[728daniel]

I have been studying AUD using Becker for about 2 weeks now and have been feeling like crap. I am now at A4 and it is seriously killing me. I understand the nature of AUD is 99% conceptual but still…the book and lectures are words after words and paragraphs after paragraphs to the point I kinda gave up on them and went with just hammering MCQs (not sure if it is a good move…any thoughts?)

Homework wise I think I am okay. First go around usually averaged a 65-70% and I learn as I do them. Second go around scores are mostly in the 80’s. Progress tests wise are in the high 80’s low 90’s. Is this a good sign?

OHHHH and the sims… How representative are Becker SIMs of the real exam? especially a4 lol. The ones in A4 are ridiculous

[Valar Dohaeris]

I actually wrote Becker complaining about AUD. They just didn't a good job in the two chapters in which there are very subtle differences between audit reports and audit procedures for say a review or compilation or whatever. The wording was just repetitive, and I felt lost at times.

I'm sure your progress tests are a good sign. I'll never forget that nasty Sim when I had to identify the appropriate audit procedures over a series of derivative transaction. Basically, you have to know the FAR treatment of a derivative to know the AUD treatment (kind of like contingencies).

BEC - 85
AUD - 81
REG - 84
FAR - 7/24/16

[728daniel]

@Valar I agree with you about the wordings are so repetitive. How did you end up doing on the actual exam? Was Becker alone enough? I know which sim you are talking about and yes it definitely requires some FAR knowledge. Some sims from A4, like the tickmarks on a bank reconciliation, are crazy. We are asked to identify what the tickmarks mean? like seriously??

[reallytired]

I am currently in A2 and oh gosh how can something be so dull?! REG and FAR were insanely difficult, but at least they were interesting. I do not know how I am supposed to get through 4 more chapters in the next 2 weeks!

B 10/29/16
A 10/1/16
R 9/2/16
F 7/26/16

[728daniel]

@reallytired Heyyyyy we talked a couple weeks back. How did you do in REG? I agree REG is MUCH more interesting than AUD lol. How are you studying AUD? If you think A1 and 2 are bad…wait til you see A4……:(

[reallytired]

@728daniel, Yes we did, I saw your name and needed to chat with ya! Unfortunately I believe I failed. People say sims from hell and I definitely got sims from hell, but there is no way I got more than a 50% on them. I have accepted it and will plan to retake end of October 🙂

Ugh that makes me nervous because Tim is actually putting me to sleep in these lectures right now. I normally read the book, watch the lecture, take notes, then do the mcq. But I just seriously cannot handle the lectures so I am going to read the book, highlight everything that the ebook highlighted, and then take notes on that. I only have 3 weeks left till this exam so I figure it would be beneficial to save an extra three hours from the lectures.

How are you studying for it? When is your test?

B 10/29/16
A 10/1/16
R 9/2/16
F 7/26/16

[njvath]

I agree with you! Becker did not do a good job on AUD (and I am studying for REG now and I feel the same way with REG so far). I have taken AUD twice and I received a 74 both times :(. I couldn't believe it, I was so devastated. I bought Ninja MCQ to supplement so hopefully that will help me (I am taking it again in November). Who knows though, I felt like my exams were so weird compared to the experiences of others so maybe it was just the questions and sims on my exams…

FAR - 76
AUD - 74, 74
BEC - 83
REG - TBD

[njvath]

BTW, I feel like there is NO way to prepare for the AUD Sims. I thought my FAR sims were much “easier”. The Sims on both of my AUD exams have been just ridiculous and on my last exam, I felt like the Sims had nothing to do with audit. I suggest going through the calculations/ratios listed in the Appendix of one of the chapters (cant remember which one off the top of my head, A3 maybe?) because those are fair game when it comes to the Sims.

FAR - 76
AUD - 74, 74
BEC - 83
REG - TBD

[728daniel]

@reallytired You never know, people who think they failed usually end up passing. I gave up on the lectures. There is zero benefit in highlighting paragraphs after paragraphs following Tim. I have just been hammering down MCQs only and found myself understanding the material much better. Not sure if that is enough so I might go read the book some time later. My exam is 10/1.

