[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

[Anonymous]

@fightingforsanity, I didn't really use Wiley for AUD because I only had the book and not the electronic test bank at that point, but for BEC and REG I found the WTB questions to be *marginally* closer to the actual exam than Becker in terms of “tone” (if that makes any sense).

As I mentioned, I used only Becker for AUD, but I supplemented with the WTB for BEC and REG. Honestly, I likely would have still passed BEC and REG with just Becker, but I appreciated the added comfort level that going through the WTB gave me for those sections. And I'm sure there were things I gleaned from the WTB that did help me.

One funny story: In doing the WTB for BEC I came across a question with a totally obscure random fact that of course I didn't know until I did that specific question. I remember thinking, “I hope they ask me THAT”–and they DID. Ha!

For FAR, I'd doing Becker, the WTB and basically sacrificing goats, lighting candles in Catholic churches, and selling my soul to Satan at this point. Anything that will help me get through this section, I'm all for it.

[Anonymous]

@fightingforsanity, I didn't really use Wiley for AUD because I only had the book and not the electronic test bank at that point, but for BEC and REG I found the WTB questions to be *marginally* closer to the actual exam than Becker in terms of “tone” (if that makes any sense).

As I mentioned, I used only Becker for AUD, but I supplemented with the WTB for BEC and REG. Honestly, I likely would have still passed BEC and REG with just Becker, but I appreciated the added comfort level that going through the WTB gave me for those sections. And I'm sure there were things I gleaned from the WTB that did help me.

One funny story: In doing the WTB for BEC I came across a question with a totally obscure random fact that of course I didn't know until I did that specific question. I remember thinking, “I hope they ask me THAT”–and they DID. Ha!

For FAR, I'd doing Becker, the WTB and basically sacrificing goats, lighting candles in Catholic churches, and selling my soul to Satan at this point. Anything that will help me get through this section, I'm all for it.

[tough_kitty]

@DJN, I'm sure you'll do just fine on FAR if you did that great on AUD (last part I am currently studying for!)

FAR was my first exam and I was really concerned about it because of all those VERY tricky MCQs in Wiley TB but the actual exam questions weren't as tricky!!! I was nicely surprised. I'd say about 10% of the questions were very detailed and not something I could have learned with Wiley and/or Roger. So, if you master Wiley MCQs and journal entries, you should pass without a problem!

FAR: 81 (May 2013)
BEC: 81 (July 2013)
REG: 83 (August 2013)
AUD: 82 (November 2013)
California CPA since 1/30/14

[tough_kitty]

@DJN, I'm sure you'll do just fine on FAR if you did that great on AUD (last part I am currently studying for!)

FAR was my first exam and I was really concerned about it because of all those VERY tricky MCQs in Wiley TB but the actual exam questions weren't as tricky!!! I was nicely surprised. I'd say about 10% of the questions were very detailed and not something I could have learned with Wiley and/or Roger. So, if you master Wiley MCQs and journal entries, you should pass without a problem!

FAR: 81 (May 2013)
BEC: 81 (July 2013)
REG: 83 (August 2013)
AUD: 82 (November 2013)
California CPA since 1/30/14

[fightingforsanity]

@DJN Thanks for your input! I'm sure your going to do just fine on FAR. I was able to pass it with just Becker and thought the Becker questions were actually a bit more difficult than the actual exam. You can do it! Good luck!

FAR - ✓
AUD - ✓
REG - ✓
BEC - ✓

Don't give up!

[fightingforsanity]

@DJN Thanks for your input! I'm sure your going to do just fine on FAR. I was able to pass it with just Becker and thought the Becker questions were actually a bit more difficult than the actual exam. You can do it! Good luck!

FAR - ✓
AUD - ✓
REG - ✓
BEC - ✓

Don't give up!

[Anonymous]

@Jasper… I took audit 2 times, both failed. Both times I was pretty confident I was going to pass. and both times I finished earlier… I had an hour and half left for simulations the last time I took it…. I ended up scoring weaker on the simulations..

