[Anonymous]

I am getting less motivated as each day passes using my Becker material. It’s so hard to understand when the DVD lectures only instruct me to keep HIGHLIGHTING each paragraph! I’ve already spent a ton of money but I really hope I can find a way to better understand these concepts… Any advice? encouragement? How to deal?

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[MICPA87]

Watch the lectures once and do the multiple choice (including supplemental questions and quizzes) over and over again.

FAR(11/14/11)- 92
AUD(01/04/12)- 91
REG(05/30/12)- 93
BEC(07/21/12)- 88

CPA - Michigan

[nfs480]

Which section of Becker are you working on (ex. F1, F2, etc.)? I've made it to F5 and so far have just watched the lectures and worked the questions like MICPA87 has said. Hopefully when I go back over the material in the last 2-3 weeks before the test I will solidify what i've picked up.

FAR 93
AUD 89
REG 81
BEC 87
Ethics 100

Becker 2012 Self-Study

[Scrittrice34]

My advice is to just pay attention and focus on comprehending the material as you watch the lectures. Don't worry about retention. It's way too much at first to be able to retain. Retention will come naturally as you work the MCQs and sims. I recommend the flashcards also, if you are someone who finds constant drilling/repetition helpful. (I do.)

I supplement Becker with an audio review for the car. It's amazing how when answering questions, your brain will recall something you casually heard on the way to work.

I also am using Becker's final review. While I don't think this is totally necessary, I think it's helpful if you have trouble remembering the material from the beginning.

I know Becker has its critics, but I can honestly say it's been great for me. I followed the program and am 2 for 2 so far! (They should pay me for this lol)

REG - 86 (11/22/11)
BEC - 88 (1/9/12)
FAR - 79 (2/29/12)
AUD - 71 (5/7/12) - Got a little lazy. Retake 7/30/12 - 85 on the retake woohoo!

Used Becker

[Tux]

AnnaMay84 –

I'm with you! I just started Becker FAR two weeks ago. The focus on highlighting seems like a waste of time and it is taking me FOREVER to get through each section. I signed up for the online version. They want you to do 2 sections a week. That has not been possible, and I don't even have a job. Studying is my job. I work on this every waking moment.

But, it's too soon for me to judge the program in a negative way, yet. I can tell that I've learned a little bit, just from watching the videos. I'm actually doing it differently than they recommend….

I'm listening to ALL the videos first (I'm on F9, now). THEN, I'll go back and focus on the homework and MCQ. I believe that's where all the learning is, anyway. It takes me WAY longer than 4 hrs to get through each chapter's video due to stops and starts to make sure I understand what they're talking about. So, getting through the lesson is excruciating. I look forward to getting to the homework, so I can really see what I know and don't know, then can get deeper into the information.

When I get to the homework, I plan to take my own notes in bullet-point form in Word. I bought the flashcards, but don't like them (expensive mistake). I don't like that they present the info in a different way than it's asked in the MCQ's. I believe repetition is the key, so I wish they presented the info differently.

That's ok. It helps to take your own notes anyway – just another form of repetition, so that's what I'll do.

I haven't scheduled my exam yet, but I plan to test end April or sometime in May.

FAR - 86 - 2/27/14
AUD - 75 - 5/29/14
BEC - 80 - 8/31/14
REG - 89 - 2/27/15
Praise Jesus! I'm done!!

Study resources:
Becker
Wiley test bank

[Anonymous]

How long is a lecture per day?

[Anonymous]

@ AnnaMay: I've used Becker from the beginning and tried differents types of study methods. Some worked less than the others, so here is what works for me, maybe it will work for you.

I read every section inside each chapter first. I try to understand everything very well. Then I listen to the lecture about that section. Then I do the related MCQ. Then I can move on to the next section of the chapter.

It is only that way that I did well on MCQ, by reading the book before everything else.

When a section within a chapter is long, I break it up in smaller pieces (ie: I just read and listen to the lecture of the “I” part, then same for the “II” part etc). And also sometimes I make notes, just to highlight each title of each section. I think it helps put everything together.

Also, I photocopied the exam content (at the beginning of the book) and tick off each concept I studied and understood well. And I do the same with the chapters table of contents (also at the beginning of the book) and tick off each section I have seen, how well I did, how many MCQ I marked etc etc. That way I know which areas are still troubling for me.

I started doing this with REG and then FAR and it worked well for me. Before that, for AUD, I was just listening to the lectures, doing the MCQ (and getting scores like 40% on those) and skipping the pages of the book. Needless to say, I failed AUD twice….

Good luck!!!

