[Lily]

My actual exam was originally scheduled to be on 27th November 2013 but I postponed it to the first week of January 2014 because I FAILED THE BECKER PRACTICE EXAM# 1 WHICH I TOOK TODAY. My scores are as follows:

Testlet 1: 40 %

Testlet 2: 43%

Testlet 3: 43%

Testlet 4: 75, 34, 25, 0, 43, 38, 100

Can someone please advice me on how to prepare a good study plan that will guarantee a passing score??? (FYI, I don’t work)

I think I failed because I practiced only about 50% of the Becker H.W. and I’ve been surviving only on 4 hrs. of sleep ever since I started my final review on Nov 8. I’ve attended the classroom lectures for FAR with Becker and taken 2 Progress tests for 6 chapters. I’ve read the whole Becker 2013 FAR book at least 3 times and I memorized the J/E.

However, when I saw the practice exam questions today, I totally blacked out. All suggestions/advice/ tricks to pass are welcome. I have no intention of wasting money on other study materials like Yaeger, Ninja Notes, etc.

(My CGPA in university was above 3.5. I never thought studying for CPA could be so stressful.)

Created with Compare Ninja

[Neowarcloud]

I don't think anything can guarantee a passing score short of memorizing all the material that FAR covers.

If you're working, I'd doing 2 hours a night(more on weekends) of MCQ and then go over the ones you get wrong and try to figure out why you got it wrong, but make sure to write it down. If you do this, you will get understanding of the core FAR concepts. I find repitition has gotten me to the point where i feel fairly prepared to take the exams.

REG 8/12 - passed 79
BEC 7/13 - passed 84
AUD 8/13 - passed 83
FAR 11/13 - Passed 83

Now off to a new county...

[Neowarcloud]

I don't think anything can guarantee a passing score short of memorizing all the material that FAR covers.

If you're working, I'd doing 2 hours a night(more on weekends) of MCQ and then go over the ones you get wrong and try to figure out why you got it wrong, but make sure to write it down. If you do this, you will get understanding of the core FAR concepts. I find repitition has gotten me to the point where i feel fairly prepared to take the exams.

REG 8/12 - passed 79
BEC 7/13 - passed 84
AUD 8/13 - passed 83
FAR 11/13 - Passed 83

Now off to a new county...

[kkimi05]

@Lily the good thing is that you failed the practice exam and not the real test. So you still have some room to study. From what I realized the score results from the Becker practice exam is not equivalent to the score you will receive from the actual exam. I only use those practice exams in Becker to get more MCQ's in before exam day. I pay no attention to the actual scores. In my opinion, you need to do ALL MCQ's and maybe do them all over again. That is where you will learn the material. Also, not sure if you noticed within the Becker software there is a link you can go to that will provide you with 50 or so AICPA released MCQ's they have used on previous tests. I would highly review those in addition. That is what I am planning to do for my retake, go through all the video lectures again, take some notes, and continuously use the NINJA Notes and NINJA audio. I will then do as many MCQ's as I possibly can before exam day.

The link, for the AICPA released MCQs, when you log into the becker software is up at the top left “Check for Content Updates” and then click on “2013 Financial Course Updates” and then click on one of the links next to “2013 AICPA Released Questions and Simulations.” I have used these for my exams and I believe they are very helpful.

Good luck on your exam!!

REG - 2/27/2013 - 78!!!!
AUD - 5/17/2013 - 72...Retake July 12th - 79!!!!
BEC - 8/29/2013 - 77!!!!
FAR - 11/14/2013- 72....Retake February 28th - 80!!! DONE!!!!

AICPA Ethics - 98!

[kkimi05]

@Lily the good thing is that you failed the practice exam and not the real test. So you still have some room to study. From what I realized the score results from the Becker practice exam is not equivalent to the score you will receive from the actual exam. I only use those practice exams in Becker to get more MCQ's in before exam day. I pay no attention to the actual scores. In my opinion, you need to do ALL MCQ's and maybe do them all over again. That is where you will learn the material. Also, not sure if you noticed within the Becker software there is a link you can go to that will provide you with 50 or so AICPA released MCQ's they have used on previous tests. I would highly review those in addition. That is what I am planning to do for my retake, go through all the video lectures again, take some notes, and continuously use the NINJA Notes and NINJA audio. I will then do as many MCQ's as I possibly can before exam day.

The link, for the AICPA released MCQs, when you log into the becker software is up at the top left “Check for Content Updates” and then click on “2013 Financial Course Updates” and then click on one of the links next to “2013 AICPA Released Questions and Simulations.” I have used these for my exams and I believe they are very helpful.

Good luck on your exam!!

REG - 2/27/2013 - 78!!!!
AUD - 5/17/2013 - 72...Retake July 12th - 79!!!!
BEC - 8/29/2013 - 77!!!!
FAR - 11/14/2013- 72....Retake February 28th - 80!!! DONE!!!!

AICPA Ethics - 98!

[mla1169]

Well the fact that you only did 50% of the homework is definitely working against you. I did not use becker to study but I did do approx. 100 mcq/day while I was studying for the exams. You need to do all of the homework, and more than once at that! If you're not working this shouldn't be an issue.

