[whopper]

Any recommendations on the length of a BEC written communication? In case I have an unfamiliar topic, I just want to make sure it’s not too short. I’m not a good bs’er lol

REG - 89, 04/29/13
BEC - 81, 08/06/13
FAR - 84, 12/19/13
AUD - 82, 10/05/13

[oilgaslb]

I wrote three short paragraphs (maybe 4-6 sentences?) for each of mine, and while I didn't know the answers with much detail, I still scored “comparable” which surprised me. I think next time I'll try to be a little more technically accurate with my readiness just in case I end up in the bubble – but hopefully I'll pass with flying colors next time 🙂

[Anonymous]

Just make sure you address the topic and do a standard format for all your memos.

– State the purpose/your understanding of the memo

– the body of it

– the concluding paragraph with some phrase that says its your last paragraph

As far as length, I would say address the topic in as much detail as possible. If you aren't familiar with the topic then do your best to mention as much as humanly possible about it and try to relate it to the task. I had at least 4 paragraphs for the body alone, varying in length (3-6 sentences), one for the intro and one for the conclusion.

[wizards8507]

The content of your BEC answer is virtually irrelevant. Make sure you spelling and grammar are solid and that your memo is in good business form. Paraphrase the question/fact pattern a lot.

NY CPA

[jsmithsae]

Wizards hit the nail on the head…although I do believe the content does matter if you are bubble and it gets manually reviewed.

I would like to emphasize his/her last sentence…every paragraph should in some way direct the “user” back to the original question…ie. if the question is about benefits of ABC systems in a manufacturing environment…you should make sure your responses state that.

BEC-75!
AUD-84!
REG-78!
FAR-83!
Ethics-Passed!
Experience-Got that too

Used Becker 2013 Self-Study & NINJA 10pt Combo Lite(AUD)

[itstoolate4]

I did an introduction paragraph addressing what I was going to talk about – using the exact key words that were presented in the instructions.

Then, I wrote one or two paragraphs explaining in detail how and why I would accomplish the instructed objective, using as many keywords as possible.

Finally, my last paragraph summarized what I was instructed to do, and why and how I would do it. My last sentence asked for an action, such as to discuss the issue further, with additional examples, at the recipient's convenience.

Ultimately, three or four decent sized paragraphs. I was running low on time from spending a lot of time on the MCQs that I had about 10 minutes for each memo, which was stressful, to say the least! I barely finished the last word on the third memo before I was cut off.

I had no clue how to address one of the WC topics, so I humored myself by royally BSing it. Lol. Good luck!

BEC -(4/16/13)- 85
AUD -(7/16/13)- 75
REG -(8/31/13)- 86
FAR -(12/3/13)- 75

I am DONE!!

[IwannaBaCPA]

Practice a few to get familiar with the “structure” and timing. I would suggest leaving yourself a solid 45 minutes to complete 3 WC. I don't think the length itself matters – mine were of varying length depending on the topic itself and how much I could say about it. Focus on proper spelling, grammar, structure, etc. and less on writing a lengthy answer that may cause you to run out of time and fail anyway…

BEC: 79 - April 2011
FAR: 78 - May 2011
AUD: 81 - May 2012
REG: 79 - October 2012
Ethics: Passed - March 2013
I am finally DONE!

[Author]

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