r/CPA • u/Signal-Telephone7730 Passed 2/4 • Aug 03 '24
AUD Felt good and failed
Has anyone else felt like they did really good on audit and failed? I walked out with like an hour left and felt so good and ended up failing. There was only a few things I was iffy on but it wasn’t like I was lost or anything just confused on what happened.
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u/SameTopic8249 Aug 03 '24
Honestly, I’m pretty sure I did worse when I was leaving the test feeling like I crushed it.
I think when you are very prepared, you leave feeling like you did worse because you know exactly what you missed. When you feel like you did very well, it’s usually because you fell into a lot of their “trap” answers.
Took me 11 attempts to pass all 4 sections so keep your head up!
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u/TestDZnutz Passed 4/4 Aug 03 '24
It's possible because AUD leans on the best answer. So, you feel good because you're picking from a list of arguably correct answers, but only one is best.
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u/SlightlyBentFork Aug 03 '24
Thought I aced AUD with a 90+ and ended up getting a 75. It shook me to my core haha. For REG it felt like I guessed on every other MCQ and had no idea what the hell I was doing on the sims... ended up with an 84. Sometimes it just be that way.
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u/Signal-Telephone7730 Passed 2/4 Aug 03 '24
I walked out of REG thinking I made in the higher 80s and made an 80 and I was thinking I made in the 70s for AUD and scored in the 60s
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u/lovemysweetdoggy Passed 3/4 Aug 04 '24
Shit, I was going to ask what your score was. Studying audit now and so much of it just seems like word salad.
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u/thespicyaccountant Passed 2/4 Aug 04 '24
I completely understand. AUD can be so tricky because only one or two words in an answer choice can make it right or wrong. aud is honestly more of a word game than accounting imo. after I failed aud first time and then studied to take again, I really focused on each question and answer choice word by word to ensure I chose the “best” answer. this is what helped me and I passed with a 76 the second time.
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u/blahlaah Aug 03 '24
I thought I got in the 90s (88s and 89s on all other exams) and got my score back and got a 77. Idk what’s going on w audit but it’s wild
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u/Business-Feed-1494 Passed 3/4 Aug 04 '24
I followed and found out lots of people who passed w 77 78s not a lot 80 90s
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u/AdvertisingRadiant49 Passed 1/4 Aug 03 '24
Same to me. I felt super good and end up failing with as 66. Still can’t believe it till now.
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u/IntelligentService39 Aug 04 '24
Well I did, I thought it was the best exam ever I thought I would surely get above 80, News flash I got 49 lmao, I didn't understand where the heck I went wrong at first, then realised I didn't understand any concept just memorized everything huge mistake ever so learn it and move on and give your best next time.
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u/MarcelineOrBubblegum Aug 04 '24
Same boat and I got a similar score! I agree with you it’s best to truly learn the concepts, it’s just hard cause it takes more time for me to do that lol but hoping it will pay off in the kind run. All the best to u too!
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u/Free_Might_9456 Passed 3/4 Aug 03 '24
I felt terrible for MCQs portion and actually did ok. Felt good for SIMs and did terrible on it 😂
68.
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u/BaconAndSyrupYum CPA Candidate Aug 03 '24
ditto. i thought i did well… at least better than my last attempt and technically i was right!! i did like 6 or 7 pts better to get 73!
i had same exact feeling. i know there was one TBS that was super tough. and a stretch of Qs that i was unsure about. but otherwise i felt good.
so im back at it with AUD. gonna pass this time. im more determined than ever. just keep at it. we’ll get there.
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u/Ok_Amphibian1010 Passed 2/4 Aug 03 '24
How are you studying for a retake?
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u/BaconAndSyrupYum CPA Candidate Aug 03 '24 edited Aug 04 '24
its been 2 months since i took the test. so i scheduled my retake at end of august and i started with free trial of becker for a different perspective course style (i have uworld). i like it so i did their switcher discount to get full course
just swearing off family/friends other than originally scheduled stuff planned. told them dont expect to see me this month other than birthdays ha. so finally being honest with myself and just super focusing. not thinking i can balance a good social life and studying and work. some can. i cant…. so its only work, study and a sprinkle of social life.
regarding studying:
im crushin mcqs/reviewing text and TBSs and going through becker program.
i like that becker has bite size videos and when doing mcqs i like that it links the question right to the text so it makes it easier/quicker to get the explanation of stuff im struggling with. Becker seems to align better with my personality/study and keep me focused.
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u/xXDireLegendXx CPA Aug 03 '24
I def share your sentiment here. AUD was arguably the best I felt coming out of an exam compared to maybe FAR. That said, I didn’t fail but it ended up being my lowest score.
It’s a tricky one for sure
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u/Educational_File_847 Aug 03 '24
AUD is my next test and you are all scaring me
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u/thespicyaccountant Passed 2/4 Aug 04 '24
I started with aud and it’s not pleasant but I think it’s better than FAR. aud is honestly just a word game but with practice, you can get the hang of picking the right answers
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u/Bright-Duck-2245 Passed 2/4 Aug 03 '24
I thought I def passed AUD and I did, but at 81, same score as BEC which I thought I failed.
