Score Releases and Testing Windows (and More Info) for the New Version

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  • #1525393
    GWS CPA
    Participant

    Here are the target score release dates for the new version of the CPA exam:
    2017 [Testing Window >> Target Score Release Date]
    Q2: Saturday, April 1 – Wednesday, May 31 >> Wednesday, August 16 – Friday, August 18 (10 weeks) (really 11 weeks)
    Q3: Saturday, July 1 – Sunday, September 10 >> Friday, September 22 (10 days) (really 10 business days)
    Q4: Sunday, October 1 – Sunday, December 10 >> Friday, December 22 (10 days) (really 10 business days)

    I think these score release dates (or even the length of a quarterly testing window) may be subject to change(s).

    The dates are targets (not exact guarantees), meaning that the scores may not be released during these dates for these reasons:
    1. Some state boards of accountancy require at least 1 day after the target date to process and release exam scores.
    2. Some candidates may receive their BEC scores about 1 week after the target date for additional analysis of WCs (“BEC bubble”); this especially may happen if they get close to passing/failing and their WCs are graded further by CPAs manually (hand-graded). I think this reason may be insignificant due to the lengthy delay of score release.

    Saturdays, Sundays, and some holidays are not considered business days.

    As we get closer to a mentioned target date, the AICPA will publish the official (100% likely) target score release date and time (for example, August 18 at 1am EST).

    REASONS for the Delayed Score Releases in Q2, Q3, and Q4 of 2017

    The delays in score releases (especially Q2) provide the AICPA sufficient time for standard setting process to statistically validate candidate performance and to set a passing score for the new version of the CPA exam. After the end of Q3 and Q4 testing windows in 2017, additional data analyses are required for quality assurance and validation purposes. As the consequence, the scores will be released only one time per quarter.

    NEWS about Expiration of Credits by Delayed Score Release of Q2 2017

    + There is good news for candidates that their section credit(s) will expire soon in 2017 (e.g. April, May, June, July, or August).
    – Candidates do NOT have to contact with their state board of accountancy about extending their section credit(s). The AICPA, NASBA, and state boards are aware of the delayed score release for the Q2 2017 testing window.
    – GOOD IMPORTANT NOTE: NASBA’s National Candidate Database is designed to prohibit expiration of conditional credits until advisory scores are received if candidates take the exam (especially in Q2 2017) prior to the date of their score expiration.
    – In June & July of 2017, NASBA will contact the state boards that candidates have taken their tests in Q2. Then, the state boards will notify candidates about this news, and the state boards will extend the section credit(s) to a certain new expiration date, depending on the state boards.
    – NASBA suggested to the state boards to extend all section credits to December 31, 2017 for all candidates. But the state boards may do different ways to extend the credits. Extensions of credits are on an individual case-by-case basis.
    – A (different) state board may (but are not limited to):
    1. grant a 3 (or 6) month extension of the credit(s);
    2. extend to December 31, 2017; or
    3. to (presumably) August 18, 2017, and give successful completion of the CPA Examination if candidates find out that they have passed all 4 sections and keep (on hand) all 4 section credits at the same time by (presumably) August 18, 2017.
    – After being notified, candidates may have to check on their emails, state board, or NASBA candidate website to see if their credit(s) has/have been actually extended.
    – CAUTIONARY NOTE: The Q2 score release is in Q3 testing window, so candidates cannot retake a section that they had taken in Q2 until their scores are released on (presumably) August 18, 2017. If they find out that they fail a section, they may be unable but they can, at a slim chance, to retake in Q3. This slim chance is, at most, 16 total days and 10 business days from August 26 to September 10. To do this impracticable task, they have to apply for the new NTS, which it may take several business days to be received and, after that, to schedule for the test at least 5 business days later. This might leave to only 6 days and 4 business days in September. This is CAUTIONARY, so I will NOT RECOMMEND this action because restudying everything in a failed section from Q2 may not be possible at about less than 15 days after the score release and candidates probably fail this section again in Q3.

