[RandomRandy]

I seem to come across a lot of people at my firm and in real life who downplay how hard the CPA exam is. I get a lot of, “The exam is so much easier now compared to when i took it in 1985” from older CPAs who ask me about the exam. There are also a few none CPAs at my firm who haven’t even started the CPA exam process who always tell me stuff like, “I’ve been doing this for X number of years so when i take the exam ill be able to ace it. Its not that big of a deal.” I honestly don’t know what to say to these people because I understand that they don’t truly understand what this exam is like, but i hate always feeling like what i am doing is a joke to them. It sucks to work really hard for something and then someone make it seem like its not a big deal. I know we all understand the difficulty of the exam but how do you express that respectfully to everyone else who doesn’t understand?

Edit: To make this clear, I’m not saying the exam is harder now than it was before. Thats not the type of discussion i am looking for. I just want to know how everyone discusses the difficulty of the exam with people who make it seem like the exam is easy.

FAR: 74 1/15/16, 72 7/2/16 -_-
BEC: TBD
REG: TBD
AUD: TBD

"Nothing is impossible to him who will try" - Andy Bernard

[Missy]

Don't discuss it with people who aren't currently taking it but if you do, don't have any expectations of their response. In anything in life whether having a baby or taking the exams nobody cares at the time as much as you do.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[RandomRandy]

@mla11692 i try to avoid conversations about the exam, but everyone knows i am taking it so they love bringing it up to me. It always eventually leads to making it seem like passing the cpa exam is like passing a drivers test. lol

FAR: 74 1/15/16, 72 7/2/16 -_-
BEC: TBD
REG: TBD
AUD: TBD

"Nothing is impossible to him who will try" - Andy Bernard

[Missy]

Little self depricating humor never hurts if someone says it's easy just tell them you hope they're right!

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[NA474]

Haha I feel you on that. People love to play the comparison game. Just ignore them IMO. Negative people are always going to be negative. Don’t let them downplay your achievements! And if they talk about how you have it so easy say everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Sure the exam process was a lot more difficult (only able to test one or two times a year (forgot), over the span of a couple of days, etc.) BUT they had to memorize a lot less than we have to now. However, we are able to have the luxury of taking one part at a time….

In all I think given the pros and cons of both it is the same level of difficulty (the new and the old one). Not one is more difficult per say. However, given the choice of what they had to go through vs now I would probably choose now.

FAR-5/31 -PASS
REG-7/29 (TBD)
AUD TBD
BEC TBD

[tg7174]

I just ignore it since they don't know what they are talking about. The people who actually listen to the amount of studying, material, and how the exam is scored are much more sympathetic. I have an older coworker who tells me how he is so glad he never took the exams when I describe the process for myself.

[sallybreann]

When I started my job out of college and before I started taking the exams my co-workers would say things like ‘I took FAR without studying last month and got a 71’ or ‘I passed BEC by studying the weekend before.’ They made me believe these exams were no big deal. I honestly wonder if they were lying about their exam scores or if I worked with a bunch of accounting geniuses. Either way, when I took audit by studying for a week I thought I actually had a chance of passing because of what they told me. When I got my score of 60 back I was so ashamed I didn’t at least get a 71 that I lied and told them I got a 70, that was so immature and petty to lie, but I was so embarrassed. Now that I’ve actually studied for the exams I know how difficult and time consuming they are. Mla11692 gives great advice, don’t talk about the exam with anyone because no one cares about it at the point in time as much as you do.

[sallybreann]

Clearly this is a sensitive topic for me because I’m posting again! My aunt was one that took the exams all at once back in the day. She has since passed away and my parents are not accountants but frequently ask me about the exams and why I’m not taking them. They have told me SOOO many times “you know your aunt Nancy took these exams all at once with no calculator and passed the first try” If my aunt were still alive today I know she’d stand up for me and let my parents know the exams are just as hard as they were back then, just in a different way. I have finally made peace with the fact that my parents don’t understand nor should they unless they are CPA’s themselves. I smile and politely change the subject when they bring it up which is every single time we talk on the phone.

[ForgottenOne]

The old-timer CPA was right. This exam is easier than it used to be. Back in the days, all four parts had to be taken at once over 2 days period.

[Goingallin]

I think it is true we do have the advantage of taking one exam at a time in throughout the year and we have all these online software which makes it easier. I doubt that you could pass in the past without reading the book, HOWEVEr it was all multiple choice questions in the 1980s. I think it's the SIM that causes most to flunk so to say we have it much easier is false.

[Stilgoin]

I know someone who teaches a review course and who took the old version. He said the exam is not any easier now than it was when he took it back in the day, that there are more difficult questions and sims now, whereas when he took all the parts together it was a much easier exam. I think everyone wants to think that their personal experience is the toughest and they have a bias, but we are all at the mercy of the AICPA. I guarantee they are not making these exams any easier. lol

B | 62, 78
A | 73, 67, 79
R | 82
F | 59, 59, Waiting

Ethics | 93

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."
~Winston Churchill

“In a world full of critics, be an encourager."

[Missy]

I think comparing the old way to the new way is comparing apples to oranges.

Yes I am sure it was a challenge to take multiple sections in the same day and wait 6 months for score release.

On the other hand there was no SOX, no IT, tax codes were so different, the entire content and makeup of the exam materials were different.

Frankly I'd trade for a paper and pencil exam in 2 days time if there was no SOX, IFRS, etc.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Tncincy]

You've heard it already, IGNORE IGNORANCE. Don't mean that in a cruel way but people think they know so they think this is just another certification with no idea about the criteria what so ever. Since we know they DON'T know, don't worry about what they say other than good luck, well wishes, etc. Other than that, you WILL be hot and bothered by comments. Spare yourself the pressure.

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[eaglescpa]

I only talk to people about the exam if I know they have taken it before or are studying for it. The only other people I talk to about the exam are my parents, sister and gf because they are the only other people that know what I am going through and the amount of stress I am under.

[Anonymous]

That an interesting subject. And do you guys know the passing percentages from the old days?
Now it's about 45% – what was then?

I would suppose that AICPA is steering the way with this exam in an effort to maintain a fair percentage of successful passers: not too much and not too less.
IMO, that's why they took a break for Q2'2017 score release: if they see that too many candidates failed, they will slightly change passing formulas for the changes not to be too dramatic.

[krstnam]

I feel your pain with the PGC (peanut gallery commentary) about the exam.

Mostly, I ignore the PGC people. I haven't told a lot of people I'm taking the exams, mostly close friends and family and that's only because they would probably wonder why the never see me LOL. There's a few oddball people who know and they were sure interested in giving me their opinions. One person told me it was a waste of time. Another person said, I should get a masters' instead because that degree carries more clout than a certification. Like I said, none of those comments are helpful to me so I just ignore it and move on.

If somebody told me they didn't need to study because they do accounting all day obviously has no idea what is in the CPA exam. I think that comment speaks more about that person than anything else. Smile and say “yeah, you're probably right” then laugh your ass off when they go to take the test and fail miserably.

I just try to focus on #1 when it comes to the test. I have a handful of amazing cheer-leaders that are 100% for me saying how hard the test is, and I'm so amazing just for trying LOL. I tend to talk to those people about my exam experiences because they are so positive and encouraging – mind you, none of them have taken the exam 🙂

[Author]

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