[SecondTime]

Releasing the January/February scores at the end of March is an unfair and unprofessional act on the part of the AICPA.

Receiving a score so close to a new window is unfair in that it impacts our ability to register for and schedule a failed test in the following window.

The ability to retest immediately in the following window will certainly be crucial for those candidates who find themselves in the uncomfortable position of waiting for a score on their final section while being in danger of loosing credit for a section they have passed. For some, the ability to retest in the very next window could mean all the difference in the world.

The pressure is not strictly on the above-described candidate because any candidate who has credit for a section is also operating under the eighteen-month cut off rule and they too must be extremely cautious of testing opportunities. In short, potentially being shut out of an immediate retest is detrimental to every candidate.

Further more, for the AICPA to be putting the candidate in this situation is unprofessional to the point of being ludicrous. If the AICPA were not fully prepared to implement and grade this new test with minimal disruption to the candidate, it should not have been done. We, the candidates have enough pressure without acting as involuntary guinea pigs in this process. The exam should have been Beta tested, Beta graded and the implementation should have been seamless from the eyes of the candidate. Honestly, are we not paying enough in fees for that? Is the AICPA incapable of doing it?

I for one am contacting my state board and demanding an extension to the eighteen month rule for those of us who are actively testing during the implementation phase of the new exam.

I apologize if I am ranting; I am simply tired of being at the mercy of the AICPA and NASBA.

BEC:84,exp'd. retest 2/28/2013 (74)
AUD:88
FAR:77
REG:2013

WE HAVE NOT FAILED UNTIL WE QUIT

[I_Want_A_75]

@dhuffman

I've been with CPA firm for 2.5 years working in audit, and in that time my pre tax pay has increased less than the money i've spent on exams fees and review materials in that same time (and money spent was post tax so I'm not exactly getting ahead). This is really frustrating considering the controllers at the companies I audit make double what I do and I have more education/qualifications – hello, some can't even do a proper bank rec. My salary is about the same as it was in 1995 and half of what it was when I quit job as a bookkeeper/business manager to start college in 2004. I thought I was going to be “upgrading” career with the degree and CPA – and how that's not happening I have no idea. I have a feeling that when I pass the exam and find out what raise they propose I will be sadly disappointed. And despite the fact that I love the auditing, and the job for the most part, I will be forced to go into private industry in order to get a salary I can live with.

Back to the topic, I think we should all be calling our state's board of accountancy and complain about the timing issue here, just does not seems fair. I suspect what we are going to hear is that by the 4th quarter they expect to be spitting out scores at a much faster pace once they've properly tested the system and this will no longer be an issue. Just bad timing for those of us testing in 1,2,3 quarters.

B - 76
A - 77
R - 78
F - 11/22/11 Alabama NTS #463

[Anonymous]

Hurrah! I am glad I am not alone in thinking that the entire CPA exam process is run by fools! I don't work as an accountant, but I do work with accountants most of whom are CPA's. Sadly, the profession is grossly underpaid and hardly respected outside of the audit circles. Additionally, in the Post-Sox world, a Big4 doesn't command as much respect as it used to. After two-three years of Big4, most ex-Big4 don't pick up enough skills & experience to do much in the Corporate sector beyond book J.E.'s or do SOX work. Hence, they don't command as much in salary as in the pre-SOX days. In any case, while attorney's can easily command $400/hr + in California and CFA's take home, on average $250K per year in base pay, CPA's do the grunt work and get paid bread-crumbs in comparison. It is time for the CPA profession to ratchet-up their compensation and prestige. From what I hear, Texas has at least made some headway in requiring that ONLY CPA's can be called “accountants.” -everyone else is a bookeeper, apprentice, or something like that. I love Technical Accounting and Accounting Research; sadly the profession seems to require too much and offers too little in comparison to other professional designations. Worst of all, the licensing bodies insult us and treat us as a bunch of imbecils. So, I will rather just view the CPA as a “feather in my hat” and move on to another profession that offers better pay and more prestige.

[Anonymous]

If I haven't spent so much money for the review courseS and exam feeS, I would have considered a career change already. Never in my life that I took a test and don't even know the exact date to receive the score.

