[montanagrizzlies]

While I am inspired by reading about those who pass, I find myself wondering, am I the only one REALLY struggling through this exam? I gain confidence knowing that I’m not the only one out there having to retake sections more than two or three times. Who else is struggling?

My scores:

BEC – 78 (lost credit 11/30/11), 73

AUD – 75 (lost credit 1/14/12)

REG – 70, 69, 71, 77 PASSED!

FAR – 56, 49, 64, 63, 71

As it stands, I only have one credit, but just a few months ago, I had 3 credits. Losing credit is heartbreaking and I need some motivation from those who are struggling like I am and continue to keep going. I have taken the exam 12 times now, and soon-to-be 15 times. Has anyone else taken it more? Let’s hear the stories of perseverance out there!

B - 78 (lost credit 11/30/11), 73, 75 PASSED!
A - 75 (lost credit 1/14/12), 72, 75 PASSED!
R - 70, 69, 71, 77 PASSED!
F - 56, 49, 64, 63, 71, 68, 64, 69, 77 PASSED!

[jokami]

@montanagrizzliez

Trust me you are not alone in this journey; although it seems mentally that you are… I felt the same way and that is because maybe in your family and friends you are the only one taking the test… At least that was my reason…

B - 62, 70, 72, 79!!!
A - 68, 81
R - 70, 82
F - 84

"The limit to your abilities is where you place them" - Fortune Cookies

[Anonymous]

nope, you are definitely not alone. I just lost my far credit, failed reg for the first time, failed audit for the fourth time, failed bec once before passing. It's frustrating but I will keep moving on.

[Anonymous]

Please don't get discouraged. I have a hard time to pass my AUD. I have to try to AUD in the past few months of my life. Close people around me look at me as a loser. I normally took the exam when I was not ready since I got a lot of pressure from friends and families. Then I failed terribly. Now, I have decided to listen to myself to determine whether I am ready to take the exam or not. I know once I pass the exam and start making big bucks, people will look at me differently.

[nolifecpa]

COUNT ME IN!!!

nothing inspires me more than to see the strugglers getting back up everytime after getting knocked flat on their asses. i just take comfort in knowing that we will at get there, just some of us take longer than others. i failed 12 exams before passing my first one so you're not alone. i just failed REG for the 5th time last window but the last thing i'll do is give up

the key to passing is to NEVER GIVE UP!

REG-65,71,74,73,70,74,79
BEC-60's,60's,69,71,76*,78
FAR-67,66,65,79
AUD-54,60's,65,83*,69,80
*expired

DONE

[millerg]

Haha. Definitely not alone. I am a collective 2/7 for a whopping 28% pass rate.

Don't know what else to say but “hang in there”. It is definitely a roller-coaster ride.

FAR 67, 73, 71, 76; AUD 61, 85; BEC 70, 77; REG 75

DONE

[Anonymous]

Hi Everyone,

I need some advice. I am currently struggling to pass FAR. I have taken it twice and both times I received a 74. I studied around 2 months in the summer for the exam and then retook it in November. For the second time, I did not have as much time to study since I starting working but received the same score. I put a lot of time into it and still cannot seem to boost my score. I was able to pass BEC with a 76, which I did between the 2 FAR exams. I am using the Becker review course material. What adivce can you give me, if any at all, and do you suggest I study for FAR again or move on to a different section? Since busy season is approaching, I most likely will not be able to study again until May. Thank you for your help.

[Anonymous]

Do not get discouraged. I just passed Regulation with an 86 after TWO 74's. I had to supplement my Becker materials so that I could practice on my weak areas. I found this forum and saw people rave about Ninja notes and Wiley CD and books, so I had to try it. I passed because I put in the time and found the right materials. For the people who fail just using Becker I want to shout, please use the Wiley either book or online. Study hard and I believe you will pass! Wiley has more variety of questions. With all of the tests that I passed, I had to supplement the Becker materials. If I can pass, you can, too!

[Anonymous]

I'm the Queen of this club! Believe me, you are NOT alone.

[Anonymous]

I too am in this club. However, I'm the king of the no show on test day.

[missjones513]

I started studying February this year and I'm 0 – 4. I got close on a REG retake but I still have to retake it again. I thought BEC would be the first section I passed and I got a 70. I'm not discouraged though because it's my fault. I'll give myself enough time to study for sections but do I actually study in that time? Not always. I need to give myself enough time to go over everything and do online practice sessions.Hopefully I'll have better luck in 2013.

REG - 5/29/12 (64), 10/1/12 (74), 5/20/13 (75, expires 12/31/14)
FAR - 8/14/12 (64), 8/5/14 (75)
BEC - 11/19/12 (70), 2/25/13 (72), 11/21/13 (73), 1/21/14 (73), 8/30/14 (72), 11/24/14 (75)
AUD - 4/22/13 (65), 10/12/13 (79)

I'm done!!!

Ethics - Pass

[Anonymous]

I was going to repost an entry here that I originally posted under FAR exam experience, but the content gravitated away from the point of the thread and I suspect a lot of people aren't reading that thread due to timing. I'll summarize the relevant parts of what I posted….

I passed AUD, BEC, and REG on my first try (after taking a couple years off/getting serious about the exam ~17 months ago). I have failed FAR 3 times now, by a margin not wider than 5 points. The last attempt was shy by 2 points. I'm really under the gun now that AUD and BEC expire in January and February. I simply cannot explain how difficult my last FAR exam was…it was just off the charts.

I'm really struggling with what I should do differently this time around – if anything. I did buy the ninja notes (really liked them) and the wiley test bank – good material but terrible in terms of user friendliness. Journal entry memorization seems like a key place to start for the SIMS, just seems overwhelming.

Does anyone have any historical perspective with how the theme of topics tested (i.e. for last quarter of FAR it appeared to be govt/nfp, bonds, leases, ifrs) carry forward to the next window, and in this case year AND window?

[sandy]

You are not alone. Sometimes, I feel like giving up. I get more 80 % in wiley test bank but not in the real exam. It is crazy. Plan to try one more time.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Sandy – back at cha! Toughest pill to swallow were the “content area performance” attached with the failing score….

Framework and standards = comparable

Financial statement accounts = stronger

Specific transactions/events = comparable

Govtl = comparable

NFP = stronger

Overall:

MC = stronger

Sims = weaker

Proof that SIMS can be killer! What the heck are people doing to prepare for these – the practice SIMS were nothing like the ones I received. Based on prior test experience, my SIMS this time were brutal. 5 of 7 were JE's…and off the wall ones…one entire 10 entry SIM is NOT in the becker book. Frustrating!

[CPAHOPE]

Hey MontanaGrizzlies,

Congrats on passing all! Come back to this forum sometimes and motivate people like me. I really need to pass, i have no choice.

[iwantthiscpa]

hello! you are NOT alone!!

here's my advice for people who are failing by less than 8-ish points:

go HARD on multiple choice and sims. don't go through the chapters as much anymore, because you are so close. just do the questions, and the ones you get wrong, make notecards out of them, as in write notes on that specific topic. carry those notecards everywhere you go. this was pre-covid, but I'd take those notecards when i was at friends' houses, out and about, and would just go through them when i found downtime on top of when i was actually studying.

just do A LOT of practice questions! don't even waste time on practice exams. do a bunch of SIMS, and when you are tired of those (which will happen fast probably..) then go onto MC as a break, lol.

you can do this. boy if i did… you can too.

if you're failing by 10 or more points, then i would start studying from scratch as if you hadn't studied for that section before. aka, read through the chapters, watch the lectures, and make notecards as you do the MC questions and get stuff wrong.

good luck =)

[Author]

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