[Biff Tannen]

Hi Y’all,

I began studying for BEC this week using Becker, and I must say that I’m beginning to feel overwhelmed with some of the modules. For example, I just finished financial management, and the instructor was hammering down currency risk, hedging, derivatives, etc., and most of the financial management material is going way over my head. I havenm’t event gotten to the hard part yet (cost accounting) so I’m beginning to get a bit nervous.

How in the world does BEC have the highest passing rate, yet it feels like the material is totally random and math intensive? I passed audit with flying colors, but I feel that I do better with concepts than I do arithmetic.
Is it normal to feel this way with BEC?Any advice?

[iwantthiscpa]

I felt the *exact* same way. I was using roger and then added ninja. I was using mostly roger but it was nice to switch to ninja when I was feeling overwhelmed. It was kind of like a break and I got to see the info worded differently or in a different format so sometimes it helped me take in the info better. I'd read the Ninja Notes so it was in kind of an outline format which made it less intense. I'd try to match up the roger chapters to the ninja ones so I can read the ninja notes that covered the same chapters I was on with roger.

[jeff]

BEC was my least-favorite exam. I’d probably rather take FAR.

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

[Puppykoala]

a lot of the stuff you mentioned are thoroughly explained in FAR. I took FAR first and now feeling some topics of REG are really familiar

[B4BeanCounter]

Most people underestimate the study process for BEC mainly due to its higher passing rate than the other sections, but the process of learning the materials is just as painful as other sections if not more. Yes – I felt the same way as you did OP, but I promise you that you'll pass the exam as long as you put in the time and effort. I'm about to start studying for the CMA exam, which is what people call “BEC on steroids”.

[TommyL]

I took BEC and felt defeated, way more than any other subject. I'm not sure if they grade more loosely for BEC or not, but if this was a normal test with normal grading, I would prob score a 60 out of 100.

[jombe]

I hated BEC. SO MANY MISC topics crammed into one section and there was no real continuity, if that makes sense.
W/ that said, no need to panic. Just think of it as – if one hour of studying didn't work, you gotta put in two hrs. If two hrs didn't work, three hrs, and so forth.
Nothing about the CPA exam is SUPER difficult. W/ enough repetition, you'll retain enough to pass. Good luck!

FAR - 94 (10/4/15), Local Prep Online Lectures, BISK & NINJA MCQ
AUD - 99 (1/19/16), Local Prep Online Lectures, BISK & NINJA MCQ
REG - 96 (4/19/16), Local Prep Online Lectures, BISK & NINJA MCQ
BEC - 91 (7/19/16), Local Prep Online Lectures, BISK & NINJA MCQ

581 days of listening to lectures, reading texts & 10,000+ MCQs...

[KeepPushing]

@lifotheparty I am where you were at a month ago. I just finished B2 and feeling overwhelmed with the amount of calculation required for the financial part. When did things start clicking for you? during your review weeks? Is it normal that I am not grasping this stuff right away after I see the lecture and do the MCQs for the first time? any tips on what you did from B2 to B6 that helped you not feel overwhelmed? greatly appreciated in advance.

[Unknown]

BEC had the highest passing rate in the past. The AICPA made major changes in 2017 due to the high passing rates. Since then, the exam has been more difficult. Unfortunately, I sat for the exam after the change and it took 5 attempts to pass. I barely studied for AUD and I passed on first attempt.

Don't feel bad. If you ask people sitting for BEC now, they will tell you how difficult it is. It's definitely not the easiest exam any more. It's one of the most difficult exams to sit for now. I would say it is even more difficult than AUD.

[Biff Tannen]

@Unknown I still don’t know whether I passed or not, but I’ll be updating everyone once I receive my score. If I passed, then I’ll share my study tips and what to focus on.

[KeepPushing]

@unknown That makes me feel a lot better. THank you! And I must agree, audit was much better to study for, for me it was that there was one big picture. Contrary to BEC, which is many big pictures.

[GetThisCPA94]

How would you all rank BEC in terms of difficulty? I'm studying for it now.

I'm hoping it's something like FAR, REG, BEC, and AUD and not BEC, FAR, REG, and AUD

Like most said, certainly a lack of cohesion in the material, but if you think of it as an Internal Costing/Corporate Internal Structure and Decision Making exam, it get's that much easier.

[Author]

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