This topic has 15 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 7 years ago by Anonymous.

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March 11, 2018 at 6:35 am #1732998

Kat
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Because the exam wasn’t hard enough to begin with, I am sitting here wondering exactly how we attain the license now with the SIMS counting for 50% of the overall grade. I use the Wiley Test Bank and I have read on here about the other sites. It’s universally acknowledged that none of them have SIMS that are consistent with what we will see on the exams. The Wiley SIMS are easy in comparison and I hear the same about Becker. And none of them have SIMS that are document based. The SIMS on AUD that I took yesterday were ridiculous. I felt I did decent on MCQ and had the exam been weighted more heavily on it, I might actually have walked out thinking there was a possibility I passed. But knowing that a whole half of my grade is based on SIMS that I legit guessed on every answer and that I couldn’t have even practiced for because there is no practice equivalency out there is extremely frustrating and disheartening.

I’m extremely confused here as to what the AICPA was trying to accomplish… if they intended to make the SIMS more important, they should have considered whether candidates would be able to prepare for it without having prior work experience. I did good on REG SIMS because I am a tax specialist. I have no idea how to do AUD SIMS without working in Audit!

My question is- with the NEW FORMAT, what is the best test bank out there to tackle the SIMS? Because I’m at my breaking point here with just thinking that this test has now become impossible to pass and just giving up. That’s how bad the SIMS were.

Thanks

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March 11, 2018 at 7:50 am #1733027

Christy
Participant

My AUD was a retake when I passed. I felt a little lost on the SIMS as well. Having more time to study the concepts essentially mastering them and really honing in on your weaker areas helps. I bought Gleim test bank, MC and TBS and felt scoring high on their SIMS really put me over the edge. SIMS were still difficult as I don't work in AUD but felt I had the knowledge base to apply it to the SIMS and finally passed.

Don't give up just put in more study time. I just took REG yesterday and those SIMS were out of this world. REG is passable but if you don't work in tax not sure how someone like me who doesn't passes the test I had yesterday.

All these exams are passable…Just keep at it.

March 11, 2018 at 8:59 am #1733046

Anthony
Participant

What the AICPA trying to accomplish? They are trying to kill the ‘loophole' per say, where you can kill it on the MCQ and bomb the sims and still walk away with a barely passing score. Just another entry to barrier IMO.

Have to agree with @Christy, Gleim sims and their test bank is what got me over the edge.

March 11, 2018 at 9:22 am #1733064

aaronmo
Participant

I know I'm in a minority, but I think a 50/50 balance is a better approach; the SIMs are what tests whether you understand, and can apply, the principals of accounting. I think that's far more important than “how many minute details that you won't remember in a week can you recall for this exam” MCQ.

The CPA exams are too memorization focused…I'd make them easier to study for, but harder to pass. More like the Bar. More substantive. Upping the SIMs section should help accomplish that. Yes…it will make entry harder for people who rely on memorizing details to get through…and I think that's a good thing.

I'm biased based on my strengths and weaknesses.

March 11, 2018 at 9:39 am #1733075

jenpen
Participant

I’m with @aaronmo on this one. You can memorize facts all day long but the actual application is a better test of your knowledge than whether you can pick the right answer with 1/4 odds.

I always tended to do better on the SIMs than the MCQs in the past, and I think the switch is part of what finally helped me to pass the exams. I think if you understand the concepts, the SIMs are completely doable.

Everyone complains about the DRS, but those were my favorite. They give you the answers and you just have to know what you’re looking for. I was also never one to run out of time, though. I know that’s the issue with the DRS for others, but I always seemed to have at least 1 hour left.

AUD - 56 - 68 - 61 - 9/8/16
REG - 75
FAR - 7/15/16
BEC - TBD

Wiley CPAexcel and NINJA 10 Point Combo

March 11, 2018 at 9:49 am #1733078

Anonymous
Inactive

I normally do better on the sims in my report. Its easier for me to understand something than memorize.

March 11, 2018 at 10:55 am #1733121

BoyNextDoor
Participant

I felt that some of the SIMS on Wiley were much harder than what was tested on FAR and prepared me well for the actual CPA exam.

All of my test day SIMS were long and time consuming, but not particularly difficult.

March 11, 2018 at 11:19 am #1733165

aaronmo
Participant

I felt exactly the same was as above…Becker's SIMs were, conceptually, harder. I found the CPA exam SIMs pretty easy. They were long, and time consuming…but really pretty basic. The ones where you had to read the contract, or letter, and apply were insanely easy, but I'm good at reading.

