FAR 2011 Becker Final Exam

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  • #160378
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Just wondering if anyone has taken FAR in 2011 with Becker? If yes – how did you do? Any words of advice?? I am taking in 2 days and I am VERY nervous, as I don’t feel well prepared at all.

    Also, I am about to take a Becker final exam – what scores did you get on those?

    Thanks in advance!

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  • #282584
    F5 to Refresh
    Participant

    I used Becker for FAR review in 2011. I did very well on the multiple choice portions of the exam, but I ran out of time and had very difficult simulations. I was scoring about 80% on the Becker final exam. I ended up failing.

    I would recommend that you focus on studying for the simulations and leave about 1.5 hours for them during the exam. In my opinion the Becker simulations seem easier than the actual exam ones, while the multiple choice seems to be more difficult than the actual exam questions.

    AUD 79 Q4 2010 - NY
    BEC 84 Q4 2010
    REG 79 Q1 2011
    FAR 86 Q2 2011 - Done

    #282585
    kb24
    Participant

    I used Wiley and the Becker text for FAR. The Becker text often helped me more than Wiley because it was more detailed, but I liked the Wiley test bank and text problems better than Becker so I didn't do any of Becker's sample exams. I took the exam on 4/1 so I still don't know how I did. Having said all that, though, I felt really good coming out of the exam. It was far from easy, but I felt well prepared for almost everything I saw on the exam.

    What I did the last few days was to identify my weak areas and reinforce those in some way. For example, I kept getting confused on bonds so I wrote out all the JE by hand. I had trouble remembering the calculations for pensions so I wrote those out as well. It took a little longer than using the computer, but I absorbed it better. I felt shaky on govt/NFP so I went through as many of the test bank questions on these topics as I could the morning of exam. Each of these tasks took 30 or 45 minutes but really helped me better understand that particular topic. I didn't just focus on my weaknesses; I think everyone has a tendency to do this which ends up decreasing self confidence. I reminded myself that these were just a portion of the exam and listed my strong areas as well. I'd do a few problems on these topics whenever I started getting discouraged and overwhelmed. Doing a few practice SIMS, especially on weaker areas can help you, but I think you're better off focusing on really understanding the material itself because you'll be better prepared for whatever SIMS you might see.

    When it comes to the actual exam, I think that time management and attitude are just as important as how well prepared you are. Have a plan in place as to how long you'll spend on each testlet. Decide on how much you want for the SIMS and work backwards from there. I'd shoot for 1 1/2 hours. I left myself 1 1/4 hours and finished but felt pressured for time. If you don't know an answer, don't waste time just looking at it. Mark it for review and move on. When you come back to it, it may seem easier because you know you've finished everything else in the testlet. If your schedule allows a few minutes you can spend extra time on the problem, but if you don't have time or you still don't know the answer make your best guess and move on. Don't waste time on one MCQ at the expense of the SIMS. Don't let a previous problem or testlet affect your focus on the current one; you need to concentrate on doing the best job you can on what you still have control over. If you feel yourself getting anxious, take a few deep breaths and relax your shoulders. It's amazing how much better your mind will work.

    Hope this helps. Good luck!!!

    FAR 4/1/11 - 89
    AUD 4/15/11 - 85
    REG 4/29/11 - 80
    BEC 5/13/11 - 85

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