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NEW YORK (May 5, 2021) - The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) today announced the 89 winners of the 2020 Elijah Watt Sells Award. To qualify for the award, CPA candidates must obtain a cumulative average score above 95.50 across all four sections of the Uniform CPA Examination, pass all four sections on their first attempt and have completed testing in 2020.

Nearly 75,000 individuals sat for the CPA Exam in 2020 with 89 candidates meeting the criteria to receive the Elijah Watt Sells Award.

“The CPA Exam is a rigorous assessment and successfully passing is an impressive accomplishment,” said Mike Decker, AICPA vice president of examinations. “This year’s Elijah Watt Sells winners are commended for an exceptional performance that very few Exam candidates achieve.”

The Elijah Watt Sells Award program was established by the AICPA in 1923 to recognize outstanding performance on the CPA Exam. Sells, one of the first CPAs in the U.S., was active in the establishment of the AICPA and played a key role advancing professional education within the profession.

The AICPA, which owns and scores the CPA Exam, works with hundreds of volunteers and other stakeholders to maintain its relevance to the profession and alignment with the knowledge and skills required of a newly licensed CPA. To support candidates along their journey, the AICPA provides a wealth of information and tools, including the CPA Exam Blueprints, sample tests and tutorial topics, and the CPA Exam Booklet.

The individuals listed below are the 2020 Sells Award winners in alphabetical order, followed by their board of accountancy affiliation, education and present employer: