[Jennifer]

Hello folks! I’m a 41 year old who decided to tackle the CPA Exam. I mean, what else do I have to do?
Anyway, I am currently studying for AUD, using Becker for CPA. I’m doing…okay…on the sims and MCQs. However, okay will not cut it on the actual exam. I take it on August 8th, and have been studying my ass off. Has anyone else had experience to share, regarding the Becker questions versus the actual exam? Did you do “okay” as well on Becker, but pass anyway?

I’m terrified.

 

 

[Jason]

I have taken FAR and AUD now, and the Becker MCQs were much harder than the actual exam MCQs. Becker seems to go much more in depth than the actual exam, but it definitely helps you learn the material.

[Jen-J]

Becker worked for me, I was 39 and 10 years out of school when I decided to go for it. If anything I'd say Becker overprepared me. You don't need to understand every nuance of every advanced accounting concept to pass (although it doesn't hurt of course). Keep studying, work on your trouble spots, and good luck!

[junodobi]

I was 37, fresh out of college after a career change. I used the cheapest Wiley option (I was pretty broke then), and from what I hear Becker is pretty good. So, hang in there…terrified is normal, frustrated is normal, tired is normal, the only thing ‘not normal' is ‘normal'. 🙂 And, once you passed your last one, ecstatic and exhausted will occur simultaneously.

[Anonymous]

I used Becker for all of my exams. I found Becker MCQ to be harder than the actual exam (Becker questions were a lot more in depth), but the SIMs on the actual exam included a LOT more documents/information. I believe Becker has updated their material more to reflect more documents in the SIMs though. But definitely be prepared for a lot to look through in the SIMs.

I always did 20-30 question progress tests when reviewing for my exams (I did not practice SIMs besides AICPA practice exam and maybe 1 or 2 in Becker). My progress test scores were:
AUD – progress tests typically between 80-90%, practice exam 1 70%, practice exam 2 66%, actual exam 92%
BEC – progress tests typically between 80-100%, practice exam 1 54%, practice exam 2 63%, actual exam 88%
FAR – progress tests typically between 70-80%, practice exam 1 58%, practice exam 2 70%, actual exam 77%
REG – progress tests typically between 60-80%, practice exam 1 69%, practice exam 2 64%, actual exam 78%

I typically did not do well on practice exams, but made sure i was scoring ok on progress tests.

Good luck! You got this!

[Anonymous]

I'm 33 so not fresh out of school anymore either, and I used Becker only for all of the exams and passed on the first sitting. If you're scoring OK on the practice tests, you'll do fine on the actual ones.

[Wyman]

Go for it. Age is no constraint. The main factor is time that is available to study and the strategy.

[Anonymous]

I'm 41 and have passed the three exams on my first try strictly using Becker and the gray matter between my ears. Hopefully I will be done with BEC come score release in September. Keep studying your ass off, and you will take the exams and feel terrible after each one…but you will have passed.

[Skynet]

FYI, ladies love 41 yo CPA Candidates. Ask the ladies on A71. They will tell you.😀

[Author]

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