[ABTX411]

I keep seeing all these posts from people who are attempting to assess the difficulty level of each of their testlets. I can tell you with 100% certainty (from personal experience) that it is IMPOSSIBLE to accurately assess this, and there is nothing positive that can come from this assessment. For instance, you think “my testlets didn’t get any harder, I must have failed.” But in reality, you just really knew your shit, so it didn’t FEEL any harder. Then you get your score, and you actually got a 90. Yay! But you just spent the last 3 weeks totally bummed out and less productive than you should have been because you thought you failed a section. Or… you think, “Woo hoo! My second and third testlets were KILLER!!! I must’ve done really well.” When in reality, you totally bombed it, and it only felt harder because the test had a bunch of easy questions over a topic that you just didn’t fully understand. Then, when you get your score, you feel even more defeated because you thought you did so well.

And the absolute WORST case scenario – during your test, you get to the second testlet, and it doesn’t feel any harder. In reality, it’s a testlet that has material that the AICPA considers “difficult,” but you’re super familiar with the stuff, and you think it’s easy. You start to freak out because you think you’re not doing well, and then you psych yourself out, and you start performing poorly on questions that you otherwise would have aced.

I repeat, There is NO WAY TO KNOW until you get that score.

So take your test. Take a deep breath. Drink a beer. You’re allowed to take 24 hours to flip the f***k out, then move on. Keep your head up, and tell yourself that no matter what happened, there’s always next time if needed. The next test is around the bend. That should be your focus. Keep plodding forward, and conquer the beast.

BEC - 90 - 2/04/2016
AUD - 97 - 2/29/2016
FAR - 92 - 4/19/2016
REG - 88 - 5/19/2016

[A]

The incessant hand-wringing about passing, countered by whinging about having to put forth actual effort to pass is pervasive on this board – and absolutely suffocating. But then, I suppose most of the posters are under 30.

Thank you.

B A R F

B - 77 (2.27.16)
A - 81 (4.18.16)
R -
F -

Roger Review + Ninja MCQs

[ncjm304]

I wholeheartedly agree. I tried to stop this over analyzing after I went through some of the aicpa questions for REG. When I went through the “difficult” questions, I actually got more correct from there than the “medium.”

When I passed REG, it didn't feel like the exam was getting any more difficult during the multiple choice. But I passed comfortably with an 83. I don't think it's worth the stress to worry about if it's getting harder or not.

AUD - 79
BEC - 77
FAR - 83
REG - 83

Licensed FL CPA

AUD- 71,79
BEC- 72,77
FAR- 83
REG- 63,71,83

DONE!

[Martin]

ABTX411, this is the best post of I have seen in 2016. I have also noticed that people automatically think a question is hard just because it has 1 or 2 sentences more than the “easy” one. Dont vote for Turmp!

Through God all things can happen!

“You never fail until you stop trying.”
― Albert Einstein
When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people;as I grow older, I admire kind people.
“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”

FAR= 72-84
Audit= 73-82
BEC= 74-75
Reg=77

[Bear-Bear]

I agree with OP's point…medium/hard are highly subjective and very hard to accurately judge.

However, regarding the hand-wringing, whining, etc. – I can't begrudge people for commiserating about their exam experience on a board that is intended in large part for…people to commiserate about their exam experience. Some folks fret a bit more than others, and maybe find comfort in the advice offered here. It doesn't bother me much.

But hey, that's just me. My opinion and a dollar bill probably can't buy a can of Pepsi.

FAR - PASS
BEC - PASS
REG - PASS
AUD - PASS

Done and licensed!

[Missy]

Half the “fun” of the exams is thinking you're going to crack the davinci code of the AICPA, predict your grade accurately, figure out how to translate “weaker” and “stronger” from the score report to a guaranteed pass, and find the magic way of getting your score five seconds before score release lol.

Old timer,  A71'er since 2010.

Finance manager/HR manager

 

 

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

[Track55]

I also don't like many of the posts. I don't mind people asking for help, but the “I just came home, how do you think I did” ones bug me for example. You should be more concerned with getting ready for work tomorrow.

Then again I am 40. I prefer to think about the future not the past.

AUD - 99
BEC - 83
FAR - 86
REG - 92

California - Internal Audit

CPA since December 2016.

(took seven tries, 1 year 10 months).

