[I'm, Ron Burgundy?]

I know that we’ve all encountered the co-worker, friend, etc. who feels the need to tell you just how “easy” you have it by taking the CPA Exam one section at a time in a computerized format and how they had to take it over a 2 day period over 16 total hours and had to walk to the exam 90 miles away, in the snow, uphill both ways, wearing shorts in the middle of the Great Depression.

I usually agree with them just to save the argument and to also not disrespect or belittle their achievement in passing as I still have not passed all 4 parts. However, how do you respond? Do you feel as I do – that the exam is actually probably harder now as the amount of information is larger in size with additions such as Information Technology, IFRS, etc. etc.?

Just curious on how other people handle this…

"If you're going through hell, keep going"
- Winston Churchill

"I've missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost over 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot, and missed. I've failed, over and over and over again in my life. And that is why, I succeed."
- Michael Jordan

BEC: (54), (72), 80 (losing credit on 02/02/15 - nervous)
AUD: 78
REG: (74), 91
FAR: (71)

[M.O.D.]

It was hard then, it is hard now.

Several of my accounting professors failed some sections of the test, if not all of it, and some brag about it.

I think respect should flow in both directions. Try doing it without a calculator, calculating ratios by long division.

BA Mathematics, UC Berkeley
Certificates in CPA and EA preparation, College of San Mateo
CMA I 420, II 470
FAR 91, AUD Feb 2015 (Gleim self-study)

[mla1169]

Exam is definitely harder now but even with 3x as much to study I'd rather take it now than back in the pen and paper, wait 6 months for scores days. I'm just glad I got it out of the way before those crazy laminate sheets.

But I do scoff at you crazy kids who complain about how LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG the wait for scores is LOL! 5 weeks? Heck I would have given a kidney to get my scores that fast!

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[teeteenounouche]

OMG the laminate sheets are the WORST, let's not forget about the pens that dry out during the exam and waste precious seconds…

Florida:
AUD: 73, 81! Thank you Lord!
BEC: 73, 77! Thank you Lord! and WTB
REG: 71, 82! Thank you Lord! and A71
FAR: 72, 78! Thank you God and my Mommy in Heaven!

CPA Excel, Ninja Notes & Audio, Wiley Test Bank, CPAreviewforfree

[StephAV]

I've heard that they used to not give scores 70-74… You either passed or you got a 69 or less… That would be nice. But yeah, hearing people saying that it used to be harder would annoy me too. Maybe you could bring up this score thing… I've heard it from multiple CPA's. It makes me feel a little better as my scores have all been in the range.

FAR - 7/13 - 72, 11/13- 74, 2/14- 82!!! Best score ever (for me)!!!
BEC - 1/14 - 75!!! Perfect score! First Pass! YAY!!!
AUD - 8/14 - 80!!!
REG - 5/14 - 72, 10/14 - 66, 1/15 - 78 - DONE FOREVER!!!
I did 5 of the UNA and CPAExcel classes to earn units.

[Gatorbates]

I took my first one back in snow/uphill both ways days.

It was harder then, in my opinion. Only could take an exam twice a year. With pencil, no computer. And all 4 exams in 2 days. 8 hours day one, 8 hours day two. And then a 2-3 month wait for the scores. Try that these days.

Licensed Florida CPA:
B: 71, 73, 79
A: 83
R: 78 (expired), 77
F: 74, 74, 80

It's finally freaking over.

[Sarah1421]

“Gosh, I imagine that was REALLY difficult”…

What else do you say? I bet it was! This has literally been my response several times, but it always leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The comment can come across as a way to belittle the achievement now.

My thought – are the passing rates similar to way-back-when? Or could we conclude that because the pass rate has stayed around 50% that the questions are more difficult now? In full disclosure, I don't have any idea what the pass rate has been historically. However, I would assume that if the questions stayed at the same level of difficulty (as they were presented in the 2 day test), the pass rates would increase when candidates have the option to take each separately.

