Passing Rate Question

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    Topic
  • September 28, 2011 at 6:03 pm #161957
    WaitingFor BEC
    Member

    I was just checking the pass rates for each quater since 2006 and noticed that every single year, the first quarter rates are the lowest, then they improve over the next 2 quarters and always drop again in quarter 4. I’m sure this has been discussed before but is there an explanation for this? Almost want to hold off on taking FAR until after Q1 of 2012.

    REG - 7/23/11 - 87
    BEC - 8/30/11 - 78
    FAR - 11/23/11 - 89
    AUD - 1/14/12 - 88

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  • September 28, 2011 at 6:08 pm #300765
    kaaCPA
    Participant

    is it because of tax season (feb – april) and people working at public acctg firms are working crazy hours and trying to study? thats my 2 cents.

    AUD | 85
    REG | 77
    FAR | 76
    BEC | 83
    ========
    ETH | 93
    State Board Application pending!

    September 28, 2011 at 6:17 pm #300766
    WaitingFor BEC
    Member

    Tax season is the only thing I can think of for Q1 but I was really just hoping it had nothing to do with the AICPA (test difficulty, pass rate expectations) and was strictly related to the performance of the test takers.

    REG - 7/23/11 - 87
    BEC - 8/30/11 - 78
    FAR - 11/23/11 - 89
    AUD - 1/14/12 - 88

    September 28, 2011 at 6:21 pm #300767
    jjm1181
    Participant

    so does that mean for those who are prepared, they will have a better chance of passing since so many others fail? Aren't the exams scored against each other in some degree? Or is that all just a rumor?

    B 79
    A 75
    R 78
    F 85

    September 28, 2011 at 6:23 pm #300768
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    The passing rates have nothing to do with tax season or anything like that. The AICPA has full control over the pass rates. This is a competitive exam where performances are ranked and then converted to scores based on how other candidates do.

    September 28, 2011 at 6:37 pm #300769
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    CPAMan is right in that questions are pretested so they know exactly how to score the exams to get around the same % passing each testing window. You're not competing directly with the people in a specific window, but you basically have to do better than about 65% of people who take a specific section in order to pass

    September 28, 2011 at 6:56 pm #300770
    jjm1181
    Participant

    Soooooo…to follow up on CPAMan's post, based on pass rates, one would assume that testing later in the year is better than the beginning? Is there any strategy for which testing windows would boost a borderline 75 exam candidate?

    B 79
    A 75
    R 78
    F 85

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