[Anonymous]

If you Google search “The NASBA Report” you can view the 2015 Jurisdiction Report and the 2015 University Edition for the exams from that year.

2016 And 2017 are available, but you have to pay for them.

The Jurisdiction Report breaks down all the exam performance from 2015 and includes average scores, pass rates, performance on SIMS and different report sections (showing a percentage if test takers that were comparable or strong on those sections) and then a detailed analysis of all that information by state.

Here are some stats from the 2015 Exams Overall:

AUD: Avg. Score 72.7, Pass Rate 47.3%
BEC: Avg. Score 73.8, Pass Rate 56.5%
FAR: Avg. Score 70.0, Pass Rate 46.8%
REG: Avg. Score 71.3, Pass Rate 49.4%

Interestingly, the scores for people taking the respective exams for their first try were higher:

AUD: Avg Score 73.0, Pass Rate 50.7%
BEC: Avg. Score 75.5, Pass Rate 65.1%
FAR: Avg. Score 70.5, Pass Rate 51.6%
REG: Avg. Score 71.6, Pass Rate 53%

The University Report breaks down schools by accreditation and even shows the results for each college/university in terms of how many exams and how many passes those students had.

If you get some free time it’s a solid amount of information to look at, and basically the most in depth results and information from the exams that is available.

It’s helping me kill some time before score release.

[turo9992000]

That's a cool report. I'm also going to read it while I wait. It's interesting to see that average scores go down as candidates get older.

AUD - 64, 80 Passed on 10/09/17

BEC - 75 Passed on 12/09/17

FAR - 69, 71, 73, 83 Passed on 06/10/18

REG - 81 Passed on 09/10/17

[PDiddy2000]

@turo999 that is interesting but not surprising. Like everything else, life gets in the way as you get older. More responsibilities and commitments are more likely to be prevalent at 35+ than at <22.

I'm kind of surprised by the lower pass rate for retakes compared to first time test takers.

FAR-Mar 9,2020 (failed 71), retest May 21
BEC-Passed(I had a few stops and starts because I was studying during my busy season. Lost track of my study stats.)
AUD-Passed(8 weeks,1877 MCQs, and 38 TBSs)-Wiley
REG-Passed(10 weeks, 2000 MC)-Wiley

[Recked]

240,882 exam sections taken x fee = multi million dollar business.
well played NASBA

Am I reading this correctly that the chances of passing All 4 in one shot is 5.1%

Memento Mori - Kingston NY CPA & EA (SUNY Albany 2002)

FAR-93 11/9/17 (10wks, 250 hrs, Roger 1800+ MCQs, Gleim TB 600+MCQs, SIMs)
AUD-88 12/7/17 (3 wks, 85 hrs, Roger 1000 MCQs no SIMs hail mary)
REG-96 1/18/18 (6 wks, 110 hrs, 1400 MCQs, no SIMs)
BEC-91 2/16/18 (4wks, 90 hrs, 1240 MCQs)

[Anonymous]

Now that I'm looking at this again, I think that 5.1% is the number of people who passed all 4 parts in less than 6 months.

So I think that table is showing time and not the # of tests.

[Anonymous]

Roughly $50 million a year? How did I know they were making bank off it? *Prepares budgeting for next NTS*

[mistahDrew]

It's pretty crazy to see that only about 43,000 passed all of the parts in 2015.

[alloverit]

Give a 40 year old the same amount of time as the average 23 year old and I'd bet the “statistics” would change.

That's the issue with statistics like this. They don't account for extraneous variables such as obligations, etc.

The correct stat would likely be that “exam pass rates are ?% lower for candidates who actually have a life and real obligations”.

Yes…I'm a bit salty…but I can admit it.

FAR 81

AUD 83

BEC 93

REG 84

Ross

[turo9992000]

What do they do will all the money?

AUD - 64, 80 Passed on 10/09/17

BEC - 75 Passed on 12/09/17

FAR - 69, 71, 73, 83 Passed on 06/10/18

REG - 81 Passed on 09/10/17

[DoubleBogey]

@turo9992000 it's absolutely spent on R&D to find more reasons to delay score releases.

AUD - 92
BEC - 89
FAR - 79
REG - 84

"I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." Philippians 3:14

[SGood]

The fees that you pay to NASBA are distributed among the state board you applied to, the AICPA, and to Prometric (you can see all the entities involved and their responsibilities on their candidate bulletin.) Which is why it is so hard to get approved for exceptions if your NTS expires or you miss an exam due to some hardship. Since most state boards do not grant exceptions/extensions/refunds, NASBA, because they are working on behalf of the candidates, takes a big hit when they have to pay out the entire exam fee for someone to retake an exam or re-issue an NTS. Imagine someone renting your house for $1000 a month and $800 of that went towards the mortgage, so you made $200. Then, the renter says, well, I was in the hospital the first month so I never lived in the house and then they ask the owner to use that $1000 they paid for the first month to be used towards the second month instead. How easily would you agree to that, you probably wouldn't, and if the renter complained you would bring up some clause in a contract they signed, which is the same thing NASBA, AICPA, Prometric, and your state boards will do (read that attestation page you sign blindly like the APPLE Terms and Conditions Agreement, every time there is an update.) So make sure whenever you are requesting credit extensions through your state board or have an issue with your NTS, or problems at a testing site, that you have all your ducks in a row and good documentation to submit.

[Tim]

Just reinforced my belief that the people who try to hail mary the exams or study just enough to pass (and end up failing) go on to struggle with the other sections. Your best bet is to nail it on the first try by preparing enough that you're confident in passing.

FAR - 97 (10/12/17)
BEC - 95 (01/15/18)
AUD - 88 (04/06/18)
REG - 89 (11/16/18)

[Author]

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