[jeff]

I have a question that I hope you can help me with…. I purchased the Becker CD’s and installed them on my PC. I have taken and passed all but one of the exams (BEC left).. I was checking to see if my software was up to date and noticed an expiration date of November 2013.. Does this mean my software ( downloaded from my CD’s) will no longer work after November….or will it no longer be supported but I can still take practice exams and do study questions etc?

Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS) | Another71 | NINJA CPA | NINJA CMA | NINJA CPE

[Jsmi77y]

They say content is in play, but I think it's more looking at keywords associated with the topic. Keywords + coherent sentences.

That's pretty much what Roger teaches.

REG - 68 | 71 | 88 | 86
FAR - 72 | 74 | 79
AUD - 66 | 70 | 77
BEC - 62 | 74 | 80

Guess that means I'm a soon-to-be CPA!

[Jsmi77y]

They say content is in play, but I think it's more looking at keywords associated with the topic. Keywords + coherent sentences.

That's pretty much what Roger teaches.

REG - 68 | 71 | 88 | 86
FAR - 72 | 74 | 79
AUD - 66 | 70 | 77
BEC - 62 | 74 | 80

Guess that means I'm a soon-to-be CPA!

[Anonymous]

@MCLKT Thank you! That's a really helpful way to think of it. I need to drill that into my brain!

[Anonymous]

@MCLKT Thank you! That's a really helpful way to think of it. I need to drill that into my brain!

[Anonymous]

I took BEC yesterday and it blew me away. I really studied for this one and thought I did everything right and felt prepared. But when I started testlet #1 I felt like I had prepared for the wrong test. It was awful. It got better, but I presume that's because I did so poorly on the first testlet that the second one was easier. Also the questions in Becker than say “this is a really difficult question and not likely to be on your exam,” I swear I had a few of those. I am hoping it comes back better than expected because I do not feel good about it. Whereas, with AUD I only covered the material in B1, B2 and B3 before the test and I got a 73. BEC is a whole different ballgame.

[Anonymous]

I took BEC yesterday and it blew me away. I really studied for this one and thought I did everything right and felt prepared. But when I started testlet #1 I felt like I had prepared for the wrong test. It was awful. It got better, but I presume that's because I did so poorly on the first testlet that the second one was easier. Also the questions in Becker than say “this is a really difficult question and not likely to be on your exam,” I swear I had a few of those. I am hoping it comes back better than expected because I do not feel good about it. Whereas, with AUD I only covered the material in B1, B2 and B3 before the test and I got a 73. BEC is a whole different ballgame.

[Zaq]

Alright, B1 is done. I think I get the jist of the information:

– COSO, Internal Control, ERM = SORC. CRIME. IS EAR AIM are the components. PHRASED is the components of Internal Environment. PHRASED C is the components of ERM's Internal Environment which adds Risk Appetite & Commitment to Competence. Lots of basic AUD information in regards to audit committee, board of directors, etc. (thank god I just studied AUD)

– Lots and lots of small headlines underneath each component (Becker Flashcards). I'm assuming this will be important to know in case I get an essay question on one of these topics.

– Cost Measurement methods. Product cost = DL +DM + OH applied. Prime Cost vs. Conversion Cost. Direct vs. indirect costs. Application Overhead formula to get applied OH. COGS vs. COGM and how they relate to DM, WIP, and Finished Goods.

– Performance management and behavior. Productivity stuffs. Charts that help analyze problems aka control charts, pareto diagram, and fishbone diagram. Incentive information i.e. time horizon, equity vs. accounting base, etc.

– Cost accumulation systems. Job order. Process. Activity based. Joint product. By-product. Job order costing deals with Direct Materials, WIP, M.OH, Finished Goods and using lots of t-accounts. Process costing uses FIFO or Weighted Average method. FIFO is a 3 step process to find its equivalent unit; WA is 2 step. FIFO just uses Current Amount as numerator; WA uses Beginning Amount + Current Amount. ABC costing allocates based on the main cost activity driving the costs for each department. Etc, etc.

That's my small summary of B1. Scored above the 70's on the HW on my first go around so I think I'll be good to move on from here.

Looking at B2: Strategic Planning. 200 questions divided between two sections. o_o Looks scary.

FAR: 50, 76!
REG: 74... (ouch baby, very ouch), 76!
AUD: 65, 91!?
BEC: 80! Aaaand doneskies!

May 2012 to August 2013. Can't believe it's over.

[Zaq]

Alright, B1 is done. I think I get the jist of the information:

– COSO, Internal Control, ERM = SORC. CRIME. IS EAR AIM are the components. PHRASED is the components of Internal Environment. PHRASED C is the components of ERM's Internal Environment which adds Risk Appetite & Commitment to Competence. Lots of basic AUD information in regards to audit committee, board of directors, etc. (thank god I just studied AUD)

– Lots and lots of small headlines underneath each component (Becker Flashcards). I'm assuming this will be important to know in case I get an essay question on one of these topics.

– Cost Measurement methods. Product cost = DL +DM + OH applied. Prime Cost vs. Conversion Cost. Direct vs. indirect costs. Application Overhead formula to get applied OH. COGS vs. COGM and how they relate to DM, WIP, and Finished Goods.

– Performance management and behavior. Productivity stuffs. Charts that help analyze problems aka control charts, pareto diagram, and fishbone diagram. Incentive information i.e. time horizon, equity vs. accounting base, etc.

