[Anonymous]

Just got back from my exam and all I can say is that I’m devastated.

This is my first exam so I prepared long and hard for it. At least 200 hours of study using Becker. Went through optional MCs 3 times and 4 times for all non-optional MCs. It reached a point where I could memorize all the Becker MCs and scored 90-100%+ for my 4th attempt. So I felt somewhat confident when I went for the exam since I felt like I understand most of the concepts and there’s really nothing else I could do to better prepare myself.

Well I was dead wrong. I took the 1st testlet, and I started to click the reminder flags and by the time I was done with the testlet, I realized that I had like 7-8 of the MCs with reminder flags checked. I kinda started to panic because I am the kind of the guy who either knows the stuff or not. I could never leave a question and come back later to get it right. Needless to say, I spent 30 minutes reviewing my 1st testlet before I moved on and I did not feel good about it.

The 2nd testlet felt a lot harder than 1st testlet, it gotten to the point when half of my answers were flagged. There were way too many MCs that I could knock out the 2 wrong answers and just can’t figure out the right answer between the last 2 choices. So I gambled on most of the ones that I know there’s a 50/50 chance.

The 3rd testlet felt VERY easy compared to the 2nd testlet but I still have 5-6 flagged that I wasn’t sure about the answer. In addition, I encountered 2 questions that have 1 out of 4 answers that are exactly the same as 2 questions I answered previously in the 2nd testlets. This was a huge WTF to me, because the 2 questions in the 2nd testlets were the ones that I had to take 50/50 chance and the duplicate answers appeared in the 3rd testlet which I had to take 50/50 chance again. I decided that if a answer came up twice in 2 different questions, it wouldn’t be the right answer so I opted for the other answers. Long storm short, after the exam ended, I checked the book and I was wrong in picking those answers. So I got 4 questions wrong instead of 2 questions wrong because these questions have the same correct answer, just WTF…..

Well the nightmare isn’t over yet. After the torturing MCs it came the holy grail, simulation. Out of 7 simulations, there were only 2 that I felt like I kinda know and the other 5 were straight up fill in the blank. Even those 2 that I think I was 75% right on the 1st one and maybe 60% on the 2nd one.

So overall this is a terrible experience, I have not felt this bad about an exam since college, when I took the corporation exam which was so difficult that anyone who got over 60% correct got an A. I originally planned to knock AUD out and focus on REG in November, however, with today’s performance, I don’t really know if I am fit for this.

Lastly, it’s really not helping when you have to wait an entire month to get the test results, even though you know that you failed it >.<

[TinyBear]

@danlee It's a little early to feel so devastated!!! Test days can be horrible experiences. I was pretty sure my butt was handed to me by BEC, and I passed. I straight up left things blank in the sims on my FAR test, and I passed. Failed audit the first time by two points and I can tell you it's because I didn't properly prepare. With the way you prepared, don't be so down on your test day experience. You won't know until you see that score. Be sure to focus on REG for now because you won't know if you need to re-prep for auditing until you see your score. Just chillax and focus on REG… Try your best to not think about auditing until November! Best of luck!

FAR - 79
AUD - 73, 85
REG - 88
BEC - 80

Becker Self Study, Becker Flashcards, and Some Wiley TB
TX Candidate

[TinyBear]

@danlee It's a little early to feel so devastated!!! Test days can be horrible experiences. I was pretty sure my butt was handed to me by BEC, and I passed. I straight up left things blank in the sims on my FAR test, and I passed. Failed audit the first time by two points and I can tell you it's because I didn't properly prepare. With the way you prepared, don't be so down on your test day experience. You won't know until you see that score. Be sure to focus on REG for now because you won't know if you need to re-prep for auditing until you see your score. Just chillax and focus on REG… Try your best to not think about auditing until November! Best of luck!

FAR - 79
AUD - 73, 85
REG - 88
BEC - 80

Becker Self Study, Becker Flashcards, and Some Wiley TB
TX Candidate

[nbad311]

My personal AUD experience goes along with what Mints said:

I took it after not preparing as much as I should have BUT ended up feeling really good coming out of the exam – the best I've ever felt and that includes coming out of my BEC and REG exams in which I passed. I really thought I passed. I got a 73.

Then I busted my butt for another month and took it again, this time feeling better prepared, but when I took the test, I didn't feel as good as the first time despite the extra effort! I was pissed and angry and anticipating a fail…… but got a 75. AUDIT IS A HUGE TROLL. So if you feel this sad about it, there's a good chance you passed! 🙂

REG - 65, 70, 80!
BEC - 35, 62, 79!
AUD - 73, 75!
FAR - 65, 73, 70, 75! DONE.

[nbad311]

My personal AUD experience goes along with what Mints said:

I took it after not preparing as much as I should have BUT ended up feeling really good coming out of the exam – the best I've ever felt and that includes coming out of my BEC and REG exams in which I passed. I really thought I passed. I got a 73.

Then I busted my butt for another month and took it again, this time feeling better prepared, but when I took the test, I didn't feel as good as the first time despite the extra effort! I was pissed and angry and anticipating a fail…… but got a 75. AUDIT IS A HUGE TROLL. So if you feel this sad about it, there's a good chance you passed! 🙂

REG - 65, 70, 80!
BEC - 35, 62, 79!
AUD - 73, 75!
FAR - 65, 73, 70, 75! DONE.

