CPA Exam First time pass rate - Page 3

  • Creator
    Topic
  • #157326
    jmjones4
    Participant

    Hey,

    I am just curious as to what the percentage is of people who pass this whole thing the first time? I know its pretty low, but I just wonder if anyone has an actual number of the people who only take each part once.

    Thanks!

    BEC - 79; FAR-79, AUD-80, REG-80

    HOLY CRAP I DID IT!!!!

Viewing 15 replies - 31 through 45 (of 66 total)
  • Author
    Replies
  • #340175
    jeff
    Keymaster
    #340176
    75orbust
    Participant

    REAL CPA EXAM-

    Brad Paisley wrote a song for guys like you….so much cooler online(sarcastic).

    I would like to see you go through the application, scheduling, testing, and results process for these exams and then get back to us all on how “simplified the process” really is.

    Do you work for NASBA, or the AICPA by chance?

    FAR-1/04- 86 KAPLAN Review
    REG-5/12- 89 MN Licensed CPA
    BEC-7/17- 81 ETHICS - 100
    AUD-8/31- 85

    #340177
    TheREAL_CPA_test
    Participant

    WantMyLifeBack, you are absolutely correct. I've encountered many CPA's who were horrible accountants. Whether they passed the old exam or new is not an indication of their true accounting/analytical/problem solving abilities. I've also had an individual who had a Theater degree work for me who was a better accountant than most people I've worked with in this profession.

    Now, I presume that all of you who are responding to me are relatively new to the profession (note: I said presume). If so, you have a great deal to learn in the real world. It is different than what you are reading in your text books. If you really want to challenge my view, do so when you become a Controller in 3 years, develop a shared service for more than 15 financial operations–in excess of $100MM, save your company more than $200K in an audit, implement multiple ERP systems, save your company over $30K in a sales tax audit, or fix the errors of your newly hired accountants–explain to them why we are doing a reversing JE.

    Some of you will turn out to be great in the profession and many of you will turn out to be adequate at best. Some of you already see this amongst your colleagues. As you progress in your career, you too may see the frustration I see with the “new” testing.

    Unlike your mother told you, you are not all winners.

    So you can quote your Brad Paisley, or your Britney Spears, but let's compare resumes before you respond.

    #340178
    jeff
    Keymaster

    So…your beef is what exactly?

    #340179
    IwannaBaCPA
    Participant

    William Parrott, Ph.D. says the passing rates are about 20% in this article: https://www.ascpa.org/Content/38248.aspx

    He also discusses the the differences between the new exam format and the old ‘paper and pencil' format. I found this article interesting…I hadn't actually known too much about the old format, other than I would not have wanted to do it that way any more/less than I want to be doing it this way. It stinks either way…those that took it the old way had no choice then just like those of us taking it now have no choice either…so what the heck are we arguing about?!

    I just hope that everyone is able to pass this exam, get their letters and move on…

    BEC: 79 - April 2011
    FAR: 78 - May 2011
    AUD: 81 - May 2012
    REG: 79 - October 2012
    Ethics: Passed - March 2013
    I am finally DONE!

    #340180
    TheREAL_CPA_test
    Participant

    My point is this….

    I sat for the exam when it was required to test all 4 sections. I passed on the first sitting. The core amount of material has not changed. The key principals have not changed. We had to be prepared for all 4 parts and everything that goes with each. CPA candidates now only focus on one section at a time which does not require the same level of study or preparedness.

    Thus, by allowing the candidate to focus on one section it devalues the accomplishments of those who had passed all 4 sections in 2 days, preparing for everything (on our first sitting). There is no way that the preparation of one section compares. It's absurd to argue it does.

    Now, testers claim a pass on their first sitting but it's diluted. They test over the course of several months. By reading the responses to the initial question of what is the pass rate, it's higher now–appears to be between 10% to 20%. Previously it was less than 10%.

    Be proud of passing, as it is difficult. But also acknowledge that the test you are taking is easier to pass now.

    Again, it's like claiming to run the full marathon but taking a month to do it….not the same.

    That's my beef.

    #340181
    wantmylifeback
    Participant

    Well, if the scoring was graded on the paper/pencil exam like it is now (I presume it was, I don't know), then they only passed a certain percentage of testers. That means you could have a lower exam score and still pass. So by taking all 4 exams at one time, you learned it all at one time, but didn't learn it was well and detailed as the current test takers. We could argue this all day,as it's extremely subjective. There are better and worse characteristics for both exams.

    BEC - 83 (10/22/10)
    REG - 87 (11/30/10)
    AUD - 76 (02/26/11)
    FAR - 79 (04/26/11)

    #340182
    jeff
    Keymaster

    Exam candidates must now know MORE than you did when you had to study. That's a fact.

    SOX, IT, IFRS just to name a few.

    You also didn't have to jack with adaptive testing.

    There is no beef.

    #340183
    75orbust
    Participant

    Wow, sounds like someone got picked on in high school!

    I think your Mom needed to tell you that you are winner, or perhaps give you a lesson in modesty. Then you wouldn't be on here with the sole purpose of gloating to a bunch of people you think you are better than. You are not impressing anyone with your list of accomplishments, I think I can speak for everyone in that the only thing we have gotten out of your posts is the fact you are a pompus a$$.

    Sure glad I don't work for you! And I feel bad for anyone who does

    FAR-1/04- 86 KAPLAN Review
    REG-5/12- 89 MN Licensed CPA
    BEC-7/17- 81 ETHICS - 100
    AUD-8/31- 85

    #340184
    wantmylifeback
    Participant

    And if you want to use another analogy – maybe the old exam was a marathon, but the current exam is like four sprints.

    BEC - 83 (10/22/10)
    REG - 87 (11/30/10)
    AUD - 76 (02/26/11)
    FAR - 79 (04/26/11)

    #340185
    jeff
    Keymaster

    From my free “50 things” book:

    38. How does the difficulty of the current exam format

    compare to the “old days” when it was paper and pencil?

    Looking for some ammo to refute that snobby boss or rude uncle who took the CPA Exam back in the “paper and pencil” days who claim you have easy?

    Let them chew on this:

    I. The historical first time pass rate is basically the same as it was ʻback in the dayʼ

    II. Their exam day experience was more rigorous – they had to go site in some big room with hundreds of other people for 2.5 days.

    III. Your actual exam is more rigorous. In addition to all of the basics that the paper and pencil crowd had to know, the advent of SOX, IFRS, the PCAOB and testing on topics that you couldnʼt care less about like Information Technology makes the current CPA Exam content more rigorous than the olden days.

    The verdict? Itʼs a push. Donʼt take any lip from the Old School.

    Your certificate says CPA just like theirs.

    50 Things Book…

    #340186
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @TheREAL, it's bammers2, not bammers3. That is all.

    #340187
    kevin_bacon
    Participant

    @TheREAL_CPA_test

    cool story bro. but seriously, if you were really THAT good at what you do, you would be so busy with work that you wouldn't have this much time to post on an internet chat room that is made for people studying for the cpa exam. its really weird dude.

    #340188
    zooyuka
    Participant

    TheREAL_CPA_test — If you have so much going for you, why are you wasting your time posting here?

    BEC 71,77
    REG 65,85
    FAR 7/1/13
    AUD 8/24/13

    #340189
    Megan
    Participant

    Im an auditor, is 30K or 200K even material? 😉

    BEC 52, 61, 74, 77
    AUD 80
    REG 75
    FAR 50, 60, 70, 74, 83...DONE!!
    ..Texas.. Baby #2 born 4/11/11

Viewing 15 replies - 31 through 45 (of 66 total)
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