This year, 14,259 candidates applied for the first certified public accountant exam, with 2,912 passing. The second exam, which includes those who passed last year's first exam, will select 1,200 candidates.
On the 21st, the Financial Supervisory Service noted that the competition rate for this year's first certified public accountant exam was 4.9 to 1, with the lowest passing score at 349 points and an average of 68.4 points.
From the candidates who scored above 60% in each subject without a failing score, 2,900 high scorers were selected. Including those who tied, the total number of passers this time reached 2,912.
The top scorer was 24-year-old Jeong Chan-young, a student at Seoul National University, who achieved a total score of 456 points with an average of 89.4 points. The youngest passer is 20-year-old Choi Seong-heon, a student at Korea University.
The lowest passing score fell by an average of 1.5 points compared to last year, but did not significantly deviate from the levels of the past three years. The overall average score of the candidates was 49.1 points, which is a decrease of 0.8 points from the previous year.
Passers in their late 20s made up the largest percentage at 54.5%, followed by those in their early 20s (31.2%) and those in their early 30s (12.4%). The proportion of women is 40.0%, showing an increasing trend. In terms of education level, 57.8% of passers were still in university, and among majors, those in the business category made up 68.7%.
For the second exam, a total of 4,650 candidates are expected to participate, including 2,722 who were granted a one-year deferment after passing last year's first exam. The competition rate is 3.91 to 1. The passers of the second exam, which will be held on June 28-29, will be announced on September 5.