[holacpa]

Hey y’all – I’m prepping for FAR (my very first section) and had a few questions that I thought one of you might be able to help!

* I know we have to use the CPA calculator thingy and not a handheld – and I HATE that little calculator – does anyone know if the keyboard on exam day has a number pad or is it just the regular numbers across the top of the keyboard. Hoping for SOMETHING that will make their calculator app easier to use. I study on my laptop and the numbers across the top make calculations so slow, and there’s not a number lock feature (unfortunately!) on my laptop’s keyboard. Hoping there’s that at least in the exam!!

* It helps me to talk to myself out loud when I’m solving a hard problem (can’t believe I’m admitting to strangers that I talk to myself, but I figure I’m among friends!) When taking the exam, are you in a room alone? Am I going to get in trouble or bother another test taker if I randomly start talking to myself? 🙂

* Finally, sometimes when doing the practice MCQs, there’ll be a series of 3 or 4 problems with the same facts, but asking for different answers/calculations. This is so much faster because once you’re familiar with the scenario and have built all the journal entries and whatnot, you can answer much more quickly. Does anyone know if that happens on the exam? Where there are multiple MCQs surrounding the same scenario? Or is this giving me a false sense of speed when solving the practice MCQs?

Thanks all and sorry for 1000 questions!

A few months in and overwhelmed! 🙂

[RedSoxFan77]

Kenada, that's funny, you'd think they would tell the test takers to quiet down if they were making noises and distracting other test takers. My biggest fear is that I'll be seated next to someone wearing excessive cologne or perfume, now that would be a huge distraction to me. Fortunately, I haven't had any seating/noise issues with all my exams so far.

FAR 75
AUD 74, 82
REG 58, 74, 83
BEC 68, 75
Licensed 7.1.14!!!

[RedSoxFan77]

Actually, now that I think of it, during my last REG exam, a prometric person came in and stood behind me for a few moments, like watching me and I was wondering what she was doing. I may have been swearing quietly while I was working on the sims, maybe they heard me?

FAR 75
AUD 74, 82
REG 58, 74, 83
BEC 68, 75
Licensed 7.1.14!!!

[RedSoxFan77]

Actually, now that I think of it, during my last REG exam, a prometric person came in and stood behind me for a few moments, like watching me and I was wondering what she was doing. I may have been swearing quietly while I was working on the sims, maybe they heard me?

FAR 75
AUD 74, 82
REG 58, 74, 83
BEC 68, 75
Licensed 7.1.14!!!

[Kimboroni]

Those headphones are really interesting. There's almost a white noise or something, so I feel like I'm perpetually listening to the inside of a seashell. But it was nice, since the tester next to me was doing a lot of typing.

The perfume thing would bug me, too. It gives me a migraine.

AUD 84 (1/9/14-Wiley books/TB + free materials)
FAR 83 (5/21/14-the above + NINJA 10 Pt Combo Lite)
REG 84 (7/9/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC/Notes)
BEC 76 (10/5/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC)

Disclaimer: My ninja avatar is not meant to imply that I have any affiliation with this site other than being a forum member. That's a pic of a T-shirt that my daughter gave me for my birthday. 🙂

[Kimboroni]

Those headphones are really interesting. There's almost a white noise or something, so I feel like I'm perpetually listening to the inside of a seashell. But it was nice, since the tester next to me was doing a lot of typing.

The perfume thing would bug me, too. It gives me a migraine.

AUD 84 (1/9/14-Wiley books/TB + free materials)
FAR 83 (5/21/14-the above + NINJA 10 Pt Combo Lite)
REG 84 (7/9/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC/Notes)
BEC 76 (10/5/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC)

Disclaimer: My ninja avatar is not meant to imply that I have any affiliation with this site other than being a forum member. That's a pic of a T-shirt that my daughter gave me for my birthday. 🙂

[holacpa]

Hah! Thanks all – that is all good to know!

