[NVP_TheCPA]

I just took FAR on 7/11 and I don’t know how to feel about it. After reading a bunch of these threads it always seems like if you got a Medium testlet, then Hard, then Medium/Hard again you did pretty good. Whereas I feel like mine were Medium across the board. Does this mean I didn’t do well enough? As much as I see people complain about questions out of left-field it seems like those mean you’re doing good. I feel like I had all “do-able” questions.

The SIMS seemed pretty straight-forward as well. Does this mean I pretty much had to nail the test in order to pass? I’m really nervous as this is my second time taking it. Can anyone offer a little advice and/or experience?

Thanks!

[CPA_Chik]

Hi there! I had the same exact feeling. I didn't feel like the testlets changed in difficulty like I had last time. I had some very easy questions mixed with some longer/trickier ones. My SIMs this time were way more do-able and straightforward compared to the last time. Not sure what to tell you, we are in the same boat. And it's not just us – several people here had the same experience.
“Does this mean I pretty much had to nail the test in order to pass?” – I'm afraid it pretty much comes to it. Unless AICPA suddenly decided to be kind and gracious to the 1st week FAR takers => NOT!!!

REG - 75!!!
FAR - 66; 73 (FML!!!)
AUD - 09/16
BEC - TBD

[Anonymous]

Hi Guys,

Just came out of FAR, and just felt so sad that I am not even mad, just pure depression.

First test was medium, finished in 35m, 2nd was extremely hard, and 3rd was much harder than 1st. Sims was hard but not brutal. I got 1 of the new DR, where it took me like over 22 mins. Basically, I just come to term that I failed this one because I know I am weak on Gov and NPF. Guest what, I got 14 questions on Gov and 12 on NFP.

Just felt like I have to study more. But I don't know what or how to study more to be efficient. I am reading, writing notes, doing MCQs, Sims, even got 83 on Ninja final review.

God (Allah, Christ, Buddha, and any other that can help me get 75 please!!!) LoL

Worst part, waiting while studying for next subject.

[KJ]

@ DLu, NVP & Chick..I am sure you all passed. If you read AICPA how they score the exam, it all starts with medium testlet. How you did in the first testlet determines your 2nd testlet. If you think you got harder questions in 3rd testlet it means you did good on 2nd testlet which you said was hard. My understanding of reading the way they score the exam is you have better chance of passing if your testlet were harder because someone answering hard question correctly has more weight than someone who is correctly answering easy/medium questions.

Now that does not mean that if you get medium testlet you failed. You have equal chance of passing because correctly answering medium question can still get you 75 compare to someone who answered harder questions correctly may score in 80's or 90's.

I am no expert and who really knows how they score these exams but that is what my thought process is. Good luck to you all and again I am sure you all passed!!!

FAR - August 2016
AUD - September 2016
REG - October 2016
BEC - November 2016

Remember: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein

[Hurricane]

I took the exam last week, and I had a similar experience with the MCQ's. All 3 testlets seemed to have the same difficulty level. I didn't really get the sense that they got any harder. As a matter a fact, all 3 had quite a few easy questions mixed in with a lot of short questions that asked about very specific and narrow facts that I didn't bother to try to memorize while studying. The SIMS seemed to be a lot easier than I expected. I was lucky that 2 of the SIMS covered material that I spent a lot of time on the day before the exam. The other SIMS covered material that I was very comfortable with. Overall, I don't think that I did well on the MCQ's, but it is possible that I performed very well on the SIMS. Hopefully, that is enough to pass, but I am not feeling very confident.

AUD - 96
BEC - 88
FAR - 88
REG - TBS

[Bear-Bear]

I didn't notice any increase in difficulty in testlets when I took FAR.

[Anonymous]

it is futile to assess IF you had increasing difficulty on your testlets, for example:i took accounting classes abroad- im a beast with IFRS. so all the IFRS stuff seemed pretty easy to me, however had someone else got it they would have thought it was hard. it is just so subjective. the LAST thing you want to do is think about whether difficulty is incraesing DURING the test, that can prove distracting and costly.

my first test i FREAKED about difficulty not increasing during BEC as i was taking it. caused my time to run low and i didnt even have time to click submit my written questions, time cut off mid writing.i was worried, and i also posted the same exact question you did on the forum 😀

my next one, AUD i freaked AFTER taking the test. i walked out overanalyzing and stressing during the 2 week score wait whether my difficulty was increasing. i thought it wasnt, i found out i got a 92.

my last two tests REG & FAR- i didnt even worry at all. i am not even entertaining the thought of whether testlets got harder. i passed REG with an 89. i am waiting for FAR score release AUg4th

good luck everyone! PLEASE dont worry about testlet difficulty.

[NVP_TheCPA]

I appreciate all of the kind words and positive attitudes everyone contributed to this thread. It seems like some of you had the same experience, so hopefully we all pass!

Also, @eesti you do make a very good point that a lot of the difficulty is subjective. I will definitely keep that in mind going forward. Next up is AUD!

Thanks again everyone!

[garvatron]

I think you guys need to let us know how you ended up doing.

BEC 66, 83 2/27/16
AUD 81 11/28/15

[Author]

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