And I would hardly consider supplemental materials a “waste” of money. The ninja notes more than pay for themselves if they spare you having to take one section multiple times.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[mla1169]

Well the fact that you only did 50% of the homework is definitely working against you. I did not use becker to study but I did do approx. 100 mcq/day while I was studying for the exams. You need to do all of the homework, and more than once at that! If you're not working this shouldn't be an issue.

And I would hardly consider supplemental materials a “waste” of money. The ninja notes more than pay for themselves if they spare you having to take one section multiple times.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[UNC MAcc]

“I think I failed because I practiced only about 50% of the Becker H.W. and I've been surviving only on 4 hrs. of sleep ever since I started my final review on Nov 8. I've attended the classroom lectures for FAR with Becker and taken 2 Progress tests for 6 chapters. I've read the whole Becker 2013 FAR book at least 3 times and I memorized the J/E.”

There is your problem. Staring at the stupid book won't get you anywhere. Practicing only half the homework is your #1 problem. Do the MQC, then do the ones you get wrong, until you don't get them wrong anymore.

B - 89
A - 80
R - 78
F - 86

CIA, CFSA, MBA, MAcc (too many f'ing degrees and certs, I know, trust me)

[UNC MAcc]

“I think I failed because I practiced only about 50% of the Becker H.W. and I've been surviving only on 4 hrs. of sleep ever since I started my final review on Nov 8. I've attended the classroom lectures for FAR with Becker and taken 2 Progress tests for 6 chapters. I've read the whole Becker 2013 FAR book at least 3 times and I memorized the J/E.”

There is your problem. Staring at the stupid book won't get you anywhere. Practicing only half the homework is your #1 problem. Do the MQC, then do the ones you get wrong, until you don't get them wrong anymore.

B - 89
A - 80
R - 78
F - 86

CIA, CFSA, MBA, MAcc (too many f'ing degrees and certs, I know, trust me)

[Anonymous]

@Lily Don't memorize the J/E. I did the same mistake and got the same result which you are getting in Beckers final exam . Understanding the J/E is the main part of passing FAR part . Read the notes once more and practice all the question . Keep a log which question you are getting wrong. go back and read the only that part of notes which you got wrong and redo the question. If you get the question wrong once more , Just memorize the question , that's the “best” you can do .

[Anonymous]

@Lily Don't memorize the J/E. I did the same mistake and got the same result which you are getting in Beckers final exam . Understanding the J/E is the main part of passing FAR part . Read the notes once more and practice all the question . Keep a log which question you are getting wrong. go back and read the only that part of notes which you got wrong and redo the question. If you get the question wrong once more , Just memorize the question , that's the “best” you can do .

[UNC MAcc]

@ me?

B - 89
A - 80
R - 78
F - 86

CIA, CFSA, MBA, MAcc (too many f'ing degrees and certs, I know, trust me)

[UNC MAcc]

@ me?

B - 89
A - 80
R - 78
F - 86

CIA, CFSA, MBA, MAcc (too many f'ing degrees and certs, I know, trust me)

[Anonymous]

If I were in your position, I would do one of the following:

1. If I had no intention of rescheduling the exam, I would go back to my lectures and do the chapters I am most weak in which would be pensions, gov't/nonprofit, & consolidation in my case and do the related MCQ's that I haven't done. For other topics, I would skim through it focus on the little bits of information that are important. Since the exam is in 2 days I would cram as much as possible and study @ least 8 hrs/day. You're most likely to remember the stuff you learned if you study right before the exam.

2. What I would alternatively do instead is reschedule the exam at a later date and take my time in not just memorizing the concepts, but also understand them. What helped me understand some of the concepts is try to relate them through my own experiences or experiences I might have seen/heard. I would do all of the MCQ's and “mark” the questions that were difficult/hard to answer and come back to it. Once I'm done reviewing it, I would take the 2nd practice exam and review the questions I missed. Lastly I would review the materials and the difficult questions one more time before taking on the real exam

[Anonymous]

If I were in your position, I would do one of the following:

1. If I had no intention of rescheduling the exam, I would go back to my lectures and do the chapters I am most weak in which would be pensions, gov't/nonprofit, & consolidation in my case and do the related MCQ's that I haven't done. For other topics, I would skim through it focus on the little bits of information that are important. Since the exam is in 2 days I would cram as much as possible and study @ least 8 hrs/day. You're most likely to remember the stuff you learned if you study right before the exam.

2. What I would alternatively do instead is reschedule the exam at a later date and take my time in not just memorizing the concepts, but also understand them. What helped me understand some of the concepts is try to relate them through my own experiences or experiences I might have seen/heard. I would do all of the MCQ's and “mark” the questions that were difficult/hard to answer and come back to it. Once I'm done reviewing it, I would take the 2nd practice exam and review the questions I missed. Lastly I would review the materials and the difficult questions one more time before taking on the real exam

[Anonymous]

I think you have the advantage to add more time to your studies, you are half way already so review your weak areas and do many MCQ until you feel comfortable.

I don't think accounting journal entries should be memorized, that is probably a thing you can improve.

Good luck!

[Author]

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