[Anonymous]

I am new to this forum but need some advice, encouragment, support, anything I can get.

I have been at this CPA exam since October 2012 and I have failed FAR twice and just failed BEC. I have passed REG and AUD but my first exam will expire come April 2014 🙁 I have been married to my wonderful wife since June of 2012 so pretty much all my marriage has been studying for this horrible exam and we are now expecting our first child (a baby girl!) come March 2014! I have been using the Becker self-study material. I really don’t know what I need to do to pass these tests! I work all day at a CPA firm from 8-5 and come home and eat dinner with my wife and then study the rest of the night. I am re-watching the lectures for FAR and reading the book and doing multiple choice questions but it just doesn’t seem to stick and doing 100 or more questions just gets overwhelming!!! I am not good at all with standardized tests. I went through high school and college not having to study and so I never really learned how to study effectively. I hate not spending time with my wife and yet I want to have these exams done before our little baby girl comes. I also work in public accounting and busy tax season will be coming up soon and so now I have to try and fit in studying in that time!

It is so frustrating seeing all my fellow co-workers my age at the firm studying, passing the exams right away and now have their CPA license while I am sitting back here studying, failing the exams and not getting my CPA license. This is way to expensive and heartbreaking for me. Please can someone who has been in my boat (never had to study before, doing what the review courses say, not knowing how to study for these tests to pass) help guide me and give me some much needed support through this disgust I am feeling right now?

[impska]

Sometimes the best way to learn something is to teach it. Unfortunately, your wife probably isn't interested!

Do you have a pet? Do they like it when you talk to them? Well… then they'll love hearing about FAR!

If you don't have a pet, I once had a communications consultant suggest doing it with a white board and an empty room.

The important aspects are that you're saying it out loud, as though you had to teach someone else.

It sounds weird, but it works.

REG - 94
BEC - 92
FAR - 92
AUD - 99

[Not a Quitter]

I totally agree with impska. Can you “teach” your daughter what you are learning? I forgot about this study tip but it did help me in college. Also, I completely feel your pain. I have two sections under my belt and will lose one if I don't pass REG and FAR by May. I do not have any kids at home full time but have two step-kids that are with us every other weekend. I ahve a very energetic and social husband and while he is supportive of what I am doing, he cannot help himself from trying to get me to attend social activities. All of that on top of a not-so-good attension span for studying.

Please just keep in mind that you are half way there! You did not come this far to give up all that you have done.

FAR- 85 I'm DONE!
BEC- 75
REG- 60,60,75
AUD- 74,74,83

CPAExcel used for BEC, AUD, REG
Exam Matrix used for FAR plus NINJA Blitz, cpareviewforfree and a little CPAExcel

[Not a Quitter]

I totally agree with impska. Can you “teach” your daughter what you are learning? I forgot about this study tip but it did help me in college. Also, I completely feel your pain. I have two sections under my belt and will lose one if I don't pass REG and FAR by May. I do not have any kids at home full time but have two step-kids that are with us every other weekend. I ahve a very energetic and social husband and while he is supportive of what I am doing, he cannot help himself from trying to get me to attend social activities. All of that on top of a not-so-good attension span for studying.

Please just keep in mind that you are half way there! You did not come this far to give up all that you have done.

FAR- 85 I'm DONE!
BEC- 75
REG- 60,60,75
AUD- 74,74,83

CPAExcel used for BEC, AUD, REG
Exam Matrix used for FAR plus NINJA Blitz, cpareviewforfree and a little CPAExcel

[Anonymous]

@NotaQuitter…Well my daughter is not here yet 🙂 Due date is March 2014. I have never tried the “teaching myself” but it is worth a shot to try and get these 2 tests done before the first one expires in April 2014.

@21YrOldCPA…Wow that is definitely more than I will be able to do as I can't study at work but I will try to start getting up at about 5 am and study before I get ready for work. I just see myself struggling to remember all this material. I read the chapters but I find myself not retaining the information. With the Becker software you cannot only take a few questions when you do the homework you have to complete at 72 questions before it is graded complete which has me frustrated most of the time but I have started writing out why i got the question wrong and hopefully that will help. I think I am just a visual learner and when someone is there teaching me or giving me examples I can learn it but sadly I don't have that option with this study material.

I will not give up and I appreciate all the prayers!

[Anonymous]

@NotaQuitter…Well my daughter is not here yet 🙂 Due date is March 2014. I have never tried the “teaching myself” but it is worth a shot to try and get these 2 tests done before the first one expires in April 2014.

@21YrOldCPA…Wow that is definitely more than I will be able to do as I can't study at work but I will try to start getting up at about 5 am and study before I get ready for work. I just see myself struggling to remember all this material. I read the chapters but I find myself not retaining the information. With the Becker software you cannot only take a few questions when you do the homework you have to complete at 72 questions before it is graded complete which has me frustrated most of the time but I have started writing out why i got the question wrong and hopefully that will help. I think I am just a visual learner and when someone is there teaching me or giving me examples I can learn it but sadly I don't have that option with this study material.

I will not give up and I appreciate all the prayers!

[Neil]

“With the Becker software you cannot only take a few questions when you do the homework you have to complete at 72 questions before it is graded complete”

For regular homework/review questions, I use the option to grade each question as I answer; therefore, learning as I go along. Were you aware of this?

Also, I can't speak for FAR but for BEC but IMHO: you can't expect to study and then retain everything. In my opinion, your single best best w/ BEC is probably to do as many MC questions as possible in the final two weeks before the actual exam. The second most important thing is to ensure proper rest the night before the exam and confidence as you write the exam (including in the WC – because it may come down to the WC that gives you that pass – its what happened to me – you may not know the topic fully but you can always improvise (ex. regurgitate the question and focus and expand on the little that you do know while deferring the rest to a ‘later discussion' with the client)).

AUD - 07/22/13: 73 (endured 'server upgrade 2013')
BEC - 11/30/13: 78 (endured 'BEC bubble')

CA Candidate

[Neil]

“With the Becker software you cannot only take a few questions when you do the homework you have to complete at 72 questions before it is graded complete”

For regular homework/review questions, I use the option to grade each question as I answer; therefore, learning as I go along. Were you aware of this?

Also, I can't speak for FAR but for BEC but IMHO: you can't expect to study and then retain everything. In my opinion, your single best best w/ BEC is probably to do as many MC questions as possible in the final two weeks before the actual exam. The second most important thing is to ensure proper rest the night before the exam and confidence as you write the exam (including in the WC – because it may come down to the WC that gives you that pass – its what happened to me – you may not know the topic fully but you can always improvise (ex. regurgitate the question and focus and expand on the little that you do know while deferring the rest to a ‘later discussion' with the client)).

AUD - 07/22/13: 73 (endured 'server upgrade 2013')
BEC - 11/30/13: 78 (endured 'BEC bubble')

CA Candidate

[Author]

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