[onion]

For people who have taken the test, is the real exam easier or harder than NINJA? MCQs and SIMS respectively.
I’m getting pretty good scores on Ninja MCQs and SIMS;
but I get really discouraged each time I’m not absolutely sure about something and have to go back to my notes. I can’t stop kicking myself over it, really. When I’m in the exam room I won’t have any notes to go back on… and it’s pretty much a downward spiral from there 🙁 I feel like a complete idiot and I just know I’m gonna F up.. etc.

So unhappy thoughts aside, I’d really like to know what the real exam is like in terms of difficulty. Is it harder or easier? Or pretty much the same? I heard there are fake questions too.. can people usually tell which one it is?

[Lindsey_p87]

Which exam are you studying for? Personally, I found the AUD Ninja questions much harder and wordier than the questions on the exam. I was actually pleasantly surprised on exam day. For REG, I found the Ninja MCQ to be similar to the exam in difficulty. If you want a true picture of the exam MCQ and especially the SIMS, make sure to take the AICPA practice exams. I found those to be very accurate representations of the real exams, at least the exams that I got. Not sure about FAR or BEC since I haven't taken those yet (studying for BEC now).

FAR - PASSED 11/14
AUD - TBD
BEC - TBD
REG - First take 2/16

[DJD17]

My first set of FAR mcq were easier than Ninja. Less wordy and faster to complete. My second set was harder and on par with the difficulty of Ninja. My average mcq score with Ninja after 1500 questions was 67%, whereas my test score was 77%. Hope that helps.

[onion]

@Lindsey_p87; REG is hardest for me, so I'm spending a lot of time on REG. I'll check out the practice exams! Thanks for the advice 🙂
@DJD17; Thanks for telling me! 🙂

[dukenuke]

Every time I left the testing center I wasn’t really sure if I passed or not. From what I’ve seen on CPA exam forums it seems that most people feel that way as well so I would say the actual exam is harder than the study materials.

[Orpheus]

REG – was easier than NINJA.
BEC – much easier – nevertheless, I failed it…

[sophiafey]

I feel REG was easier and BEC was harder especially sims. But I passed BEC idk how! pray for Reg score release for 22nd…

[Sean]

The real exam isn't necessarily easier than any of the mock exams you will take. The difference is in the grading system that NASBA uses compared to how Becker grades it. NASBA has never disclosed their grading scale so that's kind of a mystery but plenty of people leave feeling that they bombed it to find out that they actually did really well. In my own experience I have left FAR and REG feeling uncertain if I passed or not and just knowing that the exam was hard as hell. I passed both first try. If I can do it you can too! Just keep pounding multiple choice questions until you can't anymore!

[Mercenary]

For FAR I felt the questions were harder on my first testlet and comparable on my second but I think the grading is easier since its not really a strict score of percentage right. At least it cant be based on the score I got. I forget what my Ninja average was but it was probably around mid 70s.

[Author]

Replies