    TESTING WINDOWS and the 10-Day Testing Window Extension

    – Historically, the testing windows were only the first 2 months of each of the 4 calendar quarters. The 3rd month of each calendar quarter was the blackout month, meaning that the CPA exam was not available to take during the blackout months.
    – From Q2 2016 to Q1 2017, there were 10-day test window extensions during these quarters; these windows were extended to include the first 10 days of the 3rd month, in addition to the first 2 months, of each calendar quarter. The testing windows were extended because there was anticipation of more candidates taking the exam. These candidates wanted to avoid the harder new version of the CPA exam by taking the easier old version of the CPA exam in the remaining testing windows before Q2 2017. This anticipation was actually happened because there were apparent increases in the number of candidates sitting for the exam in the whole 2016 and Q1 2017.
    – The 10-day test window extension continues in Q3 and Q4 of 2017 but not in Q2 2017. Q2 2017 is the first ever testing window of the new version; however, it does not get a 10-day extension because, for 10 long weeks after the Q2 window, the AICPA will conduct extensive analyses for standard setting process to statistically validate candidate performance and to set a passing score for the new version of the CPA exam.

    TIMING and TIMELINES of Score Releases

    – Before Q2 2017, the scores were released in multiple intervals, called waves, in a single testing window; this applied to many testing windows for the past several years (2011 – Q1 2017).
    – Now, for the remainder of 2017, each testing window (Q2, Q3, and Q4 of 2017) in the new version has only 1 score release date.

    Previous Score Release TIMELINE

    Here is the timeline of the waves of score releases in a single testing window (Q2 2016 – Q1 2017):

    [Day a test taker took the test for the testing window
    > At or before a Day (by 11:59pm EST that Day) the AICPA has received a test taker’s test data
    >> Approximate number of business days that the scores will be released after a particular Day]

    Wave 1: Day 1-20 > Day 20 >> 11 days after Day 20
    Wave 2: Day 21-45 > Day 45 >> 6 days after Day 45
    Wave 3: Day 46 – End of 2nd Month > End of 2nd Month >> 6 days after End of 2nd Month
    Wave 4: First 10 days of 3rd Month > 10th Day of 3rd Month >> 6 days after 10th Day of 3rd Month
    Wave 5: First 10 days of 3rd Month > After 10th Day of 3rd Month >> 6 days after the AICPA received all test data from the testing window

    This timeline is called the “average 20-day rolling score release timeline”.

    For example, Q1 2017:
    Wave 1: January 1-20 > January 20 >> February 7 (12 business days)
    Wave 2: January 21 – February 14 > February 14 >> February 23 (7 business days)
    Wave 3: February 15-28 > February 28 >> March 8 (6 business days)
    Wave 4: March 1-10 > March 11 >> March 21 (7 business days)
    Wave 5: March 1-10 > After March 11 >> March 24 (10 business days)

    Usually, there are exceptions (especially in the approximations of score release dates) due to unforeseen circumstances, so they may be small deviations and changes in the dates.

    Saturdays, Sundays, and some holidays are not considered business days.
    + The AICPA has to receive the test taker’s test data by 11:59pm EST at that certain date in order for the wave to apply.
    – For example, if you take the test on Day 20 and the AICPA receives your test data on the same day, you are in Wave 1 and you will receive your test score 11 days later.
    – For another example, if you take the test in Hawaii on Day 20 but the AICPA in Eastern U.S. receives your test data on Day 21 at 1:00am EST, you are in Wave 2 and you will receive your test score about 31 days later after Day 20.
    In the score release date, the scores are released at 1am EST (Eastern Standard Time zone) on that date.

    Future (Beyond 2017):
    – The “average 20-day rolling score release timeline” will be expected to be back in January 2018 (Q1 2018), but this may be subject to change.
    – NASBA will review the continuation of 10-day test window extensions after 2017 with state boards of accountancy to see if the extensions are necessary for the 2018 calendar quarters.

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

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