[secrets002]

I guess this goes here. I need guidance on studying for the CPA exam. I took Audit and received my score and I got a 32. I felt great about the multiple choice on the exam.The multiple choice part of the exam seemed easy to me but apparently not because of my score. When I got to the TBS I didn’t know how to do them. I left the testing center feeling defeated. I am using Gleim to study for the CPA exam. I studied for 3 months before the exam.

[shawn in VA]

Secrets-

I got 69 and 74 most recently so I understand your frustration. Audit is underestimated like BEC. How many hours did you put in? 3 months is too long b/c you forget the earlier information. Sweet spot is usually 6 weeks-8 weeks.

I recommend a tutor given your score. It won't be cheap but that may be the way to go.

[tskits75]

I agree with Shawn, 3 months was probably too long. Were you doing well on the MCQs when you studied? Have you taken other sections?

AUD - 92
BEC - 79
REG - August
FAR - TBD

[secrets002]

I was getting more than half of the questions wrong. I wrote the questions I got wrong on note cards and then reviewed them. I have not taken the other sections yet. The Audit exam was the first CPA exam I have taken. Should I read the book and look at the lectures?

[Earla Riopel (NYCARE)]

Try this thread:
https://www.another71.com/cpa-exam-forum/topic/need-some-advice-on-what-to-do-and-never-give-up/

Good luck.

[Still Drowning]

Hi Secret,

I'm not sure how Gleim works or is structured but I currently use Roger. I passed REG (75), failed FAR(71), and recently passed AUD(88). I noticed for both times I passed, I was able to attempt at least 70% of total multiple choice in Roger's review package at least once. Within that 70% I got my total number of correct MCQ to about 73-75%. For FAR, I only crammed in as many MCQ as I could to hit the 70% exposure, but was scraping by with 68-70% correct. For all three exams, I have scheduled to sit for the exam within 2 weeks of “feeling ready” (when I meet the percent correct and percent attempted). I watched all lectures once, but only refer to the textbook if some areas are emphasized as heavily tested or areas that I knew I had trouble with (% correct was below 50% consistently). The last two weeks of studying i threw in sims here in there (every 30 MCQ = 1 sim). It's all about putting in the time and grinding it out. I recommend taking a pass through lectures completely first and then go all in on the repetition for practice questions. Sprinkle in questions here and there during the lectures so you can see what the lectures are talking about, but do the bulk of it at the end since that is when your brain retains it best since you have been exposed to the material once.

[cpApex Predator]

It seems to me through my studies that the information doesn't stay in the brain if you miss a question and just read the explanation. Even if you re-read the answer again, it doesn't stick. You need to go through those questions you missed without any aids. Go through all the questions, go through the ones you missed, and then go through them all a second time. You should be well above 75% on all of your assessments before test time. Also, approach the information through a variety of angles….read the book, watch the videos, do the MCQ, do the SIMS, do flashcards, read focus notes, watch youtube videos, etc. The more angles you can approach the information from the tighter the web will become in your brain. Sometimes it takes like 7 or 8 passes through the information before the light bulbs start to go off. I usually begin with watching all the videos. Binge watch them. Don't take many notes at this point, but just to prime the brain with the basics and begin to think in terms of the test. Then go through the whole test bank. Usually average in the low sixties. Then complete all the ones that I missed. Then read the book from cover to cover. Then do the multiple choice question bank a second time. Usually average in the 80s. Then do all the simulations. Then read the focus notes. Then go through the multiple choice question bank again. Usually score in the nineties. Then go through the college text book material. Then do a final review. Then take the simulated test. Then I am ready to go and kill it! Good luck….Bye the way, how many hours per day and how many hours total did you put in over those three months? Try to at least get in 150 hours, and if you are struggling with the material consider 200-300 hours. FAR was tough for me so I put in about 300 hours.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you may have been cutting corners with your review course. With any review course, you have to do everything that course requires, otherwise it doesn't work. Listening to lectures may not be mandatory, but actually for AUD it might really help to listen to clarify a lot of points as its all conceptual and it's easy to listen to-listen to it in the car, while you are grocery shopping, etc. That stuff sticks! Reading the book-is a must! especially on questions you get wrong while doing MCQ. I agree with others who say you have to do and redo those MCQs multiple times before it sticks and you finally understand what you are doing. I used Becker and Ninja for all my tests and by the time you take the test you have looked at 4000 MCQs probably twice… I would argue about 3 months, it depends if you are studying full time it's too long, if you have a full time job it's not really… Finally, do all the SIMS your review course offers, and then redo the ones you scored low on.

[shawn in VA]

“…would argue about 3 months, it depends if you are studying full time it's too long, if you have a full time job it's not really…”

I work FT and commute 1 hour each way. 3 months is an absurd amount of time even for REG I put in 6 weeks. You will forget the earlier information. The goal is to get 3-4 hours in a day, maybe take 1 day off, therefore you get in around 20 hours a week. At six weeks your at around 120-130 hours.

ANyways, hours don't even matter. It is the quality you put in. I know for me in the morning 30 mins of study is quality where in 30 mins after work is semi quality b/c I am tired

[CPAcandidate3]

The only explanation for you getting a 32 after 3 months of studying is you had to be trying to memorize things. There is so little material is AUD that there is no way you can study 3 months trying to understand it and get a 32. I'm not saying your dumb. I think you just need to take a big step back and develope an appropriate study plan.

If you're getting more than half the MCQs wrong quit doing MCQ and go through the sections you're struggling on. Also writing messed questions on a note cards sounds like a huge waste of time. Your note cards should be terms and definitions not questions. When you go through note cards you should be aiming to understand them not memorize the definition.

[TaxDawg]

I used Gleim as well for Audit and thought it did pretty well on covering the material that was tested. I agree that 3 months is too long to study. You can cover the material easily in 6 weeks. Try not to focus too much on memorizing everything but on understanding the concepts. Also do as many MCQs as you can, redo any problems missed while understanding why you missed the question, and familiarize yourself with how the questions are asked. Can't stress how important it is to recognize how the questions are being asked so as not to fall for any traps. Hope this helps.

B.B.A., Accounting; B.B.A., Economics

[Author]

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