[jeff]

The CPA Exam pass rates for the First Quarter of 2011 have been released by the AICPA.

Auditing and Attestation:

2009 Q1: 47.61%

2010 Q1: 46.86%

2011 Q1: 43.88%

AUD passing rates are down 7.8% over 2009 and 6.4% over 2010.

Business Environment and Concepts:

2009 Q1 46.23%

2010 Q1: 46.59%

2011 Q1: 42.32%

BEC passing rates are down 8.5% over 2009 and 9.2% over 2010.

Financial Accounting and Reporting:

2009 Q1 45.54%

2010 Q1: 44.95%

2011 Q1: 42.43%

FAR passing rates are down 6.8% over 2009 and 5.6% over 2010.

Regulation:

2009 Q1: 47.96%

2010 Q1: 49.00%

2011 Q1: 41.28%

REG passing rates are down 13.9% over 2009 and 15.8% over 2010.

Analysis:

Wow. The lowest passing rates in 3 years. Q1 is historically the worst quarter of the year for CPA Exam passing rates (tax season), but this is a little surprising. I figured pass rates would stay pretty close to 2010, maybe a little lower. What’s up with REG?? I’ve heard people say that REG was brutal in January/February. Now I believe them.

Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS) | Another71 | NINJA CPA | NINJA CMA | NINJA CPE

[herbert7890]

I wasn't joking when I said REG 2011 should be banned, as it could be used as a torture mechanism. They really went overboard with REG, even though I passed, REG was 100% unfair to candidates. It's not good news for CPA candidates, all sections got a lower passing rate and It means more sacrifice to pass and more frustration.

FAR 88 - BEC 86 - AUD 90 - REG 85

[Anonymous]

I'm suggesting there is no method to the madness.

For instance RE: corporate governance:

This morning I read on the NYSE website that “a director is not independent of s/he or a family member in the last 3 years received more than $100,000 (for a twelve-month period) in payments from the corporation other than for director compensation.

https://www.nyse.com/pdfs/finalcorpgovrules.pdf

The Wiley 2011 BEC textbook states on page 39:

“a director is not independent of s/he or a family member in the last 3 years received more than $120,000 (for a twelve-month period) in payments from the corporation other than for director compensation.

Who writes the questions? Who determines the correct answers? How much variation is present in “correct” answers? If correct choice is determined to be 110,000 for the exam…is 120,000 or 100,000 less correct and if so,then by how much? Is one of these answers worth more “parts of a point”?

“Curve's” is the true sense really only apply to people's score in relation to others' scores when there is some kind of fixed basis for scoring. If all of the “more competitive Asian test takers” were to answer 100,000 does their score go up or down in relation to say all the less competitive American students answering 110,000 or 120,000 or whatever else their testing materials taught them was correct??

I once had an intermediate accounting professor who prided himself in making multiple choice questions have 5 correct answers. We had to select the one that was most correct in every instance. There were never any questions with answers you could immediately dis-regard as “wrong”.

He told us it was to prepare us for what we would see on the CPA exam. Differences were that we had a text book, one text book, for which to draw answers from AND we were allowed to see our scores after taking the test to ask questions and to challenge positions.

This is simply not the case with the CPA exam. You're having to select the most correct answer according to whom or what??? The NYSE? Wiley? Becker” Some other publication? Who knows.

[Anonymous]

I guess I was one of the lucky 41% that passed Reg. And I didn't find it really unfair at all, the TBS except for 1 which I had no clue were not very complicated. I read the Wiley book in and out and did all questions twice and there were some unfair multiple choice that wasn't even covered in the material but otherwise for me at least was a fair exam.

[Anonymous]

EM0909153…I hear ‘ya! I've taken these things and been passing them too. But to say anything is “fair” when you have no idea how or what is being scored as “correct” isn't “fair”.

Iwantthisover…I used Becker at the end of 2010. I used Wiley for the Feb. 2011. I put in close to 250 hrs. with the new materials and knew all of the formulas inside/out. I scored “stronger” in the new written questions than those that passed.

Yet, somehow I only improved my failing score by only one point. There's something fishy going on is all I'm saying. I have THREE BS degrees in Information Systems, Accounting and Business Administration from two universities. I had to get permission from the dean of the business school to take 5 Information Systems courses in one semester – to this day no other student has done this.(and I had a full time job… I was sleeping between 1.5 and 4 hrs. a day every single day for 5 months. I've worked for 2 different top 100 corps in america for the last 15 years doing MUCH of this same stuff covered in BEC but dammm if I can pass the thing.

