[Tawilkins]

I’ve recently made a 74 on my FAR exam and I’ve decided to pay the money to challenge my score. According to my diagnostics I scored the weakest on the simulation section. Has anyone ever challenged their score or know of anyone who did? I was wondering if anyone ever succeeded.

AUD - Done
BEC - Done
FAR - Done
REG - Oct.

[floacct]

Changing a score would require them to admit they made a mistake. It'll never happen. Better to spend ur time licking an ice cold metal pole.

[Anonymous]

Your 74 does not mean you were one point away from passing; your 74 means once they determined you failed, they compared your score with other people that failed and determine you performed better than them, but still failed. You may be 5-10 correct answers away from a passing score.

[M.O.D.]

Excellent point from audit_this.

Another way to look at it is that your percent of right answers may be exactly equal to the percent of someone who passed, but the questions he answered were harder, as determined by the fact that fewer test-takers answered them correctly, and the questions you answered were easier, ie more test-takers answered correctly.

So your score does not depend on only your performance, but also on the thousands of other test takers.

BA Mathematics, UC Berkeley
Certificates in CPA and EA preparation, College of San Mateo
CMA I 420, II 470
FAR 91, AUD Feb 2015 (Gleim self-study)

[Anonymous]

So, scores are based on how other people in your test window do? I always wondered what the whole “curved based on hard or medium” test meant.

[Anonymous]

https://www.aicpa.org/BecomeACPA/CPAExam/ForCandidates/FAQ/Pages/computer_faqs_3.aspx @amk23 #4 may be of interest.

[impska]

They probably have an appeals process as a nod to controls over the computer program. It's like saying, “We acknowledge the remote possibility that the computer may make an error and are willing to review your test, at your expense.”

When the test first switched over to be a computer-based program, there was probably a place for a score review process, but now that the program has been refined and tested, there's less need.

Let's face it, the computer probably makes 0 mistakes. For the one section (BEC – written) for which there's a higher probability of mistakes, close scores are reviewed as a matter of policy. The human reviewing your grade is far more likely to make a mistake than the computer.

They've basically set it up so that it's cheaper and less time-consuming to just retake the test, though, so I'm not sure why anyone bothers.

REG - 94
BEC - 92
FAR - 92
AUD - 99

[Anonymous]

bbrandenburg10 – Thanks for that link. It was helpful.

[Anonymous]

No problem. That whole section of the site is really interesting. I had never heard of Item Response Theory before taking the CPA exam.

[Anonymous]

Yeah me either. It also helps me understand how they score the way they do. Although it bothers me not knowing my % score. Haha

[Anonymous]

In my opinion, having the “challenge” option is kind of like paying for auto insurance, but knowing if you get in an accident, the insurance company will never ever ever ever pay for damages.

It is a waste of money and to an unknowing candidate, it may seem like a viable option. I really feel like it should be done away with unless a challenge has ever increased a candidate's score.

[nolifecpa]

about a year or 2 ago the aicpa messed up on FAR scores and failed people that really passed. they notified those people and passed them. of course i wasn't one of them. just sayin

REG-65,71,74,73,70,74,79
BEC-60's,60's,69,71,76*,78
FAR-67,66,65,79
AUD-54,60's,65,83*,69,80
*expired

DONE

[Anonymous]

Have you heard back on your score yet?

[Tawilkins]

To update – I did not win the challenge. I received a letter back stating that my previous score stood.

AUD - Done
BEC - Done
FAR - Done
REG - Oct.

[Anonymous]

Just a way for them to line their pockets.

[Author]

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