09-21-2008, 04:42 PM
Dear Khani and EnslavedSpirit
Khani, by seeing your future interest in CPA, in the following paragraphs I would try to provide some information about it and I would also explain working and attitude of foreign global accounting designations, in general, towards their students.
Involvement of human factor plays a vital role in passing or failing a student while evaluating exam copies. Pass/fail of a student very much depends upon agreement or disagreement of human evaluating exam copies with the answers given by students, specially professional exams with qualitative information. We all know if the evaluator would agree with the answer he would pass you otherwise a fail grade. Even if we believe that conditions, influences, and biases with all the teachers who check copies always remain constant, it is impossible. This is why we witness unexpected results. In order to avoid such situation, AICPA (for US CPA), IIA (for CIA exam), IMA (for CMA exam), CFA and almost all American exams like USMLE (medical exam), Bar exam for Law, GRE, SAT, GMAT, CISA etc. use technology in evaluating exam answers. All questions would have only one correct answer, and the computer checks the answers. No human is involved in checking answers. It brings most transparency in copies evaluation process, and is most trustable method.
If a student does not get through the exam, it is due to non-covering the depth and breadth of subject matter at certain required level. No one says to unsuccessful students that they are failed students, but they say you could not achieve certain level, so come again and try again. Next time, after more input, a student passes. Most important point is the positive attitude toward unsuccessful students and not calling them failure but asking them to input more efforts to reach passing mark (for each of 4 CPA exam 75 marks are the passing grade). Marking starts from 100 and goes down, i.e. student loses for incorrect answers, which are graded by computer not human. AICPA (American Institute of CPAs) does not fail a student just because there is no demand in job market for a passing student. They believe the supply would create its own demand. They not only teach, but actually believe and practice free market competition. Their passed students enter job markets, increase further competition, and thus, for survival, bring new ideas, do research and development and thus improve products and services, which on overall basis bring efficiencies in markets. Actual spirit of establishment of AICPA is not only to protect interests of members, but more importantly to serve public interest, and public interest would be served with more competition, not by curtailing competition. AICPA is the single largest accounting association in the whole world with more than 350,000 members (sorry I forgot the exact figure but can be checked on AICPA website). CPA exams are conducted only in USA. So, a student no matter where he/she resides, must have to go to USA to appear in exam. We can imagine what its membership would be if like other accounting associations, it starts offering exams in other countries. Also, unlike other accounting exams of other associations, a CPA student must have to pass all 4 exams within 18 months window, otherwise he/she would start losing credit for previously passed exam. AICPA believes in assessing most latest knowledge of accounting. Its not like a student passes one exam/level in one year and other level 3 years later.
The overall passing rate in one exam remains arround 40%.
Moreover, if a student does not pass, they provide assessment report that tells a student pass/fail in each area of one exam. Students know each area and assigned marks before appearing in one exam. This report tells student about their weak areas and also provide comparative analysis with passed students in that area. It brings complete transparency and helps student in assessment and preparation for next time. Please see links below;
http//www.aicpa.org/
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Institute_of_Certified_Public_Accountants
To see their attitude toward unsuccessful students and other very important information about CPA exams, I would strongly suggest to read pages available on following link, specially page 2 for explaination of failure;
http//books.google.ca/books?id=SC-11CcxP3UC&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=passing+cpa&source=web&ots=tZtSAL9YBW&sig=kbgC1rM4iPqfairk_kC1VFMGFYw&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result#PPA21,M1
I just want to emphasize that associationsâ attitude toward unsuccessful students is positive, not negative. Only those students do not pass the exam who does not input required efforts to cross pre-set and computer evaluated passing marks. They donât think in a way that if they would clear all students, who have crossed passing marks, would devalue worth of already existing members and profession. They believe that each student who does hard work should pass, and this passing is not related to market demand. Further, education and knowledge is the basic right of each person. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, we only say it but not actually practice it. Our general attitude is, mujhay to mill gya hay dosray ko na milay, warna mujhay kon poochay ga.
