[reallytired]

Hi everyone! I just took REG on Friday (will most likely be retaking it end of October, people aren’t kidding when they say sims from hell) and have started with AUD today. I take the exam 10/1 and have three more weeks until I start my job, so I will be studying around 45 hours a week for three weeks and then about 20 hours that last week before the exam. So while I have a lot of time, I would love to use it efficiently. I am using Becker so I will continue with the lectures, taking notes, and the homework.

What I want to know is what you guys suggest I hammer into the next few weeks (i.e. for FAR, I knew to hammer into gov’t/nfp, bonds, leases, etc.). I would love any pointers as well!

B 10/29/16
A 10/1/16
R 9/2/16
F 7/26/16

[dnob04]

Same exact boat as you in regards to audit and starting work in 3 weeks, except substitute BEC for Reg.

[Ib]

@really tired. Sorry to hear your experience. I was looking for your REG exam experience. Was it really that bad? What about MCQs? For AUD I will highly recommend you to cover all topics in CSO and then focus on doing as many MCQS as possible.

FAR 79
AUD 87
BEC 78
REG 08/31/2016

[reallytired]

@dnob04, As in you believe you failed BEC? Good to know we can suffer together!

@IB553, I was just getting ready to reply to my older post to let you know! I felt really confident on the mcq, the test banks were medium, hard, hard, and I still knew about 90% of the answers. But I don't even think I got a 50% on the sims, they were just stuff out of left field. I was absolutely furious leaving the testing center but I am coming to terms with the fact that I will probably have to retake it so I am not feeling too bad about it right now.
I apologize, but what does CSO stand for? Clearly need to brush up on my audit talk 🙂

B 10/29/16
A 10/1/16
R 9/2/16
F 7/26/16

[Anonymous]

Starting work in 3 weeks here too! I scheduled my REG retake for October 3, but apparently my job is not going to let me take the exam right away. I wanted to get it out of the way, but they are having me wait until after training and starting on an engagement. This is with a Big 4, not sure who you are starting with. My advice though, talk to them about the exam first, if you haven't already. It would be awful to study so hard and not get the day off to take the exam!

[reallytired]

@big4dcguy, Oh that is slightly frustrating, at least you know ahead of time! I am starting with Grant Thornton and they know my AUD exam is 10/1, we actually are being flown out to Chicago 10/2 for training so my schedule worked perfectly with them. My exam is a Saturday as well, so no need to take time off!

B 10/29/16
A 10/1/16
R 9/2/16
F 7/26/16

[Anonymous]

@reallytired, That is very amazing!! Congrats with GT by the way, I've heard nothing but good things about them. I wish my schedule worked that perfectly :/ I've already spoken to my scheduler and I am booked consistently on a huge engagement with my schedule locked in until May. That is quite scary haha.

[Ib]

@reallytired CSO is abbreviation of Content Specification Outlines. You will usually find CSO in the beginning of Becker text book. It gives you a detailed overview of topics tested on each section of the CPA exam. Honestly, I did not do very well on SIMS either. So, I am more or less in the same boat. I wasted way too much time on one of the sims, which is a bad time management. I also had some of these strange SIMS. Although not completely unknown. You might still pass the exam since you did well on MCQs.
I also did not feel good about my performance in SIMS. I am getting more and more nervous as score release is approaching. This is my last exam and I really want to finish with this brutal exam. In worst case scenario, I will have to retake this in 4Q. Let's hope for the best!

FAR 79
AUD 87
BEC 78
REG 08/31/2016

[reallytired]

@big4dcguy, Thank you! I am pretty excited to start with them. Wait, so do you mean they won't let you take another exam until May? Or just until you have gotten adjusted to working there?

@IB553, Ah my bad, now I know what you are talking about! Ok I will continue to refer back to the CSO to make sure I am understanding their breakdown percentages!
Yes I also had a bit of bad time management with my first sim, I probably spent about 25 minutes on it because I was trying so hard to use the AL to answer the question. I am praying for a pass because I don't even know how I would go and restudy, as the sims were all things I studied but just not as detailed and difficult as the exam. Is your score release on the 9th or on the 20th?

B 10/29/16
A 10/1/16
R 9/2/16
F 7/26/16

[Ib]

I took my exam 08/31 and hope to get my result on Friday 09/09. If not I will have to wait for next score release.
There is some kind of inherent score curve in these exam. Meaning sometimes you can pass even though you think you failed and other times you can fail even you thought you did well. It has to do with weight assigned to each sim or MCQ. There is no easy way to predict this. Based on your experience you definitely have good chances to pass.

FAR 79
AUD 87
BEC 78
REG 08/31/2016

[Anonymous]

@reallytired, They have said they will most likely be able to find a time before busy season gets into gears, but that it will depend on my engagement team. I want to try my retake before I forget everything!

[SkiBum1990]

@reallytired I have been anxiously awaiting for REG exam experience as well (definitely searched this thread for it a few times lol!!) — as I'm currently studying for REG am not looking forward to those SIMS!!!

