[Anonymous]

Hey guys,

I’m scheduled to take FAR at the end of this month. I’m currently starting F7 of Becker, and I fear that with a little over two weeks left to study (full-time) and review all the material I won’t be prepared enough. So my questions are:

1. Should I try taking it (seeing how exam scores will be released by Sep. 10th), or postpone until October 1?

and

2. If I do decide to take it, will NASBA allow me to schedule FAR again for October 1st prior to taking the exam on Aug. 31st (just as a contingency in case I fail)?

Thanks in advance,

Anthony

[taxgeek83]

1. Depends on how comfortable you feel with the material. Two weeks is still a lot of time though (in my opinion anyway), so unless you're facing some serious time where you can't study, I'd go for it.

2. No. NASBA won't allow you to schedule a retake until at least 24 hours after your scores are released. The soonest you'd be able to schedule a retake I think would be either Sept. 11 or 12.

[Anonymous]

At this point you might as well take it and see how you do. Take this as a lesson learned though and next time you schedule make sure you give yourself enough time to study before exam day.

He can't reschedule for September. It's a closed month so he has to take it now or miss a testing window.

[taxgeek83]

I should clarify – by Sept 11 or 12, I meant get an NTS to schedule a retake for October. 🙂

[Anonymous]

@taxgeek83 and @Angelwatch,

Thank you both, I appreciate the advice. I'm going to see how this week goes and make my decision the following week.

[Anonymous]

Since you are able to study full time, I think it's doable. If it were me, my study plan would look like the below. If you need to combine a couple of review days, I would do F1 & F2, or Bonds & Leases, or Government & Not for Profit, or anything with F10.

If you fail, you would have to wait until you get your score until you can apply for a new NTS. The length of time depends on your state. I can usually get mine pretty quick. It's like a one week turn around.

F7 8/18

F8 8/19

F9 8/20

F10 8/21

Review:

F1 8/22

F2 8/23

F3 8/24

F4 8/25

F5 8/26

F6 8/27

F7 8/28

F8 8/29

F9 8/30

F10 8/31

[taxgeek83]

Good luck! If you do reschedule, make sure it's at least 5 days before your exam. Inside of that window, it will cost you the equivalent of an exam fee, so you may as well take it. 🙂

[Anonymous]

Yeah. Your particular circumstances will dictate what you should do as well.

If you can afford to eat the fee, you may as well go full speed ahead and take the exam at the end of August just for the experience. If you can't afford to do that and if your NTS isn't about to expire then a reschedule makes sense.

I just see similar situations on here all the time where people apply for an NTS and schedule their exam too early and then run into this same issue. I realize that at some point you need to get the NTS and a firm date helps some people to stay motivated. But I still think it's a mistake to get it too early.

[Anonymous]

Thanks again for the advice guys.

@AICPAsBeach, Thanks for the study schedule. It seems like a daunting task but not so much when it's broken up like that. I will try and stick to that plan.

[Author]

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