6 Topics (Pretest, Adapt, IRT, Pass Score, Cost, Letters) for the New Version

Here are some other interesting topics about the new version of the CPA exam:
PRETEST QUESTIONS
ADAPTIVE TESTING
ITEM RESPONSE THEORY (IRT)
PASSING SCORE
COSTS
CONGRATULATORY LETTERS

PRETEST QUESTIONS

There are operational questions and pretest questions. The operational questions count for grading while the pretest questions do not count. The pretest questions are used to see if they are valid for future testing. If they are valid, they will become operational questions in the future and will count towards grading.

In the new version, there will be pretest questions. But candidates don’t know what questions are pretested, so they can assume that all questions are operational. For the numbers because each of all 4 sections has a different number of questions, I think it is 10 MCQs per section and 1 Regular TBS (not Enhanced or DRS) per section (except BEC, which I think all TBSs are counted). For WCs, I am still sure it is 1 WC pretested. I will certainly know by sometime in August 2017.

I recommend for candidates to answer all questions (MCQs, TBSs, and WCs) completely and seriously as though they are operational and count for grading.

In the old version:
AUD & FAR each had 90 MCQs; 75 operational and 15 pretested
BEC & REG each had 72 MCQs; 60 operational and 12 pretested
All sections each had 1 TBS (or 1 WC for BEC) pretested.

[After Q2, the AICPA may use various statistics to analyze candidates in different ways and standards. In one way, it may regard all questions as operational; in another way, it may regard some questions as pretested. The predetermined scores in these 2 ways for one test taker are compared for validity and further analysis.
The info in brackets is complex and too technical, so it is not discussed here any further.]

ADAPTIVE TESTING

The CPA exam is adaptive. All candidates start the test with a medium MCQ testlet. If candidates do well on a medium MCQ testlet by answering most of the MCQs correctly, they will move on to a difficult MCQ testlet. Otherwise, they will move on to a next medium MCQ testlet.

A medium MCQ testlet consists of most number of medium questions with a few difficult questions. A difficult MCQ testlet consists of most number of difficult questions with a few medium questions. A difficult question has more point values than a medium question, so a difficult MCQ testlet has more points to grab than a medium MCQ testlet.

In the new version, there are only 2 MCQ testlets and 3 TBS testlets (2 for BEC) for each section. I think there is adaptive testing on the MCQ testlets. But I don’t think the TBS testlets are adaptive even though each section has 3 TBS testlets (2 for BEC). I am still sure the WC testlet is still not adaptive.

I think the CPA exam is adaptive to the MCQs only.

In the old version, each section had 3 MCQ testlets, so all 3 testlets were adaptive to each other.
Variations in the old version were: M-M-M, M-M-D, M-D-M, and M-D-D.

ITEM RESPONSE THEORY (IRT)

The CPA exam uses IRT for MCQs and TBSs because they are objective. WCs are subjective and are not using IRT. IRT is a psychometric approach to scoring of different questions based on difficulty, test takers’ performances, pattern of correct & incorrect responses, and other statistical properties. IRT ensures that the scores are comparable and fair to different candidates.

As previously mentioned, the CPA exam is adaptive. It has difficult questions and medium questions. I know that a difficult question is worth more points than a medium question. But it does not mean that one difficult question has the same point value as another difficult question in the same MCQ testlet; one is worth 2 points while another is worth 2.25 points.

All MCQs and TBSs (even Research TBSs) have IRT. WCs don’t have IRT because they are subjective. It does not mean that WCs are never going to be graded electronically and quickly. It does mean that completely different responses in WCs from different test takers may get the same amount of points.

In the new version, I am still sure that IRT is still being used.

PASSING SCORE

The passing score at this time of the post is 75. 75 does not mean “75 percent correct” because of IRT.

In the new version, I think 75 is still a passing score for now.

The AICPA will statistically validate the candidates’ performances on their tests and, potentially, to set a new passing score.

I won’t be surprised if 70 is the new passing score once I find out in August 2017.

COSTS

In the new version, the section cost for each of the 4 sections is $193.45.

BEC & REG each increased by about $20 (actually $19.85) to accommodate for the increased 1 hour (from 3 hours to 4 hours).
As a result, each of all 4 sections of the new version has 4 testing hours.

The increases of $20 of costs of BEC & REG actually applied to Q1 2017, the last testing window of the old version.

In 2016 in the old version, AUD & FAR each was $193.45 (also now) and BEC & REG each was $173.60.

CONGRATULATORY LETTERS

When candidates have completed all 4 sections and, at the same time, hold all 4 credits of the CPA Examination, they will receive congratulatory letters from their jurisdictions. They will receive the letters on the date after the testing window when they passed the final section and completed the CPA Examination.

Q1 Testing Window: April 15
Q2 Testing Window: July 15
Q3 Testing Window: October 15
Q4 Testing Window: January 15

In the new version, the Q2 testing window score release is on (presumably) August 18, 2017. This will delay the receiving date of the congratulatory letters. For some candidates that have just 1 (or 2) section needed to pass, they will not receive congratulatory letters on July 15, 2017. Once they find out, on (presumably) August 18, that they pass the entire exam, they will receive the letters on September 2017 probably.

I think Q3 and Q4 of 2017 stay the same in terms of the dates of candidates receiving congratulatory letters.

OTHER TOPICS NOT DISCUSSED

APPEALS and REVIEWS of candidates’ scores are not discussed here.

Best of Luck for the CPA candidates taking the new version, beginning on April 1, 2017.