Most people in the industry consider the CPA exam the more difficult of the two, though each is challenging in its own way. The CPA exam is known for its technical depth, covering accounting, auditing, taxation, and regulation across multiple sections, and it includes complex task-based simulations in addition to multiple-choice questions. Pass rates for individual CPA sections often fall in the range of roughly 45 to 60 percent, and candidates must pass all sections within a set time window, typically requiring several hundred hours of study. The CFP exam is also demanding but in a different way. It is a broad, integrated exam covering eight knowledge domains of financial planning, and its difficulty lies in applying and connecting concepts across areas through case-study questions rather than in deep technical accounting. Its overall pass rate tends to hover around 60 percent. Which feels harder depends on your background: someone with an accounting foundation may find the CPA more natural, while someone strong in financial planning concepts may prefer the CFP. Both require serious preparation and reward consistent, structured study.