[jeff]

This is for people taking their exams in the January/February 2010 testing window.

Recommended prep time for AUD is 4 weeks @ 20 hours a week.

CPA Exam Score Release Predictions:

https://www.another71.com/cpa-exam-scores-results-january-february-2010-wave-1.html

Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS) | Another71 | NINJA CPA | NINJA CMA | NINJA CPE

[gmb]

CPAequalsHBP and stjohns796,

My advice for audit would be to use the entire 4.5 hours. You are correct that the material on AUD is not as difficult as the other 3 sections and as such the examiners are going to try to trip you up with tricky wording in their questions. Take the time to read and then re-read the questions. On my exam I changed several answers after going back and re-reading the question. A simple “not” or “except for” that you may have missed in the question could be the difference between a 74 and a 75.

FAR-88, AUD-94, BEC-87, REG-90

[TSword7]

Thanks for that advice gmb. I'll definitely use it tomorrow.

BEC - 83 (7/09),FAR - 80 (11/09), AUD - 84 (1/10), REG -82 (3/10)

[Anonymous]

@CPAequalsHBP Do not postpone your test. I took the test on the 4th, so did my friend, and both of us felt that it was much easier than the becker exams. Someone else I worked with only studied for it for 1 week. If you don't feel prepared, THEN YOU STILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME, just study more. Postponing will only allow you to postpone your studying. Buckle down and GET ER DUNNNNNNNN!!!

For those of you wondering what the test was like, or wondering if you should memorize the report… NOOOO, you don't need to know the report verbatum, but work your MCQ and pay attention to the questions that ask about the exact phrases. Like, you should know the key words like “reasonable assurance” “sufficient appropriate audit evidence” etc etc. Just know the important parts of the opinion basically.

Hmm I can't think of any more general suggestions besides just do MCQ's, without getting too specific. GET ERRRR DUNNNNNN!

[zena]

bbrowning911, I can't wait to “get ‘er done!” I am so sick of doing MCQs, specially the evidence ones (Becker chapter 4). I was surprised to see in one of Becker simulations that the written communication tab basically wanted me to finish off a management representation letter. They gave the first 6 bullet points of it in the tab and the solution just shows the remaining 6 bullet points. There is NO WAY I'm memorizing a representation letter. What's the point? Is not like in real life I can't look all this stuff up, specially formatting issues. I'm going Friday and I'm as ready as I'll ever be after today and tomorrow.

FAR 86 | BEC 94 | AUD 90 | REG 85
All done! used Becker

[Anonymous]

Good luck Zena and good job on being prepared. The Becker simulations that have you finish a particular report are probably not that relevant and I doubt that one would be asked to do that on the actual exam. However, I would pay attention to those MCQ that say “Which one of the following would one most likely find in a (INSERT REPORT NAME)?” So for example, a review would say something about inquiries and analytics, a compilation would not say anything about an opinion, etc etc. These very well may be tested.

[zena]

Thanks, bbrowning911! I agree with you on those types of MCQ. I recall coming across some like that. Good to know. It will be a long time before scores come out, “luckily” we'll be busy studying for the next exam… lol

FAR 86 | BEC 94 | AUD 90 | REG 85
All done! used Becker

[stjohns796]

there is no need to memorize the reports – if they asked you a question on your simulation/written communication, you could look up the full report in the research tab

REG 78; BEC 84; FAR 94; AUDIT 93

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the advice guys! I have decided to go ahead and not post-pone the test. I hit questions in Becker chapter 4 hard last night (especially the supp quesitons) and I think I may have it figured out. For the other tests, it seems like you can memorize a bunch of formulas and be fine. But with the evidence questions in chapter 4, you have to read each WORD in each question very carefully and analyze the heck out of it and the answers! The other chapters I feel ‘ok' with. So, I will just hit the ‘evidence' material very hard over the next few days. Then, I should be fine.

Plus, I post-poned the test for FAR and I didn't feel any more prepared going into it than I did when I initially took the test.

[zena]

stjohns796, I tried that in the Becker simulation and it didn't work. I kept hitting “Wrong Path” dead ends. I don't know if the same holds true for the actual exam but I'm definitely keeping that in my back pocket in case it ever comes up.

FAR 86 | BEC 94 | AUD 90 | REG 85
All done! used Becker

[Anonymous]

I'm taking audit for the 3rd time on Monday. blah

[Anonymous]

I'm working my way through the material and will be taking Audit on Monday. So far I am feeling OK, but I do need to revisit a lot of the material again to make sure I have it nailed down and that it's fresh in my memory.

Hopefully I can follow my standard operating procedure by taking a personal day tomorrow which gives me 3 full days to re-review the materials. Work's nuts right now though, so I don't know if I'll be able to.

[Anonymous]

Luckily, work right now is slow. Supposed to get a Cost-Seg study; however, I think it has fallen through. We also get a day off prior to the exam, and we get the day off of the exam.

BlondeAccountant – if you don't mind me asking, what parts of Audit have been causing you the most problems? The largest benefit for me with studying for this exam has been to pound out as man MCQs as I can. You start to see a pattern. Also, they help to solidify the content where Becker did a poor job of explaining. (My personal opinion!) For the most part, if I miss something while working the MCQs, I understand WHY I missed it. But, I do come across a problem every now and then in which I have no clue why the AICPA picked the answer they picked. Very frustrating.

[zena]

CPAequalsHBP, I agree with you. I am getting more frustrated with this exam than even FAR, which has so much more material, but it makes so much more sense. There are definitely patterns that emerge and sometimes you know the right answer just because it has some keyword in it. Other times, however, I can stare at a question for minutes and still don't know what exactly they are after. I'm pounding out the final exams today and remaining simulations and off I go tomorrow. It seems that whether I get a 66% or an 83% on a final exam testlet (Becker) it still takes me only about 30 minutes per testlet. It will be interesting to see how this works out tomorrow. Good luck all!

FAR 86 | BEC 94 | AUD 90 | REG 85
All done! used Becker

[Anonymous]

Zena,

I've finished early (20 mins on BEC and 30 on REG) and passed both times. In my opinion, you don't always have to use all the time given you. Even though some questions may take 90 seconds to answer, I find most take less than that. I felt bad after walking out 30 minutes early on REG (my first section), but I passed, so…I don't think time makes too big of a difference.

[Will_it_ever_end]

Zena – Becker software Sims do not have the available research that you will have in the actual test. That is why it shows up wrong path. The size of the software be would bog down your comp if they all came with it. You will be able to look up certain things when you're testing but all the answers definitely won't be there.

To add to dmjid0005's comments, I just took AUD this week and finished with 50 minutes left over and even felt like I took my time on the sims. The MC seemed to go quickly. I have friends however, who have told me they finished early (an hour) and made themselves sit there and review until the time was up. I didn't feel the need to punish myself. If I overthink my answers and change them, I am usually wrong. I need to stick with my gut reaction.

REG 97, FAR 69,82, AUD 80, BEC 71, 81 - It finally ended!!

[Author]

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