Or (don't attack me!), were the candidates better prepared in those days?

FAR - 90
AUD - 91
BEC - 86
REG - 87

[mla1169]

I never investigated it but I was told by my former employee that in her day (she is 78 years old) you didn't need to have attended a single day of college to sit for the exam. High School education and that was it. Even without being tested on SOX, etc I can't imagine being able to pull it off without the college education component.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Monkey Wrench]

i had a co worker saying it the other day, and another co worker who was a little older popped up and said it was harder now than it was then because she had taken it when it was the 2 day event (and failed) and eventually went back (a few years ago) and got it. the other employee didn't have a lot to go on after that!

[impska]

I was talking to a coworker about this and he said he was glad that he never even had to think about half the stuff we have to learn now (he did his in the 70s). But everyone agreed that doing it in 4 parts instead of all in two days was better.

So that's all you say, “Yes, I'm glad I don't have to go sit for it all over two days. This is a much better system.” Truth.

REG - 94
BEC - 92
FAR - 92
AUD - 99

[Garion]

I took the exam in 2000 under pressure from the Big 4 firm I began working for at the time. This was still in the days of the two day, four part exam format. They paid for Becker but I never was able to attend classes or had much time to study. I almost passed scoring in the 60's without ever really studying. As this website suggests… you only needed a 71 to pass. My continual career advancement without a CPA and dedication to my employers, have gotten the better of me and am now sitting for the exam 15 years later.

Although, the two day deal was rough… the exam today is tougher and rougher from my experience. Just based on the content… The breadth has not changed with the exception of the addition of IFRS and changes to codification. However, the depth of each section has become more challenging.

After working in the audit world, SEC reporting, and a controller for several international companies… You would think this would be easier… but it isn't. Maybe being removed from academia and being less young (not older… less young) has affected my perception. Either way… the exam then was challenging and today it is challenging.

FAR 84 (7/24/14)
BEC 87 (8/28/14)
REG 84 (10/14/14)
AUD 86 (11/24/14)
Ethics 98 (1/19/15)
Licensed CPA: March 13, 2015

[How many letters do you need]

Most of the people I get this from are pretty respectful of both styles. One thing they did have to deal with is subjective actions by the proctors. I've heard nightmares. One such, the guy was looking at his watch for time and because he had sweat in his eyes he had to hold the watch kind of close to his face. The proctor pulled him aside and interrogated him for 10 minutes that of course he didn't get back. Say what you will about Prometric but you follow their silly rules and you generally have no problems. If I had my exam tossed because of proctor interference I would be a mushroom cloud laying mother….

MBA,CMA,CPA, CFF?, ABV?

[MintsRGood]

I attended a tax conference in my area for CPE last month. The name tags also had the year that you'd been accepted to the state society of CPAs, so mine had April 2014 on it. While I received many congratulatory comments, I assure you that if I had a dollar for every old school CPA who made a rude comment about how much better I had it then they did for the exam, I could have purchased an expensive new handbag! 😉

For the morning sessions, I tried to be diplomatic with comments like “I agree that taking it without a calculator or computer must have been challenging, however with IFRS, PCAOB, IT (ahem, BEC) candidates are required to know tremendously more than just traditional financial accounting, auditing, and taxation. It's not a cake walk for anyone!”. By the end of the day I was sick of hearing it, so I was basically telling people to STFU…in a polite way of course. 😉

Every flavor of this exam is a slow train through hell in it's own special way.

REG: 75 DONE 🙂
AUD: 61, 71, 68, 92 DONE 🙂
BEC: 76 DONE 🙂
FAR: 72, 74, 79 DONE 🙂
Licensed Michigan CPA 🙂
-Some people dream of success...others wake up and work hard for it!!!
-The cowards never start and the weak die along the way!
-You better work, b***h!
-Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.-JFK

[Author]

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