2017 CPA exam changes—Harder or easier? - Page 3

This is not the first SIGNIFICANT change to the CPA exam, it happens every handful of years or so. The people who are mid process are the most affected (hey, you moved the line in the sand) the people who START the process after the changes take place never know any better and it isn't “harder” because they never had it “easier” if that makes sense.

Anyone taking their exams now just accepts as a matter of fact that they will see IFRS. I was around when IFRS was added and read all the “omg nobody can pass now” posts. Pass rates are faily similar to what they were pre-IFRS so we can pretty safely conclude that candidates just adjust their studying in accordance with what they expect to face on exam day.

It's funny you say that mla because with the exception of reevaluation method, IFRS is easier than GAAP. I found it to be that way from the time I was took intermediate accounting. If they finish this convergence thing, the passing rate for FAR would jump by a lot, if not skyrocket.

The aicpa recently pushed for the 150 credit requirement for the exam. Despite the supposed need for more cpa's, obvious additional barriers to entry into the profession is being out into place. If the aicpa's goal was to increase cpa's through an easier exam they probably would not increase the qualifying educational component.

It appears top me that the aicpa wants to enhance the quality of the license by increasing difficulty and education requirements.

It is very related if you consider that organizations have an overall strategy for pursuing course of actions.

Pushing for grad courseschool falls in line with the aicpa the strategy of maximizing cpa professional quality by increasing barriers to entry into the profession.

Statistics in the past few years shows that despite an increase in accounting majors, new cpa'so have flat lined, which has been attributed to the increase in required credits. So a lower perverse of accounting major graduates are obtaining a cpa.

Despite this supposed upcoming shortage of cpa'a I have not seen employers desperate to hire qualified employees. Perhaps this supposed upcoming cpa shortage is overstated.

The trend over the past couple decades have been companies shrinking their accounting department. I expect this to continue going forward.

In addition, many large companies have outsourced internationally their accounting operations work in anticipation of the ‘accounting shortage' coupled with lower salary expense. I also expect this to continue going forward.

Now the question I ask you is, if the AICPA is diminishing the quality of the CPA, what reason do companies have to keep any accounting jobs here? The international employees have their own masters degrees and professional accounting certificates and licenses. Technology will continue to make it increasingly easy for these jobs to be outsourced or eliminated.

To add to that, few if any of the low level positions require a CPA license. So there is no real conflict between the boomers retiring and raising the bar for the CPA license. Those who get to the point where they need to be a CPA to progress will either become licensed, or they'll be surpassed by someone who can meet the new higher standards.