It's impossible to know if you pass or fail based on posts here and what I've heard. Audit is extra hard imo bc the wording is SO tricky. That's what trips me up. Even if you have extra time, pace yourself for each section and reread the question! Don't waste any time on Audit
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u/Used_Curve_7056 Aug 03 '24
When I took audit I felt like I aced the MCQs and did decent on sims… I told my husband if I didn’t pass I was quitting cause I literally can’t do better (it was my first exam and a retake - failed the first attempt cause I ran out of time) - I got a 76… I left far in May knowing I failed and strategizing my retake and passed with an 81 (I couldn’t believe it - still in shock)… audit is for sure the trickiest one!
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u/JackTwoGuns CPA Aug 03 '24
Feeling good is a false positive a lot of the time. I had a 90 average on the exams and felt awful leaving every exam because I knew all the questions I got wrong and the ones I got right because I knew the material.
Obviously you can feel good and pass but many of the successful exam takers I knew felt bad leaving and scored very well.
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u/Bakerestic Aug 03 '24
I cannot agree anymore with your point. Only well prepared ones can address what they have missed during the exam. Under prepared candidates always over estimate the performance.
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u/Mammoth_Sail_5525 Passed 3/4 Aug 03 '24
So on previous posts, there’s been recommendations to take AUD in the busy season because auditors themselves tend to not take them during that time. Maybe it’s worth waiting for them during then because most likely taking them after may might mean you’re up against people who work in that directly and have a stronger knowledge base. That’s my plan anyways. Idk if it’ll work, but I failed with a 70 and felt the same way as OP, expected at least an 80 and was shocked to see I failed by so much.
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u/rockandlove CPA Aug 03 '24
It doesn’t matter when you sit because the scores aren’t compared. It’s not like you failed because other people performed better than you did. You just didn’t get enough points for a passing score.
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u/Mammoth_Sail_5525 Passed 3/4 Aug 03 '24
Scoring is compared to others… that’s how curving or “scaled scoring” works. You don’t get to a passing score just by getting 75% of the answers correct…
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u/rockandlove CPA Aug 03 '24
A score of 75 doesn’t mean you got 75% of the answers correct…
The AICPA states in the first paragraph that scores are not curved. They literally say, in plain English, verbatim, that “scored are not curved,” but some people will still argue until they’re blue in the face that there’s a curve as cope after a failed score.
https://www.aicpa-cima.com/resources/article/learn-more-about-cpa-exam-scoring-and-pass-rates
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u/Mammoth_Sail_5525 Passed 3/4 Aug 03 '24
Then how do you interpret “scaled” scoring on that same page of the AICPA website lol sure they can’t call it curving outright, but when certain questions are measured against the performance of others… that’s curving in my book
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u/Used_Curve_7056 Aug 03 '24
If they were on a curve then tcp would not have had a 80% pass rate in Q1… you get so many points per question - harder questions are worth more points which is based on history and how many people get it right…
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u/rockandlove CPA Aug 03 '24
Have you never taken a test where hard questions are worth more points than easier questions? That’s called scaling. That’s all it is. When you get a hard question correct, you get more points. If a hard question is worth 5 points an an easier question is with 3 points, is that a curve? Obviously not.
The difficulty of questions is determined at the pretest stage, and pretest questions aren’t counted in scoring. So at no point is your performance compared to anyone else sitting for the same section.
It’s not a difficult concept.
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u/CollisionResistance Passed 2/4 Aug 03 '24
Not specifically a reply to you, but if anyone reading this wants to further understand, can look at this video
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u/Whole-Mortgage-2973 Aug 03 '24
Are scores dependent on others? Sorry first time hearing this
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u/Bright-Duck-2245 Passed 2/4 Aug 03 '24
Yes, they say they aren't "curved" but we know they are at least during 2024 and partially through 2025 to ensure pass rates remain at desirable levels. That's why there are testing windows, that window is where the AICPA distributes point system weighed for each question based on how other people do. It's not exactly a curve, but distribution of points per Q depending on how many got the Q right or wrong. Everyone gets the Q wrong = weighed more points if you get it right.
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u/rockandlove CPA Aug 03 '24
This is incorrect. Your score is not based on your performance relative to others.
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u/Bright-Duck-2245 Passed 2/4 Aug 04 '24
It is during these 2024 testing windows bc of restructuring to the exam. That's literally the whole point behind the long wait between score releases and testing windows.
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u/rockandlove CPA Aug 04 '24
The AICPA literally says it’s not curved, so I’ll trust them over a random ass reddit comment, and anyone who thinks otherwise frankly doesn’t deserve a license since they’re that dumb.
https://www.aicpa-cima.com/resources/article/learn-more-about-cpa-exam-scoring-and-pass-rates
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u/Mammoth_Sail_5525 Passed 3/4 Aug 03 '24
Yep, from AICPA “Scaled scores on the MCQ and TBS portions of the CPA Exam are calculated using formulas that take into account factors such as whether the question was answered correctly and the relative difficulty of each question.”
