[Victor]

Hi, I retook REG last week and I am little worried about SIM questions after I checked my answers after the exam. I am trying to understand score scaling process used by AICPA. So here is my question. If i get 90% or 80% correct on MCQ questions and 60% or 70%, respectively, on SIM, do I have a passing score (75)? Or I have to get 75% correct on both sections?

Thanks

[Bourne]

Total 75%. But the exam is not graded on simply you get 75/100 questions right. Each question is weighted more or less than others depending on difficulty. It's impossible to try to guess your score.

[Luke]

From what I understand, a passing score of 75 is not getting 75% of the questions correct. There are also other factors, such as the fact that there are pretest questions (12 MCQ & 1 SIM) that don't count towards your score, whether or not you got them correct. There is also the fact that they weight questions differently based on “difficulty” – so getting an “easy” or “moderate” question correct doesn't count as much as getting a “difficult” question correct. Anyone else please feel free to add to this or correct me if I'm wrong.

[aaronmo]

^^^ Not wrong.

You don't really know until you know. There are “experimental” questions, SIM and MCQ, which didn't count and you don't know which is which. You don't know how the questions are being scored (translation, how the exam is being curved).

Generally I think you sort of know by your reaction to the SIMs. The SIMs count a lot and I think they're the better indication of your actual ability/preparation. I left FAR certain I had screwed the MCQ, but I knew I had destroyed the SIMs.

[Victor]

thank you all

Yes, i understand pretest and different levels of questions, but MCQ and SIM are first weighted separately and then 50% is taken from each, as it is explained by AICPA guideline

Correct me if i am wrong

[Tim]

I got 97 on FAR and I KNOW I got several parts of the sims wrong and I highly doubt I got every multiple choice right. I'd love to know exactly how they score.

[aaronmo]

I left certain I had totally boned a whole lot of MCQ…I'd like to know too.

[Anonymous]

I'm inclined to believe that *easier* questions are given more weight than harder questions. That would be the only possible explanation for some of my passing scores.

[Sir Plus]

don't listen to anyone here, nobody has any idea how the exam is actually weighted (or scaled).

And to sit here and read the nonsense above is a complete, WASTE of your valuable study time!

[Bourne]

You're too uptight Sir Plus. It's all fun predictions/guesses. Your comment was a waste of your so preciously valuable study time

[jenpen]

The AICPA has a PDF of how the scoring works. If you haven't read it, I suggest it. It is a little helpful. I tried to link it, but came up with an error. Just Google AICPA cpa exam score and it should be close to the top.

AUD - 56 - 68 - 61 - 9/8/16
REG - 75
FAR - 7/15/16
BEC - TBD

Wiley CPAexcel and NINJA 10 Point Combo

[aaronmo]

It's exactly what was said above…the exam “changes” based on how well you do…questions have different point values based on perceived difficulty, and those adjust a bit after the exam…not all of the questions are counted, some are experimental. It's all well known….but what we don't know is how much shift takes place and, about, what scores equate with how many points.

So…again…you don't really know until you know.

[Author]

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