March 11, 2018 at 4:55 pm #1733607

Kat
Participant

Okay, so several of you said the Gleim TB. Thanks. I will try that one for practice on the SIMS.

I think I'm doing well on MCQ with Wiley but I'm shocked to find that people think it is adequate for SIMS. I think even the few DRS SIMS that are on Wiley are baby level compared to what I had on my exam. But, of course, this varies with the actual exam that each of us took.

@Christy – The REG SIMS are brutal. And I doubt I would have passed that exam if I didn't do tax for a living. It might be the only section where the SIMS gave me an advantage. I took BEC and scored weaker on SIMS, and I will definitely score weaker on SIMS in AUD. Good luck to you!

@Anthony – Yes, it does seem like another barrier to entry. I remember starting college and picking an Accounting major. Two years into it, we get word that we now needed an additional 30 credits to be licensed. I feel like they keep “upping” the stakes and experimenting with us to see how far they can take it…

March 11, 2018 at 5:11 pm #1733616

Wanna_B_TXCPA2014
Participant

@aaronmo,@Bizzle99 please enlighten me on how to best prepare for the SIMS. My past 3 REG attempts were 73,74,74 Overall stronger on MCQ and weaker SIMS. In my studies using a combo across the 3 attempts of Becker, Ninja, and Gleim Mega test bank my MCQ scores were between 75-80 no matter how I tried to change my approach. Id say my SIMS probably averaged between 65-70. Without divulging to much, Id feel Ive gotten several SIMS on topics not covered in detail by the review courses.

I have deceided to upgrade to the full Gleim course so that I have access to all the SIMS vs 9 with the Mega bank. How can I change my study preparation to ensure I completely understand what I need to know to fall on the plus side of 75?

March 11, 2018 at 6:42 pm #1733735

aaronmo
Participant

Wanna…for me it was just practice. I read, and re-read any area that was difficult and likely to produce a SIM. I did the practice stuff and read the examples. I did the SIM part of prep. On a few things, I even googled examples. I LOVE INVESTOPEDIA!

I'm a conceptual learner, and that's good for me in some ways. and bad in others. It means I often take longer to learn something, but when I understand the complete strategy…the forest…I really understand it. I was less interested in studying specific SIMs and more interested in understanding what knowledge, process and concepts the SIMs were really testing.

So, for REG, that was basis, distributions…basically anything that involved how an entity was formed, maintained and dissolved, and the differences between them. Boot. Like kind exchange. Depreciation. Etc. I didn't feel like I really got many curve balls. How income is handled. IRAs. Social Security. I wanted to understand everything enough where I understood how it affected all aspects of the basic equation of accounting.

I'm truly not trying to be a know it all…and I took them before the changes, so maybe the prep guys were better able to predict material. For me…I pretty much got something pretty close to what I anticipated. I saw more curve balls in the MCQ.

March 12, 2018 at 12:07 am #1733948

Wanna_B_TXCPA2014
Participant

@aaronmo I swear I did all that. So my first two attempts were 60 and 66 attempts 3-5 73-74. I listened to ninja audio, did flash cards, took notes in my own words.The only thing I did not was copy ninja notes bc that has never worked for me.

What kills me is that no one does anything so different than what I do! I seem to just be really unlucky. Oh well, I just keep giving the AICPA my retirement savings in $200 increments.p

March 12, 2018 at 2:51 am #1733991

Skynet
Participant

It's a CONSPIRACY that's why!

They know that it is usually CPA's that gets all the hot Chicks so the other professions are not happy about.

That's why the other professions lobbied to have these exams designed to have a low pass rate.

March 12, 2018 at 6:20 am #1734098

aaronmo
Participant

^^^

Our sex appeal does NOT depreciate.

March 12, 2018 at 8:08 am #1734215

Kev
Participant

@wanna Just keep at it…you just have to push a LITTLE harder with your studying. I know that seems like a dumb thing to say but everytime you feel like “ok I dont want to study right now” thats when you study more. Keep at it and you will pass! Have you passed any section yet?

March 12, 2018 at 8:14 am #1734221

Anonymous
Inactive

Kat- i took reg saturday, i have no tax background. If i fail it will be because the mcqs. Other than 1 oddball sim i felt the others were pretty simple. However, i think i got lucky and got sims on my stronger points.

Wanna- im better at concepts, to me audit was the easiest exam and made the most sense. But it was the least memorization heavy exam to me. I really struggled with bec.
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