[KADFC]

Under these conditions, what would you do? How would you study?

Retaking AUD, FAR, and BEC

15 to 18 Days between tests

Using CpaExcel, WTB, and Ninja Notes + Blitz

Previous Score for all 3 were above 60. AUD was closes to passing (72)

So far, I only have 2 approaches. The first is based on the Performance Report, and the second is doing 3 or 4 diagnosis tests and then average them out to find my weakness.

Personal Comment: I would love to have more time for each retake, but I have personal goal in mind. I want to pass at least 2 sections before my birthday, which is in June. A relative is giving me an early present and they are willing to pay the fees for my retake (since it’s to a good cause and not entertainment). On top of that, I’m studying REG right now for my 4/4 test. I’ve timed how much hours I can study per day with my full concentration. It’s not looking that great. Average is 7 hours 33 minutes.

FAR - 62 (10/2/13), 50 (5/30/14)
AUD - 73 (10/30/13), 66 (5/6/14)
REG - 69 (4/8/14)
BEC - 66 (2/27/13), 73 (4/21/14)

[Anonymous]

I feel like you can be ready for AUD based on your close score, coupled with having exposure to FAR which helped me in my SIMS both times I took it. Plus, BEC and AUD have the IT stuff overlap. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. That's my study method. I took the audit book and broke it up into topics (planning, compliance, review services, etc) and I didn't move on until I felt like I had a decent grasp after reading and highlighting (I know that's bad form for Ninjas) which I'd go back and look at during the review phase/cram a week before the test. I coupled each session with a heavy dose of MCQs, because I feel it's the best way to solidify what was just read. The questions are specifically written to trip you up, so it was key to know why my answers were wrong. The WTB has some note-worthy fact nuggets in their solution explanations. Writing notes is helpful too.

Retaking BEC- I think you have a decent shot at passing that one as well next window. I had a good formula sheet, mnemonics for lists, and wrote down at least one good MCQ from WTB for each problem type (FIFO, Weighted avg, ABC, Breakeven, variances, payback, etc) which helped me during the exam to remember how I used the given info to find the solution.

No advice to give on FAR, because I barely passed by the skin of my teeth after some inefficient 200+ hours studying (it was my first exam and didn't know what to expect).

Put in the solid study time and it will pay it's dividends.

I hope you get your first pass soon and start the momentum!

[Anonymous]

Wow KADFC, that's a thorough post! 🙂 I didn't mean that you had to tell me what caused you to fail them, just that in order to re-take quicker, you'd have to know what caused the previous failure and be able to correct it.

I won't bash you for your study-habits, cause if I had told people how I was studying, they would've said I'd never pass, but I did – all 4 on the first try. So, I know that different study methods work for different people. However, since you're seeking advice, I will give some advice and perspectives on the study habits.

For the background noise/music/etc – I used to study with music, but I realized that the way my mind works, my memory would be linked to the music often. Let me try to make this make sense… Say I listened to country while studying. If I turned on Brad Paisley, I could score great, but if I instead took a practice exam in a quiet situation, I would realize that I couldn't remember things as well, because my mind was used to remembering these facts with country in the background, not with silence. So for me, I had to stop listening to the music. However, if you don't think that your mind works this way, then I don't see anything wrong with the music. For some people, it helps them to focus. For example, if my BF and I are trying to have a serious discussion (which we do about the most random topics – philosophy and such), he has to turn on some music to be able to focus and talk well – and not like Beethoven or something that's considered good mind music – we'll have death metal as a backdrop for our discussions about how to obtain peace or something equally ironic. 😉 So, just sharing my studying issues with music as a consideration, but also fully aware that others will be different.

Google and computers in general are one of the biggest enemies when studying. Especially since Google can be essential for studying, so it's hard to just block it entirely, but can also be devastating for studying. Do you live with anyone else? When I was super-distractable, I'd make myself only do Wiley test bank on my computer, and if I needed to Google anything I did it on my boyfriend's computer – because I was on his computer, I'd be quick and just “take care of business”, rather than letting myself check forums, email, etc. Just an idea of a way to restrict the internet access! The other thing that really helped me personally was to be accountable to someone else. Most of the time that I was studying was time that my BF was at work (he and I work opposite shifts often), so when I walked him to the door on his way to work, I'd make a promise to him that I would study till he got home for lunch, or something like that, because then I would feel like I had an obligation to someone else to do what I was supposed to. And…I'm one of those that takes my word very seriously – if I tell him “I plan to study”, I can get out of it, but if I say “I will study”, then I'll study come h*** or highwater!

