ABAR Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

The Real Question Behind "ABAR Passing Score" in 2026

If you searched for an ABAR passing score expecting a scaled score, a cut line, or a percentage-correct threshold, the honest answer is that no such number exists in 2026. Accredited in Business Appraisal Review, the credential administered by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA), was suspended for new applicants in 2016 and is now formally terminated as an entry point. There is no live examination to sit for, which means there is no passing score attached to a current test.

That does not mean the term "passing score" is irrelevant. Existing ABAR holders still face a maintenance standard every three years, and understanding exactly what that standard requires is the practical equivalent of knowing "what you need to pass" in 2026. This article walks through that standard in detail, compares it with the requirements of active valuation credentials, and explains where abartest.com fits for people researching this space.

Why There's No New ABAR Exam to Pass

NACVA's own program history confirms that ABAR credentialing was suspended in 2016 and is terminated for new applicants. If you are exploring this space because you want a credential you can actively pursue and pass, ABAR is not that pathway anymore. NACVA continues accepting new applicants into two separate, active credentials: the Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) and the Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF). Neither of these is a renamed version of ABAR - they are distinct credentials with their own eligibility rules and assessment structures.

For readers who landed here specifically because they want business-appraisal-review knowledge without chasing a discontinued designation, our companion piece on Is the ABAR Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 breaks down where legacy ABAR standing still carries weight and where an active credential is the better route. If you already hold ABAR and simply need to understand your obligations, the rest of this article is written for you.

The Actual Standard: CPE Hours, Fees, and Attestation

For an existing ABAR holder, staying in good standing depends on two ongoing obligations: annual membership with NACVA, and a three-year recertification cycle. The recertification cycle is where most of the "did I pass or not" anxiety actually lives, and it has two concrete components:

• 60 applicable CPE hours completed within the three-year cycle.
• A $400 recertification fee, subject to reduction depending on how those CPE hours were earned.

There is no exam score attached to this cycle - you either accumulate the required hours and pay the applicable fee, or you do not meet the standard. That binary makes tracking your CPE hours the single most important task for anyone trying to stay in compliance. Our ABAR Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts condenses these figures into a single reference page you can check before each filing deadline.

How the CPE Fee Waiver Works

The fee side of recertification is where NACVA courses can meaningfully reduce your out-of-pocket cost. The waiver structure is tiered based on how many hours of NACVA coursework you complete within the cycle:

It's worth noting that the former bonus-point and recommended-course policies that used to layer on top of this structure ended December 31, 2025. If you're planning your CPE hours based on older guidance you found in a forum or an outdated PDF, discard it - the tiered waiver above, tied strictly to hours completed, is the current mechanism. For a broader breakdown of every fee, waiver, and membership cost tied to legacy ABAR standing, see ABAR Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.

Attestation, Recordkeeping, and Audit Risk

A significant procedural change took effect in 2025: instead of reporting each individual course to NACVA as it's completed, holders now attest to their overall CPE completion. This simplifies the paperwork side of recertification but shifts more responsibility onto the holder to keep accurate records.

• Holders must retain supporting documentation for each CPE hour claimed.
• Records must be kept for three years after the reporting cycle in which they were used.
• NACVA may audit an attestation, at which point those retained records are what substantiate compliance.

In practical terms, this means the "test" you're really preparing for in 2026 isn't a written exam - it's the possibility of an audit. Treat certificates of completion, agendas, and course confirmations the way you'd treat receipts for a tax filing: organized, dated, and easy to produce years after the fact.

Inactive and Emeritus Status as Alternatives

Not every existing holder wants to keep chasing 60 CPE hours every three years, and NACVA provides two separate maintenance paths for qualifying holders who want to step back without fully losing their standing:

• Inactive status - a way to pause active obligations while remaining connected to the credential, for holders who meet the qualifying criteria.
• Emeritus status - a separate designation intended for qualifying holders, distinct from inactive status, with its own criteria.

Both options exist precisely because ABAR is a closed, legacy credential rather than an actively recruited one - NACVA built maintenance flexibility into the program instead of forcing every holder through the same 60-hour cycle indefinitely. If you're evaluating whether to stay fully active, go inactive, or pursue emeritus recognition, weigh that decision against how you're currently using the credential professionally, a topic we cover further in ABAR Jobs.

ABAR vs. Active Credentials

Because ABAR no longer accepts new applicants, anyone researching "ABAR passing score" who does not already hold the credential is usually really asking: what should I pursue instead if I want business-appraisal-review expertise? Two paths are worth comparing directly.

It's important to be precise here: BCA-R and CVA are not renamed versions of ABAR. They are separate credentials from separate certifying bodies with their own requirements. If your goal is an active, ongoing credential in business-appraisal-review adjacent work, one of these three active options - not ABAR itself - is the realistic path forward. Our ABAR Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify article goes deeper into who currently qualifies for legacy ABAR recognition versus who should apply to an active credential instead.

How Legacy Holders Prepare for Recertification Review

Even without a scored exam, existing ABAR holders benefit from a disciplined approach to the three-year cycle - treat CPE tracking the way you'd treat exam prep for any credential, just aimed at a documentation deadline instead of a test date.

• Early in the cycle: map out which NACVA courses you plan to take and estimate whether you'll land in the 15-29 hour tier or the 30+ hour tier, since that decision changes your fee outcome.
• Mid-cycle: log completion certificates immediately rather than waiting until renewal season, since attestation still requires you to be able to prove every hour if audited.
• Final quarter before renewal: reconcile your hours against the 60-hour requirement, confirm your fee tier, and file your attestation with time to spare.

If you're building original study material or review exercises around business-appraisal-review concepts - whether for personal refreshers or to mentor newer analysts - abartest.com's practice test platform offers scenario-based exercises you can use to keep valuation-review skills sharp between recertification cycles, independent of the formal CPE requirement itself. For a wider look at how the underlying subject matter is organized, see ABAR Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All Content Areas, and for a general orientation to the credential's history, What Is ABAR? is a useful starting point.

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