-record treatment can change. Recheck the jurisdiction that holds your record before making a privacy representation or submitting a request. When a board instruction differs from this summary, the current board instruction controls.
Score-disclosure request board
Match each recipient to the controlling process
A precise request identifies the record holder, the recipient, the permitted information, and the official delivery path.
| Recipient or use | Evidence to check | Boundary to preserve | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate access | NASBA portal or the jurisdiction release path | Keep login credentials private and save the official record | NASBA CPA Exam score information |
| Texas employer or school | Written candidate consent and Texas instructions | Do not generalize the Texas form to another board | Texas State Board CPA Exam score release authorization |
| Washington employer or organization | Washington candidate-request instructions | Confirm the accepted recipient and delivery method | Washington Board sharing exam and credential information |
| Another licensing board | Record holder and receiving-board requirements | Score transfer is a separate administrative job | NASBA CPA Exam score information Washington Board sharing exam and credential information |
| Exam discussion | AICPA nondisclosure agreement | Never include live question or simulation content | Prometric CPA Exam scheduling |
Your next three actions
Handle a score request in three steps
- 1
Identify the exact record, the jurisdiction that holds it, and the recipient that needs it.
- 2
Read the current official authorization or request procedure and confirm the required delivery method.
- 3
Send only permitted score or credential information and keep live exam content outside every communication.
Continue with the right guide
Use these guides when your next question goes beyond the focus of this page.
Questions candidates ask
Are CPA Exam scores public?
There is no single national public-record answer for every jurisdiction. NASBA describes a controlled reporting chain, while individual boards publish separate disclosure procedures. Check the board or examination service holding your record before making a privacy claim.
Can my employer see my CPA Exam scores?
An employer may receive information through a candidate-authorized or jurisdiction-specific process. Texas requires written candidate consent for release to an employer, and Washington lets candidates request delivery to an employer. Those examples do not prove that every jurisdiction uses the same rule.
Who normally receives my CPA Exam score?
NASBA describes AICPA scoring the exam, NASBA receiving and forwarding results, the applicable jurisdiction receiving them, and the candidate accessing the result through the relevant portal or board process. Exact access mechanics depend on the jurisdiction.
Is sharing my score the same as discussing exam questions?
No. Sending an authorized score record concerns candidate information. Discussing live exam questions or simulations concerns the AICPA nondisclosure agreement accepted before testing. Permission to share a score does not authorize disclosure of exam content.
How do I send an official score to another board or organization?
Use the current process of the jurisdiction or service holding the record. Washington expressly lists requests to employers, other boards, professional organizations, and candidates; another jurisdiction may use a different form or recipient list. Confirm whether direct official delivery is required.
Reviewed primary sources
Keep score records and practice separate
Create a free account for original practice activity while official portals and boards continue to control score records.
Start free practice