Your timer method sounds good, too – I typed this out before I saw your solution. Whoops. I'll leave it in case it helps anyone else. Anything that makes you focus and makes you feel like you have to get it done. The other side of having a set amount of time that you're devoted to study (7 hours and 33 minutes it sounds like 😉 ) is that it can also allow you to relax afterwards, and I think that is also essential to success. If you start studying at 8, take a half-hour of breaks/lunch, and are done at 5:03, then you've earned a break and because you know you've fulfilled your requirements, it's easier to cut loose and refresh your mind – whether that's with a movie, a video game, a drink, or a bowl of ice cream.

To answer your question of how the rest of us study… I used Wiley books and test bank, so no video lectures. Only time I used Blitz was during a free weekend when it was still mostly under development. So, being primarily book-based studying, my method was to sit outside and read. Something about the fresh air kept me awake (unlike sitting perched on the bed, couch, computer chair, etc.), and it kept me away from my computer so I didn't get distracted. Then when it came time for MCQs, I'd start out just pounding through them, sets of 20 at a time. If I got the answer right and felt comfortable with it and the topic, I wouldn't always read the explanations, but if I didn't honestly know (“educated guess”) or if I got it wrong I would read the correct answer in detail. After awhile, I'd lose steam, and I'd start doing mini-rewards – like pull up a movie and after doing 20 MCQs, if I scored at least 70% or 80% (depending on how far through my studying I was), I'd watch 5 minutes of my movie. Yes, this made my attention split; but the desire to see more kept me going, and since I had to score decently to watch the movie, it meant I actually tried to do quality work not just quantity of work. This is one of those study-habits, though, that was not a good study-habit. But it's what got me through.

Because I was working full-time or close to it while studying, I didn't have all day every day to devote to studying…which is a good thing, because I'm not good at long study sessions. On days that I was off and studying (Saturdays; every-other Wednesday for awhile), I usually only got about 5.5-6 hours of studying in. So you're ahead of me, being able to study longer!

You probably are crazy to try for your personal goal, but I understand the power of a personal goal. I would just suggest that you be honest about your preparedness level and reschedule some if needed. You can still get them all by that last day…but some rescheduling might allow you to pass 2 and have too little time for the 3rd, rather than being inflexible about the schedule and failing all 3. Or you might be able to stick to schedule and pass all 3. I took my last test shortly before my birthday and was disappointed to be a couple hours short of my experience requirement due to a job change a month prior to my birthday (and a week off between jobs cause my old boss was – uhh – a character). Actually, I was close and might have had enough, but I avoided counting it up so that I could just hope I had enough…but this side of things, I'll admit that honestly, I probably didn't.

[Anonymous]

Wow KADFC, that's a thorough post! 🙂 I didn't mean that you had to tell me what caused you to fail them, just that in order to re-take quicker, you'd have to know what caused the previous failure and be able to correct it.

I won't bash you for your study-habits, cause if I had told people how I was studying, they would've said I'd never pass, but I did – all 4 on the first try. So, I know that different study methods work for different people. However, since you're seeking advice, I will give some advice and perspectives on the study habits.

For the background noise/music/etc – I used to study with music, but I realized that the way my mind works, my memory would be linked to the music often. Let me try to make this make sense… Say I listened to country while studying. If I turned on Brad Paisley, I could score great, but if I instead took a practice exam in a quiet situation, I would realize that I couldn't remember things as well, because my mind was used to remembering these facts with country in the background, not with silence. So for me, I had to stop listening to the music. However, if you don't think that your mind works this way, then I don't see anything wrong with the music. For some people, it helps them to focus. For example, if my BF and I are trying to have a serious discussion (which we do about the most random topics – philosophy and such), he has to turn on some music to be able to focus and talk well – and not like Beethoven or something that's considered good mind music – we'll have death metal as a backdrop for our discussions about how to obtain peace or something equally ironic. 😉 So, just sharing my studying issues with music as a consideration, but also fully aware that others will be different.

Google and computers in general are one of the biggest enemies when studying. Especially since Google can be essential for studying, so it's hard to just block it entirely, but can also be devastating for studying. Do you live with anyone else? When I was super-distractable, I'd make myself only do Wiley test bank on my computer, and if I needed to Google anything I did it on my boyfriend's computer – because I was on his computer, I'd be quick and just “take care of business”, rather than letting myself check forums, email, etc. Just an idea of a way to restrict the internet access! The other thing that really helped me personally was to be accountable to someone else. Most of the time that I was studying was time that my BF was at work (he and I work opposite shifts often), so when I walked him to the door on his way to work, I'd make a promise to him that I would study till he got home for lunch, or something like that, because then I would feel like I had an obligation to someone else to do what I was supposed to. And…I'm one of those that takes my word very seriously – if I tell him “I plan to study”, I can get out of it, but if I say “I will study”, then I'll study come h*** or highwater!

