[Anonymous]

Wiley Question –

Hi everyone,

So I’m down to only FAR to go and I started studying with CpaExcel. One thing I’ve noticed is how much more time consuming these sections are. I had a cash flow section today that had 30 study questions, 39 mcqs and 5 sims just in one section. After I got through that section I felt like I just took an actual exam. Has anyone else ever felt that CPAExcel can be almost overwhelming in some sections? I’m already a week behind in my exam plan and feeling as though the August window is basically a dream at this point.

[Anonymous]

It can be a little overwhelming. What I ended up doing on FAR with CPAexcel was to limit the questions to ten per lesson. Then I went back after I finished the material and answered the ones I skipped. There are nearly 2,000 questions for FAR. I don't think I answered any unique question for it twice.

[maxwillguy]

I used cpaexcel and passed with an 82 first try. It is a ton and took me about 160 hours to get through everything. I took the practice exam the night before my actual exam and failed (70 something…). Having only gone through the material once and no review, I passed. I also passed REG using it. I think it's great but if you just started, August is probably unrealistic.

I do think the questions are harder than what is on the exam but they take time.

FAR - Passed (2/14)
REG - Passed (5/14)
Audit - Passed (8/14)
BEC - 8/31

[Anonymous]

Right there with you. Finally just getting to NFP block (4/5) on the side view. Material is brutally long.

[warrreagle1015]

Glad to hear you guys feel the same way. I feel like I'm a couple of weeks behind, but it's reassuring to hear that the questions in CPAexcel are more challenging than the actual exam? But yes, it is overwhelming. The video lectures are great…I just wish some of them weren't so boring. Lectures are mundane.

@maxwillguy…did you have a specific strategy, or did you just go through all of the sections (videos, MCQs, TBS, etc)?

FAR - 71, 76
AUD - 72, 67, 74
BEC - 71, 69, TBD
REG - TBD

[warrreagle1015]

Also, are you guys using any supplemental materials…or just CPAexcel?

FAR - 71, 76
AUD - 72, 67, 74
BEC - 71, 69, TBD
REG - TBD

[Anonymous]

I'm using Gleim TB as well. My first FAR attempt was when I was using Gleim and I've found CPAExcel is much better for my learning style. IMO, Gleim lectures are much to detailed and just seem like a bunch of mumbo jumbo thrown on a page. However, their MCQs are solid.

[maxwillguy]

I only did CPA excel and just went through all the material one time. I did every MCQ/sim/true false question in every module but did no review.

FAR - Passed (2/14)
REG - Passed (5/14)
Audit - Passed (8/14)
BEC - 8/31

[Anonymous]

I'm using CPAexcel as well with Ninja materials for reviewing as I go. Since I'm new to the CPA exam I haven't totally figured out what works for me yet. I read through the first book as quickly as I could without doing all the MCQ's, but I noticed that the more complex information wasn't sticking. So I'm taking time to go back through the MCQ's and sims as I keep on with the reading. I haven't taken advanced accounting, so when I hit the business combinations I slowed down and went through all the video lectures. I didn't watch videos for the first book, but the ones for the business combination were quite good. I felt like the information stuck a lot better after someone walked me through the calculations. They also discussed the common types of exam questions that come up for each section and how to answer them.

Thanks Maxwill — I'm relieved to know that CPAexcel prepared you sufficiently once through.

[Anonymous]

Thank god I am not the only one feeling this way about CPAexcel, it feels like each chapter takes me forever to finish and the MCQs are extremely hard in this book.

[Anonymous]

I'm near the end of FAR, I've done a couple of governmental sections and have a lot more to go unfortunately but that's it. It is tough, but I definitely thought it got WAY easier as time went on. I remember in the beginning I had some days that really felt like they lasted 6 or 7 hours between the lectures and the MCQs and sims. Where I felt like between waking up and going to sleep I did nothing but study. Toward the middle and end though I have had days where I finish and go, that's it? (with a few exceptions for big topics like pensions, combinations, and leases)

Look at your exam planner and see if it looks like it lightens up towards the middle/end. I can tell in mine because in the beginning, every day had 2 lessons begin/end. Like on 5/1/14, I had #1 Role and Standard-Setting Process and #2 Conceptual Framework of Financial Reporting by Business Enterprises begin and both due on 5/2/14. Every day followed that pattern, 2 lessons a day, until 2 weeks later when suddenly it went down to 1 lesson per day, and that makes a huge difference in time spent. I have no idea why CPAexcel would create a schedule like this, because in the beginning I was doing 6 hour days and felt like giving up, but then I ended up having 45 minute days all the time after that. But if your lesson planner looks like mine, there's no reason to give up hope just yet – the CPAexcel study planner seems kind of sucky and inflexible, but you don't have to be.

I am using wiley test bank as a supplement and I have to say that CPAexcel goes into an incredible amount of depth to the point where I think it may even be detrimental. They cover so many topics, so many little things I know I will probably not remember in any detail, and based on the wiley test bank are unlikely to be tested because the test bank has literally 0 questions related to them out of ~1500. Better safe than sorry, maybe, better to be more thorough than not thorough enough, maybe, but at some point you have to weigh the cost-benefit of providing such a high volume of information to people with limited time to study and not-unlimited brain capacity…

Link: Current CPAexcel Discount Codes

[Author]

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