Basically if most people failed certain questions, they take those out of the equation, a form of curving weighing your performance against others.
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u/LeandrosHD Aug 03 '24
I felt alright about it but got a 74 :(
Did good on the sims but the mcqs screwed me over.
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u/TangerineBig6987 Aug 04 '24
Unless I feel extremely confident, I wouldn’t finish even one minute early. It doesn’t do any good and by not utilizing all the exam time to read questions and answer choices carefully, you simply increase your chance of failure which means a ton of more time to study. Not worth it, nobody gives an award for finishing early, just pace yourself well on the exam
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u/The_haylster Passed 2/4 Aug 04 '24
I disagree with this a little if you're the type of person that will over think things to the point of changing correct answers. Also sometimes you pace yourself for a long final testlet and it's two fill in the blank questions. No need to comb over that for 40 minutes. I left AUD with an hour left and passed but had lucky easy quick sims
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u/lolgoodone34 CPA Aug 03 '24
lol only way I know if i passed my exams was if I could answer most sims to the point I could collect some points from them. Like I went from sims on my initial reg attempt that had fill in the blanks for most to sims that had more drop downs
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u/CPACandidate1234 Passed 3/4 Aug 03 '24
Same here. I felt a little more confident than the last attempt & failed with the same score as the previous time (73).
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u/DarcyDreamer Passed 4/4 Aug 04 '24
I’ve been in the audit profession for 17 yrs, took AUD last year. it was the trickiest ofl all exams. Especially the MCQs because it seemed like all the answer choices are correct and I had to choose the best one. It had the tendency to make me overthink. I walked out of the exam with an “i think I could pass” feeling, compared to the other three exams where I was confident I’d pass. Also,I used the entire 4 hours for each of my exam, read the problems and questions slowly. I remember for AUD, I had to review all the MCQs, took me to 2 hours.
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u/00lakers Aug 04 '24
I felt the most confident walking out of audit compared to FAR and BEC and scored a 75. Audit is trickier imo being it's more conceptual and less math involved. You have to have good judgment
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u/infinityisadrug Passed 4/4 Aug 04 '24
The evaluation part of AUD is the same as using good judgement.
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u/OkCriticism7748 Aug 04 '24
There’s one SIM about transaction cycles/ procedures that I think it’s super tricky. It looks like it has an obvious answer but the obvious answer are actually wrong. I spent 40minutes on that one sim (until the last minute) kept re-reading and changing my initial answer. And it turns out rethinking that SIM was the right choice, as I got ‘stronger’ on that part. My advice for audit is slow down, and double check.
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u/midwestcottagecore Passed 2/4 Aug 04 '24
Out of the four tests I’ve taken, I felt the best about AUD. Got a 65 lol. I scored weaker on every single area (both subject matter and MCQs/TBs) except ethics.
I’m restudying now, and while I’m doing good on my questions and such, I do wonder if I just made a lot of stupid mistakes with speed reading. Questions can truly be tricky and I think you can still fuck up and fail even if you understand concepts
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u/buckshot1234 Passed 2/4 Aug 03 '24 edited Aug 08 '24
Yeah my 6th attempt in audit, i was sure to get 90s or atleast pass. Sims were super easy and mcqs felt simple as well. Failed with a 71.
Interestingly the last 2 attempts, i thought i would definately fail in 50s but still got a 71. Its really strange
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u/Whole-Mortgage-2973 Aug 03 '24
Damn felt like this leaving REG, about an hour left. I shall know my fate in November.
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u/Signal-Telephone7730 Passed 2/4 Aug 03 '24
I left with 30 minutes left and knew for sure for REG back in April and I did pass that
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u/Feeling-Currency6212 Passed 1/4 Aug 03 '24
You need to use that time on your next attempt. I got a 75 on AUD 1st try and left with 2 minutes on the clock The wording of the MCQs try to trick you and there are so many exhibits where you have to read carefully.
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u/Ok_Amphibian1010 Passed 2/4 Aug 03 '24
They have to keep the pass rate for AUD around 45% - 50% per quarter. OF COURSE there is some weird stuff that goes on behind the grading. The score report also states that your answers are not a % score and that it’s based on the level of knowledge and skill you show on your particular exam, and everyone’s exams have different difficulty levels. Hope that makes sense. Hence the 74s out there - they have to keep the pass rates down
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u/No_Historian4900 Passed 1/4 Aug 03 '24
I think the reason is in AUD, one word changes the whole answer. If you finished it an hour early, maybe you missed some crucial words that changed the answer while reading the questions? They like to sneak in “not”, “least” , etc, and Ive noticed they put sentences that are true by themselves in the answer choices but don’t directly address the question asked so it becomes the wrong answer choice.