[K_Sunshine5]

It is so tricky! I took the test on April 14th and came out really feeling good about it. I did well on the first 2 testlets. The third testlet was very difficult for me though. I had to take an educated guess on about 10-12 of the 30 questions. They were just from left field. Questions I really had barely any idea on. I thought I did pretty well on the SIMs. Had two research that I thought I got right. 3 out of the remaining 5 I found word-for-word in the AL. The other two I did my best on and thought I got partial credit on. So when I left the testing center, I really thought I had a good chance of passing.

Score release came Friday and when I looked at the screen, I saw a heartbreaking 72. I couldn’t believe it. I was in shock. I really thought I had passed. And to see that 72, I was SO angry and upset. I know this happens to many of us but I just wanted to ask y’alls opinion on how I should proceed from here. I now have to get new or updated materials for the clarified SASs and I am thinking I will retake it at the end of August after I take REG on 7/14. That’ll give me 6 weeks to go over everything again and really make sure I understand everything.

Any suggestions or advice on this? Any would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

FAR: 65, 77!
AUD: 72, 72, 80!
REG: 64, 84!
BEC: 83!
Ethics: 98!

Delaware CPA as of May 23, 2014 at 10:43am EST.

"She believed she could, so she did."

[K_Sunshine5]

That's awesome! Congrats! Good luck studying for BEC!

FAR: 65, 77!
AUD: 72, 72, 80!
REG: 64, 84!
BEC: 83!
Ethics: 98!

Delaware CPA as of May 23, 2014 at 10:43am EST.

"She believed she could, so she did."

[lsutigers03]

I see a lot of you are saying you found multiple sims word for word in the AL. How do you go about looking through it to try and find answers to sims you aren't sure about? Also can this be done for FAR? I never thought to look when I took REG. I found the research questions and then suffered through the rest on my own.

REG - 78
BEC - 74, 67, 69, 69, 70, 79
FAR - 76
AUD - 69, 69, 69, 74, 85

Licensed Louisiana CPA

“You never fail until you stop trying.”
― Albert Einstein

[ros_a_lind]

I totally know the feeling of coming so close as my last failing audit score was 73….finally passed this time around with an 86 (it was luck…because audit is my worse subject)!!!

I was a Becker “student” for the year and a half. It just wasn't working out for me because of the way I study so I switched to Yaeger. However, I found the lectures soooo boring for audit so I ditched it. I read the whole Wiley book and did all the MCQ's Yaeger assigned. I copied all the NINJA notecards and listened to the NINJA audio lecture in my car and at night when I was falling asleep. In addition, I did almost all the MCQ's from the Wiley Test Bank (I swear by MCQ's now; before when I was failing my exams and needed some guidance, I took the advice of many others on this forum who said to do as many as you can…maybe that's why I've been passing).

I remember taking the exam with my first testlet being easy and then after my second testlet started I thought for sure I was going to fail….then it just became a blur. I just remember thinking process of elimination for MCQ's and leaving MCQ's and simulations unanswered if I had no clue – only going back after I answered the ones I knew/somewhat knew. I also allowed myself about two hours for the simulations because that's usually where I run out of time or struggle with.

Best of luck. If I can pass audit, you definitely can. I've always hated auditing!

Oh, and a little motivation I did to keep me studying throughout tax season was on a big piece of paper I wrote, “I'M NOT A 73. I'M AN 85!”

[samdiegoCPA]

@lsutigers03 Pretend like you're doing a google search for the answer. Say they want you to fill in an Income Statement with account names and they give you drop down menus with choices (no idea if this was ever a SIM or is a SIM for any part of the test). You'd be able to google search that to find an answer right? Or at least guidance? Same with AL… use the “search” and “search within”… I never practiced this before hand, but did during the exam and it was easy for me learn.

AUD: 84
REG: 84
BEC: 79
FAR: 83

[K_Sunshine5]

@Ros_a_lind, congrats on passing AUD! And thank you for your advice! I will definitely be doing all of the MCQs in the Wiley book and test bank when I restudy. Hopefully that'll push me over the edge and I'll see a passing grade :).

