[Anonymous]

I have been studying for Audit since July 1 and I test on Aug 31. I study about 3 hours after I get off work everyday and about 8 hours a day on the weekend. I read all of these forums about people saying that 160 hours is more than enough time to study! How?? Unless you have background/experience with Audit, it seems pretty unrealistic. Of course, everything is possible, right? But honestly, I don’t get it. It takes a substantial amount of time to go through the lectures, read the chapter, do the book MCQ’s, do the CD MCQ’s and then go through the ALL the MCQ’s a few more times (at the end of the day, you’re talking over 3,000 MCQ)!!!! And considering its Audit, it takes a real thought process when answering questions. How in the heck can that only take 160 hours? Someone please advise me as to what I am doing wrong. Thank you 🙂

[Yaegermeister]

There's nothing worse to some people on here than for them to think someone else is not miserable or struggling. Anytime someone posts that something is anything less than a total burden, people pile on. Guess what? Some of this stuff is a breeze to some people. Deal with it. Everyone who passes didn't “get lucky” by getting an “easy” testlet. You're not failing because someone at NASBA/Prometric/AICPA is out to screw you. A hard question is one you don't know the answer to. While I commend Jeff for his site and enjoy it, the simple matter is that it is based and built upon failure. With failure comes bitterness and with bitterness comes lashing out at people who are succeeding. If you are consistently struggling, spend more time with your materials and less time on here.

BEC 2/28/11 79

[IwannaBaCPA]

I hate to disagree, but luck is more involved than those who pass care to admit…

Really though, if you really want this you WILL figure out a way to pass these exams…and if these exams are a breeze for you, then congrats! You are probably wasting your superior brain power, but congrats none the less…

BEC: 79 - April 2011
FAR: 78 - May 2011
AUD: 81 - May 2012
REG: 79 - October 2012
Ethics: Passed - March 2013
I am finally DONE!

[Yaegermeister]

I'm not sure how you can definitively say to what degree, if any, that luck is involved.

I guess that some people were lucky enough to be born with natural talents while others may be lucky enough to have the discipline necessary to maintain a structured regimen. Some people are lucky enough to not have to work while they study. Aside from the occassional computer crash, there is really no way of knowing how luck may or may not factor into the exam.

BEC 2/28/11 79

[mla1169]

I think luck is a BIG part of it, in that it has seemed to me like some concepts are always more heavily tested than others, and all of us “click” more with certain concepts than others. If you are lucky enough to get a test more heavily questioned toward your strengths you have a better chance of passing than if you had a different exam on that day.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[khachik2003]

I agree with mla. For example, I happen to be strong in economics and weak in cost accounting. When I sat for BEC, I was lucky enough to only get a few questions on cost accounting and a lot in economics.

However, I was unlucky in that I am weak in IT and I got extremely difficult IT questions, most of which I had never seen before (even though I studied close to 500 IT questions while studying).

Luck is definitely a part of it unless you memorize every single concept 100% and get a 99 on every part.

[IwannaBaCPA]

@mla1169: EXACTLY! I mean, if I am strong on topics A, B and C and I get a test with more questions and Sims on those topics, I am likely going to pass. Now lets say you are weak on those three topic and you get a test heavy on those topics, you will likely fail. I get lucky and you didn't…or like my Audit exam, I had 2 research questions and they were easy to find. I just don't see how those can be equal in point value to someone else who had to do crazy J/E that are much harder. I am not complaining about luck being a factor, but merely pointing out that it is…

Now having said that, there is a quote I am reminded of

“I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” –Thomas Jefferson (I am not sure this is the true source)

BEC: 79 - April 2011
FAR: 78 - May 2011
AUD: 81 - May 2012
REG: 79 - October 2012
Ethics: Passed - March 2013
I am finally DONE!

[gottagetmycpa]

Luck has really nothing to do with it. Luck is when opportunity meets preparation. If you prepare for it you will do good. I am not saying spend millions of hours and doing millions of MCQ. Preparation is whatever works for you. There are some that need a lot and some don't. It is the way it is. Life is not fair. If I feel that I walked away from a test and it was a breeze than hot diggity I will be proud of myself and move on to the next test. But we cannot choose words for others based on our own experience. Again at the end of the day everyone is plain ole different.

