[zooyuka]

Is anyone else having trouble completing all the SIMS? I took REG yesterday and was only able to complete 4/6 SIMS.

BEC 71,77
REG 65,85
FAR 7/1/13
AUD 8/24/13

[kb24]

You didn't say how much time you had for working the SIMS. Good time management is essential. You should monitor your time on the MCQ so that you have at least 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 hours for the SIMS. It's easy to get bogged down on one or two MCQ and end up with insufficient time for the SIMS if you don't do this. It's important for all the exams but especially for FAR and REG.

Another thing I found useful was to quickly go thru the SIMS when I started testlet 4 and decide which ones were going to be the most difficult for me and save them for last. That way I made sure to answer all the questions for which I knew all the answers and wasn't as stressed when I was working on the more difficult ones. ”

FAR 4/1/11 - 89
AUD 4/15/11 - 85
REG 4/29/11 - 80
BEC 5/13/11 - 85

[zooyuka]

I only had about 30 mins left for the SIMS. I agree w/ time management, but MCQs were very heavy with the calculations. On some questions I felt like my only options were spend more time than budgeted and get it right or rush and miss the questions. Hopefully one if not both of the two SIMS I skipped will be thrown out.

I was selective in the order that I answered the questions. I do feel somewhat confident on the ones I answered.

BEC 71,77
REG 65,85
FAR 7/1/13
AUD 8/24/13

[IwannaBaCPA]

I have stressed TIME MANAGEMENT many times…it is essential to pass. You need at least 1.5 hours for the SIMS.

I understand some of your MCQ may have taken longer, but think of it this way – the entire MCQ section is worth 60% of your exam with several questions being pretest. The SIM portion if the exam is worth 40% with only 1 being pretest. Given the choice between spending more time on a few MCQ that may or may not count and are only worth a fraction of a percent (in theory anyway) and using that time for the Sims which are worth 8% each, I would always choose to spend the time on the Sims. You cannot pass the exam without doing reasonably well on the Sim portion…the AICPA has even said this.

That being said, perhaps you did do enough to pass…You will know come September and if you didn't, perhaps changing your plan to better manage your time will help you pass next time.

I'm rooting for you though!

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

[zooyuka]

@IwannaBaCPA Only 1 of the SIMS is pretest?

BEC 71,77
REG 65,85
FAR 7/1/13
AUD 8/24/13

[gottagetmycpa]

yep only one

FAR 76
REG 76(2x)
BEC FAILED (2x)
AUD FAILED (2x)

"When you don't give up, YOU CANNOT FAIL"

[zooyuka]

Do you think the ordering of the SIMS have anything to do with the pretest questions?

Has anyone around here passed without completing the SIMS with the new format?

BEC 71,77
REG 65,85
FAR 7/1/13
AUD 8/24/13

[Anonymous]

You could still pass. I left one completely blank and guessed on the research question and still passed FAR. Its funny I was actually thinking about if the order matter. There is no way of actually knowing since the AICPA wont say which one is the pretest but im pretty sure it could be in any order. I had a SIM on the first tab that was from Mars and Im pretty sure that was the pretest because i left that one completely blank and still passed. Another test I saw a wierd question at the end of the sims and im pretty sure that was a pretest.

[IwannaBaCPA]

Yes, only 1 Sims is a pretest on all 4 exams (well, 1 WC for BEC). The AICPA released a document explaining how the exam is scored, exactly how many questions and Sims are pretest and specifically stating that your performance in the MCQ is unrelated to the Sims you get. They state the it is randomly generated. I'm pretty sure the order of the Sims is also random…

It is possible to leave things blank, but you would have to Ace the rest or get really lucky that you left the pretest blank. Btw, not all pretest items are of the highest difficulty. The range of difficulty is no different than the range on the actual questions. Remember that most of the actual exam items were once pretest items…

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

[Anonymous]

So if we're pressed for time and look at the sims, which one do we sacrifice in hopes that it is pretest?

I'd say if there was one on some obscure topic, I'd assume that was pretest. And I would bet that if two research tabs show up, one is pretest.

I've had some “you've got to be kidding me” sims before and just threw numbers in and passed.

I hope it will be kind of obvious on REG but I doubt it.

[IwannaBaCPA]

What I did on both FAR and AUD was attempt the research first. I had 1 on FAR and it was actually tough, so I ended up moving on…went back though and found it. For AUD, I had 2 and they were easy. Then I skimmed through the rest and started with the ones I knew at least something about. Then I attempted the crazy ones…that way I was not pressed for time so much and didn't end up missing more points than necessary.

As for 2 research meaning 1 is a pretest, the AICPA says not to assume that…it is certainly possible for both research to count and a different Sim count as the pretest…who really knows though?! I am hoping both my AUD research counted and the crazy Sim I had no clue on was pretest 🙂

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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