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Impatient CPA Exam Candidates Won’t Be Pleased With the 2017 Score Release Schedule

A tip came in earlier today noting that the 2017 CPA exam score release schedule looks a bit different than in recent years past:

I'm not sure if it has been like this before but they aren't releasing CPA exam scores nearly as often this year.  Looks like in quarters 2-4 they are just saying screw it, lets make them wait forever.

Here's what our tipster is referring to:

If you look the 2016 release schedules for Q1/Q2 and Q3/Q4, you'll not that they're similar to Q1 2017 above. That is, candidates only had to wait a couple of weeks max, with most people getting their scores in about a week.

Starting in Q2 this year, however, candidates will have to wait 10 weeks. That's two-thirds of the summer! The AICPA, perhaps knowing how millennials feel about waiting, provided this explanation on the website:

Due to the change to the Exam, which become effective with the 2017 (Q2) testing window, there will be a delay in the release of scores with a single score release for all candidates approximately 10 weeks after the close of the testing window. This delay is necessary to provide sufficient time to statistically validate candidate performance on the newly launched Exam.

Then, perhaps anticipating the possibility that some people would not be satisfied by this explanation, there's a FAQ that more or less reiterates the point above:

Q. Why will it take 10 weeks to get my score when I sit for the Exam in Q2?

A. Anytime the Exam undergoes significant changes, candidate performance must be statistically validated. This will allow time for the Board of Examiners to conduct its standard setting process. Upon completion, the scores for all Q2 candidates will be released once.

So if you're sitting for a CPA exam section in Q2, starting practicing your patience face. You're going to need it.

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