1 Down 3 To Go but feel like I am running out time

This is a really tough call because it depends so much on the person.

A lot of people recommend reading the “stem” of the question to see what the question is asking for before they read the full question, that way you kind of have an idea of the concept being tested.

If you're using Becker, there are practice exams you can take. I am pretty sure NINJA has some too, but if not you can just take 90 MCQs and 6 SIMS to simulate the exam and see where you're taking too much time.

I think you need to be answering an MCQ every 90 seconds to leave about 1.5 – 2hrs on the Sims. Try and time yourself and you move along.

If you're losing focus in-between questions or if you're kind of daydreaming while reading the questions, try taking a break the day before and the day of the test itself so you're not burnt out on answering MCQs before you even step into the testing center.

I also have a tendency to move through MCQs slowly, but I don't think this is a bad thing. Sometimes, doing MCQs isn't a way to test yourself but a way to further understand the material. So, if it takes you 10 minutes to answer one question but you feel like you have a solid handle on the material that the question covers, then I view that as a success.

I totally get what you're saying about too much emphasis on one question. Sometimes it's super frustrating when you get a question wrong and you just can't for the life of you figure out why the answer is what it is. A strategy that I've taken on when I come across these questions is spend no more than 10 minutes trying to figure out the question and then just move on. Chances are you'll come across another question that presents the material in a different way and it'll start to come together. It's just not worth the energy and time to dwell on every single issue that comes along.

Like CPAmule says – it is not a bad thing to answer questions slowly, as long as you're learning the rules along the way.

I, too, go slowly, but that's because when I get one wrong, I look it up to understand why. That takes time, but it's the only way I know to learn it.

Make sure that you're taking notes along the way, but that will slow you down, too.

I take the majority of my notes on note cards. Writing the information helps it to stay in your brain differently than just reading it. You can review these notes when you're on the go, or in bed right before you go to sleep.

For some topics, I type notes into a Word document, then print it out, so I can get a visual of the material. This also helps me to remember rules better.

For example, for BEC, I made a chart in Word for variance analysis.

For FAR, I typed in large font the order of the cash flow statement for corporate, government and NFP – a separate page for each. I wanted to see the differences side-by-side, and that visual helped SOOO much during my exam.

So, although you want to do as many MCQ as you can, the bottom line is to be sure that you're really learning the rules that apply to each one.

Yes, all of this takes a LOT of time.

Could you add any additional study time during the week?

Also, use this forum for topics that confuse you rather than spending a lot of time trying to figure it out on your own.

Consider getting a study buddy or tutor if there's a lot that you don't understand.

For me, I could NOT learn this information fast enough if it hadn't been for two people helping me who have already passed their exams. They explain topics to me in a way that I would never figure out on my own.