[Jennifer241]

I just don’t “get it” I have read my Becker book twice, Roger book once, and NINJA notes twice. Watched CPA Excel video’s once, and my Roger Cram video twice.

Just as I think it’s starting to sink in, I try to do a MCQ and I think I am just reading something in another language. I don’t even know where to start… I am wasting so much time looking online to try to find something to help me better understand Cost accounting, but most just discuss the definitions and not the actual problems.

Are there any hints, or pointers that anyone can help me with? Are there shortcuts that people know about this stuff? How did you study cost accounting? I did not take a cost accounting class in school, at the time I thought I was fortunate, now it is haunting me.

AUD - Jan 9,13 Pass
REG - Aug 30,13 Pass
BEC - Oct 26,13 Pass
FAR - Dec 4,13 Pass

Licensed CPA in the state of Oregon

[Anonymous]

Are you asking about cost accounting as a whole or specific sections such as variance analysis or equivalent units etc?

[Jennifer241]

I am having problems with the Overhead variance analysis questions. I understand the direct labor and direct materials variance questions.

AUD - Jan 9,13 Pass
REG - Aug 30,13 Pass
BEC - Oct 26,13 Pass
FAR - Dec 4,13 Pass

Licensed CPA in the state of Oregon

[rachenyc]

I was in the same boat. I could not grasp the concepts. I honestly did questions over and over and wrote the formulas down over and over. Granted, I will find out if I passed on Friday but I finally felt okay on the test after doing A LOT of writing and rewriting.

FARE--78
AUDIT--88
REG--81
BEC--75

DONE!!!!

[Anonymous]

i had the same problems with overhead variances. The thing that helped me was rogers diagram for fixed and variable overhead.

VOH:Actual VOH

---

AQxSR

---

SRxSQ

---

(1) Budget/ Spending Var

---

(2) Efficiency var

FOH:Actual FOH

---

Budget (or AQxSR)

---

SRxSQ

---

(3) Budget Spending var

---

(4) Production Volume var

each number is its own variance which was much more simple for me to understand than the actual formulas written out.

If the problem asked for VOH Efficiency variance i calculated 2. If the problem asked for production volume variance i calculated 4. This chart really simplified things for me. Hope this helps!

PS: Sorry for all the dashes, when i used spaces instead it got all funky.

[KatieM]

Cost accounting is lumped in with another section and is one of the smallest on the BEC test– I know people who NEVER even studied for this section and still passed the exam. I wouldn't focus too much on every little thing about it — find what you think you can conquer and nail that… if there are a few ‘topics' you don't understand… let them go… this is what I did- I just memorized all the definitions and knew the differences between the variances and the formulas– but there were a few things that I really struggled with– I just gave up and focused on the things I knew I would get…

better to NOT miss something you ‘know'… sort of speak– then to ‘guess' on something that you know in your heart you just don't understand… (that is my philosophy– on this topic anyway– because it is dang confusing)..

hope that helped… 🙂

BEC (2/2013-59) - 5/22/2013-2nd attempt
AUD-
REG-
FAR-

[Jennifer241]

I just took BEC on May 15th, and did just that Katie. I knew Corp Gov, Eco, and IT very well, scoring in the 80's and 90's on MCQ's in WTB. Only did a once review of Financial Management, scoring in 60's and didn't touch cost. Guess what? I got an exam that was heavily weighted in cost and got an embarrassing score. So, cost isn't going to be skipped this time and I am not going to take chances like that again.

So I have 4 weeks to nail cost and finish Financial Management, then to an intense review. Cost is just killing me, I have never had such a hard time studying for a section. Ugh!

@Boarderguy4288 Thanks! I will write that equation out and see if that helps, I am a visual learner so I think I see what you are saying with that formula!

I hate cost accounting.

AUD - Jan 9,13 Pass
REG - Aug 30,13 Pass
BEC - Oct 26,13 Pass
FAR - Dec 4,13 Pass

Licensed CPA in the state of Oregon

[Jennifer241]

Boy do I feel like a dufus! There was more reading in Becker which I somehow skipped over that goes into great detail about these variances. I completely understand it now! Thank you all for trying to help.

AUD - Jan 9,13 Pass
REG - Aug 30,13 Pass
BEC - Oct 26,13 Pass
FAR - Dec 4,13 Pass

Licensed CPA in the state of Oregon

[smyoung0521]

Just wanted to say that I too have trouble with this. I can completely understand the concept but then the questions will ask something that doesn't seem to relate. You have to figure out which concepts to apply to get whatever they are asking for. That is where I struggle…….

Restarting my journey!
Using Rogers and supplementing with Ninja

[Author]

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