[Jasper]

I am a full time student and spend my time studying for the CPA exam on a full time basis. I actually sometimes think I over study spending too many months just trying to learn and review the material. But my study plan has worked for me, getting me a 82 on FAR and an 82 on BEC. I will be taking the AUD exam in early October.

A lot of CPA candidates say the AUD test is easy; one even saying he or she completed it 1.5 hours. But AUD has the worst pass rate out of the four exams. I am just wondering who is saying it is easy. Do you think it is easy because it does not have as many formulas? Do you think it is easy because you are an actual auditor? Do you think it is easy because you really spent a long time studying? Why do you think it was easy?

FAR 82
BEC 82
AUD 93
REG 87

[taxgeek83]

For what it's worth, I took AUD in mid-August and during the last few days of my review week I was at a point where either I knew it or I didn't. There was literally nothing more I could have done to prepare for that thing – thought it would be a piece of cake. I passed with an 80. I knew the overall concepts, but the little details really stumped me going in. I think if you know the overall concepts you'll be able to think through the questions logically and do okay. When a rule is put into place, there's generally a specific reason why (though going through the IRC really challenges that statement!). If you can figure out the reasoning behind why a rule was implemented, I think you can reason through the tough questions. Kind of all about the big picture. But maybe that's just how my brain works! 🙂

[taxgeek83]

Double! Stupid iPhone…. 😉

[taxgeek83]

Double! Stupid iPhone…. 😉

[lmberrytoo]

@DJN … Hi. AUD is my first section to test. How exactly did you study? Did you use NINJA Notes in your studying. I am using Bisk. Please give me insights. Thanks!!!

[lmberrytoo]

@DJN … Hi. AUD is my first section to test. How exactly did you study? Did you use NINJA Notes in your studying. I am using Bisk. Please give me insights. Thanks!!!

[Anonymous]

@Imberrytoo – I did the Becker review (video and MCQs) and then I just kept doing the MCQs over and over again (probably too many times to be honest because it got to the point that I knew what the answers were without even reading the questions). This was my first test so I didn't really know what was going on or how to feel exiting the test.

One piece of advice: Trust your instincts. I changed two answers from right to wrong on the actual exam because I had never seen the exact subject matter in my studying, but when I went back and looked them up after the test I should have left them alone because I had no better basis for the second (wrong) answer I selected than the first (right) answer. Lesson learned!

[Anonymous]

@Imberrytoo – I did the Becker review (video and MCQs) and then I just kept doing the MCQs over and over again (probably too many times to be honest because it got to the point that I knew what the answers were without even reading the questions). This was my first test so I didn't really know what was going on or how to feel exiting the test.

One piece of advice: Trust your instincts. I changed two answers from right to wrong on the actual exam because I had never seen the exact subject matter in my studying, but when I went back and looked them up after the test I should have left them alone because I had no better basis for the second (wrong) answer I selected than the first (right) answer. Lesson learned!

[notebook8]

I took AUD and got a 92. I walked out thinking “that wasn't that bad” and I knew I passed.

For me, it is not that it was easy, it was that the MCQ could be performed relatively quickly. I double checked them too and still had 2 hours left. When I got to the SIMS I found almost every SIM in the AL. I finished the SIMS with 30 mins left and took that time to double check my sims.

A lot of people I talk to also say that they left an hour early for AUD. Maybe the extra time is the reason why people think its easier?

[notebook8]

I took AUD and got a 92. I walked out thinking “that wasn't that bad” and I knew I passed.

For me, it is not that it was easy, it was that the MCQ could be performed relatively quickly. I double checked them too and still had 2 hours left. When I got to the SIMS I found almost every SIM in the AL. I finished the SIMS with 30 mins left and took that time to double check my sims.

A lot of people I talk to also say that they left an hour early for AUD. Maybe the extra time is the reason why people think its easier?

[lmberrytoo]

@ DJN …. Thanks for the advice. I am definitely going to try it your way. So, you didn't use NINJA Notes at all?

[lmberrytoo]

@ DJN …. Thanks for the advice. I am definitely going to try it your way. So, you didn't use NINJA Notes at all?

[Anonymous]

@Imberrytoo, I didn't even discover this site, let alone NINJA stuff, until the day scores came out for the release of my AUD grade. I will say I got the NINJA notes for FAR (not for BEC or REG) and they are not my style, so even though I read through them once I won't really be using them to study for FAR.

That being said, NINJA notes, et al, work for A LOT of people, and they may work for you. The first exam is the hardest in terms of figuring out what works *for you.* That, in my opinion, is half the battle.

[Anonymous]

@Imberrytoo, I didn't even discover this site, let alone NINJA stuff, until the day scores came out for the release of my AUD grade. I will say I got the NINJA notes for FAR (not for BEC or REG) and they are not my style, so even though I read through them once I won't really be using them to study for FAR.

That being said, NINJA notes, et al, work for A LOT of people, and they may work for you. The first exam is the hardest in terms of figuring out what works *for you.* That, in my opinion, is half the battle.

[fightingforsanity]

@DJN, as a fellow Becker user, would you say that the Becker MC were similar to the actual exam MC in terms of difficulty and wording? Also, do you feel as if Becker prepared you well for your other sections or did you supplement with something else?

FAR - ✓
AUD - ✓
REG - ✓
BEC - ✓

Don't give up!

[fightingforsanity]

@DJN, as a fellow Becker user, would you say that the Becker MC were similar to the actual exam MC in terms of difficulty and wording? Also, do you feel as if Becker prepared you well for your other sections or did you supplement with something else?

FAR - ✓
AUD - ✓
REG - ✓
BEC - ✓

Don't give up!

[Author]

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