[sharp315]

As stressful and intimidating as the current version of the CPA exam is, I’m still thankful we’re taking it as a module base and with a calculator. My mom regales me with horror stories from her CPA exam experience when she worked at Arthur Andersen long ago in the Big 8 days.

Not sure if we have anyone on here from the days when the exam was given in 2.5 days, but if there are, please tell us how much easier we have it! I know the exam used to be 5 parts (FAR was split into two 4 hour sections but graded together). I guess most candidates would approach the exam as another whole semester of college work and treated each section as a major final. Chills just thinking about it!

BEC: PASS
AUD: PASS
FAR: PASS
REG: PASS

[so1913]

As difficult as it is now, it is SOOOOOO much easier to “manage” preparing than it was in the old days!

I first sat for the exam in NJ about 11 years ago, my first year out of college during my first year in public. It was very overwhelming transitioning into working full time for the first time in my life. Place on top of that preparing for the CPA exam??? I ended up falling off the “taking it serious” ladder within a few months of preparing.

Back when I took it for the first time in 2002 (this was after it changed from the structure you are speaking of), the exam was only offered 2 times a year. In November and May over a 2 day period. Locations where you could sit were very limited, you had to sit in the state you were seeking licensing. I think NJ had only 2 locations to choose from then. You crossed your fingers to get your first choice location, if you didn't get it you got what ever location had space. For me it was 1.5 to 2 hours away. Pretty much had to plan for an overnight stay in the location sitting for the exam for the next 2 days. When you went to sit for the exam, you were in a huge warehouse type space with long tables arranged in rows. I think it was 2 people to each table. There were HUNDREDS of candidates taking the exam (imagine, every having to take the exam the same two days and only had 2 times in a year to do so). Everything was paper pencil, you sat for 2 parts each of the 2 days with breaks in between.

Now to the worst part, you had to sit for ALL 4 PARTS of the exam! You did not have the option of taking one part at a time and spreading them out. You had to focus on EVERYTHING and test all of it over those two days. Every state had different requirements as far as keeping parts that you passed, but as I recall in NJ in order to keep any parts you passed, you had to pass 2 of the parts with a 75 AND get at least 50 on the other two to keep the two passing parts. This meant that you could get 99, 98, 75, and 48 and loose it ALL! Talk about pressure. Then you had to wait 6 months before you could attempt to do it all over again.

I ended up checking out of studying and decided to just go through with the process for the experience. I have to say it was pretty traumatizing lol. It was definitely a downer, it seemed impossible to pass an exam structured the way the CPA exam was structured (we all know that was not the case as many passed, but they did change the process for a reason.)

So, imagine the scenario I just presented, and look at what you are facing now. I definitely will not say this test is easier, but the change in process is more convenient and flexible, so definitely appreciate that part of it. It took me this long from the first time I took it to recover from the experience!! (just joking, I just wasn't mentally ready until now).

Please excuse any grammar, typo's or anything else in this post that doesn't make sense lol. I am taking BEC tomorrow so in the middle of studying and need to get back to it, but I saw this subject and couldn't not respond as I'm not sure how many people are on this forum that have experience with the old exam.

Good luck all!

AUD - 90 Pass
REG - 70,61,81 Pass DONE DONE DOOOOONNEEE!!!!!!!!
BEC - 79 - Pass
FAR - 70,82 - Pass

[J]

My mother is a CPA and passed the exam in the “old days” approximately 30 years ago. A lot of it is comparing apples and oranges. Yes, the task of sitting through 14 hours of exams in two and a half days was extremely daunting and exhausting. There were really no review courses out there (with the exception of Becker perhaps, and obviously it wasn't as focused and tuned as it is today), so preparation was difficult. Students also had to walk a minimum of 10 miles to test sites in the snow with no shoes, but that wasn't so bad…

Anyway, she believes that the actual exam is more difficult today, as much more material is covered and in greater depth; half of the time when I relay what I am covering, she remarks something like “they never tested us on anything like that”. Yes, the pass rates are significantly higher than back then (or even as far back as 5 to 10 years ago), but much of that has to do with better prepared candidates, the fact that exams can be spaced out over 18 months, and the simple fact that the supply of CPA's is much less than current demand, so more candidates get passed through.

Again, no one should say that taking the exam then was easier/more difficult than taking it now… they're just two entirely different scenarios.

[sharp315]

@so1913 Thank you for sharing your experience! What an ordeal! That really sounds like a nightmare even compared to the current version of the exam. I had never heard of the 2 75s and 2 50s rule before. Cant imagine going through something like that. Major kudos to you for having even tried it in the first place. Best of luck on your current parts =)

@InterFC1 I think they also had to walk uphill both ways 😉

BEC: PASS
AUD: PASS
FAR: PASS
REG: PASS

[J]

I remember hearing about the passing at least 2 parts to get credit rule as well; I didn't know there was a minimum score for the other two parts though…

Here's another interesting fact: Scores between 70 and 74 used to be nonexistent. If you were in that range after preliminary grading (exams were manually graded as well), they would continue to grade the section until you either scored a 69 or 75.

Yet another: There used to be a minimum 30% pass rate per section. This obviously would be a trivial point today as the worst pass rates are now in the low to mid-40's, but it used to be that a minimum of 30% of candidates had to pass each section during each testing window, even if actual results were absolutely horrendous.

[so1913]

The minimum score requirements was on a state by state basis so the 50's on the other 2 parts was an NJ requirement at the time. Also you had to sit for all 4 parts each time until you met the requirements of passing two. I believe NY had different rules which were slightly less stringent, which was why a lot of people in NJ were sitting for the exam in NY.

Thank goodness those days are over!

AUD - 90 Pass
REG - 70,61,81 Pass DONE DONE DOOOOONNEEE!!!!!!!!
BEC - 79 - Pass
FAR - 70,82 - Pass

[Author]

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