[maggie_k]

I’ve been using Wiley’s CPA Exam Review books, and while they cover a lot of material, some of the questions have me tearing my hair out because I just don’t understand what the question is asking. About 5-10% of the questions I’m missing are because the question was unclear, rather than from not knowing the answer.

So, did anybody have difficulty understanding what the questions on the CPA exam were asking, and if so, how did you resolve them? Are there any words / phrases that could be misinterpreted, and how did you determine what they meant?

Any other problems anyone had where they may have lost points for a question they knew the answer to?

[littlenumberrobot]

Wiley is MORE difficult than the exam itself. I know its tough to read or even understand, but I went through that book nearly 2x before audit and I passed(this was after already failing it 3 times this year without Wiley book).

CA CPA - All because of the journey listed below
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FAR - 53('10), 8/25/12 79 PASSED!
REG - 66('11), 69('12), 12/06/12 77 PASSED!!
BEC - 58('10), 74('12), 01/05/13 77 PASSED!!!
AUD - 43('11), 66('12), 69('13), 74('13) 7/29/13 85 PASSED!!!!!

(Combinations of Roger, Yaeger, Wiley Book, Wiley TB, & NINJA Notes)

Ethics 90%

[littlenumberrobot]

Wiley is MORE difficult than the exam itself. I know its tough to read or even understand, but I went through that book nearly 2x before audit and I passed(this was after already failing it 3 times this year without Wiley book).

CA CPA - All because of the journey listed below
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FAR - 53('10), 8/25/12 79 PASSED!
REG - 66('11), 69('12), 12/06/12 77 PASSED!!
BEC - 58('10), 74('12), 01/05/13 77 PASSED!!!
AUD - 43('11), 66('12), 69('13), 74('13) 7/29/13 85 PASSED!!!!!

(Combinations of Roger, Yaeger, Wiley Book, Wiley TB, & NINJA Notes)

Ethics 90%

[10keyLeah]

@maggie_k – I don't think you will find yourself alone in your frustration. Wiley questions can be tricky or unclear. Don't focus on the fact that you answered incorrectly, focus on understanding why the right answer is right and why all the other wrong answers are wrong.

If you practice doing that, it will help you with the tricky stuff on the exams.

Ninja Combo, Yaeger, Wiley -- Licensed CPA, May 2015

[10keyLeah]

@maggie_k – I don't think you will find yourself alone in your frustration. Wiley questions can be tricky or unclear. Don't focus on the fact that you answered incorrectly, focus on understanding why the right answer is right and why all the other wrong answers are wrong.

If you practice doing that, it will help you with the tricky stuff on the exams.

Ninja Combo, Yaeger, Wiley -- Licensed CPA, May 2015

[evesocal]

Many questions on the exam and review courses are hard to understand and tricky. You are not alone. You have to read them very carefully. I think they are (at least some) intended to be misleading.

Try reading the last sentence first. One of my Becker instructors said that and it helped.

B: 75
R: 80
A: 77
F: 81
Ethics: 84, 92 and done!
Licensed in California

[evesocal]

Many questions on the exam and review courses are hard to understand and tricky. You are not alone. You have to read them very carefully. I think they are (at least some) intended to be misleading.

Try reading the last sentence first. One of my Becker instructors said that and it helped.

B: 75
R: 80
A: 77
F: 81
Ethics: 84, 92 and done!
Licensed in California

[Anonymous]

Which exam are you studying for? Especially for AUD, the questions are definitely unclear and confusing. But I think that practicing the unclear ones helps you learn what the confusing phrases mean. The exams aren't as bad, but still have some oddly-worded questions, but I really think that the confusing practice questions are great preparation for the confusing real questions. 🙂 So, don't fear that you're alone – we're all right there with you. 😛 Keep your chin up, and realize that every difficult question that plagues you now is giving you free points for the exam!

[Anonymous]

Which exam are you studying for? Especially for AUD, the questions are definitely unclear and confusing. But I think that practicing the unclear ones helps you learn what the confusing phrases mean. The exams aren't as bad, but still have some oddly-worded questions, but I really think that the confusing practice questions are great preparation for the confusing real questions. 🙂 So, don't fear that you're alone – we're all right there with you. 😛 Keep your chin up, and realize that every difficult question that plagues you now is giving you free points for the exam!

[maggie_k]

Thanks everybody for your support.

I've come to expect some trick questions and know what kind of things to look for. But Wiley often asks unclear questions.

For example, he'll give you a number for net income before items potentially requiring adjustments, and then some items that may require adjusting, and it's not clear if those items were included in net income without adjustments, or they weren't included in net income at all.

Or he'll give a balance sheet with AR of 16,000, then ask for adjusting entries and tell you that ending AR was 21,000. And he doesn't make it clear if the extra 5,000 is from sales that weren't recorded, or sales that were incorrectly recorded as cash sales, or what.

My experience shows that, for the above two examples, Wiley has already included the items in net income and they only need possible adjusting entries, and that an addition to AR should be recorded as sales. But Wiley didn't write the CPA exam.

Does anyone remember similar unclear questions on the exam? Not tricky questions where the info is there and you need to recognize it, but questions where the info isn't given and you're supposed to assume something.

[maggie_k]

Thanks everybody for your support.

I've come to expect some trick questions and know what kind of things to look for. But Wiley often asks unclear questions.

For example, he'll give you a number for net income before items potentially requiring adjustments, and then some items that may require adjusting, and it's not clear if those items were included in net income without adjustments, or they weren't included in net income at all.

Or he'll give a balance sheet with AR of 16,000, then ask for adjusting entries and tell you that ending AR was 21,000. And he doesn't make it clear if the extra 5,000 is from sales that weren't recorded, or sales that were incorrectly recorded as cash sales, or what.

My experience shows that, for the above two examples, Wiley has already included the items in net income and they only need possible adjusting entries, and that an addition to AR should be recorded as sales. But Wiley didn't write the CPA exam.

Does anyone remember similar unclear questions on the exam? Not tricky questions where the info is there and you need to recognize it, but questions where the info isn't given and you're supposed to assume something.

[Author]

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