So, imagine my joy and pleasure when I received the following email from the AICPA this morning:
Dear Ms. Gonzalez,
In order to ensure that exam content is kept secure and to maintain the integrity of the CPA Exam, we regularly take a look at what candidates are saying on social media and in web forums.
It has come to our attention that a post on your website mentions specific TBS tasks in the FAR section of the exam. We are requesting that you remove this post immediately and monitor your site in the future for other posts that may divulge exam content. I have copied [redacted], the AICPA Examinations Team Security Officer, on this email.
At the time of their exam, candidates agree to a statement of confidentiality. They agree not to divulge the nature or content of any exam question or answer and should be aware that they must maintain the confidentiality of the exam once they leave the testing center.
The AICPA went on to link to the thread in question as well as send along a screenshot in case I missed the comments that said specifically what simulations the commenters got. FRIENDLY REMINDER: STOP POSTING THAT SHIT.
As the AICPA mentions, you all agree that you won't do that. Whether it's on the Internet (come on, chuckleheads, this is a public site) or to your cube neighbor who is taking FAR next week. This is what you agree not to do when you take the exam:
Divulge the nature or content of any Uniform CPA Examination question or answer under any circumstances
If you choose to treat this like the many user licenses you've agreed to over the years (what does all that Apple crap say about using your iPad for terrorist activity anyway?), the consequences can be far more severe than simply having your comments deleted:
I understand that failure to comply with this Policy Statement and Agreement may result in the invalidation of my grades, disqualification from future examinations, expulsion from the testing facility, and possible civil or criminal penalties.
I ended up removing not one, nor two, but three comments that blabbed what sims you received. What on Earth would compel any of you to put this information on a public forum?
Luckily, we take your personal information seriously and — barring a legal order from a judge — wouldn't reveal your identity to the AICPA or anyone else who may not like what you posted. All they asked was for the comments to be removed, which I did, but please consider this for the future.
We don't need this heat from the AICPA just because you people can't keep your mouths shut. So to reiterate: ZIP IT.
