i thought about this all weekend and now think that you are right
you should go to the head of the CFAI and request a meeting to get to the bottom of this
we will all take up a collection to pay for your troubles
i really believe that out the 24,000 candidates that sat for the exam, you are the one person who got screwed
i wish you all the best
as i said -keep it coming -especially intereted in comments from people like you who claim to have passed all three levels
exactly … /endthread
I haven’t gone through the full thread, but I was speaking to someone recently who was a CFAI grader and she said that the system is that each grader grades only one question on the exam. So if there were 10 questions on the exam, then at least 10 separate people graded each exam.
A non-english speaking grader that had trouble grading the exam would - at worst - have affected your score by one question. If 8 or 10 people thought your answers were bad, then most likely it is your answers and not the 10 separate people who are wrong.
There’s also a difference between abilities to read english and write english. If they are charterholders, they clearly can read well enough to pass the exams, and most likely have to know or use a substantial amount of english in their work as well at least in reading. Their written english may or may not be so good, but they clearly have to read at a proficient level to pass the exams and get the charter. I think not understanding your english is unlikely to be a problem. Reading your handwriting? That could be an issue, but that’s your issue, and not theirs. ( I have no evidence about your handwriting, but that is the sort of thing that might affect 10 separate graders)
Furthermore, answers tend to be divided into “clearly right,” “clearly wrong,” and “that’s an interesting approach that we didn’t think about when preparing the answer.” Then, all people who were involved in grading a particular question get together and review the “interesting approach” answers to figure out if they should be given full credit, partial credit, or none at all. This group is composed of approximately 1/2 academics, and 1/2 practitioners, and so “this is how it’s done in the real world” is a legitimate justification, as well as “this is what the theory says should happen.”
Anyway, I thought the care that goes into the process was impressive, and it really does reduce the probability that bias in any one grader is going to affect one’s score materially. True, a little bit of noise can make a difference between band 10 and a pass, but people there did not clearly pass or not, and so there will always be some noise. There may also be some people who passed because they were lucky with the noise too.
stop crying and go grab a beer, get outside, or suck it up and start studying for next year
I can sum up bchad’s post into 1 line:
monk, just GTFO
monk, there reality is that you could be right. English is not my native language and I know that sometimes I misunderstand what others say or write even though my wife says that it’s just an excuse. Given that the language issue could be a factor either big or small, what can you do about it to improve your chances of passing the exam? I think your conclusion would probably be consistent with CFAI guidelines - be concise, use bullet points, answer the questions directly, etc. i think the real test in life is not whether you succeed all the time but rather what you do after you fail. I admire all those who keep going after failing the CFA exams. Good luck next year!
bchandwick -you confirm this statement:
“A non-english speaking grader that had trouble grading the exam would - at worst - have affected your score by one question” .s that right?
So you do not deny that the issue could arise-correct?
And it would be a marker-including one with poor English, who would decide if an answer is “clearly right,” “clearly wrong,” and “that’s an interesting approach"-correct?
monk, what is your intention? it seems like you are trying to rally for support, but your arguments are so weak. Are you just trying to generate some heat on AF for kicks instead? Many have provided good support for their understanding of the process and offered you good advice, instead you come back with condescending comments such as “keeping it coming” and “those who claim have passed”. If you have no faith of the people who contribute here then why waste our time here? Is wasting others time a hobby of yours? Why are you so stubborn that your thesis is correct when many disagree? How many times of the l3 exam have you actually taken to come up with your thesis? It seems like you have a ill purpose here to get someone in trouble for saying something wrong so then you can twist his words and publish a paper on it. If you really want help, then post your scores or something, then we can see what you DID wrong and advice you on that.
how old is monk … 24ishhhh ? 
Q: “So you do not deny that the issue could arise-correct?”
A: The paragraph about reading vs writing proficiency deals with the fact that this issue arising - while concievable - is very unlikely. Furthermore EVEN IF what you postulated did happen, it is unlikely to have had a substantial effect on your score, since you indicated or suggested that your point scores were low across several questions.
So yes, I do not deny that it could have arisen - though it is highly unlikely. Even in that case, however, it would not have affected your questions across the board unless you wrote your answers ambiguously in the first place.
As for whether a poor english-grader - if they exist at all - would incorrectly put your questions in the “clearly wrong” category. Again this is conceivable, but you’re grasping at straws here. There are so many unlikely things that have to come together at the same time for your story to be true, and there’s really not much you can do about it anyway and no way you can prove your case.
I think you just need to man up and set yourself to do it again. If you really are that good, then it should be easy for you to pass next time, because it’s all just review of stuff you know you aced, plus a drop or two of new information if they change the curriculum.
monk is apparently trying to attack me and discredit the fact that I passed L3. Can he get any more pathethic?
He realizes his argument has been shot down, and now attempts to attack users instead.
no-i simply want your confirmation that you have passed L3
This is my last post in this thread. I think the whole topic borders on conspiracy theory. You are graded on what you put down. I believe that, on an individual grader basis, there is little room for interpretation. To do so would open the door to misinterpretation and the CFAI wants to avoid both.
I’m sure we’d all pass if we could go down to VA in June and July and stand directly behind the graders and tell them exactly what we were trying to get at when we answered the questions. Since that’s not an option, they graded us on what we wrote. I accept that what I wrote in the AM didn’t come up to snuff, even though I did fairly well in the PM. I’m learning from 2012 and moving on into 2013, not looking back.
And iteracom -could you explain why asking that you confirm that you have passed L3 is an attack on your person?
Where? I would like to see pass rates broken down by country.
I am not sure that these checks that you have mentioned are going to ensure that the problems raised are not going to occur.
There are not a small number who cannot believe…
All of your graders were non-native English speakers, and they were easily confused by the double and triple negatives.
Monk, do you see the status next to my user name? What does that say?
Go to the official L3 results thread, what did I post there?
I’m done entertaining the troll. I’m out.
crazy people are so intriguing…