[barelystayingsane]

I’ve gotten a couple requests for my study strategy, so I figured I’d post one thread. I solely used Becker for FAR, REG, and BEC. I supplemented with Ninja Notes and WTB for AUD, since I am a tax guy and didn’t “get” audit right away. Keep in mind that I am notorious for overstudying, and I was not working at the time I was studying. I’ll post my study plan for BEC and AUD (6 modules each) and FAR (10 modules) and you can interpolate for REG (8 modules).

BEC and AUD (6 modules)

Day 1: Cover the first half of B1 (I first read the book for a specific module. Then I watched the lecture for that module. Then I went back and tried to memorize what I had highlighted in the lectures. Then I did the MCQs for that module, taking notes on what I got wrong. Then I started on the next module.)

Day 2: Pretty much the same as Day 1, except covering the second half of B1.

Day 3: Go back over the entirety of B1 and drill the highlighted information into my head once again. Also, do any “Optional MCQs” Becker had for that chapter, as well as the sims (I didn’t bother with the WC for BEC).

Days 4-6: Same as Days 1-3 for B2

Days 7-9: Same as Days 1-3 for B3

Day 10: Go back over B1.Drill the information in my head again. Do 50 MCQs on B1.

Day 11: Go back over B2. Drill the information in my head again. Do 50 MCQs on B2.

Day 12: Go back over B3. Drill the information in my head again. Do 50 MCQs on B3.

Days 13-15: Cover B4.

Days 16-18: Cover B5.

Days 19-21: Cover B6.

Days 22-24: Same as Days 10-12 for B4-B6.

Days 25-30: Cover a chapter a day again. Write notes. Do 50 MCQs a day based on the chapter covered.

Days 31-36: Cover a chapter a day again. Do 50 MCQs a day based on the chapter covered.

Days 37-38: Take a breather and do one Becker Final Exam a day.

Day 39 (day before the exam): Review handwritten notes.

FAR (10 modules)

Days 1-3: F1

Days 4-6: F2

Days 7-9: F3

Days 10-12: F4

Days 13-16: Cover F1-F4, doing a chapter a day (like BEC and AUD’s Days 10-12 above).

Days 17-19: F5

Days 20-22: F6

Days 23-25: F7

Days 26-32: Cover F1-F7

Days 33-35: F8

Days 36-38: F9

Days 39-41: F10

Days 42-44: Cover F8-F10

Days 45-54: Cover a chapter a day again (F1-F10). Write notes. Do 50 MCQs a day based on the chapter covered.

Days 55-64: Cover a chapter a day again. Do 50 MCQs a day based on the chapter covered.

Days 65-66: Becker Final Exams

Day 67 (day before the exam): Review handwritten notes.

I followed the same strategy for REG, but I covered the first four chapters (the tax chapters) before going back to review. Then I moved on the business law chapters. If I’m calculating correctly, REG would take 51 days following this strategy.

[mmorf]

@barely Thanks!

PS: I'm rooting for you for the EWS award! 🙂

[UCMCPA]

@Barely, please tell me you have an offer with a Big 4 and you get the EWS award. I've confirmed with my firm that they pay a BIG bonus.

I used this same outline to study for AUD, and I did not use it for FAR (notice the difference in scores).

FAR - 84
AUD - 94
REG - 86
BEC - 86

[UCMCPA]

@Barely, please tell me you have an offer with a Big 4 and you get the EWS award. I've confirmed with my firm that they pay a BIG bonus.

I used this same outline to study for AUD, and I did not use it for FAR (notice the difference in scores).

FAR - 84
AUD - 94
REG - 86
BEC - 86

[Anonymous]

Hi, did you take any days off on this study plan or did you study 7 days per week?

5-6 hours on lecture days, and 4 hours on review days with any breaks?

What did you do with the rest of your free time?

[Anonymous]

Hi, did you take any days off on this study plan or did you study 7 days per week?

5-6 hours on lecture days, and 4 hours on review days with any breaks?

What did you do with the rest of your free time?

[barelystayingsane]

I typically took a week-long break after each exam before starting to study for the next one. I had to have surgery last month, and I also had some friends visit in August, so I cut my post-exam break short by a few days after two exams, so I could take breaks for those events.

That does include breaks. I typically took fifteen minute breaks every hour or so.

In my free time, I typically went biking to blow off steam. It was nice that I wasn't working, since it gave me a lot of free time during the day after I was done studying.

[barelystayingsane]

I typically took a week-long break after each exam before starting to study for the next one. I had to have surgery last month, and I also had some friends visit in August, so I cut my post-exam break short by a few days after two exams, so I could take breaks for those events.

That does include breaks. I typically took fifteen minute breaks every hour or so.

In my free time, I typically went biking to blow off steam. It was nice that I wasn't working, since it gave me a lot of free time during the day after I was done studying.

[MintsRGood]

@Barley If I was a betting woman, which I am, I would put money on your audit score putting you in EWS award contention!!! 🙂

REG: 75 DONE 🙂
AUD: 61, 71, 68, 92 DONE 🙂
BEC: 76 DONE 🙂
FAR: 72, 74, 79 DONE 🙂
Licensed Michigan CPA 🙂
-Some people dream of success...others wake up and work hard for it!!!
-The cowards never start and the weak die along the way!
-You better work, b***h!
-Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.-JFK

[MintsRGood]

@Barley If I was a betting woman, which I am, I would put money on your audit score putting you in EWS award contention!!! 🙂

REG: 75 DONE 🙂
AUD: 61, 71, 68, 92 DONE 🙂
BEC: 76 DONE 🙂
FAR: 72, 74, 79 DONE 🙂
Licensed Michigan CPA 🙂
-Some people dream of success...others wake up and work hard for it!!!
-The cowards never start and the weak die along the way!
-You better work, b***h!
-Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.-JFK

[barelystayingsane]

@Mints I certainly hope you bet on me, because I got a 99, which means I'm getting the EWS!!!!!!!!

[barelystayingsane]

@Mints I certainly hope you bet on me, because I got a 99, which means I'm getting the EWS!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

I'm new at this. What's the EWS? And congrats on your score!!

[Anonymous]

I'm new at this. What's the EWS? And congrats on your score!!

[Anonymous]

@CPAMommyof3. Elijah Watt Sells = EWS. You need to get 95.5 cumulative average score on your first attempt across all four sections of the CPA exam.

[Anonymous]

@CPAMommyof3. Elijah Watt Sells = EWS. You need to get 95.5 cumulative average score on your first attempt across all four sections of the CPA exam.

[Author]

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