[wkh1]

I am going to have FAR exam coming soon, wondering what topic should be covered more than usual?
For example, GOV/ NTP?
Bond? I been reading Becker lot still struggling hope i can pass it!
sometimes it’s just so confusing…….

FAR 2/28/17
AUD TBD
BEC TBD
REG TBD

[sallybreann]

It’s good to have the mindset that you want to go into the exam knowing everything as best as you can – the exam really is broken up how the AICPA says it will be. But as far as what to prioritize? Bonds, leases, Inventory, financial statements (Income statement, balance sheet, cash flows), & Gov/NFP are all very important, it honestly all is. I started my review with leases and bonds and ended my review with Gov/NFP the day before my exam.

I also took both Becker practice tests and found them very helpful because it prepared me for the stamina I needed to get through the 4 hour exam. Word of caution though, the Becker final exam simulations are much shorter than on the actual test.

[jereumie]

Yeah, you pretty much need to know everything, and please do not neglect governmental and not-for-profit organizations.

I am not sure if my study approach works for anybody, but I went through all the video lectures once while taking pretty thorough notes (using Rogers). I did not do any questions besides the ones in the book that Roger goes over. Then a week before the exam, I revisited the notes, and did about 10 questions per chapter (Rogers is broken into 30 or 31 chapters).

My mindset was if I knew the materials, I should be able to do the questions. So, literally, I did not practice any MCQs until the final review.

I overall studied 1 month for the exam. 3 weeks to go through the materials and one week for final review and practicing MCQs. I never looked at any simulation practice questions in the review materials (same thought, if I knew it, I should be able to solve it)

I was working full time, so after work, rather than going home, I stayed in the office, study for 3 – 4 hours (Mon – Thurs) and 6 – 7 hours (Fri – Sun). Because I was short on time, I did not take a day off.

I ended up with 81, so I guess it worked. Without going through hundreds of thousands of questions, you can still pass if you understand and know the materials.

Good luck!

[wkh1]

Thank you for both of your advices, i will keep them in mind.
Hopefully i can rock it!

and good luck to both of you~

[Substantive Testing]

My mindset for every exam was to aim for a 80 something and not a 75. Then do multiple choices until I puke, write notes on the ones that I get wrong, review them day and night, get a day off before the test, take sleeping pills at 8 PM, grab coffee early at starbucks and read through my notes slowly one by one. I got 2 tests with score 75 and I think this routine is what barely saved me from failing.

[Mike J]

Yes, focus on Government (funds, general fund J/Es, financial statements) and NFP (classify revenue–unrestricted, temporarily and permanently restricted–and financial statements).

But, I would know COLD the normal balances of accounts. Then you can simply solve for X. Obviously, an expense is a debit balance. If you're paying cash, that's a credit. Bond Payable & Bond Premium are usually the same balance. Discount is a different balance from Bond Payable and Interest Expense. Then, if you have to REtire or REdeem something, you will REverse an entry.

In other words, approach most problems logically can catch mistakes. It did for me on the exam. Then you can spend more energy memorizing income recognition rules and the like.

I hope this helps. Good luck

[CPA so close, so far away]

I took FAR last month and just found out I passed with an 89.

Government and Not for Profit is going to be heavily tested. The AICPA stresses this. START WITH THAT. As for the other topics that FAR can cover, I thought I would see so much of the “big topics” that you would expect but I didn't. You need to know the little details on everything.

[Anonymous]

I missed FAR by 8 points in 12/16, topics I saw were GOVT, NFP, BONDS BONDS AND MORE BONDS

[Author]

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