[Zyx]

I am new, please count me in. I took aud first time, completely failed got 49!! I feel like this is the score for who did not study. But I studied for over 2months, few hours every day, 6-8hrs on the weekends. I studied constantly and did TONs of multiple choices. I thought I did pretty well with MCQ, but not SIMs. I feel I should have got above 60. Man! I have no idea what went wrong. For anyone who passed, how did you prepare for sims? How did you study for ratios appear on sims that you have to pick increase/decrease that type of questions. I am very weak at this this area. Anyone help me please?

REG: 77 x2
BEC: 81 x3
FAR: 68 retake 10/1
AUD: 8/27

[Troblin]

MCQ,MCQ,MCQ.

For audit especially, eventually you see every possible variation on the testable topics. I think I plugged through roughly 7k MCQ before taking the exam.

FAR: 85(11/22/2014) - Becker(full)/Ninja MCQ (5 day cram)
AUD: 79 (2/1/2015) -Becker/Ninja MCQ/Ninja Notes
REG: 84(4/19/2015) -Becker/Ninja MCQ/Ninja Notes
BEC: 83 (7/13/2015) -Becker/Ninja MCQ/Ninja Notes

Date I Got My Life Back!: 8/4/2015 🙂

[golfball7773]

AUD sucks donkey ……

FAR: 63, 55, 62
REG: 65, 77*
AUD: Fail, 64, 71
BEC: 72, 74, 81

*expired

[y_u_no_pass]

Although it was somehow my best score, I hated audit. It is so ridiculous. You can think you are doing very well and miss a ton because so many of the topics have two possible answers. And you can think you did terrible because you weren't sure, but actually do well. I agree with the above though. For audit you really need to practice the multiple choice. I would get a bunch wrong at first- like half- but as I progressed through my review course I started to get a feel for the material and was getting more and more right on the first try. Make sure you get the “easy” memorization points such as the audit reports and their modifications, and the independence rules. And finally work to understand the process, the flow of the audit from planning to report, and the flow of the information through the accounting system. My final piece of advice, which may vary from what some write, focus on your strengths. If there is an idea you really aren't getting, move on. Spend your time making sure you fully know the things you do understand so that you don't miss any points that are easily accessible. There were several topics on each of these exams I was either unprepared or underprepared for, and my lowest score was a 90. You need to make sure you really get the parts you know.

Florida CPA!
Took final exam 2/25/15.
Sent in Application 3/12/15.
Issued License 3/20/15.
Used CPA Excel solely for all exams.

[Anonymous]

The thing that worked for me and it seems to work for a lot of people in this forum is using NINJA MCQ. It's realtively inexpensive. I did every single question. I averaged a 78 and had a trending score of 88 and got an 84. I read forum post after post with people having very similar results. A large majority of people seem to score right between their average score and trending score. It was the best gauge of how I was doing by a long shot. For a long time I used Gleim and I would get 90's on certain chapters and 50's on others so I thought hey that basically averages to 75 I'll be fine and I consistently failed.

Long story short your not the first or last person to feel like you did okay only to see a bad score. The good news is you can go from a 49 to a passing score. I almost quit after I took one test. I got a 52 on FAR and thought I could never make up 23 points. It's possible so get Ninja MCQ and try again.

[ahugemistake]

This thread is making me nervous. @zyx do you work in auditing?

FAR - 78*
AUD - 66, 79
REG - 73, 76
BEC - 79

[Martin]

Audit has the highest failing rate because the review course teaches you one thing, and the MC asks for another. You have to start seen patterns on the questions to be able to grasp the concept.

Through God all things can happen!

“You never fail until you stop trying.”
― Albert Einstein
When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people;as I grow older, I admire kind people.
“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”

FAR= 72-84
Audit= 73-82
BEC= 74-75
Reg=77

[Zyx]

@ahugemistake, no I am not. I feel if you work in audit, aud seems to be easy for you. I have worked with auditors though. I have seen how they perform audit procedures in real life and get some ideas of auditing. However, just like everyone said, it is difficult and wordy.I am thinking to get ninja MQC since it is relatively inexpensive and seems to help you prepare well. I have spent over $1,500 on a review course already. That's why I am trying to find an effective way to improve without costing an arm and a leg!

I realized that I spent lots of time in studying, but I was not really focused. Yet, I did lots of mcq that I became more like “memorizing” it instead of understanding which I thought I understood. Finding ways to study effectively is really the key to pass. Thanks you all for advising!

REG: 77 x2
BEC: 81 x3
FAR: 68 retake 10/1
AUD: 8/27

[Gabe]

I am an auditor and did not pass the first time…I think it's because, as an auditor, what they teach you in a book isn't what is done in “real life.” So you're constantly second guessing your answers. Really understanding the question is key, not just memorizing. Like Martin said, you'll start to see patterns the more MCQs you do. Good luck!

CPA, CFE
CISA- Experience will be completed by August 2016

[Author]

Replies