[DISLCPA]

Checked my BEC score and Failed!!!!! So I am deciding where I go from here. This is my 2nd attempt at BEC ( if you count the 1st time being 8yrs ago) studied for 2.5 months and failed bad. I used NINJA book and MCQ only, so I am wondering if I should stick with NINJA for the retake or try something else. I used Becker the 1st time around so don’t want to try that again. My financial situation isn’t going to allow me to keep taking this test so I am needing something that will get the job done or I just might quit all together. I have severe test anxiety and even with medication it still interferes with my test taking. I feel that maybe because of this I may not ever be able to pass regardless if I know the material. Anyone have the same experience?

BEC(8/12/16)
AUD
FAR
REG

[Anonymous]

Whenever someone is looking at a retake, my advice is always to figure out why you failed and what you can do to make this time around different. It sounds like you think the test anxiety was why you failed. So, if that's a correct analysis, then you've got half of the question answered. What's your answer to the 2nd part?

Right now it sounds like your answer to the 2nd part is “I can't do anything about it”. With that answer, you're probably better to not keep trying these exams. However, if you can find another answer, then maybe you can pass on your next try.

I haven't struggled with test anxiety, so I don't have specific suggestions. But generally, I do know that figuring out how to change what was your problem the prior time is necessary to have better results on a subsequent test.

– – – – – – – – –

All that is based on the assumption that you were correct in identifying test anxiety as the problem with your 1st exam. To confirm that… What were your scores like in NINJA MCQ as you were preparing for the exam? What was your score on the actual exam? When you say you studied for 2.5 months, how many hours a week were you studying on average? When you took the exam, did you feel like you were at least familiar with the topics presented? When you were studying, did you feel like you were at least familiar with the topics being tested?

[DISLCPA]

I was allowed to study at work, so I was putting in 6 to 8 hrs of studying a day. My trending score was 80's and my actual score was 50. I thought that the questions on the test were not even close to what I studied, I lost focus and confidence within the 5th question of not knowing the answers. I actually thought about quitting the test halfway thru the first section. From what you're saying I guess I should just quit and I believe you are probably right. I have been able to work myself around standardized testing except I have no other option here but to quit. I don't have the money to shell out on several attempts on this and I will only get reimbursed from work one time, so I guess I need to count my losses and accept this goal cannot be reached. Thanks for the reality check.

BEC(8/12/16)
AUD
FAR
REG

[sancasuki]

What kind of medicine do you take for the anxiety? What was your average score on Ninja MCQ?

I have issues with public speaking and unfortunately I was forced to take a speech class and had to do a couple presentations in other classes. Beta blockers taken an hour or so before the speech seemed to really help. It got rid of the fast heart beat (like racing), palms sweating, shaking, voice not coming out. I still gave crappy speeches/presentations (would read my notes and not look at the audience) but at least I got through them.

[DISLCPA]

My anxiety causes me to have freeze ups. my mind just blacks out and I can't remember anything. the only way to counteract it is to drink and I can't drink and drive. my average score was high 70's to low 80's. I have also figured out that I may be dyslexic and I feel that is my main reason for the struggles with the tests

BEC(8/12/16)
AUD
FAR
REG

[ShutUp]

…palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy… there's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti…

Nah there's nothing funny about anxiety… is there any way you can use it to your advantage? Rip a shot or two in the parking lot (terrible advice). Have you talked to a psychiatrist?

FAR - May 23rd (24th, Prometric power outage) - 89 ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)>⌐■-■
AUD - July 18th - 88 ┴┬┴┤( ͡° ͜ʖ├┬┴┬
BEC - August 29th (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞
REG - TBD ಠ_ಠ

"You better cut the pizza into 4 pieces because im not hungry enough to eat 6!"

[sancasuki]

This is the medicine that I took. It's generic so only costs like $5 or $10. I got it from a general practitioner, not a psychiatrist.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_blocker#Anxiety

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propranolol#Psychiatric

[Anonymous]

If you can find another solution to testing anxiety, then you can move forward with the exams – I'm not specifically telling you to quit, but I'm telling you that the testing anxiety needs to be addressed before there's a reason to keep taking more tests. If you were at 80% in your practice MCQs, without having memorized them, and got a 50 on the real exam, then it would seem that test anxiety probably played a major role in it. There's other factors that could cause that big of a score drop, but since testing anxiety is a known problem, it's a likely culprit.

So, maybe it's time to look into other options to address the testing anxiety. Whether that's different medicine, therapy sessions, natural options (yoga, meditation, diet changes, there's all sorts of ideas on Google, and with all of them, the YMMV caution), etc.

