Is a 71 close?

  • Creator
    Topic
  • #160628
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I don’t like the new score diagnostic report. It’s more worthless than before. I don’t know if everyone receives the same report or not (I’m in Indiana). At least the old report has percentages for the respective content areas. Honestly, I believe these percentages were removed so people wouldn’t be able to try to ‘calculate’ their score and then call NASBA and complain. Now I am left to wonder if my two 71’s are close to passing. FAR was weaker in all areas except gov’t accounting. M/C = weaker, SIMs = comparable. Still waiting on the BEC score report. Does anyone have any ideas or know anything that could help.

Viewing 13 replies - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
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  • #286986
    kandisjoy
    Participant

    California's score report is the same way now. It's awful. Especially since for REG I scored stronger or comparable in all sections except for one, but somehow scored “weaker” overall in MCQ. Very confusing and not enough information at all. I figure I must have just done really awful in that one Weaker section.

    Then I passed AUD, but I scored Weaker in two sections! And somehow scored “Comparable” on MCQ. If you look at my two score reports, you'd think I passed REG and failed AUD. But it's the opposite!

    FAR: 71, 77
    BEC: 70, 82
    AUD: 62, 78
    REG: 71, 68, 85

    CA Licensed 11/2011

    #286987
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    In Indiana you get nothing if you pass so I have no idea how I performed on AUD. Would have been nice to know! Honestly, without a percentage score per section it's totally worthless.

    #286988
    HazeEastwood
    Participant

    When you score stronger or comparible to others in most areas but 1 or 2 you probably got a lot of questions from that area. I know that's what happened to me the first time on REG. The area I got weaker in was the area I knew I got a lot of questions in.

    FAR-81
    BEC-84
    AUD-91
    REG-89

    #286989
    nuclear3579
    Member

    71 is very close. I got a 71 on FAR, restudied and then got an 80.

    BEC - 84
    FAR - 71, 80
    REG - 82
    AUD - 78 - Passed! Done!

    #286990
    jeff
    Keymaster

    A 71 is actually not close as close as you think. In my opinion (based on my experience and talking with literally thousands of candidates over the past 3 years), a 71 indicates that you definitely have what it takes, but there is significant deficiency in your understanding of the concepts in one or more areas.

    A 71 isn't a “cram” away necessarily. It's a full-blown course re-do away from a 75.

    You're close, but something needs to change.

    Just my $.02

    AUD - 79
    BEC - 80
    FAR - 76
    REG - 92
    Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS)
    NINJA CPA | NINJA CMA | NINJA CPE | Another71
    #286991
    hilaryh_88
    Member

    nuclear3579 – Out of curiosity, what did you do again or differently between your first and 2nd FAR attempt?

    AUD - 82 Becker
    BEC - 75 Becker
    REG - 71, 82 Becker
    FAR - 66,61,71,74,70 and #6 80!!!! FINALLY DONE!!! 9/20/12
    Yaeger and Yaeger CRAM for the final battle!

    #286992
    nuclear3579
    Member

    I did two things differently.

    1) I restudied the material again, this time mastering the material and not just getting the becker MCQ's correct. In doing this, I was able to retain a lot more information from the book. I studied the material until I was able to explain it correctly to someone else. Previously, I had just known the highlights, the main points, and prayed for an easy exam. It didn't work.

    2) The day of the exam, I scheduled it in the afternoon. I spent the morning going over most of the biggest concepts and MCQ's that were tricky. I studied some last minute details on the train too.

    I was afraid that by working in the morning that I'd be burnt out…and I was a little towards the end, but it was clearly worth it.

    I agree that a 71 isn't something that cramming can fix, but it shows you've got the stuff. You just have turn it up a notch.

    hope this helps,

    BEC - 84
    FAR - 71, 80
    REG - 82
    AUD - 78 - Passed! Done!

    #286993
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I was only about half way done with all twenty chapters in Gleim so I was happy with a 71. I scored a 61 without studying. So using this logic if I study everything I should get an 81. However, I did walk into BEC without cracking a book and got a 71 as well. Go figure.

    #286994
    WhyEvenTry
    Participant

    I agree with Jeff here.

    I used Becker throughout my testing. In my 1st rodeo with these exams, I tried taking all in one testing window back in the 4 Qtr of 2010 and score mainly all low 70s. But….I felt really rushed into taking the exams and did have some deficiencies in my knowledge and recollection of the materials. After that, I did a complete re-do of the course material one section at a time, and really got a good grasp of what I was doing. My results improved, and now I'm done. I would definitely recommend a complete re-do of the course after scoring in the low 70s AND a cram subsequent to the re-do. That should almost guarantee you a 75.

    BEC - 71, 74, 77 (Feb - 2011)
    FAR - 73, 78 (Feb - 2011)
    REG - 83 (Nov 2010)
    AUD - 71, 84 (May 2011) - Done!! CPA licensed in TX (July 2011)

    #286995
    mla1169
    Participant

    I honestly think someone at the AICPA has a random number generator, dartboard, or numbers from 59-99 in a hat and holds your exam in their hand, pulls out a number, and VOILA! Your score. Thats why the scoring report is so very vague, its chimps in front of a screen and if they press the button on the left, you scored lower than average and if they press the button on the right, you scored higher.

    This is all of course, done the day you receive your NTS, long before you even show up at Prometric. Nothing you do at Prometric even counts toward your grade.

    Then the grades are held on to forever, for special effect.

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

    Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

    #286996
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Hard to say. I don't think 71 is as close as it seems. I see too many horror stories about people getting 74s consistently and cannot get that one point no matter how many times they retake. From the way it seems, it looks like the AICPA makes that one point very hard to earn. So, with a grade of 71, you're better off changing your study method, reviewing everything again, and study as if you're starting from scratch. Study as if the passing grade is a 90 and you should be ok. Trust me. It's better to study like crazy for a 90 now and having to only take it one more time. Aiming for a 75 is risky.

    #286997
    Megan
    Participant

    Ha! mla, that's funny.

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

    #286998
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @mla1169- That's not true. I took AUD over a year ago without studying a thing and guessed my way through the entire exam. I got a 47. This time, I studied extremely hard and gave it everything I got!!! I ended up with an 87 this time. Trust me. When they grade these exams, they know if you prepared for it or not.

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