[Scared-cpa]

Hey, everyone.

I started studying for AUD yesterday and I know that has not been long, but I have spent all day both days completing the assignments allotted for each of those days according to CPAexcel. I have no auditing experience whatsoever – not even in college – so I’m learning all of this as I go. I am sitting for the exam March 8th or 10th, haven’t decided yet, but I know that I have time to study for it in that period, but I also have four classes to juggle. Since my daily “schedule” of assignments to stay on track with AUD is taking me all day, I don’t know how to work in my courses, as well? What CPAexcel says will take my 30 minutes takes me an hour, for example. I know this is normal as I did the same with FAR, but I’m just needing suggestions to allocate my time appropriately.

Here is my study schedule:
Read the section and try to comprehend it even though I don’t grasp much of it
Watch the lecture. This is what really helps the information I just read “click” for me
Reread the section and take notes since I know what information within the text is important
Take supplemental MCQs
Do assessment for that section
Move to the next section

I feel like my study technique is good so far because the initial read (about 15 minutes) gets me acquainted with the topic. The video (about 15 minutes) helps the information soak in, then I reread the information and can actually get a better understanding of what I’m reading. This is when I take notes (30 minutes). I read the MCQs twice – the first time to get a general idea and the second time through to pick up details. I’m usually getting about 70-75% correct on MCQs the first time around and averaging approximately 1 min 10 seconds for each question.

My concerns are that (1) it’s taking all day to do my daily schedule leaving no time for homework and my classes which I obviously have to do and (2) this schedule leave me a week to review and I don’t know if that is enough.

All suggestions are welcome and thanks for reading my post 🙂

[jpn1892]

I like your study schedule. I feel like it would help me too. Unfortunately, I don't think I have enough time to do that as my AUD exam is coming up on Feb. 25th.

Here's how I prepare myself:

1. Watch lectures and follow along in book.
2. Do multiple choice questions on the weekdays to help the information soak in (from the lectures).
3. Do simulations on the weekends to help more information soak in (from the multiple choice questions).
4. Then repeat.

I rarely ever go back to the notes/lecture material after the initial phase. I just think that practicing multiple choice problems are the most efficient way of studying for an exam that consists of multiple choice problems (and same for sims). However, I do work in a CPA firm as an auditor so a bit of the material is somewhat familiar.

[Scared-cpa]

Thanks @Jon

I don't know what review course you use, but the videos in CPAexcel aren't long…usually no more than 15 minutes at the most. The majority are closer to 8 minutes. Anywho, they give a nice recap of the chapter so I think hearing someone actually talking about it helps me comprehend it better. Not sure why.

My first go at FAR consisted of going through CPAexcel and then their test bank. I did very few simulations and I think that's what screwed me over. I used ninja the second time around so I hope I did better. May I ask what bumped you up to an 81 after your two FAR fails? I'm really hoping I passed this time, but I'm trying to get a good read on others retake habits just incase. This time with AUD, I'm using more of the Ninja approach just modified to better suit my needs. I plan on rewriting my notes at the end of this process so I'm trying to be realistic in how much I write down, usually 1 page per section.

I just wish there was some way for me to speed my process up or tweak it a little to provide more time for school.

[jpn1892]

Oh I see. I never used CPAexcel so I'm not familiar with those bite-sized lectures. But I feel like 15 min is a great way to help remember key points without losing focus.

Here's what happened with FAR. The change in scores is due to the review course I used. I started with FAR as my first exam in Jan 2016 and had only read the Roger book and listened to the lectures. I only did the supplemental problems in the textbook, which was definitely not enough (I'd approximate 400 problems). So I failed and that's when I bought ninja Mcq for FAR again in April 2016. However, that didn't help too much and I'm not sure why. So then I coughed up the $150 bucks for the Wiley test bank and I passed! I was scoring just 61% of the problems correctly and thought I was doomed but it turns out that was just solid preparation.

Anyways, that's how I got through FAR. But I think you should do what you're comfortable with. Notes seem to be good for you so stick with it. One thing I refused to do was write notes by hand. It just takes me so much longer to write by hand than to type something out, To me, as long as I can get something onto a sheet of paper then that's sufficient enough.

My notes weren't notes from the textbook though. You know how every time after you answer a mcq correctly, you get an explanation on why it was correct? What I did was copy and paste that explanation into a Word doc and compile that list with all explanations that I felt were important. I would read that list all the time! That's the type of notes I wrote. So i highly consider that for you since you're trying to save study time. I hope you pass them all soon!

[Scared-cpa]

See, the CPAexcel platform I have includes Wiley Test Bank. That's what I used for my first go around with FAR. But I didn't touch the sims and I think that was my downfall since my report says I did “comparable” overall with mcqs. I used ninja mcqs my second go around so we will see. I'm just so scared of failing FAR again. I'm afraid that will make me want to give up on passing these exams at all.