As for the AUD realm, as you will probably see from your review material MCQ, things are very craftily worded. It is crucial to read things very carefully and choose the BEST answer, as all 4 may be correct at times. Be careful not to just jump at what looks right at first, there are often subtle, yet KEY differences in answers. I will never forget this one question I had on my AUD retake in July.. I wanted to scream BS at the computer because the topic was so simple, but the answer choices seemed all the same (needless to say I chose the wrong one out of the 2 I narrowed it down to). As emphasized in the COS, you pretty much need to know it all. Also, in A4 they will introduce you to a formula list… have a working knowledge of your basic ones, quick & current ratio, ROI, Debt to Equity etc. You just never know where they might pop up!!!!, if at all (wont go into specifics with my experiences)

Lastly, don't burn yourself out. I studied hard up until the night before my exam because I didn't want to miss a thing this go-around, andddd I was burnt out 1/3 of the way into the test. I certainly contribute it yo the 70 I had received, and I will always regret that.

Best of Luck in your studies!!

B- 79
A- 68, 70, Dec
R- Oct
F- ?

"The mind can only absorb as much as the seat can take"

B - 79
A - 68, __ (got bumped from Aug 4 release to Aug 23-THANKS AICPA)
R - Oct
F - Nov (HA! 1 month to study working full-time; love NTS rules)

[SkiBum1990]

@reallytired I have been anxiously awaiting for REG exam experience as well (definitely searched this thread for it a few times lol!!) — as I'm currently studying for REG am not looking forward to those SIMS!!!

As for the AUD realm, as you will probably see from your review material MCQ, things are very craftily worded. It is crucial to read things very carefully and choose the BEST answer, as all 4 may be correct at times. Be careful not to just jump at what looks right at first, there are often subtle, yet KEY differences in answers. I will never forget this one question I had on my AUD retake in July.. I wanted to scream BS at the computer because the topic was so simple, but the answer choices seemed all the same (needless to say I chose the wrong one out of the 2 I narrowed it down to). As emphasized in the COS, you pretty much need to know it all. Also, in A4 they will introduce you to a formula list… have a working knowledge of your basic ones, quick & current ratio, ROI, Debt to Equity etc. You just never know where they might pop up!!!!, if at all (wont go into specifics with my experiences)

Lastly, don't burn yourself out. I studied hard up until the night before my exam because I didn't want to miss a thing this go-around, andddd I was burnt out 1/3 of the way into the test. I certainly contribute it yo the 70 I had received, and I will always regret that.

Best of Luck in your studies!!

B- 79
A- 68, 70, Dec
R- Oct
F- ?

"The mind can only absorb as much as the seat can take"

B - 79
A - 68, __ (got bumped from Aug 4 release to Aug 23-THANKS AICPA)
R - Oct
F - Nov (HA! 1 month to study working full-time; love NTS rules)

[reallytired]

@IB553, Oh gosh so you hopefully will find out on Friday! How nerve racking it must be waiting for the last score and not knowing exactly which score release will be for you. Yes I have read numerous times that people who felt they failed but ended up passing. I just do not think I will apply in that situation, as I really do know I bombed the sims, I think I MAYBE got the research right, but that was the only one I think I did ok on. We shall see, my score date is the 20th.

@big4dcguy, That gives me anxiety just thinking about your situation! I would be so nervous to not know when I would get to take a test. Which do you have left?

@SkiBum1990 Oh goodness, I don't even think there is a way to prepare for the sims, they were out of this world difficult. I was so angry when I got to them and just full on thought it was not fair to test on the topics they tested on and the details they put in! As I said, I feel really good about my mcq, as it got noticeably more difficult each testlet, so I am praying to the accounting gods to let me pass this one. I think you will do great if you spend some time on sims. That will be my game plan if I retake it!
Wow I think this exam will give me more trouble than I expected then because I have always been really good at answering a question correctly solely because I can narrow down all the wrong answers and end up with one left being the right answer. Good to know so I can make sure my notes are detailed and that I actually understand what the heck I am learning!

B 10/29/16
A 10/1/16
R 9/2/16
F 7/26/16

[Anonymous]

@reallytired, I have my REG retake left. I know you just took your exam, but I can give reasonable assurance (sorry, couldn't help it since you're studying Audit haha) that you did better on it than I did. As you know, the SIMS are hell, but luckily almost everyone thinks that! It's just about staying marginally ahead of the pack haha. Plus, I got a 71 on the exam and only completed 11% of my Becker homework. I tried squeezing 3 exams into one window, and hence the one fail. I'm sure you prepared much more than I did! Yeah, the stress is annoying, because there is NO point in studying until I have an idea of a window. You'd think they would be SO happy that I want to take my last exam 1 week after starting, then they could work me like a pack mule all through busy season!

[reallytired]

@big4dcguy, I actually laughed at that sentence, I appreciate it! Yes I put about 150 hours into it and did I think 75% of the homework in Becker, so I felt good. But like I said, I couldn't have prepared for those sims at all. Lets hope that I am ahead of the pack because I really don't want to study for REG again, especially while working full time. You did 3 in one window?! You are crazy! I couldn't have handled that kind of stress. I am doing two per window with BEC hopefully being my last one on 10/29.

Yeah that was the first thing to come to mind, why wouldn't they want you to take your possibly last exam?! One of my coworkers said they're always thrilled to have the new hires finish their CPA exams quickly, hence why I quit my old job a few months ago and started full time studying for the exam!

B 10/29/16
A 10/1/16
R 9/2/16
F 7/26/16

[Author]

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