[Marivy22]

I had the same experience with FAR's material – Becker (2011). Watching F1 and F2 was so confusing, they kept saying that they will discuss in detail later, or something like that. Based on that, I decided not to make lots of notes…..Well, long story short, I had to re-schedule my exam and re-watched the lectures. In summary, I studied for about 10 weeks, to get a 74 gggrrrr. It was my mistake, not Becker's.

My advice, take your time to make notes while watching the lectures, do not rush thru the material, and you will be ok. F1 & F2 are the foundation for all other chapters.

For my re-take, I wantched the lectures one more time, and worked lots of MCQ's.

Good Luck!!!

Done 😉
Class of 2012!!!!
Lots of prayers and hard work....

[Tin Man]

I know it's the last thing you want to hear, but read the entire text book.

Use the lectures to hear it the first time and highlight key points.

As you read the text book, make additional notes in each section.

Just taking your time on FAR and looking at the examples for a few minutes makes a world of difference.

To me, you never need to watch the lectures more than once.

REG - PASS
BEC - PASS
AUD - PASS
FAR - PASS
CA ETHICS - PASS

[nuclear3579]

I passed all 4 parts with Becker. Becker is a high speed, low drag course that runs through all the topics very quickly.

Tin Man is right, read the entire book, even the supplimental stuff. Then work all the MCQ's. Becker assumes that if you have detailed questions, you will spend more time with their book. Because otherwise, Tim Gearity moves on to a new topic very quickly.

But you can do it – I know it's overwhelming, just hang in there!!!

BEC - 84
FAR - 71, 80
REG - 82
AUD - 78 - Passed! Done!

[Tux]

To CashMoney10 –

Each Becker lecture is 4 hours “lecture time”. There's one lecture for each chapter – 10 chapters.

Considering that I have to stop and start many, many times to take notes and make sure I'm understanding what they're talking about, each one takes me twice as long (or more. I lose track).

FAR - 86 - 2/27/14
AUD - 75 - 5/29/14
BEC - 80 - 8/31/14
REG - 89 - 2/27/15
Praise Jesus! I'm done!!

Study resources:
Becker
Wiley test bank

[HustlinHustlin]

After finding out my last score, I am a little disappointed I picked Becker as well. It costs so much money and now I have a ticking time bomb to pass before my software expires. I should have taken that as a red flag, I pay them all this money and then they take away my rights to the material….weak.

This morning I have been looking into other reviews. I think I should have went with Roger. I am dreading watching Tim and Peter go through the FAR materials again….But I will.

Then again, I can't blame my failing entirely on the program. I'm just bitter about the cost. I didn't give it my all and knew I didn't. This time I will and if I don't get it this time, Roger it is.

B 71 - 79 EXPIRED
A 69 - 75 EXPIRED
R 65 - 48 - 45
F 56 - 61 - 65 - 64

Becker, Wiley Test Bank, Wiley Text and Ninja Notes

"The fish who keeps on swimming is the first to chill upstream" -311

Experience - Done, like WAAAY done.
Still need 30 more credits, in basket weaving (gotta love new CA requirements)

[realestatewhiz]

For Becker…What IVE found helpful:

1) Buy a notepad/notebook/copybook & use Passmaster(virtual textbook)..make notes accordingly on anything they point out or you feel like you are having trouble understanding.

2) Do the passmaster questions.

3) Understand the reasoning why you got questions wrong and make notes. Highlight the corresponding notes from lectures.

4)Review portion of lectures for things that are not sticking.

5)Skim text and understand passkeys or diagrams

6)Continue doing more passmaster questions.

7)Make notecards on the problem topics

8)Take a deep breath and pray you pass

To do this has taken a good bit of time. However, I can honestly say I am picking up on things that prior to I felt were tough subjects & this has been documented with improvement in passmaster scores.

Best of Luck!

[jenuno01]

I have found the lectures to be absolutely pointless… I just go off the electronic version of the book and just transfer the notes/highlighting to the paper copy of the book.. I learn better by reading the material on my own… I have always been this way, when I was in college, I would completely space off in class, go home, read the textbooks on my own, and ace my tests.

Class of 2012

[Anonymous]

The Lectures to me are pointless as well. I, like the post above, just go through on the first couple days of studying and transfer all the notes and highlighted portions from the e-book to the paper copy of the book. Then I just read one section and do the mul. choice and rinse & repeat for each subsequent section.

[MSG10]

I completely agree. I am getting frustrated with all the highlighting and underlining. I turned to recording myself reading the books and listening them all the time – in the car, working out (sickening I know), and while I'm sleeping. Then I go through the MCQ's and the practice exams (which I still have yet to pass but I've been told it doesn't usually mean anything. I've had friends never pass the Becker exams but pass on the actual exams.)

I am taking my first exam on Monday – so I'll let you know if this actually works.

And honestly if I hear Peter Olinto talking about the Jersey Shore again I'm going to request my money back….

[Author]

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