I write out the notes by hand and it definitely takes a while but I seem to remember them better than typing it. I remember actually writing it, so I refer back to that memory, more so than it making me understand the concept more. I also wrote out all the mcqs I got wrong with explanations and read over them from time to time while studying. I also made a 2-page sheet with vital information on it to go over in the car before I walked in to take my exam. It helped freshen my memory on things I knew I often forgot.

[jpn1892]

Don't be scared to fail! Your first FAR score was better than mine, and I was able to pass eventually. Everyone fails every now and then but perseverance is so important. After every one of my fails, I found a more efficient way to study. To be quite honest, the 74 on REG was a huge reality check for me. I needed that in order to really buckle-down and take these exams more seriously. I've passed REG and FAR since the 74 and I study really hard now SO THAT I NEVER SEE ANOTHER 74 AGAIN.

[Scared-cpa]

Well this past time around with FAR, I feel like I knew mostly everything inside and out. I didn't wish I had studied more on any topic, nothing threw me off. However, the sims were awful. What they were asking wasn't difficult, per se, but the format and the way they want you to complete things is always very vague. So I feel like, once again, I probably failed because of the sims. However, I am interested to see my score. The middle testlet consisted of a mix of short and long questions and the third testlet was definitely difficult. I would say 10 of the multiple choice questions filled up the entire page. I hadn't seen anything like that on my first go around with FAR. But those sims…ugh.

What do you think got you over the hump of a 74? That is so close! I would almost rather have a score in the 60s than a 74 just because you wonder if you had gotten just one or two things differently, you may have passed. But that doesn't matter now because you passed it!

[jpn1892]

I know what you mean when you say that the format of the sims was very vague. Unlike the mcq being very straightforward, the sims require a complete understanding of what the question is asking. And we can get quite confused when they throw a bunch of those exhibit pages at us. Sims were always my weakness too since I hate reading long paragraphs, with a passion. But I've never passed an exam where I got anything less than comparable on the Sims. But you should be happy about the increase in difficulty of your testlets. That's always been a good sign for me.

That feeling that you have about knowing everything you could possibly know for FAR. I felt the same way with REG before I got the 74. I thought that if the extent of my knowledge of this subject is at its peak, then I would never get anything higher than a 74. however, I didn't take into account that every exam is different. I was probably blessed with questions that I was more comfortable with. Not to say that's what got me over the hump, but i definitely studied my butt off and switched all my course material to Wiley Test Bank. It just worked really well for me. To each their own though.

What are your plans in doing things differently? Since you're still very early in the process, I suggest exploring your options. There are tons of methods out there. When you pass your first one, I would stick to that method and the passes will just keep on rolling. You'll be done in no time once you gain a solid foundation.

[Scared-cpa]

Yeah, the first time around I was weak on sims, but I knew that walking out of the test center. I was simply not prepared and I knew it. This time, I feel like I would score good on the sims if it was hand graded. But since a computer is doing it, I'm not so sure. I just wish they would label and be more straightforward. It isn't about knowledge, it's just knowing what cell to put what in.

Oh gosh, then that's not a good sign if I feel the same way you did and you failed! Haha. I mean, I would be surprised if I passed since I don't think I did well on the sims because of what I just mentioned. But I have to take AUD right now because my NTS runs out. Plus it's a change of pace which is nice because I could vomit just thinking about FAR right now. If I have to retake it, I'm hoping to get a whole new, fresh start.

Well what I'm doing differently is trying to understand the concepts as opposed to just memorizing them. This is the biggest thing I overcame with FAR and I hope it will serve me well with AUD, although I have no knowledge of auditing. That along with taking notes, rewriting those notes about a week before the exam to tie everything together, all the mcqs and sims. I will be using wiley test bank. I don't think I will get ninja (unless I passed far with ninja this time…then I probably will) just because I only have til the beginning of March until I sit. I don't think using ninja for a week would be worth it when I already have wiley's test bank.

[metamor]

Hey scared_cpa,

I'm also using CPAEXCEL as my study tool and should be sitting for AUD on March 9. Nonetheless, i'm running behind and still lacking the motivation to study. Where are you currently at in the studying?

[Wannafree]

I just read Auditing ,Attestation ,Review and Compilation standards and make my summarized notes for that standards.I also made some brief notes on each chapter of Becker's.Now reading just standards and Ninja MCQ. Initially I was trending 53% ,now getting 80% ( Ninja trending shows 77%).
I am doing MCQ to really test my gap and go back to the AU,AT or AR as refereed in Ninja (if wrong answer ).
LOGIC :Takes less time and solidify my basic concept.

[Author]

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