AUD Study Group – Q2 2018 - Page 11

So I took the test today. Despite going back over anything remotely questionable I finished with 2 hours and 10 minutes left on the clock. And of course they always make the last sim testlet the easiest of all of them making it pointless to continue reviewing. Anyway, I only noted 3 multiple choice that I wasn't sure about (1 was a pure guess) and after checking the answers post-test I only got one of them wrong and oddly it's not the one I guessed on. The sims were decently challenging, but more because of how subjective they were. There were quite a few boxes I wasn't sure my answer was correct but after careful review of all the facts it was the best choice I could make. The research question was decently obscure but I think I lucked into finding the answer pretty quickly. I forgot I could check the AL on the first sim testlet and of course that's the only one where I actually would have gone looking for something. Oh well, not too worried.

Format: I honestly didn't notice much difference but then I was a little used to it due to Gleim having the same format. There was side scrolling on the exhibits in order to fit them on the screen with the question. I honestly wish they just left the exam alone and saved the format update until a future time so they could consolidate it with another update and not mess with our score releases so badly two years in a row. C'est la vie.

I anticipate I scored in the 90s, hopefully higher rather than lower. Unfortunately it's on to studying REG without knowing if I'm still in the running for the Watts-Sells award or not.

The Ninja MCQ covered a few minor things that Gleim didn't cover so it was good to learn those. I'm not sure if any of those things were actually on the exam or not. Ninja also was good because 1) More questions is better. 2) Ninja questions are more representative of the exam questions than Gleim's are. Gleim uses more tricky wording.

My dilemma now is to stick to my approach of 1 exam per test window and take REG in July, which means I won't know if I passed them all until September, or to try to take REG by the first week of June. This is assuming I can get an appointment at the testing center. I'm also getting married in May, to make that more difficult. I really like my current low-stress method, but there's obviously a big benefit to being done in June instead of September.

@Fahm:

I used Becker. If I don’t pass this time I will supplement with a second test bank of some sort. I would say practice practice practice on as many questions that you can get your hands on. Also don’t overlook the skills practice. Sims were where I was lacking on all my previous attempts so maybe I was more prepared going into Sims than I was for MCQs. I really don’t know. The AICPA sample test is a good source definitely do that.

My test was also not math heavy at all like @coco said. Some others have said they found MCQs “unique” maybe that’s the right description? Each test is so different from the other so who knows . I wish you the best in your studies. Don’t go too many days without studying – with the kids getting sick I know it’s hard to balance things are already crazy and throw in a sick kid into the mix and everything falls out of order. Try to hammer MCQs on the phone as you’re with the kids just don’t allow gaps in prep. That was my downfall.

Retook AUD today after failing with a 73 back in Late February.

Let me tell you about my first experience:

I was quite confident I passed on the first trip-I felt very comfortable with the material and the logic of audit and I/C comes to be fairly natural. I was looking for hope since I split that Q1 with failing BEC(66) as well as getting a subpar LSAT score, and AUD was my last hope for success at one of the three.

I moved through the exam quite fluidly and stuck to my test-taking strategy. Honestly, I felt I was knocking most of them out of the park, and this was reinforced subjectively when I perceived my second section of MQs to be “tougher” than the first, for the second round should be “tougher” if you do well on the first section.

I left the exam with a little doubt on a few Sims, but for the most part, I expected to pass. I have had two Auditing courses, one in Undergrad and one in Grad school, B & A course grade respectively, and am currently in an IT audit course. I work with Internal controls, and I have had experience in small business auditing. I had Wiley, Ninja CPA, and mountains of slideshows and notes. In total, I thought I had no reason to fail.

Let me tell you about failing and getting today:

Finding out I got a 73 (at the time [dramatic effect insert]) felt as if I had gone on Maury for a paternity test after raising an only child for 17 years, as a single parent. Hopefully, that was descriptive and not offensive to any single parents out there, but you get the point – it was painful.

That pain would motivate me further and I would spend the past four weeks till today approximating 60-70 hours of studying for AUD. It was hot, it was just about refreshing what I remembered and getting better at my weaknesses.

Let me tell you about today:

Today was tough. New exam format was not why, but rather for the inefficient studying, I felt that I wasted my time on after finding it a little tougher this go around.

Simply put: It was tough. I am indifferent on how I did, but I actually had to rush a few subsections for the final sim. I didnt the first go around.

I had issues with:
-Vague formalities (Why AUD, Why)
-Vague Conditions for Decision making

Really just Vagueness. Watch out, get the formalities down for all you all taking the exam.

I was surprised with:
– I actually had to use the FASB codification on a few sims.

How I feel:

I am not sure what to think. I am less confident than my first try, but I honestly feel like I know the material. In a random sample of Qs (take that Sampling!) taken multiple times in proportion to the exam areas I keep finding that I get above eighty percent of the questions right, but it doesn't feel like it translated to today.

I probably need to just get over it and move on, but AUD is takings it toll on me.

Hope you all have a better experience!

For those of you who took the exam – would you say the SIMs accurately reflected the AICPA Blueprint? I've been practicing Analysis/Evaluation SIMs (using Becker) like crazy. Although I understand nothing identical is guaranteed to be on there, I'm hoping that will prepare me for the worst on Monday. I barely scraped by with FAR so I'm pretty nervous. Thanks in advance!

@Isabelle

The AICPA blueprints are very accurate. Analysis and Evaluation skills will be SIMS. The problem is that you don’t know what will be on each exam. Good luck on Monday.

@sona

I'm always studying. You're taking AUD in 5 days? Didn't you just take FAR?

Yes I took FAR on 3rd. My REG expiring and I just FAILED AUD in Feb so the information is still fresh. Therefore decided to give it a shot.

@Julia: Right now doing ROGER becoz my subscription will be over on 10th so using as much as I can before that. Yes I am doing NINJA Mix and trending is 85%, but I haven't done all of them yet. I m scared of assertions and Audit procedures, so right now focus on roger MCQs and TBS (So, if I need to listen the lecture I would use that, I like his teaching style).