AUD - 74, 99 !!
REG - 74, 92
BEC - 83
FAR - 73, 86

Studying for Ethics exam

California candidate
Business and Industry

[rminrx8]

@TRACK55 great improvement on AUD ! may i ask what you did different? i will be sitting for the AUD section in a few days and i got a 69 on my first try 🙁 looking for any advice

thanks !

[laviathon]

My understanding of the grading process: All candidates can pass the exam. The level of difficulty and getting a passing score are not correlated. Caveat: If you get a hard testlet, all that means is you can answer less questions right to pass than a person who got an easy testlet; hence, the person with the easy testlet has to answer more questions “right” to pass. Confusing? lol

[FIFOisbetterthanLIFO]

I agree, but please stop wasting forum space posting this crap.

FAR - Passed (82)
BEC - Passed (76)
AUD - Passed (89)
REG - Passed! (81)
AICPA Ethics

Licensed CPA

[monikernc]

i'm with you. censorship should thrive whenever and wherever it is possible to impose it. i mean really.

AUD - 93
BEC - 82
FAR - 76
REG - 88

How have you been?
Ninja book and MCQs and the forum, all first try! 2016
Licensed State of Montana April Fool’s Day 2020
State of Colorado June 2020 - AICPA Ethics 93
Experience was the worst part of the journey for me. You?
If you want things to change you have to do something different.

FAR 7/25/15 76!
AUD 10/30/15 93
BEC 2/27/16 82
REG 5/23/16 88!
Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
if you want things to change, you have to do something different

[Bear-Bear]

Anyone want anything to eat or drink? I figured that I was going to stop by the snack machines, since I had just something salty and i thought i would get something sweet and since I was up there… you know?

FAR - PASS
BEC - PASS
REG - PASS
AUD - PASS

Done and licensed!

[spikesrd]

I get the post. I love the post…

That said, all the pageantry that accompanies the process of passing the CPA exam is a key part of what makes becoming a CPA so fulfilling. We all roll our eyes at the older CPA's in our firms that tell us the “back in my day when I was studying for the test” stories, but we all long to join them in the exclusive 300 club. Obsessing over the testing process is a byproduct of us needing to commiserate with people that understand our “shared” experience. Our need to feel like we're not alone while going through the process leads to the hyperbolic “whining” that makes up a large part of this forum. Complaining about the difficulty of the exams is one of the many rites of passage that we are all entitled to. I see 99% of the posts in here as people looking for companionship on a tough journey, Another 71 is the Sam Gamgee to my Frodo Baggins. The CPA is my burden to bear, but Sam/Another 71 gives me the support I need to do it. Let's all agree that whining and complaining about the CPA exam is something that brings us closer together. In 10 years you'll be interviewing for a staff position and that one candidate with the CPA exam passed will walk into your office. You won't know much about them, but you will know that they busted their ass just like you did. Whine away on A71 and take comfort in knowing that you are not alone. Thanks, Jeff.

“The reward for work well-done is more work.”

BEC - 05/26/2015 77
AUD - 07/27/2015 88
FAR - 08/31/2015 80
REG - 11/30/2015 73, 04/18/2016 80 Done!!!

[Stilgoin]

^^^^^^^@spikesrd Word. 😉

Stilgoin, CPA

There are enough critics. Be an encourager

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."

[PleaseDontDeleteThanks]

@spikesrd hit the nail on the head. When studying, I used this forum to help vent my anger, anxiety, and frustration. I stopped punching walls, and replaced it with passive-aggressive slights at myself, NASBA, AICPA, FASB, and GASB.

If you don't like the forum, then you can request that Jeff change it, but we can't just ask people to refrain from posting when they need our help.

If nothing else, ask Jeff to add a thread that restricts post-exam-pouting to a certain section of the forum. It still serves an important purpose, and may increase site functionality.

FAR 72, 89
BEC 80
REG 90
AUD 79

[Biff-1955-Tannen]

@spikesrd you're just being selfish. You say that like OP and mecrushya has a choice to not click those threads. They have literally 0 choice. They're forced to click them and then forced to apparently have their day ruined by it. So to you and everybody else, you need to just suck it up and shut your mouths so we don't ruin their days anymore.

AUD - 93
BEC - 83
FAR - 83
REG - 84

Nobody calls me chicken

AUD 93 Jan 16
BEC 83 Feb 16
FAR 83 Apr 16
REG 84 May 16

99% Ninja MCQ only

[Author]

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