Regards
Khani, by seeing your future interest in CPA, in the following paragraphs I would try to provide some information about it and I would also explain working and attitude of foreign global accounting designations, in general, towards their students.
Involvement of human factor plays a vital role in passing or failing a student while evaluating exam copies. Pass/fail of a student very much depends upon agreement or disagreement of human evaluating exam copies with the answers given by students, specially professional exams with qualitative information. We all know if the evaluator would agree with the answer he would pass you otherwise a fail grade. Even if we believe that conditions, influences, and biases with all the teachers who check copies always remain constant, it is impossible. This is why we witness unexpected results. In order to avoid such situation, AICPA (for US CPA), IIA (for CIA exam), IMA (for CMA exam), CFA and almost all American exams like USMLE (medical exam), Bar exam for Law, GRE, SAT, GMAT, CISA etc. use technology in evaluating exam answers. All questions would have only one correct answer, and the computer checks the answers. No human is involved in checking answers. It brings most transparency in copies evaluation process, and is most trustable method.
If a student does not get through the exam, it is due to non-covering the depth and breadth of subject matter at certain required level. No one says to unsuccessful students that they are failed students, but they say you could not achieve certain level, so come again and try again. Next time, after more input, a student passes. Most important point is the positive attitude toward unsuccessful students and not calling them failure but asking them to input more efforts to reach passing mark (for each of 4 CPA exam 75 marks are the passing grade). Marking starts from 100 and goes down, i.e. student loses for incorrect answers, which are graded by computer not human. AICPA (American Institute of CPAs) does not fail a student just because there is no demand in job market for a passing student. They believe the supply would create its own demand. They not only teach, but actually believe and practice free market competition. Their passed students enter job markets, increase further competition, and thus, for survival, bring new ideas, do research and development and thus improve products and services, which on overall basis bring efficiencies in markets. Actual spirit of establishment of AICPA is not only to protect interests of members, but more importantly to serve public interest, and public interest would be served with more competition, not by curtailing competition. AICPA is the single largest accounting association in the whole world with more than 350,000 members (sorry I forgot the exact figure but can be checked on AICPA website). CPA exams are conducted only in USA. So, a student no matter where he/she resides, must have to go to USA to appear in exam. We can imagine what its membership would be if like other accounting associations, it starts offering exams in other countries. Also, unlike other accounting exams of other associations, a CPA student must have to pass all 4 exams within 18 months window, otherwise he/she would start losing credit for previously passed exam. AICPA believes in assessing most latest knowledge of accounting. Its not like a student passes one exam/level in one year and other level 3 years later.
The overall passing rate in one exam remains arround 40%.
Moreover, if a student does not pass, they provide assessment report that tells a student pass/fail in each area of one exam. Students know each area and assigned marks before appearing in one exam. This report tells student about their weak areas and also provide comparative analysis with passed students in that area. It brings complete transparency and helps student in assessment and preparation for next time. Please see links below;
http//www.aicpa.org/
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Institute_of_Certified_Public_Accountants
To see their attitude toward unsuccessful students and other very important information about CPA exams, I would strongly suggest to read pages available on following link, specially page 2 for explaination of failure;
http//books.google.ca/books?id=SC-11CcxP3UC&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=passing+cpa&source=web&ots=tZtSAL9YBW&sig=kbgC1rM4iPqfairk_kC1VFMGFYw&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result#PPA21,M1
I just want to emphasize that associationsâ attitude toward unsuccessful students is positive, not negative. Only those students do not pass the exam who does not input required efforts to cross pre-set and computer evaluated passing marks. They donât think in a way that if they would clear all students, who have crossed passing marks, would devalue worth of already existing members and profession. They believe that each student who does hard work should pass, and this passing is not related to market demand. Further, education and knowledge is the basic right of each person. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, we only say it but not actually practice it. Our general attitude is, mujhay to mill gya hay dosray ko na milay, warna mujhay kon poochay ga.
Regards
