[krstnam]

Halfway through the first testlet I started wondering, did they mess up and give me an AUD exam by mistake?
Going in to the test I memorized ERM and COBIT inside and out, prob went slightly below on COSO but memorized the main parts. I made sure I had a thorough understanding of equivalent units, JPC and the WIP, Inventory, COGM/COGS calculations and cycles. I only did a brief study of variance analysis. I was thorough with microecon, weaker In macro.

I should have spent more time in other areas.

[Victorm]

@Krstnam
Reading other posts of those who have taken BEC exam in the last few days, it seems like first and second testlets of MCQs required a lot of calculations – did you find the same too? Also was there a lot of focus on COSO, ERM, COBIT as those are heavily tested it seems?

Mine is on 10th so quite nervous!

[ahugemistake]

Hoping for the best for you! I really hate the range of topics in BEC and how the actual exam can just dig into one and leave the others untouched. I remember my first attempt at BEC was nothing like I expected it to be. No weird calculations, and mostly focused on IT. Even the SIMs weren't bad. I take my exam on the 10th so I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping for the same.

FAR - 78*
AUD - 66, 79
REG - 73, 76
BEC - 79

[Victorm]

Thank you so much @Ahugemistake

Mine is also on the 10th and I'm also with California Board. All the best to you too!

[krstnam]

@victorm my expectations going into the exam were similar to yours. Based on what I had read on this form, I spent my final review week on the items you mentioned. Unfortunately, it did not do a lot of good, I was shocked about how few MCQs were geared towards “heavily tested items”

As can be expected, the SIMs were calculation heavy, the MCQs were not…not at all. I highly recommend doing the practice test on the AICPA, I think it will help especially with the SIM portion of the test.

@ahuge maybe we got the same exams lol. The BEC content area is odd. It is like the crap left over exam. Like the examiners said hey let’s make sure candidates know cost and managerial accounting, economics, IT, and even though AUD is heavy on internal control maybe we should pepper some of those questions throughout the test. Hey, you know how everybody hates stocks and bonds, let’s add in a bunch of those too. That’ll keep our pass rates down.
I’m jaded lol.
Best of luck!

[Victorm]

thanks @Krstnam
Really appreciate your advice! Even though BEC has the highest pass rates among the 4 exams, I don't think I can take it any lightly as the content is quite broad and vague. You're right – its a mixture of everything plus more!

[Victorm]

@Ahugemistake – how was your experience with BEC Today?

@krstnam – I'm hoping you passed the exam?

My experience – one word – it was “Brutal”. Needed every minute of those 4 hours. Lots of calculations in MCQs testlets and it was down to the wire. I'm hoping I have done enough to get a 75! I'll know next week if I'm done with my CPA or not as this is the last one!

Wish you both all the very best!

[nat]

i took BEC on Saturday and I agree with @Victorm it was “brutal.” i don't feel really good about it tbh. it could go 50/50 where i would be shocked if i passed, not surprised if i failed. i def needed the full 4 hours, and saved 45 minutes for Writing prompts but could've used an hour. the 1st MCQ was computational heavy. you really need to allocate your time on these. i always go 45 mins per MCQ and after i reach that limit i force myself to move on and just guess. the first testlet i would've done better if i allocated 1 hour or 1 hour and 15 minutes but i forced myself to move on. i would say the MCQ on the exam had 20 calc questions, 9 i knew for sure, 5 were legit guesses i had no idea, and 6 i could narrow down to 2 choices. i used Becker, did all the MCQ and feel like somehow Becker's MCQ were easier than the exam questions which is so crazy to me cuz the Becker MCQ were not easy. some of those MCQ calc questions were just very complex i thought, some were very easy, and there were some medium. as for the conceptual questions, i always read here that Becker doesn't prepare you well for the COSO/IT. i would say Becker preps you well for the COSO principles and basic IT principals, but on the exam they obviously dont just test you on what EBOCA means, the questions were more “audit” focused and heavy on COSO and IT for sure. definitley more situational and intricate rather than “what principle goes with the control environment” some IT questions i had to guess, some COSO questions looked like all the answer could be correct lol. i think i blacked out during the exam i was so taken aback. Sims were pretty brutal i thought. def didn't get easy SIMS like the AICPA practice test shows. i feel really good about 1, 2 i prob got 50% on and 1 i had no clue. writing prompts were doable, but with only 45 mins left to allocate to them and getting nervous from writers block, i just typed everything into nice paragraphs i could think of while restating prompt as best i could.

i don't think i got the “easy” BEC exam some ppl i read have gotten, i think i got the harder one for sure. hoping for 75% next week but these exams are so whacky so who knows.

[Victorm]

@Nat
I agree 100% with all your comments – totally spot on and I had the same feeling that it was very computation heavy. No idea why BEC is considered to be the easiest among all 4 exams and also has the highest pass %. It did stress me a lot and I'll be surely glad if I pass but it could go either way.
Wish you all the very best!

[krstnam]

Hope everybody ended up with a passing score! I still think BEC is the strangest exam out of all of them.

[Author]

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