[Jack Molitor]

Just finished BEC (my first attempts of any section). I’m thoroughly nonplussed. Pretty worried I didn’t do well at all.

I used Becker to prep. Maybe it was me not being focused on the right things, but it seemed to not have prepared me very well. I was caught off guard by a lot of the questions. Felt like there were quite a few questions with material and terms I was completely unfamiliar with, never saw in the prep material.

Also seemed like question after question, a huge portion of the test was over IT (conveniently the one topic I probably didn’t put as much emphasis in). Also seemed like there were almost no questions on cost accounting, variance analysis, demand and supply, some topics I actually felt really good about. And then the TBSs just completely bowled me over. I guess the overwhelming sentiment is, this was not the test I was expecting to get. I felt really unprepared, and that feels unusual considering how much time and effort I poured into it combined with the software I used. Are those rates of topics the AICPA quotes variable for every test or variable among the population of test takers because it seemed like some topics were covered way more than others.

Anyway, I guess I’m looking to see if anyone else has had a similar experience. I’d be shocked if I passed. I’m trying not to let my confidence be completely crushed at the moment, but this was supposed to be the “easy” section. I just feel pretty crestfallen.

[M123]

It's Mini-FAR, ie, quite difficult.

Lots of people have disclosed that the IT prep materials are not sufficient for the exam.

Please report back on results and don't give up hope.

[shawn in VA]

Jack,

BEC is definitely underestimated. Everyone talks about FAR and REG being hard. I took BEC 3 times (74,74,81). I finally passed last month under the new format of SIMS. I used Wiley and supplemented with NINJA AUDIO and CPAREVIEWFORFREE.com which got me over the hump. I got lucky and had a few IT questions BUT the test fairly tested on all the topics in my review materials.

If you wind up failing please go to the AICPA website and DO THE SIMS!!! It saved my rear end on exam day. Also use cpareviewforfree.com. About 600 questions all MCQs which helped as well.

[fblessed777]

@Jack, IT is heavily tested, but some of them might be pre-test. So, don't get frustrated. You never know what will happen. How about TBS and WCs part? Was it difficult?

[Jack Molitor]

The TBSs were really hard too. I was never too worried about the written parts (former journalist, so I like to think I'm a strong writer), and that turned out to be an accurate assessment. I'm sure I passed those with flying colors. So at least I got a 15!

[Ana]

this was my 1st test and would've bet my life that I failed. the mcq's were impossible. but passed with a 78. in hindsight I wish I failed though. passing it caused Bec to expire during the q2 wait.

[Tyler23]

Took it a few days ago. I thought I was sitting for an IT exam. No review course material could possibly cover everything they could throw at you with. Really discouraging I agree, considering I studied for this exam just as hard as I did for FAR expecting variances, job costing, etc. out the wazoo only to get rained on with IT.

[Defo]

I studied with Wiley and felt exactly the same. The exam questions didn't seem difficult, but were unfamiliar topics. I found the Sims and WC to be straightforward, but the amount of guesses on MCQ could mean any score.

[Rebecca]

I am taking BEC tomorrow.. I guess i need to go study IT material until test time.

[IwannabeaCPA2017]

Ugh, this new exam sounds terrible. I have passed BEC and was my first one too.. merely skate by with a 75! Hope I dont have to retake it but my chances are high if I dont pass FAR this quarter.

[Anonymous]

I took BEC in Q1 of 2017 (before changes) I did well on testlet 1 and 2 and did well in the written communications as well. However, I thought I for sure failed due to testlet 3. But, I passed with an 87!!

You never know with this exam, so don’t give up. Hopefully you did well on the writing portion and the tbs you struggled with was a pretest!

Goodluck!

[sacpa]

I took BEC yesterday. Most questions were on IT and COSO. The questions were short & vague. Sims were not too hard as such, just twisted. With the needed information spread out in many resources, it takes time to put it all together. WC topics were all from BEC. I used Gleim & thought I had prepared well. I don't have trouble understanding the topics. Just not a good test taker, I guess. After yesterday, honestly, I am thinking as to what to do to tackle this exam. I too will have the shock of my life if I pass the exam. And yes, BEC is underestimated. It is not an easy exam, maybe a teeny bit easier than other sections, that is all.

FAR - < than 75, 10/2013, 2/2015
BEC - < than 75, 10/2013
AUD - < than 75, 8/2015, 1/2016

~ Winners fail until they succeed. Losers quit when they fail. - Robert Kiyosaki
~ I survived because the fire inside burned brighter than the fire around me.
~ Something will grow from all you are going through. And it will be YOU.
~ Right now you may not be where you intend to be, but it's where you need to be in order to get where you want to go.

[kloss]

@Blue Collar Nerd and @Iwannabeacpa 2017,
How many times have you studied BEC before you take exam? I am taking BEC on 11/27 and I am planning to study at least 3 times for textbook and homework.
Can you please share your preparation experiences?

Thanks

[TommyTheCat]

i concur with Bluecollar. When I walked out of the exam I remember thinking it was much harder than I thought it would be. The IT questions were unreal. I felt like IF i passed it would be with a perfect score of 75. Got my test results and was somewhat surprised to see 89.

Don't underestimate it and study hard, but also don't be down on yourself if you walk out feeling like you got kicked in the nuts or ovaries, that's apparently a very common reaction. I suspect many of the IT questions were being pre-tested when I took it (Q1 2017). The same may not be true now…

[Anonymous]

I think BEC was the first exam I actually went back to my car after and cried. It was harder than I thought it would be, and I knew I had either passed with a few points above the 75 mark or I got a 74. I also prepared with Becker, and I was under so much stress after having taken FAR and AUD and not passing either that I was terrified of not passing at least one. Made it out with an 80. I think some of my IT questions may have been pretested, but I'm also sure the only reason I didn't score more points were because of all the IT / COSO questions when I had really prepared for more calculation questions.

[r00shine]

Same here Jack. Took BEC two days ago and studied with Becker. Felt like barely half the things I studied were on the test and there were some questions, especially the TBS where even if I had the Becker textbook in front of me taking the test, I'd still not have gotten it right because it simply was not at all covered in Becker. And then things like variance analysis and cost accounting which I knew well that wasn't on the test at all. Hope it went well but definitely not confident at all

[Author]

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