@njvath 74 both times must have been really REALLY frustrating. I am already sensing a retake of AUD already. What was your strategy in studying for AUD?

[728daniel]

@njvath I also heard some nasty things about the ratios and calculations. Were the sims just asking to calculate the ratios or things like AR turnover decreased this year and what most likely have caused it kind of question….?

[Valar Dohaeris]

I got a 71 on my first attempt at AUD, but I only did like 50% of the homework and studied during holiday season (last 2 weeks of Dec) which is difficult for me. Then, I got an 81 on my second attempt. I only used Becker. For my second attempt, I spent about 10 days doing nothing but MCQs (at least 75% of the MCQs on each chapter). I did some Becker Sims, but not all of them. My experience with the CPA exams was I crammed for like 2 weekends and got an 85 on BEC (my first section). That set a bad tone for me, because I thought I could just cram for any of the tests in a 2 weeks span and pass. AUD and REG proved otherwise. For FAR, I studied over 3 weeks and became obsessed with the material; I passed on my first try.

If you watch all the Becker lectures and get through all the Becker hw, you will pass unless you spread your studying out over a long period. Then, retention issues become a challenge.

I always recommend taking 3-5 work days off before your exam just to do nothing but immerse your thoughts in your exam material. Ideally, if you take your exam on a Sat/Sun, then, take the prior work week off. That way, when you leave work on Friday, you have Friday night through the following Saturday (~8 straight days/nights) to do nothing but focus on your exam material. With meals, exercise, hygiene, and sleep, that gives you a solid 10 hours a day. 10 hours a day is more than enough to do or re-do the MCQs for any Becker chapter AND to squeeze in some meaningful Progress Tests. I always recommend doing a 20-30 MCQ progress test on EACH chapter you've already studied EVERY DAY to keep the subtleties fresh in your head.

You might be asked to identify what a tickmark means on the actual exam. Definitely know your dates, your CPA responsibility/liability, MR DIM REPPORTS CRAME, inherent/control risk, differences between audit reports, communication with management, GAGAS, etc. You got this. Good luck!

BEC - 85
AUD - 81
REG - 84
FAR - 7/24/16

[Valar Dohaeris]

Also, both times I took AUD, I didn't use a calculator once.

BEC - 85
AUD - 81
REG - 84
FAR - 7/24/16

[728daniel]

@Valar Thanks for the detailed response. I am pretty much doing what you did. I do MCQs all day every day and learn from them. A1-A4 is manageable so far. I haven't started with A5 and 6 yet so we will see. You mentioned about watching lectures, is it before or after you do the MCQs? I find them to be really boring just highlighting after highlighting… Definitely will go look over the tickmarks.

[reallytired]

@728daniel, How funny, my exam is also 10/1! We will both be miserable together that day. Yes I agree, Tim was actually useful in my opinion on REG, but he is a tax guy so it made sense. I am trying to take some good notes because I know the exam is mostly memorization and it always sticks better in my brain when I write stuff down.

B 10/29/16
A 10/1/16
R 9/2/16
F 7/26/16

[Valar Dohaeris]

I watch the lectures for an entire chapter and then do the MCQs for the entire chapter. I've learned that not all of the chapter material is tested in the MCQs, and the MCQs can go very in-depth with applying the chapter material.

Also, on my last night and morning of my exam, I flip through every page of the book reading the highlighted bits, handwritten notes from the lectures, and pass keys. Basically, I'm saying to myself “yes I know this” for each page. I believe flipping through the book is great way to just keep things sticking in your brain.

BEC - 85
AUD - 81
REG - 84
FAR - 7/24/16

[728daniel]

@reallytired haha we will definitely be miserable together not just on 10/1 but also for the following weeks.
@Valar Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I guess we just gotta buckle down and power through this boring section of the exam.

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