[gt5717b]

I thought I failed my first exam, too, and ended up with a score in the 80s. The fact that it got harder in the 2nd teslet is probably a good thing since it means you did well in the 1st testlet.

REG - 89
FAR - 84
AUD - 73, 86
BEC - 89

GA Licensed CPA

[gt5717b]

I thought I failed my first exam, too, and ended up with a score in the 80s. The fact that it got harder in the 2nd teslet is probably a good thing since it means you did well in the 1st testlet.

REG - 89
FAR - 84
AUD - 73, 86
BEC - 89

GA Licensed CPA

[Anonymous]

My favorite sentence of today: AUDIT IS A HUGE TROLL. I love how nbad311 threw that into the middle of a paragraph because I freaking hated audit too.

[Anonymous]

My favorite sentence of today: AUDIT IS A HUGE TROLL. I love how nbad311 threw that into the middle of a paragraph because I freaking hated audit too.

[jpowell31]

Felt awesome coming out of my first try, double-time re-prepared & walked out like WTF was THAT 2nd try and was somewhere in the middle with some very time consuming SIMs on the third try (results below). No matter how much you prepare….there's a little bit of luck walking with you every time sadly, which is not what you want to hear.

Very disheartening to those of us who feel the same way in an exam – you either know it or you don't. But the CPA doesn't allow for this type of validation. And I'm the same way when it comes to anxiety. For REG I felt awesome after the MCQ then panicked on the first SIM and it was all downhill from there. You think I'd learn by now.

[jpowell31]

Felt awesome coming out of my first try, double-time re-prepared & walked out like WTF was THAT 2nd try and was somewhere in the middle with some very time consuming SIMs on the third try (results below). No matter how much you prepare….there's a little bit of luck walking with you every time sadly, which is not what you want to hear.

Very disheartening to those of us who feel the same way in an exam – you either know it or you don't. But the CPA doesn't allow for this type of validation. And I'm the same way when it comes to anxiety. For REG I felt awesome after the MCQ then panicked on the first SIM and it was all downhill from there. You think I'd learn by now.

[futureCPA12]

@have to second what Mints is saying. very strange how this CPA grading works. I came out of FAR thinking I failed from the SIMs and got a 76. I then took REG and thought I failed because so many of the MCQs were on topics I didn't know too well, but then got an 89. Both those tests I expected 72 or lower. You have a chance!

[futureCPA12]

@have to second what Mints is saying. very strange how this CPA grading works. I came out of FAR thinking I failed from the SIMs and got a 76. I then took REG and thought I failed because so many of the MCQs were on topics I didn't know too well, but then got an 89. Both those tests I expected 72 or lower. You have a chance!

[Ligi84]

danlee, I think we had the same test. I too took aud last week. I thought I was well prepared for it, I studied everything in my review course, I scored an average of 90% on my simulations. Well starting with my first testlet on my first exam I found myself guessing on almost each question, it did not have a straight forward answer that I could choose from. Like someone else mentioned on this forum, I thought I studied the wrong material! lol For almost 85% of the questions I had to reason and pick an answer, it wasn't similar to the material that I studied. And I had 2 or 3 repeating questions, like you did. Another question I found in my BEC material, it wasn't even in my AUD material.

Well when I came home I told my husband that if I do not pass it I am going to quit because I cannot study so much and be tested on something else. I already passed FAR in July, that test was all right, it was what I was expecting. But I already started studying for BEC, I heard AICPA intends to make the test harder since the passing rate is too high (ha). If I fail aud I am going to take it again until I get a reasonable test, looks like other people do get them.

[Ligi84]

danlee, I think we had the same test. I too took aud last week. I thought I was well prepared for it, I studied everything in my review course, I scored an average of 90% on my simulations. Well starting with my first testlet on my first exam I found myself guessing on almost each question, it did not have a straight forward answer that I could choose from. Like someone else mentioned on this forum, I thought I studied the wrong material! lol For almost 85% of the questions I had to reason and pick an answer, it wasn't similar to the material that I studied. And I had 2 or 3 repeating questions, like you did. Another question I found in my BEC material, it wasn't even in my AUD material.

Well when I came home I told my husband that if I do not pass it I am going to quit because I cannot study so much and be tested on something else. I already passed FAR in July, that test was all right, it was what I was expecting. But I already started studying for BEC, I heard AICPA intends to make the test harder since the passing rate is too high (ha). If I fail aud I am going to take it again until I get a reasonable test, looks like other people do get them.

[Maaneet]

@danlee

I feel exactly the same way. This was my second time testing AUD and I thought I was more prepared and had a better understanding this time around. I had to tick mark about 8-9 questions per testlet. I know for sure I got some wrong because I checked my notes as soon as I got to my car. 🙁

I am keeping my fingers crossed till Nov. 22nd… All the best to you! And please update us when your scores come out. 🙂

FAR - 81 (2/13), Expired. 🙁 Retake 79 (11/14)
AUD - 63 (10/13), 71 (2/14), 69 (7/14), 81 (10/14) Finally!!!
BEC - 77 (2/14)
REG - 78 (5/14)

[Author]

Replies