I don't see any issues with this. Makes no difference to me. If I can erase it, even better, but I never used even half of the paper they provided. I don't know a single mnemonic for CPA. How do people cheat on CPA?
mla1169
offlineModerator
The last time I took AUD they had the wand metal detector and the lady asked if there was any chance I could be pregnant.
Yeah, there's ONE question you didn't expect to see on exam day.
I was laughing so hard (my baby days are long gone!) that I could barely sign in.
(beancountermo)
abacus
offlineMember
Bummer. I had to use these for my GMAT (also through Prometric) and was soooo relieved when I was able to use pencil and paper at my first cpa exam appointment. Another reason to wish I had finished this in 2012!
I Want My Life Back 10.12
offlineMember
I am so upset and annoyed by this and couldn't wait to vent about it on Another71.com... I HATED the stupid eraser boards when I took the GMATS! Writing with a marker and laminated board is ridiculous in my opinion. I used up almost every page in my booklet when I sat for BEC at the beginning of the month. I want my paper and pencil back!!
I guess I'll have to use this at motivation to pass BEC and never have to deal with the laminated paper and marker more then once.
Not happy...
splinter1643
offlineMember
I'm hoping Prometric doesn't give me markers that have already gone dry and that I get those fine point markers, not the thick kind we'd might use for highlighting. It's totally time to start doing practice questions with marker and noteboard now!
DeepBreath
offlineMember
I'm sure this is the result of someone cheating, because they are too lazy to pass the exam through hard work.
AICPA, please publish the identities of ANY individuals caught cheating on the cpa exam, so that their peers can dish out some... correction, shall we say. Kind of like from that movie Full Metal Jacket, what they do to Private Pyle.
Brent
offlineMember
Boo to this NASBA! I have a feeling they are tiny square boards and then make us use a thick marker that has been used 100 times. I thought I was being slick jotting down all my mnemonics and ratios right when I sat down... not anymore!
MsMathWiz
offlineMember
I woke up this morning to see the email and thought to myself, it just cant get any worse. Someone here posted to become great with the spreadsheets, I guess due to this change now, I might as well! I see way too many issues with this marker/ laminate board idea. Earlier someone stated its going to be like using crayons, I couldn't agree with you more! I would just hate to have a thick marker and then my ink dries out......ugghh the nightmares coming!!
mdrobbin
offlineMember
@jelly... I don't get it. If someone was already sitting at their testing station, what good would it do to take that marker and draw formulas on their arms and legs? I don't see how that's cheating... just would be kind of silly.
Although I would much prefer the paper and pencil, my guess is the pass rate will stay in the same range. We are all in this together so the pain felt by one is felt by all the others aside from the luck of the draw with some crappy markers. Then again, I'm sure people had crappy pencils somewhere as well.
Just a rainy day at the ballpark... got a little more rain and we all have to pitch in the same conditions. 40%-45% will still pass. The important thing is to not let this get in your head. Push forward and stay focused... let them throw at us what they will... we can still beat it. Bring the pain, NASBA! No other way to look at it for me.
STAT
offlineMember
If they want to prevent people from cheating, they should think about having test takers escorted to the bathrooms on breaks by proctors instead of dry erase boards. My first exam, I saw a girl reading her notes while on a break by the entrance of the building then going back in to the testing center. I know she was on break because they asked her if she read any notes while on her break before they let her back in. Guess that was supposed to shame her into honesty, but it didn't work. Not sure if that's what they were trying to accomplish with the dry erase boards.
(Tina82)
Noct
offlineMember
I've got an idea... They could put lockable shock collars on all candidates before starting the exam, if you go any further than the bathroom... ZAP! hahaha. (*sarcasm font)
(musicamor)
CPApending
offlineMember
Being left handed, this new policy would be a severe problem for me. I tend to drag my hand across my writing when using dry erase.
Thankfully, I am DONE.
I would not like this one bit. Dry erase markers tend to dry out quickly and also squeek.
CPAexamhard
offlineMember
Yikes!!
I know they have our interest at heart, however, I think they should have done a gradual implementation of the laminated paper/dry marker.
How can one cheat on the CPA exam? First of all you are trying to protect the public's interest and must have high ethical values. We all agreed to this before, during and after the test.
With all those wands, cameras, and prometric personnel wandering around the room, literally standing over candidates, any attemp to cheat is squashed. Cheat once, you are bannished from CPA exams forever (all those cameras, etc.)
First pencil and paper exam was eliminated
Second computerized exams administered but scratch paper and pencil provided
Now for 2013 no more scratch paper.
I would say it is just regular changes not attributed to any factors (i.e. cheating) and I pray that I am right.
We have to take the good with the not so good. CFO took CPA exam in pencil and paper era, he said I had it easy. I told him same CPA exam, more materials and pencil and paper era was NOT adaptive.
Point is for those taking the exams starting in 2013, just do your thing. Believe in your abilities to conquer, regardless of the changes.
WICPA06
offlineMember
This really stinks! Time to start practicing working problems on a dry erase board. The question becomes are you able to erase stuff or do you have to keep everything on the noteboards? Other exams you are not allowed to erase on the boards. I will be interested to see what the people taking sections right away in January have to say.
stephanieb
offlineMember
http://www.nasba.org/exams/news/noteboards-used-for-cpa-exam/
It looks like they are not dry-erase type boards. According to the NASBA website, if you fill up all of the boards, you may get two additional boards, but you have to turn in the two boards that were originally issued.
dodgerdawg
offlineMember
The NASBA does not sound very confident in their decision to do this:
"Candidates are advised to at least try the new noteboards. If you have any issues with them, please note your concerns in the candidate survey at the end of the session."
Maybe if enough people complain about them they'll go back to pencil and paper.
littlenumberrobot
offlineMember
I'm sure it may be the first time we all sit and type comments at the end when the survey pops up.
JG45
offlineMember
This sucks so bad! I'm glad i already took BEC and FAR which are probably more calculations intense.
Anyone who's taken REG, do you use a lot of scratch paper? Are the problems calculation heavy?
Honestly, I didn't even like the paper/pencil combo. I had blue and yellow paper for the tests I took and a old school non-mechanical pencil which gets dull after two problems. The erasers on the pencils don't even properly erase!
I felt like i was in elementary school again. LOL
goforCPA
offlineMember
I hate this and the reason is that at least I was able to jot down some last minutes formulas that were in my head before the exam and would refer to them on the paper instead of my memory. I assume the board is small and you will need the space and therefore you cannot put much on the board.
Truly sucks and increases the chance of getting Another 71 !!!
Jeff - another71.com
onlineNINJA
Update: NASBA says they're NOT dry erase markers
goforCPA
offlineMember
Pencil and paper is what makes an effective CPA. Maybe they should give us easels with brushes and water paints. We can then get really creative during the exam.
Also some folks mentioned cheating during the exam. How can you do this with so little time during the exam? Doesn't cheating require more concentration (i.e. looking around and making sure that nobody noticed you are cheating) and takes time away from actually reading the questions?
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