[ray33157]

I tried the regular method of studying and preparing ahead of time but being a single parent and working in public accounting its hard to find time. So I’ve tried what I call the cram and take method. It’s so far has sort of worked out for me. But it looks like I might have to actually put in the time for BEC and well I’m preparing for FAR with 6 full days. How’s it working out for you besides getting distracted and looking at anohter71.com?

A - Passed
R - Passed
B - Passed
F - Passed

[Guti]

I'm not a hater and I believe most of you. I know some smart people that finished all 4 parts in 3 months but 4 parts in 20 days? Audit in 3 days? Reg in 5 days? FAR in 5 days? Bec over a long weekend ?Studying over a long weekend ?You all must have a great short term memory.

FAR-84
AUD-
REG-
BEC-

[Guti]

I'm not a hater and I believe most of you. I know some smart people that finished all 4 parts in 3 months but 4 parts in 20 days? Audit in 3 days? Reg in 5 days? FAR in 5 days? Bec over a long weekend ?Studying over a long weekend ?You all must have a great short term memory.

FAR-84
AUD-
REG-
BEC-

[ray33157]

Yes, good short term memory when I block out everything else. Toss in a day of work in between my cramming days or a text/phone call from work and everything I studied for would be flushed down the drain. Which is why I've been using up my PTO on these tests. This forum is actually one of my only sources of outside contact. I haven't texted, spoke, checked my email, fb or anything in a few days. Using my PTO is really annoying cause one of the partners makes me put CPA testing on my form so then everyone in the office ends up knowing and everyone stops in to ask.

A - Passed
R - Passed
B - Passed
F - Passed

[ray33157]

Yes, good short term memory when I block out everything else. Toss in a day of work in between my cramming days or a text/phone call from work and everything I studied for would be flushed down the drain. Which is why I've been using up my PTO on these tests. This forum is actually one of my only sources of outside contact. I haven't texted, spoke, checked my email, fb or anything in a few days. Using my PTO is really annoying cause one of the partners makes me put CPA testing on my form so then everyone in the office ends up knowing and everyone stops in to ask.

A - Passed
R - Passed
B - Passed
F - Passed

[ray33157]

Gian, I just noticed your taking FAR on the 28th and your in Miami. I'm taking it at the Doral loacation on the 29th, well gonna try and take it cause unlike the other part there is alot of more material.

A - Passed
R - Passed
B - Passed
F - Passed

[ray33157]

Gian, I just noticed your taking FAR on the 28th and your in Miami. I'm taking it at the Doral loacation on the 29th, well gonna try and take it cause unlike the other part there is alot of more material.

A - Passed
R - Passed
B - Passed
F - Passed

[Mamabear]

This thread makes me jealous. I wish I could do the cram method. I have 3 kids and work full time so this would be perfect for me, except that my memory sucks. 🙁 Good luck to you all!

CPA Exam - Finally DONE (November 2014)
BEC (08/10/13) 80
AUD (08/24/13) 65 (11/13/13) 85
FAR (04/12/14) 81
REG (07/19/14) 69 (11/29/14) 87!!

[Mamabear]

This thread makes me jealous. I wish I could do the cram method. I have 3 kids and work full time so this would be perfect for me, except that my memory sucks. 🙁 Good luck to you all!

CPA Exam - Finally DONE (November 2014)
BEC (08/10/13) 80
AUD (08/24/13) 65 (11/13/13) 85
FAR (04/12/14) 81
REG (07/19/14) 69 (11/29/14) 87!!

[Guti]

Mamabear, even if you had 7 solid days in a monastery without kids or husband, it will be very difficult to pull it off. These individuals must be recent grads and very competitive.

Ray, I'm taling it in Doral too, but I changed my exam date to Saturday so I can practice more. Send me your email. I need some tips for the other parts.

FAR-84
AUD-
REG-
BEC-

[Guti]

Mamabear, even if you had 7 solid days in a monastery without kids or husband, it will be very difficult to pull it off. These individuals must be recent grads and very competitive.

