[Anonymous]

Hello all,

I am beginning my studies for FAR and I’m in desperate need of advice. I have purchased Wiley as an additional source of questions after failing REG. I keep hearing that it is a huge boost in raising your grade. Hopefully that’s the case.

In regards to FAR, I’m feeling a little overwhelmed looking at these 9 lectures ahead of me. I have 6.5 weeks to study for it. What’s the best way to approach studying for FAR? I’m constantly dumfounded as to whether I should watch the lecture first, then read the text and take notes, OR read, take notes, and then watch the lecture for clarification. By the way, I’m using Becker as my primary study materials. Any and all advice is appreciated! Thank you!

Chris

[pshustler]

If youre gonna watch the lectures, only watch them once. FAR lectures on Becker are very long and if you only have 6.5 weeks you are going to need that time to read and work on questions. Make sure you do as may MCQ as possible. I would supplement with Wiley Test Bank if possible.

BEC - 86
AUD - 94
REG - 88
FAR - 89

[Anonymous]

I used Becker and if you have the final review, those lectures are much shorter and I used them the 2 days before the exam to refresh memory on those early lectures. I think it help me alot but I was still short 2 points.

I was ok in the simulations but not so hot on questions – so I probably need to do more questions – supplemental in Becker and final exam questions which I was unable to get thru all the questions multiple times.

6.5 weeks is a short time but can be done if you really dedicate alot of hours to study. I did 6.5 weeks for FAR and came so close (I also work a full time job, a part time job, married with a 16 yr old daughter)

[Anonymous]

i am also preparing FAR right now.

i use Becker 2010 lecture plus Wiley 2011 test bank cd. my approach is watching the lecture first, because the instructor giving us emphasis on which areas are more important, then, reading the book, doing homework questions. after finishing all the chapters (i am currently on F3), i am going to do wiley test bank questions in study version….

[NYCPA34]

I would do the lectures first, then go through the chapter taking your own notes, then do the MC questions. After you do that for all nine chapters go back and do all of the MC questions again. Leave a few days before the exam to go over your notes.

I would also advise to know the JE for everything, it can be tested on a simulation. I had a sim on something i didn't know the JE's for so i basically guessed. To avoid what happened to me make sure you know the JE's for everything!!!

Good luck!!!

FAR - 07/08/11 - 86 (Becker Fast Pass)
REG - 07/27/11 - 91 (Becker Fast Pass & Ninja Notes)
AUD - 08/13/11 - 93 (Becker Fast Pass)
BEC - 08/31/11 - 90 (Becker Fast Pass)

[Anonymous]

Regarding watching the lectures, you'll have to decide if you're able to learn that way. Personally, I have to read it myself to learn / remember things, so I didn't end up watching any of the lectures. If you get bored w/ the regular FAR stuff (Ch 1 – 7), try skipping to Ch. 8 – 9 first. I thought Becker did a great job w/ Gov't Acctg. and the flashcards were helpful for Ch. 8 – 9 if you have those.

A few pointers for FAR:

– Don't ignore the ancillary material

– Know your IFRS

– Know / Understand the JEs (like the above post said)

– Know the complex calculations (e.g. the bonds chapter) so well that it becomes second nature to you. Remember that you should be spending less than 2 min or 1:45 min per question. Look for shortcuts to help you in the calculations (e.g. no time to spend drawing out bond amortization schedules for MC questions).

– Read the question first (last line of the problem), so it'll help you filter out the unnecessary info they give you in the questions.

[Anonymous]

All the prior advice that I've read has been spot on. Everyone learns differently, so first you should take a step back and assess what study method will allow you to comprehend and retain the ridiculous amount of material that FAR has to offer. For instance, I am a kinesthetic learner, and as CPABear alluded to, watching the lectures was flat-out pointless for me. In fact, I'm inclined to believe that watching the lectures actually hurt my score, as I spent hours upon hours watching lectures for the sole purpose of ascertaining which content to highlight. I retained but a modicum of pertinent information this way and was subsequently given a false sense of progress. In the end, quality of study reigns supreme over quantity of study. So, if you're an auditory learner, by all means watch Peter and Tim. If not, simply read on your own and do the homework. And by doing the homework, I mean do ALL of the homework (SUPPLEMENTAL, SUPPLEMENTAL, SUPPLEMENTAL!!!). The “standard” chapter homework will test you on the basic concepts and the questions are generally worded in a straightfoward manner. The supplemental q's will test you on alot of the same material (and then some) but will be in different formats and will necessitate “outside the box” thinking, which is good! Being able to arrive at a correct answer using various types of logic is a key to passing this beast and will solidify your understanding of key concepts. Also, devise a study plan and stick to it. Tell yourself that you're going to get to a certain point in the book each day/study session and adhere to your schedule. These tests (and namely FAR) take persistence and dedication. Milestones are a good way to split up the information and will help with the confidence that you're making solid progress. Finally, mindset and mental strength is a big key to success. I'll offer you a bit of advice that I learned the hard way…take a lot of what you see on this forum with a grain of salt. Now I'm certainly not throwing Another71 under the bus; this site can be a GREAT tool as there seems to be a lot of knowledgeable and positive posters lurking around. However, this forum also tends to be an outlet for some to post horror stories about their testing experiences. There is certainly nothing wrong with that, as sites like this are the proper vehicles for such expression. However, you must remember that just because one finds FAR insanely difficult doesn't mean that you will. We all have our affinities and we certainly all have our weaknesses. BUT THE ABSOLUTE WORST THING YOU CAN DO IS CHALK UP A “FAIL” BEFORE YOU EVEN TAKE THE TEST!!!!! Go into the test with a positive mindset (I'm going to pass this “B”!), trust yourself, and remember that if you stuck to your plan and studied effectively, you ARE prepared. Good luck and happy studying!

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone!!! Time to tackle this beast!

[Author]

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