[Anonymous]

Studied so hard for variances and all those formula and the whole exam there are only like 3-4 variances, few calculation question, but most of them are theory. first and second testlet are farily easy and third testlet is just french!!!! Just hope I didn’t blow up third testlet so much that failed the exam! sigh*

[Anonymous]

I don't know if it is still the case, but at least last year, BEC wasn't difficulty adapted (i.e. it wasn't weighted based on question difficulty). Maybe that has changed. Sorry to be the screen door on your submarine. Good luck anyway!

[Anonymous]

@darkmage117,

sounds like a pass to me, same thing happened when I took BEC. The first two testlets were easy, but the third one, OMG, I marked like 10 questions out of 24 that I wasn't sure. But I passed with decent score 🙂 pretty sure you pass 🙂

[Anonymous]

Just got back from BEC myself. Darkmage im the same boat as you are. Studies hard for variances and practiced calculations inside out to get bombarded with theory questions. My testlets were the same as yours and im scared I didn't do well hence them not getting harder. The written communications were ok on the flip side. Unlike AUD I had to use all three hours without a break for BEC. I went in thinking time wasn't a factor for BEC but I was proved wrong.

Any Idea as to when the scores might be out?

[Anonymous]

well the first two testlet of BEC just took me like 30minute each, but the third testlet is just crazy!!! i marked like 5 of them and the rest i just manage to narrow it down to two and then guess coz i wasted like 30 minute for first 10 questions!

By the time I go to the wirtten communication i found out i only got 45 minute left!!! although i did manage to write three essay and when the timer hits 1 sec I typed the period lol close shot! but didn't proofread, but I think i am okay on it!!

Still can't believe third testlet is that crazy!!!! if not, i would pretty much assume i passed without doubt, but the third testlet just got me! anyway, just friendly suggestion focus on the theory like others was suggesting! Wasted 70% of my time studying variance figuring out Standard hour allow and all those formula and they (variance and all other formula together) just count for like less than 20% of the exam sigh*

[Anonymous]

@BaseballCPA

Well there are significant changes in the 2011 CPA EXAM!! I also double check with aicpa scoring policy it stated

“Multiple-choice testlets vary in difficulty—there are two levels that are labeled “medium” and “difficult.” Within the testlets, items often vary substantially in their difficulty levels, but across testlets, those labeled “difficult” contain harder questions on average than testlets labeled “medium.” Every candidate receives a medium testlet first. Succeeding testlets can be either medium or difficult, depending on a candidate’s performance (for more information about multi-stage testing, see FAQ #3, below). The scoring procedures take the difficulty of all questions into account so that candidates are scored fairly regardless of the difficulty of the testlets they take.”

[spineshank77]

Dark, my second testlet was brutal, I just hope it is indicative of good performance, I marked 10 questions in my second testlet that I absolutely could not answer at all. the third testlet was medium difficulty so im hoping I scored just enough to pass this exam.. I am looking for my first passing score and desperate to see a 75 for the first time!

FAR: 79, what im done??
REG: 75
AUD: 75
BEC: 77

I would rather score four 75's than three 99's and a 74

[jeff]

yep, BEC is adaptive in 2011…one of the changes.

Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS) | Another71 | NINJA CPA | NINJA CMA | NINJA CPE

[Anonymous]

Cool. Well hopefully you did well on the writing section lol

[FutureCPAinPA]

@dark

I had the same test experience… I took it yesterday and felt very strong on the first two testlets, but the third testlet was really difficult for me. Mostly (detailed) theory, like you said. I could narrow it down to two choices, but ended up having to take educated guesses for about half of the questions in the last testlet. It's really messing with my head because these questions were short and didn't look to be difficult on the surface. I'm praying that a lot of them are pretest questions since this seems to be a new phenomenon this testing window!!!

I'm not sure if the second testlet was harder or not – it seemed fairly heavy on calculations, but that's my strength (my undergraduate degree is in Finance & Economics), and most of the theory questions were pretty straightforward.

Does the test adapt by asking questions that (it calculates) are more difficult for you? For example, if you complete X financial management questions (including ones that are considered difficult on the exam) with 100% accuracy, will it stop asking you financial management questions because it already knows that you are competent in the subject? Or will 19-23% of the test still be financial management questions? Or maybe not by subject, but if it detects that you are strong in math, maybe it will stop asking you math based questions because you've already reached a level of competency? It seems that IRT works this way, but I'm not sure how it's applied to the exam.

AUD 2012
REG 2012
BEC 81 (NTS 469 PA, Taken 11.30.2011)
FAR 2012

[jonathansays]

I took BEC last night. Below is my experience:

1st testlet – Medium

2nd testlet – Hard

3rd testlet – Easy with a lot of one sentence questions (maybe 5 to 7 calculations)

Written – Easy (able to complete all three)

I think having an easy third testlet is a pretty strong indication that I did not pass. Oh well.

AUD - 98, 92, 88 - ExamMatrix
FAR - 80, 81 - ExamMatrix
REG - 76 - ExamMatrix
BEC - 71, 71, 80 - ExamMatrix

[Anonymous]

@jonathansays,

be positive 🙂 and don't say that, my REG is the same way, I sure hope I pass, haha!! I will be waiting on your good news.

[Anonymous]

When I took BEC, the first testlet was just right. Very straightforward, But testlets 2 and 3 were very difficult and it actually felt like I was taking FAR again. The questions were that bad! The calculation questions took a lot of steps to solve and the theory questions were like “Huh??” because the wording was so obscure. So if your third testlet was in French, that's normal and it means you did well on the first 2 testlets.

[Krage]

Had my exam yesterday. Can't say that I was disappointed, but Becker clearly doesn't prepare you to get a high score on BEC.

Becker.
AUD - Aug 3 - 91
FAR - Oct 25 - 96
BEC - Nov 30 - 89
REG - Jan 24 '12 - ..

[jonathansays]

If my 3rd testlet seemed to be more basic questions, does that mean that I performed poorly on the previous two testlets and likely didn't pass? Seems to be the consensus.

AUD - 98, 92, 88 - ExamMatrix
FAR - 80, 81 - ExamMatrix
REG - 76 - ExamMatrix
BEC - 71, 71, 80 - ExamMatrix

[SwanCPA]

@jonathan Truly …. no one knows. I have passed 3 so far and twice walked out in tears. Ok, one was a 75 but who cares? The point is that it's truly a guessing game… unless you know you totally rocked it, there's no point in analyzing it. We're just lucky that we only have to wait a week for the results!

FAR- 63, 75
AUD- 61, 78
REG- 63, 74, 80
BEC - 63, 61, 75!!!!! I'm done!!!!

[Author]

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