Your timer method sounds good, too – I typed this out before I saw your solution. Whoops. I'll leave it in case it helps anyone else. Anything that makes you focus and makes you feel like you have to get it done. The other side of having a set amount of time that you're devoted to study (7 hours and 33 minutes it sounds like 😉 ) is that it can also allow you to relax afterwards, and I think that is also essential to success. If you start studying at 8, take a half-hour of breaks/lunch, and are done at 5:03, then you've earned a break and because you know you've fulfilled your requirements, it's easier to cut loose and refresh your mind – whether that's with a movie, a video game, a drink, or a bowl of ice cream.

To answer your question of how the rest of us study… I used Wiley books and test bank, so no video lectures. Only time I used Blitz was during a free weekend when it was still mostly under development. So, being primarily book-based studying, my method was to sit outside and read. Something about the fresh air kept me awake (unlike sitting perched on the bed, couch, computer chair, etc.), and it kept me away from my computer so I didn't get distracted. Then when it came time for MCQs, I'd start out just pounding through them, sets of 20 at a time. If I got the answer right and felt comfortable with it and the topic, I wouldn't always read the explanations, but if I didn't honestly know (“educated guess”) or if I got it wrong I would read the correct answer in detail. After awhile, I'd lose steam, and I'd start doing mini-rewards – like pull up a movie and after doing 20 MCQs, if I scored at least 70% or 80% (depending on how far through my studying I was), I'd watch 5 minutes of my movie. Yes, this made my attention split; but the desire to see more kept me going, and since I had to score decently to watch the movie, it meant I actually tried to do quality work not just quantity of work. This is one of those study-habits, though, that was not a good study-habit. But it's what got me through.

Because I was working full-time or close to it while studying, I didn't have all day every day to devote to studying…which is a good thing, because I'm not good at long study sessions. On days that I was off and studying (Saturdays; every-other Wednesday for awhile), I usually only got about 5.5-6 hours of studying in. So you're ahead of me, being able to study longer!

You probably are crazy to try for your personal goal, but I understand the power of a personal goal. I would just suggest that you be honest about your preparedness level and reschedule some if needed. You can still get them all by that last day…but some rescheduling might allow you to pass 2 and have too little time for the 3rd, rather than being inflexible about the schedule and failing all 3. Or you might be able to stick to schedule and pass all 3. I took my last test shortly before my birthday and was disappointed to be a couple hours short of my experience requirement due to a job change a month prior to my birthday (and a week off between jobs cause my old boss was – uhh – a character). Actually, I was close and might have had enough, but I avoided counting it up so that I could just hope I had enough…but this side of things, I'll admit that honestly, I probably didn't.

[Kimboroni]

KADFC, it sounds like you have some great solutions for your study distractions. Excellent.

If you just kept making them same mistakes and not learning from them, then maybe we could yell at you, but you've figured out your weaknesses and how to combat them. That's most of the battle right there. Now you just have to stick to the plan. Not 100%, but at least most of the time. Forgive yourself when you don't, but realize it and get back on plan as soon as possible.

Maybe if you have an official plan of action (like the ELL plan here), it will help keep you on track.

You've got this.

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]

KADFC, it sounds like you have some great solutions for your study distractions. Excellent.

If you just kept making them same mistakes and not learning from them, then maybe we could yell at you, but you've figured out your weaknesses and how to combat them. That's most of the battle right there. Now you just have to stick to the plan. Not 100%, but at least most of the time. Forgive yourself when you don't, but realize it and get back on plan as soon as possible.

Maybe if you have an official plan of action (like the ELL plan here), it will help keep you on track.

You've got this.

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. 🙂

[fuzyfro89]

First of all, 7+ hours of studying a day is a LOT!!! That is, if it's actually 7 hours of studying…

I remember during most of my study days I would get between 4-6 hours of solid learning which probably took from 6-8 total hours given breaks and distractions in between. You also need to manage burnout. Simply sitting for 8 hours a day is not enough. You should cut that in half and then take the evenings off if you can actually focus for 4 solid hours. Remember, it's a marathon, so any time you over exert yourself, it will take away from your stamina the next day(s).

[fuzyfro89]

First of all, 7+ hours of studying a day is a LOT!!! That is, if it's actually 7 hours of studying…

I remember during most of my study days I would get between 4-6 hours of solid learning which probably took from 6-8 total hours given breaks and distractions in between. You also need to manage burnout. Simply sitting for 8 hours a day is not enough. You should cut that in half and then take the evenings off if you can actually focus for 4 solid hours. Remember, it's a marathon, so any time you over exert yourself, it will take away from your stamina the next day(s).

[Author]

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