[Wannafree]

GMAT & GRE Reading Comprehension Tested Like CPA Exam? Do any of you believe that CPA exam ( new format ) is testing the reading comprehension of a student and that’s why they put the facts in email or memo? GRE and GMAT do test the reading comprehension and we all know that. Your opinions are welcome.

[Anonymous]

It's testing your understanding of accounting concepts and how to apply them in a “real world” environment…. I think it assumes we can sift through muck to get to the important stuff…. My two cents:)

[Recked]

Directly or indirectly, absolutely. And it always has.
The wording of a question and what the question is actually asking have always been a part of the CPA exam experience.
The SIMS might bring a new level to the reading comprehension but its always a factor for sure.

[Anonymous]

Yes, the Sims definitely are testing reading comprehension and analytical skills. It’s a combination of both skill sets that must be used in an efficient manner to move through the mounds of information. Time management and higher order thinking is the key to success. REG Sims were brutal for me.

Goodluck.

[r00shine]

Not sure about the GRE but GMAT is much more about reading comprehension than the CPA. The GMAT questions involve very precise details relating to english and the topic being discussed does not matter as much. In the CPA, they really arent trying to test your reading comprehension, they are testing your knowledge on the subject matter. But still, sometimes if you dont pay attention, you could misinterpret the question but i still dont think that is their objective for the most part.

[Anonymous]

It tries to, to an extent, but it doesn't really succeed. I'm talking about the DRS questions mainly. They think that if you can knock out a DRS situation in 15-20 minutes that you can do something like it in the “real world.” Of course, in the “real world” you have hours to work on it. But as far as SAT-type evaluation of how well somebody reads (how fast, and how much they absorb in a very limited amount of time), the CPA doesn't do that. Not from what I have observed on FAR, BEC, and AUD anyway. Haven't taken REG yet. They do test writing skills on BEC obviously, which I think is a great thing because most people suck at written communication.

There are many schools of thought about standardized tests and how well they predict success in undergrad school, grad school, or in a profession. As far as the CPA predicting how well somebody does in their career, it's pretty much nonsense. Virtually every CPA I've known has said that they use almost none of what was covered on the exam on a daily basis. The CPA doesn't test a lot of the in-depth stuff they do with audit and tax. Most of them have attested to the fact that the CPA was merely a rite of passage. I don't think the same thing can be said about the BAR or med school board exams. They could totally revamp the CPA to be a higher-level test. But, for some reason they don't feel the need for that.

[PNS2CLT]

DRS and similar TBS are absolutely testing comprehension skills. The questions may have an accounting theme, but you certainly don't have to know jack squat about accounting to get them right (with few exceptions — for example, the sample FAR DRS has you remove EPS since it's not appropriate for the document).

Consider a simulation on bonds with multiple tasks to calculate funds received at issuance (and it'll probably be between interest dates), carrying value after 4 years & journal entries to record the gain/loss in paying the bond off early.

Now consider a DRS that highlights specific sentences, and you have to determine what they're asking and hunt through various documents to see what fits there. That's exactly what comprehension skills are! I'm sure there's some wrinkles in there, but for the most part, they're straight forward.

[Anonymous]

I'm talking about the really *hideous* DRSs with 6 document tabs that you have to constantly toggle back and forth between. I got two or three of those suckers on BEC a few months ago.
I left one of them blank because it just pissed me off. Okay, give me one of those. Fine. Don't throw three of them at me and expect me to finish them all, plus the rest of the SIMs AND the WC's.

@PNS2 yeah, the FAR DRS's aren't bad. The one you mention with the bonds, that's just an amortization table. Most people know how to handle those fine. But those godawful ones with the “DELETE TEXT” and like *SEVEN* other choices to choose from…..igh. It doesn't test how well you know the stuff. Sorry.

A really good reading comprehension-type question would involve reading an article and answering questions about it, not MCQ format. But, the exam writers have not forayed into that area yet.

[Author]

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