– Cost accumulation systems. Job order. Process. Activity based. Joint product. By-product. Job order costing deals with Direct Materials, WIP, M.OH, Finished Goods and using lots of t-accounts. Process costing uses FIFO or Weighted Average method. FIFO is a 3 step process to find its equivalent unit; WA is 2 step. FIFO just uses Current Amount as numerator; WA uses Beginning Amount + Current Amount. ABC costing allocates based on the main cost activity driving the costs for each department. Etc, etc.

That's my small summary of B1. Scored above the 70's on the HW on my first go around so I think I'll be good to move on from here.

Looking at B2: Strategic Planning. 200 questions divided between two sections. o_o Looks scary.

FAR: 50, 76!
REG: 74... (ouch baby, very ouch), 76!
AUD: 65, 91!?
BEC: 80! Aaaand doneskies!

May 2012 to August 2013. Can't believe it's over.

[10keyLeah]

Anyone using Yaeger and solve the sample variable problem in the BEC handout on page 14? I'm having trouble solving it for some reason. Can someone explain it?

Ninja Combo, Yaeger, Wiley -- Licensed CPA, May 2015

[10keyLeah]

Anyone using Yaeger and solve the sample variable problem in the BEC handout on page 14? I'm having trouble solving it for some reason. Can someone explain it?

Ninja Combo, Yaeger, Wiley -- Licensed CPA, May 2015

[ZSRizvi]

I have two weeks left and now am going through all the review questions in Wiley and Becker.

…and it feels like I've learned nothing. Well, that's an exaggeration. I'm doing Wiley questions at the moment and there are questions on there that Becker review didn't even cover. So, I'm a bit worried about how exam day will be.

Also…I have two weeks left before my exam.

This is a question that popped up and it's stumping me:

“Which of the following scenarios would encourage a company to use short-term loans to retire 10 year bonds that have 5 years until maturity?”

Now, I was looking at this from the perspective of WHY the 10-year bonds should be retired which is why I put down “interest rates are expected to rise in the next 5 years.” Which makes sense, right? Rates rise, bond value goes down…

But apparently I was suppose to focus on why the company would use short-term loans to retire the debt because the answer was “interest rates have declined in the last few years.” Which makes sense also, because lower rates mean lower cost of debt.

My point is that I was looking at this question from a different POV…which made me get the answer wrong although if looked at from my angle, it's right.

LOL, am I making sense? Perhaps delirium is starting to settle in…

BEC (July 2013)
FAR (OCT 2013)
REG (NOV 2013)
AUD (JAN 2014)

The CPA Exam is an opponent that not even the Fellowship of the Ring would want to come across.

I have a long...long...journey ahead of me.

[ZSRizvi]

I have two weeks left and now am going through all the review questions in Wiley and Becker.

…and it feels like I've learned nothing. Well, that's an exaggeration. I'm doing Wiley questions at the moment and there are questions on there that Becker review didn't even cover. So, I'm a bit worried about how exam day will be.

Also…I have two weeks left before my exam.

This is a question that popped up and it's stumping me:

“Which of the following scenarios would encourage a company to use short-term loans to retire 10 year bonds that have 5 years until maturity?”

Now, I was looking at this from the perspective of WHY the 10-year bonds should be retired which is why I put down “interest rates are expected to rise in the next 5 years.” Which makes sense, right? Rates rise, bond value goes down…

But apparently I was suppose to focus on why the company would use short-term loans to retire the debt because the answer was “interest rates have declined in the last few years.” Which makes sense also, because lower rates mean lower cost of debt.

My point is that I was looking at this question from a different POV…which made me get the answer wrong although if looked at from my angle, it's right.

LOL, am I making sense? Perhaps delirium is starting to settle in…

BEC (July 2013)
FAR (OCT 2013)
REG (NOV 2013)
AUD (JAN 2014)

The CPA Exam is an opponent that not even the Fellowship of the Ring would want to come across.

I have a long...long...journey ahead of me.

[mmp3]

I am having trouble understanding the overhead variances – two way, three way…what? I stared at the example in Becker for an hour and gave up. I totally get the labor and material variances so it's just the overhead variances where I'm having trouble. I thought someone may have posted there's a youtube video that explains it better? I appreciate all the help I can get.

FAR 92 (2/27/13)
AUD 99 (4/18/13)
REG 93 (7/5/13)
BEC 92 (8/12/13)

Becker Self Study

[mmp3]

I am having trouble understanding the overhead variances – two way, three way…what? I stared at the example in Becker for an hour and gave up. I totally get the labor and material variances so it's just the overhead variances where I'm having trouble. I thought someone may have posted there's a youtube video that explains it better? I appreciate all the help I can get.

FAR 92 (2/27/13)
AUD 99 (4/18/13)
REG 93 (7/5/13)
BEC 92 (8/12/13)

Becker Self Study

[ZSRizvi]

And now I'm coming across contradicting answers between Wiley and Becker.

Wiley says the cost of capital only relates to long-term and new financing while Becker says it considers all types of funds-short, long, new or old.

While I was reading the conflicting statements, my mind seriously just went “…”

BEC (July 2013)
FAR (OCT 2013)
REG (NOV 2013)
AUD (JAN 2014)

The CPA Exam is an opponent that not even the Fellowship of the Ring would want to come across.

I have a long...long...journey ahead of me.

[Author]

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