Calloway students ranked first on test

Wake Forest had the highest score of all schools with students taking the exam for the first time. Of the 34 Wake Forest students taking the exam, 82.4 percent passed all four parts in one sitting.

Dale Martin, professor and coordinator of the Calloway school’s accountancy program, credited the achievement to the students and faculty.

“The results are a function of a rigorous program, dedicated faculty and intelligent students with a strong work ethic,” he said.

The rankings are based on CPA exams taken in 1998 and are the most recent results available from the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), which compiles all national scores and then releases the rankings.

NASBA ranks schools in two categories: those with graduate degree programs in accounting and those with only undergraduate programs.

Wake Forest, which offers a five-year program to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting, was ranked among schools with advanced degrees. However, Wake Forest had the highest passing rate among all schools.

Wake Forest students earned the highest score on three of the exam’s four individual sections: “Auditing,” “Business Law and Professional Responsibilities” and “Financial Accounting and Reporting-Business Enterprises.” Wake Forest students placed second on the “Accounting and Reporting-Other Areas” section.