[Anonymous]

Did you guys get the e-mail from NASBA that they’re getting rid of scratch paper and pencils for the exam?

“Effective January 1, 2013, in lieu of scratch paper and pencils, candidates will be provided with two double sided, laminated, colored sheets called “noteboards,” as well as a fine point marker for making notations.”

Hmm. What are your guys’ thoughs?

[Jobless2CPA]

@sydbogg….I am a lefty, too…and I had the same problem

[mds86]

Ah, I see you can have multiple laminated note pages. No big deal then.

AUD - 64, 75
BEC - 67, 75
REG - 33, 58, 76
FAR - 41, 73, 84
DONE.

Tip: If you don't feel like you're studying hard, you'll probably fail. Study harder.

[Lisa_Jane]

If I get annoyed enough I'm going to use that marker and write on the desk, or maybe even on the monitor. This is beyond stupid considering the exam fees we must pay. When I study I use a paper and pencil. I don't use a whiteboard and a marker.

FAR Passed 5/28/14
AUD Passed 1/22/13
BEC Passed 7/12/13
REG Passed 5/9/14
Virginia CPA license issued July 2014

[Anonymous]

It is getting harder and harder ha….. Sigh

[Anonymous]

I took a section last Saturday and was handed paper and pencil…. apparently they didn't get the memo. Sorry I'm not sorry 🙂

[supervisor]

@allbiz, I got handed paper and pencil too. Where did u take it? Curious if its the same place?

BEC 10/13 PASSED 77
AUD 04/12 PASSED 83
FAR 08/12 PASSED 76
REG 02/13 PASSED 76

Licensed in PA on 12/23/13. Yea boy!!

[nolifecpa]

it'd be better if it could erase like a dry board, i had to use the sweat from my palms and some spit…ewww!

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

[Noct]

If it could erase like a dry board our southpaw candidates would suffer.

FAR - 79 - 07/2012
AUD - 65, 78 - 11/2012
BEC - 76 - 11/2012
REG - 78 - 01/2013
ETH - 98 - 01/2013

Material: Wiley books

[Mr. Happy]

I am taking BEC late next week. I will try to remember to report if I got paper and pencil or noteboards and markers, and if it had any effect on my test taking.

[HopeCounter]

For the 2 exams that I've taken, security was so tight that I don't see how this could possibly increase security. In my experience, some questions offer answers for other questions by the process of elimination. Perhaps they just do not want to give us as much “room” to remember problems, concepts, etc. Anyone who has an MBA or at least has taken the GMAT probably remembers that this is how it's done during GMAT testing…

I will probably miss the pencil and paper and now I know I just have to write a bit smaller so as to not turn in my original board at all during testing…

AUD - 84 - 5/31/12 (lost credit), re-take 5/28/14
REG - 83 - 12/7/12
BEC - 80 - 2/27/13
FAR - 69 - 11/30/13, 80 - 2/28/14

[Nathan Sims]

Out with the old, in with the new. I embrace change, unlike most people. Quit complaining about situations you can't control and find a way to adapt to it.

[rockrlz87]

guess i am going to have to start writing on the desk and cubicle walls @ the testing center

BEC - 5/2012 - 79
AUD - 10/2012 - 77
REG - 7/2013 - ???
FAR - 12/2012 - 80

[supervisor]

@nathan sims

Change for legitimate reasons, ok…but change just because of security measures which I find is a poor excuse for the change from paper to noteboards, is just plain BS. If people wanted to cheat, they will find a way. If they really wanted to tighten up security, they should build bathrooms inside the prometric center or have the prometric people escort the candidates to the bathroom or limit the breaks. We can't even take our scrap paper home with us so what are they trying to do? Lower the pass rate even more? To top it all off, NASBA decided to put out the email less than 2 weeks before the new testing window. I just think its ridiculous to say the least and that is why most of the peeps on the forum is venting. It may not be a big deal for you but it is for some people. Thanks.

BEC 10/13 PASSED 77
AUD 04/12 PASSED 83
FAR 08/12 PASSED 76
REG 02/13 PASSED 76

Licensed in PA on 12/23/13. Yea boy!!

[wcbrent]

I feel like I had to do this for another test – maybe the GMAT? Which is fine, because you CAN'T go back to a completed question on the GMAT.

I'm fortunate – I've passed the exam, but I would be extremely frustrated with this. Part of my success was to be able to go back to my “notes” for harder questions (within a testlet) on previous pages and revisit them if I had time. I also wrote down formulas that I didn't want to remember (and I would never have to know in life because of computers…) at the top of my test booklet. I'm not saying you can't do this, but there's obviously less room and it will erase easily.

Best of luck all – yet another pointless rule (I'm not sure if they really made it because of “cheating”?). I think you should get an OPTION for this “noteboard” or paper/pencil – what's the harm?. Based on what you pay for the exam, they should also give you snacks, a massage, and beer afterwards.

FAR - 72, 78
AUD - 74, 90
REG - 78
BEC - 76

Done!

[Mr. Happy]

I took the BEC exam last week and was given the noteboards and markers. The Prometric employees declined my request for paper and pencil. They also told me this was a NASBA policy, not a Prometric policy. The noteboards aren't so bad (whatever), but the markers are a pain. They smear, and they dry out quickly so you are constantly cap off, cap on, cap off, cap on. I actually had one of the markers dry up on me when I neglected to put the cap back on over some period of time. Couldn't tell you how much time since I was trying to concentrate on the exam, rather than the markers. It's a minor distraction, but probably an unnecessary distraction.

[Author]

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