@lsutigers03, as @samdiegoCPA said, the AL is not difficult to use. Very similar to doing a google search. There is an advanced search too that can help you narrow the topic down. I literally found 3 of the 7 SIMs word-for-word in the AL. Make sure to give yourself enough time to use it though. About 2 hours for the SIMs is probably sufficient. I scored ‘stronger' on the SIMs according to my score report. My downfall was the MCQs, I'm thinking particularly my third testlet because that one was a beast.

Good luck to everyone taking AUD (and any other section) this window and next! And congrats to all who already passed!

FAR: 65, 77!
AUD: 72, 72, 80!
REG: 64, 84!
BEC: 83!
Ethics: 98!

Delaware CPA as of May 23, 2014 at 10:43am EST.

"She believed she could, so she did."

[mccoyms343]

I had a similar feeling after I took audit for the first time taking AUD. Scored a 71 and was confident I had passed it once I left the testing facility. Needless to say I bought the Ninja notes and let me attest that they were the best money I ever spent. Went from a 71 to a 93 in 4 weeks. I had taken AUD in the last week of the testing window, then retook it In the first week of the next window, so maybe 5 weeks. I was using CPA excel, but after a started reviewing with the ninja notes, I only used CPA excel for its practice tests, never referred back to the chapters. I remember the second time I took the exam I was in shock that most of my questions were straight out of the ninja notes, towards the middle of the third test book I was almost laughing, because I knew I was smoking this exam. I only had to guess on maybe 5-6 questions out of all of the MCQ's and even those I had narrowed down to 2 choices. For the simulations, you have the right approach by using the literature to “double check” your self. Take your time on the research questions because unlike other simulations you do not get any partial credit. Hope this helps and stay focused on the light at the end of the tunnel. There is not a greater feeling than waking up at 530 am and realizing you just became a CPA lol

[K_Sunshine5]

@mccoyms343, I will definitely be buying the AUD Ninja notes once Jeff updates them for the clarified standards! They are helping me tremendously so far with my studying for REG and I know for sure that they will help with AUD!

Thanks for your input and advice. Congrats on your 93 and becoming a CPA! That's awesome! I can't wait for that feeling. To know after all this hard work, dedication, and persistance that it really pays off and my future is improved because of it! It will all be worth it in the end 🙂

FAR: 65, 77!
AUD: 72, 72, 80!
REG: 64, 84!
BEC: 83!
Ethics: 98!

Delaware CPA as of May 23, 2014 at 10:43am EST.

"She believed she could, so she did."

[lsutigers03]

@ samdiegoCPA & kreibsome08 – Thanks for the info. Hopefully when I sit for FAR and AUD I'll have enough time to use the AL.

REG - 78
BEC - 74, 67, 69, 69, 70, 79
FAR - 76
AUD - 69, 69, 69, 74, 85

Licensed Louisiana CPA

“You never fail until you stop trying.”
― Albert Einstein

[K_Sunshine5]

@lsutigers03, my experience was that the AL didn't help too much on the SIMs for FAR (besides the research question of course). The FAR SIMs are very detailed but if you have enough time left at the end, it's definitely worth it to look! As for AUD, I finished my MCQs in an hour and a half so I had two and a half hours for the SIMs. I left with about 45 minutes left on the clock and felt confident in my answers to the SIMs (my score report said I was stronger in the SIMs so the MCQs are what killed me).

You should be good with timing for the SIMs for AUD. Try to give yourself at least two hours for the SIMs and you should be fine. I would say try your best and do what you can for all of them then go back at the end and look in the AL. That was my strategy at least. And good luck with FAR at the end of this month! You got this!

FAR: 65, 77!
AUD: 72, 72, 80!
REG: 64, 84!
BEC: 83!
Ethics: 98!

Delaware CPA as of May 23, 2014 at 10:43am EST.

"She believed she could, so she did."

[Author]

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