I definitely don't want to be distracting people around me – that's why I asked – I'm going to have to practice keeping my mouth shut while I do practice MCQ's! I'm sure my husband would have all kinds of commentary on my ability to keep my mouth shut!!! Something along the lines of “not bloody likely!” 🙂

Anyway, good to know there's a keypad in the exam – that will help a TON!

Good luck to all of you and thanks again for the responses – so nice to have a community on the same journey! I graduated from college 16 years ago (WOW it's been a long time) so all of this is rusty to say the least. My neighbor asked me yesterday – “isn't that exam kind of like the GRE? Basically if you have common sense and half a brain, you'll be fine, right?” I was like, “yeah – half a brain. I'll be fine. Right.” HAH!

A few months in and overwhelmed! 🙂

[holacpa]

Hah! Thanks all – that is all good to know!

I definitely don't want to be distracting people around me – that's why I asked – I'm going to have to practice keeping my mouth shut while I do practice MCQ's! I'm sure my husband would have all kinds of commentary on my ability to keep my mouth shut!!! Something along the lines of “not bloody likely!” 🙂

Anyway, good to know there's a keypad in the exam – that will help a TON!

Good luck to all of you and thanks again for the responses – so nice to have a community on the same journey! I graduated from college 16 years ago (WOW it's been a long time) so all of this is rusty to say the least. My neighbor asked me yesterday – “isn't that exam kind of like the GRE? Basically if you have common sense and half a brain, you'll be fine, right?” I was like, “yeah – half a brain. I'll be fine. Right.” HAH!

A few months in and overwhelmed! 🙂

[yourmomsaCPA]

I graduated 10 years ago…it's not as bad as I thought it would be!

FAR - 87 2/18/14
AUD - 84 4/2/14
REG - 87 7/23/14
BEC - 78 8/26/14

I'm finally an *official* CPA - TX

[yourmomsaCPA]

I graduated 10 years ago…it's not as bad as I thought it would be!

FAR - 87 2/18/14
AUD - 84 4/2/14
REG - 87 7/23/14
BEC - 78 8/26/14

I'm finally an *official* CPA - TX

[Anonymous]

Comcast was drilling on the outside of the testing wall for the entire 1.5 hours I was working on the written communication portion of my BEC exam. There isn't a set of noise cancelling headphones that could have drowned that out. It was AWFUL!

[Anonymous]

Comcast was drilling on the outside of the testing wall for the entire 1.5 hours I was working on the written communication portion of my BEC exam. There isn't a set of noise cancelling headphones that could have drowned that out. It was AWFUL!

[Anonymous]

FAR – distracted by the cougher/mumbler as well as being right next to the door.

AUD – distracted by the loud typer…

REG – distracted by the A/C…

There will always be something. Get in the zone and kill it!!!

[Anonymous]

FAR – distracted by the cougher/mumbler as well as being right next to the door.

AUD – distracted by the loud typer…

REG – distracted by the A/C…

There will always be something. Get in the zone and kill it!!!

[Kenada]

Yes Casa – That is true, every exam I have done had someone or something bothering me. For AUD it was the mumbler from Hell, and in REG it was a 9 yr old sick kid that could not keep still or quiet and just kept going in and out of the exam room banging the door. I can't remember what bothered me in BEC, it was too many moons ago.

I can only hope for FAR Its not as bad as REG and I have no sick kids near me.

CA Candidate. 05/27/2014 ~ 786/110
I am done!!

[Kenada]

Yes Casa – That is true, every exam I have done had someone or something bothering me. For AUD it was the mumbler from Hell, and in REG it was a 9 yr old sick kid that could not keep still or quiet and just kept going in and out of the exam room banging the door. I can't remember what bothered me in BEC, it was too many moons ago.

I can only hope for FAR Its not as bad as REG and I have no sick kids near me.

CA Candidate. 05/27/2014 ~ 786/110
I am done!!

[Author]

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