Or maybe you'd prefer to drop the exams, at least for the present, which is OK too. Then maybe if in the future you've got the testing anxiety calmed down, you could try again. Or just leave it dropped. Either one's fine.

Edited to add (since I'd had that reply up so long between interruptions that more posts had been added while I was writing): if alcohol takes the edge off, would having a DD be an option? Could you have someone drive you to the testing center and drive you back so that you could have the level of alcohol required to take the edge off, but not be drunk, and enable you to pass? Note: I've not checked to see if there's anything in the rules of Prometric/NASBA/AICPA regarding alcohol and testing; just mentioning the DD as a way around the driving problem. Of course public intoxication would still be illegal if you're over the limit for PI. So, only within reason, but a DD or a taxi could allow you to have a small amount of alcohol if that's what's necessary, and if NASBA/AICPA/Prometric allow it.

[c1oth]

Sorry to hear that.

Maybe Ninja MCQ is not the best for BEC, did you feel like ninja mcq prepared you

I usually ask that question.

[DISLCPA]

@Lilla I don't mean I have to be intoxicated to think clear ( that wouldn't work on anyone) all I am saying is when I have a glass of wine it seems to relax my mind to where I can retrieve information easily.

@c1oth I honestly don't feel that Ninja prepared me at all which is a real bummer. since I am going to retest in October I am not sure where to go. I think I may utilize the ninja audio but I need new MCQ since I remember all the questions in Ninja, I am thinking of using Wiley this time.

BEC(8/12/16)
AUD
FAR
REG

[c1oth]

I Do not have Gleim, but if it's in your price range, that is the mcq most people I've seen recommend.

So that's another option

[DISLCPA]

Honestly nothing is in my price range but I have to use something and since I almost answered every MCQ in Ninja I don't want to use it again it would kinda be a waste of time and money.

BEC(8/12/16)
AUD
FAR
REG

[Anonymous]

@DISLCPA lol I didn't mean I thought you had to be flat-out drunk, but everyone's drink tolerance is different, so what one glass of wine will do for one person is a lot different from another person. Personally I can't stand wine – it smells and tastes like spoiled bread to me. 😐 So, drinks for me are distilled liquors mixed with something, and those are harder to explain as a test-aid, even though a light mixed drink has the same alcohol content as a glass of wine. There's just something about telling someone you had a strawberry daquiri or something like that which makes you sound more like an alcoholic than telling them you had a glass of wine. 😛

I used Wiley MCQs and liked them. They're not as hard as NINJA, from comparisons that I've seen, but they were useful for me because I could tell whether I knew a topic or not. Ironically, my scores from the Wiley MCQs were quite close to my actual scores on the exams (except AUD, where I got a high score and had medium MCQ scores); however, SIMs weigh into the actual exam scores, and I think (though I don't know) that I probably did well on SIMs, so that means probably my actual-exam MCQ scores were slightly lower than Wiley MCQ scores. Anyway, point is, even if the Wiley MCQs are easier than the NINJA ones, you can still tell from them where your weak areas are, so look at what they're telling you about what you know, not just what % you're getting right. I think they're one of the cheaper stand-alone test banks, besides of course NINJA which is the cheapest, but if you want something besides NINJA, they're pretty good and I think are next-cheapest.

[Valar Dohaeris]

If you're not healthy enough to sit for the exam, I would consider other options.

BEC - 85
AUD - 81
REG - 84
FAR - 7/24/16

[DISLCPA]

@Valar Dohaeris what in your right mind feel that text anxiety is an illness? Where do you get off telling me I am not healthy? I am probably more healthy than you are, I weight train 4x a week and have no other issues besides anxiety. Just gives me more motivation to pass this damn test and prove to you that someone who is sick can pass the test.

BEC(8/12/16)
AUD
FAR
REG

[ShutUp]

Yoooo I don't think @Valar is trying to be hostile here… I think they're saying there are more important things in life than the CPA exam… and if this is taking a toll on your mental health (which are health issues just as much as physical issues are), you may want to think about figuring out that issue before you make this climb. There are very few people on this forum that are out to get you. I know that if I took this exam before i took time to get my mind right, it wouldnt have went well. It will take a happy person and put 'em in a dark place… if you already have anxieties (which is classified as an illness/ailment) then it will only amplify them.

FAR - May 23rd (24th, Prometric power outage) - 89 ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)>⌐■-■
AUD - July 18th - 88 ┴┬┴┤( ͡° ͜ʖ├┬┴┬
BEC - August 29th (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞
REG - TBD ಠ_ಠ

"You better cut the pizza into 4 pieces because im not hungry enough to eat 6!"

[Author]

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