Motivated Asian Students. Seriously? Motivation ALONE does't mean you'll pass this test.

Now, I'll have to get back to studying so I can rest assured if I fail again it wasn't from lack of trying.

Cheers and Good Luck!

[WheresMyLuckyCharm]

well said carolina blues

AUD(2/16/11) 51,64, retake Oct.
FAR(8/5/11)

[Herbieherb]

I Dunno but on the aicpa website they said 1/3 of the 10000 candidates travel from Japan every year just to take cpa. So if they don't have to travel to guam or usa any more, more will take it

NEW YORK- DONE

[NoleRebel]

I just passed REG using Yaeger. I don't know how much of a differene study material makes, but

i felt pretty good about it and felt prepared for everything. I thought it was easier than AUD and FAR

AUD - 48, 71, 70, 79
BEC - 66, 82
FAR - 77
REG - 79

[killaking]

Guys rememeber the Asians also have the language barrier so the test is harded for them. Remebered in college my professor said this, the asian students or the foriegn students had some of the lowest scores on the exam, so its a double edge sword.

FAR: 7/17/10 missed exam FML reschedule 8/29/10-77 EPIC!
REG: 5/31/11-73 SMH, 8/31/11-85
BEC: 4/15/10-72 : retake 10/3/10-80
AUD: 11/28/10-74, 02/27/11-71 FML, 8/1/11-80
Ethics 10/22/22-80, retake 11/28/11 - 88

[kperrucci]

The AICPA is always so adamant about the fact that they “don't curve the exam”….

If it isn't a curve then what else can you call their completely mysterious scoring method?

FAR 4/9/2011: 88 (Becker)
AUD 5/16/2011: 88 (Becker)
REG 7/1/2011: 82 (Becker)
BEC 8/3/2011: 91 (Becker and Ninja)

[Erica H]

There are two MAJOR factors that come to mind which I'm sure influenced the passing rates.

1. Writing sections were all moved to BEC. For me that was always a virtually guaranteed free 5 points which is no longer available on FAR, REG or AUD.

2. Remember they are in the process of switching to completely computerized grading… in the past I think there was a great deal more human intervention on scores. Going forward the computer is going to mostly rule this process, so people should consider that not finishing could be much more detrimental than in the past.

My guess is that they are “tidying up” this whole scoring process going forward, so we can expect more of these types of passing rates in the future.

AUD - 92
FAR - 73, 82
REG - 72, 82
BEC - 84 DONE!!!!!! 🙂

[kristen1479]

Ok, this is random and probably not precise, but here is what I just figured.

If this testing window 11,828 people took REG and only 41% passed. And we assume that 11,828 took REG Jan/Feb 2010 and 49% passed. Also, assuming re-exam candidates only re-register for REG they will pay about $260 to take REG again.

So roughly 946 candidates did not pass this time who may have last 1st qtr. Which then results in an increase in examination fees of $245,960. I know there is a breakdown somewhere as to how much of the exam fees goes to Prometric. But wow!

BEC- 73, 73, 80
REG- 74, 83
FAR- 50(didn't study), 76 (<--How the heck did that happen?)
AUD- 71, 71, 79!!!!!
Finished!!

[zooyuka]

They are definitely raking in the dough. It pisses me off when you register for your NTS that they ask for permission to sell your personal info to solicitors.

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

[Anonymous]

I may be paranoid but I have only had one email conversation with one member here but I have a very “odd” feeling about it. I suspect they are up to something. I am not sure what the something is… could there be spies here seeing if you will divulge inappropriate information? Could there be ordinary scammers for some other reason? I haven’t said anything inappropriate but each time I do not take the bait, the person tries to further draw me in.

Any input , has this happened to anyone?

[jeff]

What are you referring to, Annette?

I disabled the private message feature about a year ago to shut down spammers/scammers from PMing people.

I wouldn't give your e-mail address out on here – it's a public forum and it's the most-visited CPA Exam site on the internet.

Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS) | Another71 | NINJA CPA | NINJA CMA | NINJA CPE

[Anonymous]

It isn't “spam”.. and I didn't give my address out.

[Author]

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