[jeff]

Welcome to the Q1 2016 CPA Exam Study Group for BEC.

Some BLITZ videos to help your exams: https://www.another71.com/ninja-blitz

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

[monikernc]

Cortes, the diagrams are the worst. I stare at them for a long time and reread the solution until i think i grasp the concept. I would love to know if these are typical exam questions or just teaching aids.
Did I read that you and your wife are expecting a baby in April? And you are trying to finish before?

FAR 7/25/15 76!
AUD 10/30/15 93
BEC 2/27/16 82
REG 5/23/16 88!
Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
if you want things to change, you have to do something different

[Anonymous]

Glad to know I am not the only one, they make me feel dumb and like I am not really grasping the concepts (which may be the case). And yeah my wife is due by the first days of April in the midst of tax season!!! so crazy lol! so yeah I am trying to finish this thing by Feb 29. At this point I am trusting my studying proccess and progress because I do not feel comfortable at all, I felt kind of the same thing with the others exam but I this time has been the worst I think.

[monikernc]

I started studying for this exam in early december and rescheduled from jan 18 to feb 27 because of slow progress. 3 months to study for this is a ridiculous amount of time but i realized by end of december that this material never builds momentum because of the number of topics covered. I can't grasp from memorization, i have to delve in and learn to get something. I read the books, watched videos on youtube, but am relying primarily on mcq's to learn and this is not efficient, hence the additional time. Slow and steady for me but i have to build up pace to match the 3 hr time limit for exam. Heed the advice i gave payaza and don't focus on getting answers wrong, let the solution teach you the correct method. Focus on doing it the right way.
Congrats on the baby and best of luck in accomplishing these before his or her arrival. You are well on your way! Reg will take me awhile,too, and i wanted to be done in april but pushing bec out this far suggests a june exam date for reg.

FAR 7/25/15 76!
AUD 10/30/15 93
BEC 2/27/16 82
REG 5/23/16 88!
Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
if you want things to change, you have to do something different

[Anonymous]

That was what I literally thought today. I decided to ignore my average score. I had almost an 80% average thru the first 3 chapters and now is gone but I am focusing on learning from my mistakes. Speaking of which can you explain this mcq?

If a burden rate is not employed, and the volume of production is increased over the planned level, the cost per unit for manufacturing overhead would be expected to:

A. decrease for fixed costs and remain unchanged for variable costs.

B. remain unchanged for fixed costs and increase for variable costs.

C. decrease for fixed costs and increase for variable costs.

D. increase for fixed costs and increase for variable costs.

If a burden rate is not employed, and the volume of production is increased over the planned level, the cost per unit for manufacturing overhead would be expected to decrease for fixed costs and remain unchanged for variable costs. Note, however, that regardless of whether or not the company uses a burden rate, costs per unit typically change as production levels change. This is an essential point that drives the use of activity-based costing.

The answer is A but I feel like the explanation contradicts itself. What do you think? EDIT: what confused me was the last sentences of the explanation.

[Anonymous]

And REG is not as random as BEC but it has a lot of material. I felt that it had almost the amount of material as FAR but embedded with many different rules that applied to different transactions and events. Not very much concept base as FAR but instead more memorizartion.

[FAR_WARS]

@cortes123:

Generally If volume of production increases, fixed costs per unit will decrease & variable costs per unit will remain the same. I think the “burden rate” jargon is just a distractor.

“regardless of whether or not the company uses a burden rate, costs per unit typically change as production levels change.”
It is the FC per unit that is changing.

FAR- 80
BEC- 75
AUD- 78
REG- ?

[monikernc]

I think what the question you posted is doing is reiterating the point that fixed costs per unit change as the number of units produced change because total fixed costs remain the same.
It is emphasizing the fundamental principles of fixed and variable costs. Total variable costs increase by number of units produced but variable cost per unit remains constant. DM cost per pound doesn't change the total cost for DM will be the result of how many pounds are used. Where total fixed costs remain constant because they are fixed the per unit fixed cost changes. If factory rent is $50,000 and rent is a fixed cost then fixed cost per unit is $5 when 10,000 units are produced and $10 per unit when only 5,000 units are produced.
My interpretation of the last sentence is that production exceeding the planned level does not increase fixed costs. Which to me suggests that production is still within the relevant range (they did not exceed capacity) so the burden rate (overhead) is unchanged at the actual level of production. When total fixed costs are unchanged then the per unit fixed cost decreases as production increases. Further regardless of actual production v planned the same fundamentals about fixed and variable costs per unit, above, apply.

FAR 7/25/15 76!
AUD 10/30/15 93
BEC 2/27/16 82
REG 5/23/16 88!
Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
if you want things to change, you have to do something different

[payaza2000]

Falling asleep during the Becker IT chapter, any tips on making this material stick.

FAR 5/6/2015- 84
REG 8/3/2015 - 87
AUD 10/25/2015- 69 1/20/2016 -75
BEC 2/26/2016- 80

Thank you God

[monikernc]

payaza, i got free ninja flash cards with my book for this and they help. i have also read the coso/cobit materials i posted links to awhile back. all require a pot of coffee before reading. i worked in IT for 20+ years before switching to accounting and BEC IT is a fairy tale I have to embrace to pass. not very real world i am afraid but the jargon is familiar. good luck!

FAR 7/25/15 76!
AUD 10/30/15 93
BEC 2/27/16 82
REG 5/23/16 88!
Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
if you want things to change, you have to do something different

[monikernc]

This day if flying by. Tick! Tock!

FAR 7/25/15 76!
AUD 10/30/15 93
BEC 2/27/16 82
REG 5/23/16 88!
Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
if you want things to change, you have to do something different

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys I see, the wording got to me. I am going to take a break now. And yes it is 2:00 already!!!

[JMCAPASSO]

Joining this thread now…just scheduled my exam for 2/24. This could be my last exam!!! Failed this with a 74 back in October. Knowing that this could be my last exam def gives you motivation. If I don't pass this one my first one drops off.

Good luck to all

AUD - 49, 66, 72, 77!!
FAR - 72, 73, 78
BEC - 70, 74, 79, I'm DONE!!!!!!
REG - 70, 76!!!! FIRST PASS

Don’t faint in the day of adversity. Remember your ABCs—Adversity Builds Character!!! - Andy Andrews

[Zyx]

Can someone please explain this? I'm so confused the wording between monopolistic competition (price searcher) and monopoly (I know the definition of each). I have seen questions said monopolistically competitive firm and I thought it meant monopolistic (price searcher) but it actually means monopoly. I kinda get this but not sure, need someone to clear it up please.

REG: 77 x2
BEC: 81 x3
FAR: 68 retake 10/1
AUD: 8/27

[FAR_WARS]

@zyx11:
Post an example question that is confusing you.

FAR- 80
BEC- 75
AUD- 78
REG- ?

[FAR_WARS]

“The DM efficiency variance can be caused by actions of the purchasing department.”

Can someone give me an example how? I thought the purchasing department would only have an effect on the DM price variance.

FAR- 80
BEC- 75
AUD- 78
REG- ?

[Author]

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