FAR 76
REG 76(2x)
BEC FAILED (2x)
AUD FAILED (2x)

"When you don't give up, YOU CANNOT FAIL"

[IwannaBaCPA]

Luck has a lot to do with everything…

BEC: 79 - April 2011
FAR: 78 - May 2011
AUD: 81 - May 2012
REG: 79 - October 2012
Ethics: Passed - March 2013
I am finally DONE!

[Yaegermeister]

I see a lot of opinions on luck being a factor, but I've not seen any evidence. Would you say that people who consistently fail over and over are unlucky? To ascribe one's success to luck is somewhat insulting to people who work hard and make sacrifices. It also absolves those who fail, of responsibility for their failure. If everything is luck, why put forth any effort? It almost sounds like CPAs are nothing more than lottery winners.

BEC 2/28/11 79

[mla1169]

I don't think anybody is saying luck is the only factor or even the most important but I think it is a mistake to imply that people who fail didn't work as hard or make as mank sacrifices as someone who passes. I have passed 3 and failed 2 so far and can assure you that the effort I've put in and the sacrifices I made for the three I passed were no more monumental than for the two I failed. I've been on both sides of the coin.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[IwannaBaCPA]

Well said mla1169. Luck is not the only factor, but it is a factor here…even Tim Gearty mentions luck when it comes to this exam…it's like anything else in life. Look, I passed 2 parts so far and would absolutely say luck played a part. If I had gotten Sims on topics I was not strong in, I would not have been able to pass…fact. Sure, the next time I would need to study my weak topics more and gain more comfort with them, but I got lucky and don't have to do that…

BEC: 79 - April 2011
FAR: 78 - May 2011
AUD: 81 - May 2012
REG: 79 - October 2012
Ethics: Passed - March 2013
I am finally DONE!

[NoScores2Display4thisSection]

didnt the AICPA say total time for the entire exam (all 4 parts) is estimated at 400+ish hrs?

It kind of reminds me of a few CPE online courses that might be 3-4 credits. So these should take about 3-4 hours right? for me it was sometimes closer to 8 hours depending on the subject

The following quoted from:

https://ezinearticles.com/?CPA-Exam-Study-Tips:-How-Long-Should-It-Take-To-Study-For-Each-Section?&id=6444694

“But are you studying enough? CPA exam candidates often wonder how long they should be studying for each section of the exam. Unfortunately, there's no straight-forward answer like “10 days per section.” You can get an idea of how long it should take to study for each section however, depending on your specific schedule and study habits.

While there are no strict CPA exam study requirements, the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) generally recommends that exam candidates spend 300 to 400 hours preparing for the exam. However, the recommended amount of time spent studying for each exam section varies. Because some sections are more difficult or cover more material than others, here's a suggestion of how to break down your study time in order to meet the AICPA's recommended CPA exam preparation time:

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/6444694“

done

[jeff]

My free 50 things book covers this stuff…

[IwannaBaCPA]

I am at 373 hours without counting anything yet for REG. I have studied over 100 hours for each section and plan somewhere around 125 for REG. Again it just depends on so many things…It's not like when I reach 125 hours I close the books and speed over to the testing center…

BEC: 79 - April 2011
FAR: 78 - May 2011
AUD: 81 - May 2012
REG: 79 - October 2012
Ethics: Passed - March 2013
I am finally DONE!

[PinkButterfly]

Cpagogetter- I am in the same boat as you! I am scheduled to take Audit on August 31st. I've been reading threads and even asking how many hours should suffice… I feel that it's taking so much of my time. There are so many concepts, definitions and several items and reports that need to be memorized. I am also very anal and pay attention to too much detail.

My friend just passed audit with a 93 using Becker (first try). I've asked him for pointers. I feel I'm accomplishing a lot more now since I've tried to implement his suggestions. Here's his advice:

1. Its easy to get caught up in the details. DON'T

Each section has major concepts know those very well. The homeworks will confirm these concepts by giving you examples of how the exam will test the concept.

2. Master 1 section at a time.

I read each section thoroughly and just made a mental note of any minute details so I could recall in a exam situation.

3. Grasp the big picture. Understand the flow of each section in an actual audit.

Memorize steps and the order of processes.

4. Finally, The homeworks are key.

The homeworks will bring clarity to what you have studied. They also give insight into how the examiners will test certain concepts (can't emphasize enough). Another trick is to consciously identify the concept being tested for each problem because it will help you memorize it.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

[Author]

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