[Anonymous]

I’m currently studying for BEC but I have realized that it has been the toughest part of all. Does anybody feel the same way?

[Gatorbates]

Without. A. Doubt.

Toughest for me.

Licensed Florida CPA:
B: 71, 73, 79
A: 83
R: 78 (expired), 77
F: 74, 74, 80

It's finally freaking over.

[Anonymous]

MCQs are not necessarily easier. It depends on what your strengths are.

For me, BEC was hard in the same way that FAR and REG were hard. It requires application of a lot of different rules and formulas. Even on the non-math sections like governance and IT, there are still rules and processes that you are expected to know. Many of the questions on COSO are not going to say “Which of the following is part of the COSO framework?” It is going to give you a fictitious example of a company implementing X policy and ask you which part of the COSO framework that policy falls under. And since your review text very likely did not give you a list of examples for each part of the framework, this is a question that requires application, not just recognition or recall.

Before you can apply the rules, you have to know what they are. For me, memorizing them and developing a strategy for applying them was the toughest part. You have to know the material well enough to be flexible with your problem-solving because they are not just going to give you the variables and the formula you need. Many times, you have to back your way into the variables by using other formulas.

[Zuly]

Hey Martin, I actually lived in Miami most of my life. What part of S. Florida do you live? Miami-Dade or Broward? I now live in Charlotte, NC and got my accounting degree here so I really don't have much experience with the job market for accountants in S. Florida. Just curious, Is it easy to get a job there after the big recession and is the pay good? That's one of the reasons I left Miami because I was laid off back in 2009 and had better opportunities up here. I'm bilingual (from Panama) and easily found my first corporate accounting job here since at the time there weren't so many bilingual candidates in this job market, which they needed.

FAR - (11/01/14) 71 (02/07/15) 79
AUD - (04/30/15) 86
BEC - (07/21/15) 73 (10/01/15) 75
REG - (11/30/15) 55 (05/19/16) 74

[Anonymous]

@ CaseyTX – I definately agree with you and thats how I feel about BEC. However, I believe BEC is mostly application due to the subjects involved. With FAR and REG you have a wider variety of subjects and the probability of getting more MCQ with that degree of application makes it a little bit more tedious for BEC.

[Last Chance CPA]

Easiest for me…it's REG I can't get through 🙁

BEC has no SIMs, which are clearly my weakness. BEC is easy for non-accountants (like myself) who have an MBA/IT background…with some economics sprinkled in there…

FAR - 76
AUD - 75
BEC - 75
REG - 76

Now I need some experience!!! And some networking...

[Gatorbates]

So Fla hometown: Coral Gables!

Licensed Florida CPA:
B: 71, 73, 79
A: 83
R: 78 (expired), 77
F: 74, 74, 80

It's finally freaking over.

[Kimboroni]

BEC was really hard for me, and I totally choked on exam day. I felt really lucky to squeak by with a 76.

AUD 84 (1/9/14-Wiley books/TB + free materials)
FAR 83 (5/21/14-the above + NINJA 10 Pt Combo Lite)
REG 84 (7/9/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC/Notes)
BEC 76 (10/5/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC)

Disclaimer: My ninja avatar is not meant to imply that I have any affiliation with this site other than being a forum member. That's a pic of a T-shirt that my daughter gave me for my birthday. 🙂

[Martin]

Zumo76, Im in Miramar,Broward. I don't think you will have a problem landing a job here after you become a CPA. As motioned before, I dont think many Accountants in South Florida are CPAs. At least not in the fortune 1000 companies I worked for the last 10 years. How much are you making in NC? The average salary for a CPA with more than 5 years of experience here is around 60K to 85K.

Through God all things can happen!

“You never fail until you stop trying.”
― Albert Einstein
When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people;as I grow older, I admire kind people.
“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”

FAR= 72-84
Audit= 73-82
BEC= 74-75
Reg=77

[Zuly]

@Gatorbates that's awesome! I wonder how many more S. Florida NINJAs are out there. 🙂 I lived in the Westchester area for most of my life and lived in Coral Gables for about a year too.

@Martin That's good to know. My husband and I aren't planning a move back to S. Florida area any time soon since we love it up here and now we have our 2 year old son so we'd like to stay up here but never say never…we still have all of our family and friends in Miami so you never know. Not sure about the average salary up here but at least I fit that profile you mention…5+ years as senior account and making in the low 60s. There isn't a promise of a salary increase once I become a CPA but hopefully it will open up the opportunities to keep growing in this company.

FAR - (11/01/14) 71 (02/07/15) 79
AUD - (04/30/15) 86
BEC - (07/21/15) 73 (10/01/15) 75
REG - (11/30/15) 55 (05/19/16) 74

[trusha]

I am studying for FAR now, and the sheer volume of the materials is daunting on me. BEC was the first section I took. I found it much easier than FAR. I thought I knew the material well enough. When I came out of the exam I was so confused, not being able to decide whether it was good or bad. I just managed to pass BEC with a 76, in-spite of being so comfortable with the book. You need to be really familiar with basic cost accounting and financial accounting concepts to understand the BEC material better.

[Anonymous]

@ Martin – I thought the salary range was higher down there. How come? Up here in PA is an average of $70k for a non CPA accountant. I was considering moving down there because of the weather but if my pay is going to be much lower I may reconsider the idea.

[jsch8912]

I think BEC is the hardest for me because the mcq is worth 85% and you can only screw up on a few multiple choice questions to pass. Whereas the other exams, even if you do so-so on multiple choice questions, you still have a chance of passing if you do really well on SIMS.

[jsch8912]

@Coquipr41 I noticed we have the same scores for all 3 of our exams! I don't know when you're taking BEC, but good luck 🙂

[Anonymous]

Personally, I felt BEC was the easiest. But I felt very comfortable with COSO, IT and Econ. (I was an Accounting + MIS Major) And somewhat comfortable with Cost and Financial management. I use many of the formulas on a daily basis in my work (quick ratio, current ratio, DSO, etc)

The writing portion is a gimme. I'll take 10 of those over 1 FAR sim any day of the week. But then again, I'm confident in my writing ability.

[Anonymous]

@ jsch8912 – i was wondering when I would see a person with the same scores than me. :)~. Did you take them in that order too? Thats amazing! You probably felt the same way when I got my scores, right in the border line but enough to pass! Im taking BEC next week! Good luck to you too!

[Author]

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