[jivexturk3y]

With the test now being 50/50 McQ and Sims, 24 questions per testlet and 8 sims, what is everyone’s strategy to adjust for the changes? I was planning on spending an hour and a half on Mcqs and the remaining time on sims so that I could have plenty of time to use the AL to look up information and the annoying calculations for the analytical procedures. What are people’s thoughts on this?

[Anonymous]

I wish they'd quit it with the pre-test questions and just grade them along with the rest. I think the reason I got the score on FAR that I did was because the pre-test SIM I had was one of the ones I did really well on.

[shawn in VA]

Crazyleon-

Yes, I did get 2 FAR type SIMS on my AUD exam on FEB 1. I have also received (back in NOV 2016) all my BEC WC were NON BEC topics and were from REG, AUD, and FAR. I must have some real bad luck with exam versions.

I just don't have it in me to start studying for FAR after being relatively close in passing AUD and BEC, 69 and 74, respectively. I just dont know how people (on this forum) can fail 4-5 times a part and have the will power to keep going. That really says a lot of someone's character.

Personally, after failing AUD and BEC twice I am thinking of throwing in the towel If I don't pass next time around.

[Anonymous]

@shawn – That is absolutely ridiculous that you got FAR SIMs on those exams. Sounds pretty unfair. I don't think you should think about throwing in the towel for awhile though.
You're getting in the 60s and 70s so you are very much still in the game. It does prove though that they can ask anything they want on these exams and appealing your score is futile.
The more of these things you take though, the easier they become. There was a guy on here who did FAR 9 times before passing. Nine. With that many failures, most people would not
keep going. He also had failures on the other exams but not nearly as many. And yet, it seems like most people on here sit for an average of 4-6 sections and then they're done.
I honestly don't know what to think at this point, probably because I've only taken FAR and now the format is changing. I wish I'd started taking these exams way earlier than I did. I know what you mean about the SIMs in general…I got a pile of weird ones on my FAR exam. I will take AUD on 4/29. I think your luck is bound to change if you keep going though. If you throw enough dough at the ceiling, it will eventually start to stick.

[Anonymous]

what do you guys mean by FAR sims on Audit? Do they have journal entries, etc?

[jivexturk3y]

Yeah adjusting year end entries. If you haven't already passed FAR, or it's been awhile since you've passed, you can easily forget which accounts to debit and credit if you haven't brushed up on it.

[Anonymous]

The AICPA is rather passive-aggressive when it comes to these exams. Apparently they sneak FAR questions onto AUD and BEC, maybe even REG too. Everyone I talked to suggested doing FAR first. Even though I have yet to pass it, I'm glad I at least “know what I'm doing” with regards to most topics. Not looking forward to studying for the re-take though. The things in FAR that I had the most trouble with were related to stockholders equity. There was a lot of it on the exam and although I knew the stuff inherently, it wasn't enough to conquer some of the horrible questions on EPS and whatnot. I had a TBS on it that I completely wiped out on. I spent about five minutes on it before filling in the boxes randomly and moving on to questions where I knew I'd earn more points.
Also had a TBS on consolidations/business combinations that I left blank.

[shawn in VA]

In NOV 2016 I had a REG topic on BEC for one of the writing communications.I got it right only b/c I took REG an passed. It was extremely REG material and it was very specific and if your not a tax person or have taken REG you would have got ZERO pts unless you have a very good memory from your college tax class.

The AICPA will do whatever to keep the pass rates below 50%. I know a bunch of people that passed back in 2008-2012 (at least 30 personally) b/c of the recession CPA firms were letting ppl go hence not hiring and hardly anyone was taking the exams. Many of them I talk to passed on the 1st try and said how easy the exam was. The ones that were taking the exams were basically being handed a license. Timing is everything in life. We have the “luxury” of taking this “new ” exam starting Q2 2017

[Nutcracker2016]

@ Shawn and @ Jive…Sorry to hear that. I am posting this in the belief my story will help you. I got a 58 on Audit back in Dec 2016. Yes 58. I was a top scorer in AUD in my college. I felt like a piece of trash for 2 days didn’t even eat or even come out of my room. When I took AUD for the first time, I used Roger for lectures Wiley and Gleim for test bank . I did about 1500 to 2000 MCQ and practiced sims from Wiley . Prepared for about 4 weeks. Sims were brutal in the real exam but thought I will pass. Seeing my score, I seriously thought of leaving CPA . I was very confused where I went wrong. I thought it is dangerous to continue studying for AUD second time without even knowing what I am doing wrong. So, I decided to get tutoring for AUD. I borrowed $1500.00 from two three sources and hired a tutor to teach me, only to know it was worthless.
After that, I put myself together and listened to Rogers lectures again as though I am starting from again. One of the lectures he said for other exams it doesn’t matter which chapter you do first for AUD everything is in the flow of Audit. I don’t know how I missed it first time. This time I carefully watched lectures in the order it is . I just had Wiley test bank , so I signed up for Wiley two weeks complimentary full access for Audit. Wiley lesson assessment questions were very tough. Also, it helped to figure out which chapter I am weak and where I am strong. I am sure I saw some of Wiley questions in the second-round I took audit. I did most of Wiley questions after listening to Roger’s lectures.
The second time when I took exam in Feb I had the same FAR questions in Simulations as most people here. But I finished FAR first so I think it was little easier for me to figure out. MCQ’s were brutal in second and third testlet. I passed second time. I seriously think I passed because as Roger said I understood the flow of Audit. What comes first, what will you do in the beginning stage of Audit, Planning stage, review stage and what techniques to use in what stage. Also, make sure you can differentiate between control risk, inherent risk and detective risk. What happens when one goes up or down. Just me two cents. Please don’t leave . Hope this helps you.

[Author]

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