[Sang]

1. Would it be a good strategy to retake 3 exams in 1 window?

Assuming that you have already taken each of these exams before and failed, and you spent 2 months studying for each exam.

Example:

October 1 = FAR

November 1 = AUD

December 1 = BEC

2. For an exam that you are retaking, how many weeks do think is needed to study?

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I think it is terrible when people lose an exam score.

I want to prevent myself from going through the same situation.

Many people take 2 exams each window; one at the beginning of the window, and one at the end of the window.

For example, April 15th and May 30. This will give them about 6 weeks to study for each exam.

This will also limit them to only taking 8 exams per year.

I was wondering if it would be a good idea to retake 3 exams each window.

It would give you about 4 weeks to study for each exam, and it would allow you to take up to 12 exams each year.

This would only apply to exams that you have to retake a second, third, or additional time.

FAR: (05/24/16) | (07/15/16) | (10/22/16)
AUD: (09/07/16) | (11/29/16) |
BEC: TBD
REG: TBD
Using Roger CPA Review + Ninja (MCQs, Notes, Audio)

[Yolonge]

1 month for each part may be fine for review assuming you have studied before. If you are in danger of losing the score, it is worth a shot (all you can lose is some $$ that makes AICPA happy..all good right?)

Materials: Wiley book + Ninja MCQ

FAR - 83 (Jan 2016)
Study time: 6 weeks
BEC - 87 (April 2016)
Study time: 2 weeks
AUD - 92 (July 2016), (74 Feb 2016), (72 May 2016)
Study time: 4 (Feb) + 2 (May) + 3 (July) = 9 weeks total
REG - (70 April 2016)
Study time: 3 weeks

[MaLoTu]

You are going to have to decide if you are willing to take the gamble. No one can answer this for you.

The only thing I know is that if you failed all 3 already that you probably have not mastered how to effectively study for the exam. On the other hand, since you are not on the clock you really have nothing to lose and you have already been exposed to the material whereas initially it may have been totally foreign.

[Missy]

If you failed three exams when you didn't take them all in the same window, the chances of passing all three in one window aren't very good. The notion of a retake as a refresher has been the Achilles heel of many candidates.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Anonymous]

I would do two..

Do the first at the very beginning of the perioid..then the second at the end..

[Anonymous]

OK, I”m confused, have you passed anything yet? I think you should see what it takes for you personally to pass one exam. That's your yardstick as far as future planning.

[PharmBoy]

If you know the material like the back of your hand, you could take all four sections in one window and pass.

How close you are to that level of knowledge for a section determines how much you need to review for that section. How much you need to review, and how much time and effort you're willing to commit, determines how long you need to review. That determines how much time you should plan between sections to have a good chance of passing.

[jcf175]

I took 3 exams in one window, it was over the summer between graduation and full time work starting. Wouldn't recommend it.. I studied for like 6 days a week for 10 hours a day. Kind of sucked.

Passed all sections between 5/15 - 10/15 order AUD REG BEC FAR (used Becker only)

[mtaylo24]

I think it could be done, assuming you are that familiar with the material. We used to take up to 6 classes in college, why not 3 CPA exams lol.

AUD - 1st - 60 (12/12), 61 (2/13), 61 (8/13), 78! (11/15)
REG - 55 (2/16) 69 (5/16) Retake(8/16)
BEC - 71(5/16) Retake (9/16)
FAR - (8/16)

[Sang]

@mhei8116: Yes, it is an expensive strategy.
For me, I think the more I fail and the more money I lose, it will motivate me to try even harder to pass the exams on the next try.

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My first test will be with FAR on 5/24/2016.

I know that I retain information slower than most of the people here on this forum, so I expect to fail the first exam on each section.
I hope to pass the exams on the second attempt, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes me 3 attempts on each exam.

I have 2 main goals:
1. Pass all 4 exams before April 1, 2017.
2. Pass all 4 exams before my first exam expires.

For the month of studying for the retake of each exam, my plan is to do 1,000 MCQs each week, for a total of 4,000 MCQs in 4 weeks.
I am assuming that if I can complete 4,000 MCQs in 4 weeks for each retake exam, I should be able to pass each exam with a 75.

I think I will try this strategy in the 4th window of 2016 and 1st window of 2017.
If it doesn’t work, then I will go back to taking 2 exams per window.

Best case scenario; I pass most of the sections before April 1, 2017.
Worst case scenario; I fail all of the exams, but I will be more familiar with most of the materials.

—————————————————————

@JCF175: Good job on studying for 3 exams in one window. Did you pass all 3?
Since I would only attempt this strategy on exams that I am retaking, I hope that it won’t be as hard compared to taking the exams for the first time.

@Mtaylo24: I think I will attempt to do this.
If it works out, then I will recommend the strategy to other future test takers.
If it doesn’t work, then I won’t do it again, and consider it a lesson learned.

FAR: (05/24/16) | (07/15/16) | (10/22/16)
AUD: (09/07/16) | (11/29/16) |
BEC: TBD
REG: TBD
Using Roger CPA Review + Ninja (MCQs, Notes, Audio)

[MaLoTu]

Honestly, focus on the task at hand … why worry about retakes when you haven't even sat for a single exam yet?! You are seriously using valuable brain resources on something that is really far off and not to mention, by being side tracked by this it could end up being a self fulfilling prophecy where you don't put in enough time and then actually do end up retaking several times.

Take this one step at a time, when and if you need to retake an exam deal with that when it happens.

[Author]

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