[cpaplzgoaway]

NINJA Question –

Hello fellow prisoners of CPA exams,

I just joined this community today and wanted to seek some insights and guidance on the study technique. Currently I am using Becker and Ninja MCQ. I have done a lot of searches in this forum and found that a lot of successful candidates have been following the Ninja framework. However, I am still skeptical about it :/. My current Becker study plan recommend 1 chapter a week for FAR (lectures,practice,MCQ) and I am on F3 now (watch lecture, then do practice MCQ). I am so curious of trying out the NINJA framework by watching all the lectures of all chapters and then hitting the MCQs/SIM grind grind grind. Please, i just want to hear some advises and thought as well as other recommendations in regard to this technique. Sorry for the long post guys :/

[mccarta7]

This is my first exam and I am using the NINJA method. I was a little weary of it at first and it was difficult to read through the book and take notes without doing any questions. I wondered a lot if I was getting anywhere. I just began the questions this week and I actually feel pretty good about them. It's taken some time to get used to the format of the questions, but I don't see many where I think “I don't remember anything about this.” I do have to the review the text a little to help with answers the first time I run through a set of MCQ but then I take notes on what I missed or needed to look up and do much better on the next set(s) of MCQ for that topic. Overall I am feeling pretty confident and have only had a few moments of near breakdown, which I'm taking as a win. I also try to review my notes from the MCQ every morning which has been really helpful in keeping the material in my head so far.

[cpaplzgoaway]

Thanks Ann. how long did it take you go through the book/lectures ? Did you find yourself struggling to remember the concepts or retain the information since you just went through 10 chapters of material ?

[Anonymous]

I have not done the Ninja framework, but did pass BEC using Becker as my primary study tool with Ninja MCQ as a supplement. I don't think I could be confident enough without going through the Ninja MCQ testbank as part of my review phase. I did the same for AUD (awaiting results). I have to say that I do like to do MCQ as I go, and then of course I do a ton (a whole another testbank with Ninja MCQ plus Becker progress tests) during the review phase to hammer home the concepts.

[cpaplzgoaway]

Thanks anyatver for your valuable insights ^^, i think i am just too scared to try out the NINJA method of watching all lectures first. ahhhhhhhh omg

[mccarta7]

There are some concepts I have struggled to remember a bit, but I think that will happen no matter what method you use when studying for FAR. I feel familiar with almost all of the topics, because I remember them from my note taking, but there are still things I forget because I'm still a ways out from my exam (5.5 weeks). It's a lot of material no matter how you study it. It took me about 3 weeks to go through the entire book and take intense notes over everything, but I was studying about 25-30 hours per week for these three weeks and tend to take too many notes so this is probably why it took me that long to get through it. I think I could have been more efficient with that, but overall I don't regret spending 3 weeks only reading the text and taking notes at all. I now can focus on re-reading my NINJA notes, reviewing topics I am struggling with and completing as many MCQ as possible until I get to my final review stage, which feels good because completing MCQ is much more entertaining for my mind than reading the text and watching the lectures, so the time goes by much quicker.

[JAM]

I wondered the same as you coming from the CPAExcel program. However, after my initial fail, I had nothing to lose.

So I abandoned the CPAexcel/Becker methods and went full Ninja > And got to a 73! D'oh! It took another full round of MCQ's to complete, but I do feel that the Ninja method provided a different means to passing.

I wouldn't say one was a for sure pass over another, mostly that Ninja required me to focus a little differently. I think enough time in either can be successful but I needed Ninja after my initial fail to explore different techniques.

[cpaplzgoaway]

Thanks ANN for your insights, i will try to finish the remaining videos/lectures/notes in 3 weeks :D, same as you i tend to take way too much notes that it slow me down significantly. So currently you just hammering the MCQs per chapters ? or do you go randomly ?

[cpaplzgoaway]

Thanks JAM!, congraz on your 2 passes!!!!, for your remaining 2 sections, will you continue to follow the Ninja method ? i just started the Ninja method, so I have not really noticing any results yet ^_^

[cpaplzgoaway]

@ mccarta7 and @JAM, how was ur exam results? 😀

[Author]

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