[CPA so close, so far away]

Hey everybody. Like most people, I took an exam in Q2 and am awaiting the score release in August.

Just out of curiosity, how many people think that the exam will be graded “easier” due to the new format? I took AUD and thought the multiple choice were pretty straightforward, but found the SIMS to be extremely challenging.

Let me know your thoughts!

[Holly]

I actually think they will be, hope they will be. They're not sure yet of grading and how we'll do with the new format, they may have to throw more stuff out than expected, etc. I think they'll be easier and go back to normal once everything is kinda honed in.

BEC - 79
REG - 85
AUD - 5/27/16

[NeedsA75]

They will adjust the pass/fail rates so they fall in line with the pass/fail rate of the old exam. If you did better than 50% of the other people who took your section in the testing window, you will probably pass

[Anthony]

When people say that you need to do better than a certain % of people, that isn't necessarily true because the exam is not graded on a bell shape curve. All questions are weighted differently, so someone can get 50% of the questions correct can pass and yet someone else got 60% of the questions right can still fail. You just need enough question correct and make sure those questions are weighted more.

Of course the sims are challenging because they are suppose to be. That is why most people who failed the exams around the low 70's is because they bombed the sims. You can't just BS through like the MCQ. In order to do well on sims you seriously need to know your stuff as well as your own name.

Do I think it will graded “easier”? Maybe. It all depends on what the AICPA deems as enough “performance is required to ensure the protection of the public interest.” At the end of the day, some of us are going to fail and some of us are going to pass.

[NeedsA75]

Yes the points are weighted differently but at the end of the day you need your total accumulated points to be better than the other half of the people who took it.

No one truly knows how the exam is scored and this is just my personal opinion. Something has to explain how they can get consistent pass/fail rates for each section. My bet is you are going to see very similar pass/fail rates for this testing window as you did in Q1. High 40% or low 50% pass rates. Don't expect them to be “lenient” and pass 60% of the people who took the exam in this window.

[CPA so close, so far away]

This was the point of my post. I am curious to see how different individuals would predict how the AICPA would score the new exam. Personally, I have passed 2 exams with high scores under the old format. Just curious to see how other candidates think the AICPA will react.

[SallyCPA]

My theory is that the AICPA made the Q2 exams (particularly the SIMS) RIDICULOUSLY difficult and are going to see how people did on them. Overall, I think they are going to see how to adjust the exam going forward but will keep the pass rates the same. So, as other people have said, if you did better than 50% of the people then you will most likely pass. P.S Anyone else feel like the Q2 FAR sims were insane?

[Iceman6]

I thought a few of the SIMs for FAR were bonkers. The research was easy for me, and a couple other softballs to I guess counterbalance the 3 insane ones lol. (Praying one was a pretest) I got stronger on SIMs the last time I took FAR, just hoping I did better on the MCQ this time, and the 50% weights are in my advantage

[Anonymous]

I too for my own sake hope that they will somehow weigh the ones I might have missed in my favor! 🙂 Or that others do poorly:)LOL!

[Trele6]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA

Easier grading? Highly unlikely. Pass rates will be comparable to prior quarters if not a % or so worse would be my guess.

They purposely made the exam harder, why would they grade easier?

First go at the CPA! Only using Becker
Reg / Nov 2015 - 87
Far / Apr 2016 - 79
Bec / May 2016 - 80
Aud / Aug 2016

[Author]

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