I must of not #RTMQ clearly.,.. because I was so confident I was going to be in the 90s… Ahh, I'll have to take it again real soon.

I think they give a lot of time in audit so u really just use it to read the question very very carefully.

[Anonymous]

@Jasper… I took audit 2 times, both failed. Both times I was pretty confident I was going to pass. and both times I finished earlier… I had an hour and half left for simulations the last time I took it…. I ended up scoring weaker on the simulations..

I must of not #RTMQ clearly.,.. because I was so confident I was going to be in the 90s… Ahh, I'll have to take it again real soon.

I think they give a lot of time in audit so u really just use it to read the question very very carefully.

[Anonymous]

i thought studying for it was easy…and i thought the test was fairly easy. however, i barely passed with a 76.

i thought REG was difficult..and had an enormous amount of material, and that 80% sure i failed the test (did not feel good going into or coming out of the exam), but ended up getting a 80.

the only thing i can surmise from this is that there is definitely a curve; AUD is easier so most people do fairly well — i didn't do as well as others, even though i felt i did well.

as for REG, it was difficult for me, but i did better than a lot of people…so the curve bumped me up to a 80

[Anonymous]

i thought studying for it was easy…and i thought the test was fairly easy. however, i barely passed with a 76.

i thought REG was difficult..and had an enormous amount of material, and that 80% sure i failed the test (did not feel good going into or coming out of the exam), but ended up getting a 80.

the only thing i can surmise from this is that there is definitely a curve; AUD is easier so most people do fairly well — i didn't do as well as others, even though i felt i did well.

as for REG, it was difficult for me, but i did better than a lot of people…so the curve bumped me up to a 80

[Anonymous]

btw, I found the NINJA AUD to be very helpful for AUD (shameless plug, but I mean it!)

[Anonymous]

btw, I found the NINJA AUD to be very helpful for AUD (shameless plug, but I mean it!)

[kudawudashuda]

@barelystayingsane I say if you want to sacrifice a section, you should sacrifice A4 because the material is very dry. For me I knew I sucked at A4, so instead of understanding the material, I just looked for patterns and in a sense memorized the answers.

For all other parts of Audit, I made sure I understood what was going on.

REG = 58 (02-20-13), 75 (05-01-13)
AUD = 67 (05-29-13), 79 (08-29-13)
BEC = 83 (07-31-13)
FAR = 72 (10-29-13), 69 (02-27-14), 73 (04-16-14), 81(08-13-14)

Study Materials = Becker 2013 + Wiley Online Test Bank
(75%) On my Way to a CPA (minus the experience requirement)!

[kudawudashuda]

@barelystayingsane I say if you want to sacrifice a section, you should sacrifice A4 because the material is very dry. For me I knew I sucked at A4, so instead of understanding the material, I just looked for patterns and in a sense memorized the answers.

For all other parts of Audit, I made sure I understood what was going on.

REG = 58 (02-20-13), 75 (05-01-13)
AUD = 67 (05-29-13), 79 (08-29-13)
BEC = 83 (07-31-13)
FAR = 72 (10-29-13), 69 (02-27-14), 73 (04-16-14), 81(08-13-14)

Study Materials = Becker 2013 + Wiley Online Test Bank
(75%) On my Way to a CPA (minus the experience requirement)!

[LT-P]

I have 11 full days and 4 work-days before my exam and I am FREAKING OUT. AUD just don't click for me. Has anyone passed without writing out detailed notes to study from? I really don't have enough time for these notes especially with Becker being written in hieroglyphics .. even the NINJA Notes aren't really helping.

Should I just start drilling out my 2nd round of MCQ's in hopes that it clicks?? I passed the other 3 exams on my first try but I always did the note-writing so I'm not sure this is such a good idea 🙁

@DJN thanks for your AUD insight! I hated preparing for FAR but the actual exam MCQ's were a cakewalk compared to Becker's MCQ's, so I'm sure you're going to do great!

- passed all 4 exams on my first try using Becker!

Ethics: TBD

[Author]

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