Ray, I'm taling it in Doral too, but I changed my exam date to Saturday so I can practice more. Send me your email. I need some tips for the other parts.

FAR-84
AUD-
REG-
BEC-

[tifftiff1985]

I think its all about using a method that plays to your strength. I have a semi-photographic memory (I say semi because I can picture the page and the section that the information was on, but cannot literally read the text). I also have a very strong short-term memory but an atrocious long-term memory. If I were to try to study for a test for 6-8 weeks, I would forget everything by the time the test came. I have never been one to study more than a day before a test or final in school and always passed as long as I did some studying.

For the people that have good long-term memory, a longer study period is going to work better for them than a last minute cram.

As for specifics on study method, I have read most of the text on CPAexcel and have answered about half of the MCQ. I also take one practice test a day each day leading up to the test in about an hour. Much quicker than I take the actual test, but so that I can get into focus mode because I have a hard time sitting still and concentrating for that long. In my studies, I tend to spend more time on the sections that interest me and are more broad than the sections that have a lot of tiny details to memorize. I cannot focus on tiny details and I think the broad concepts are more useful anyways. I have gotten extremely lucky in my testing to have studied for the “right” sections and I have had very few questions that I completely didn't recognize.

For instance, I keep passing over the sampling section and don't spend anytime studying it. I actually took the diagnostic test yesterday for audit sampling and got 6 out 6 questions wrong. But I am not going to spend any time on that because it is such a small part of the test and not worth my time when I could be studying something that will actually stick. When I like a subject and it interests me, I have probably a 90% retention rate but if I find it boring or too detailed, I probably only retain 40-50% of the information.

I write all of that to attempt to show how different everyone is and how something that will work for one person will probably not work for another. There is not a single recipe to success and you probably know best how you are going to succeed based on your past schooling and study methods.

REG - 77 PASSED 8/2/13
BEC - 76 PASSED 9/11/13
FAR - 78 PASSED 11/25/13
AUD - 68, 73, 85 PASSED 6/6/14

[tifftiff1985]

I think its all about using a method that plays to your strength. I have a semi-photographic memory (I say semi because I can picture the page and the section that the information was on, but cannot literally read the text). I also have a very strong short-term memory but an atrocious long-term memory. If I were to try to study for a test for 6-8 weeks, I would forget everything by the time the test came. I have never been one to study more than a day before a test or final in school and always passed as long as I did some studying.

For the people that have good long-term memory, a longer study period is going to work better for them than a last minute cram.

As for specifics on study method, I have read most of the text on CPAexcel and have answered about half of the MCQ. I also take one practice test a day each day leading up to the test in about an hour. Much quicker than I take the actual test, but so that I can get into focus mode because I have a hard time sitting still and concentrating for that long. In my studies, I tend to spend more time on the sections that interest me and are more broad than the sections that have a lot of tiny details to memorize. I cannot focus on tiny details and I think the broad concepts are more useful anyways. I have gotten extremely lucky in my testing to have studied for the “right” sections and I have had very few questions that I completely didn't recognize.

For instance, I keep passing over the sampling section and don't spend anytime studying it. I actually took the diagnostic test yesterday for audit sampling and got 6 out 6 questions wrong. But I am not going to spend any time on that because it is such a small part of the test and not worth my time when I could be studying something that will actually stick. When I like a subject and it interests me, I have probably a 90% retention rate but if I find it boring or too detailed, I probably only retain 40-50% of the information.

I write all of that to attempt to show how different everyone is and how something that will work for one person will probably not work for another. There is not a single recipe to success and you probably know best how you are going to succeed based on your past schooling and study methods.

REG - 77 PASSED 8/2/13
BEC - 76 PASSED 9/11/13
FAR - 78 PASSED 11/25/13
AUD - 68, 73, 85 PASSED 6/6/14

[Author]

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