[SecondTime]

What is needed is action on our part.

I'm finding out that my state board really does not know what is going on or how late score release is impacting the candidate.

In addition to letting your state board know what is happening, NASBA has a face book page and you can post on their wall.

NASBA will respond to posted comments. Since they (NASBA) seems to be the public voice for the AICPA perhaps it is time we start posting very pointed questions.

BEC:84,exp'd. retest 2/28/2013 (74)
AUD:88
FAR:77
REG:2013

WE HAVE NOT FAILED UNTIL WE QUIT

[jdiiorio]

Agreed with we need to voice out our complaints because if they don't feel pressured or like people are getting upset they wont change anything.

All I have to say is that if they are delaying score releases and we can't plan/schedule ahead then I think it is fair to ask for an extension of testing windows into the off months. It is not fair to anyone not being able to know what to prepare for next. I definitely think we should all work together to request a more fair process.

ILLINOIS CANDIDATE
FAR - Passed
BEC - Passed
AUD - Passed

[luis]

Agree 100% with this, what are we going to do about it?

[Fuzzy Lumpkins]

Agreed. Forcing us to be guinea pigs in something that is so mentally, emotionally, & financially draining is completely unacceptable. All candidates should be treated equally & if we have the misfortune of having to test in these “quality control” months, we are being given an unfair disadvantage.

AUD - Passed 11/20/09
FAR - Passed 08/20/10
BEC - Passed 10/25/10
REG - Passed 2/18/11 Maryland

[Herbieherb]

How was it for the “tweeners” when the exam went computerized ?? There must have been some candidates who.had paper credit and needed to complete it on cbt. I wonder what's next? Delaying it for international candidates?

NEW YORK- DONE

[Anonymous]

I agree w/all of you!… it does seem like the “system” needs some big-time tweeking. I really don't know there can't be some type of “rolling score” release. For example, if you take your test on Apr 1, you should be able to get your score by May 1 or something similar. Actually, I really don't know why you can't get the scores right after the exam, or at least a prelim-type of score to know how you did. Very exasperating to say the least.

I DID complain about the fact that I was having trouble co-ordinating everything while not knowing what my score was into that 18-month window… I was told “to budget my time better”.

AUD- 80, BEC- 75, FAR- 78, REG- 81, Ethics- 95. ALL DONE! Licensed!!!

[happy75]

I totally agree that NASBA/AICPA should give us (those being treated like guinea pigs) a break during this major transitional/trial period.

Also, I do not understand why AICPA has to religiously adhere to the same passing rate at each testing window by “curving” so much no matter how many (qualified) people took the exam at once. They should let all those who scored the passing grade (without being unfairly “curved”) pass, period!!

Best of luck to all candidates (especially during the first three windows of this year)!

[SecondTime]

@Happy75

You bring up a great topic. I have often wondered about this very issue. If you look at the published pass rates, it becomes obvious that the AICPA is controlling the percentages of passing and failing. Meaning there is a GUARANTEED fail rate.

Terrible feeling right. No matter how hard everyone studies or how many questions you actually get right, the AICPA has a set percentage that will be FORCED to fail. How is that fair?

Does anyone think I’m wrong in my facts? Look up the pass/fail rates over time. I submit to you that it is statistically impossible to have such consistent pass/fail rates over time without manipulating the scoring.

We must keep moving, studying and testing but at the same time we do not have to agree with the unfairness of the process.

BEC:84,exp'd. retest 2/28/2013 (74)
AUD:88
FAR:77
REG:2013

WE HAVE NOT FAILED UNTIL WE QUIT

[pshustler]

Full agree with you guys. I have good buddies who are dentists and attorneys who, I'm not being conceded or arrogant, I am smarter and sharper than. Even when I finish this up, they will be making 3 to 4 times as much as me and I am a controller. Id love to go back and start over.

BEC - 86
AUD - 94
REG - 88
FAR - 89

[Anonymous]

@pshustler

I totally with the point that you made. If I could do it all over again, I would definitely take another route. I think I have made a very bad decision.

[Author]

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