[Hangry]

I could really hear about some success stories, especially about the FAR exam. My first score was a 49. I’m retaking on 1/11/2016, but I’m not feeling very optimistic about it.

FAR: 49, 64

[Rodney Ruxin]

Sorry to hear but I can identify with this. FAR was the first exam I took and I got a 54 and felt super discouraged. I was using Yaeger at the time. I then retook it using the same Yaeger materials I used the first time around and came up with a 62. I was about to give up at this point on the whole CPA exam and thought I wasn't cut out for the difficulty level and wasn't smart enough to pass. I got a job with a B4 shortly after and since they pay for Becker I decided to try that and go for it a 3rd time. I got close this time and came up with a 73. I was frustrated but more optimistic this time knowing i was so close. For the fourth retake I added ninja mcq and gleim simulation wizard and It worked this time. I passed with a 75! I'm not sure what review course you're using but I think using ninja for mcq and gleim sim wizard to practice sims (for REG & FAR at least) is a killer combo. I passed the remaining 3 parts on my first try and I think ninja mcq was a huge factor. I cannot speak highly enough about it and focused a good portion of time just doing ninja questions. The questions you see in ninja are very similar to the actual exam. My trending scores in ninja were pretty close to my actual scores for all parts. Anyways I hope i provided some sort of inspiration/help. Wishing you the best with your journey!

FAR - 75
AUD - 82
REG - 83
BEC - 79

[Tncincy]

@Hangry, You just have to study. Most of us had a terrible score or so unbelievably close, but the same conclusion, Make sure you are studying. Really drilling the materials from good study sources like Becker if you prefer, but I like ninja because it gets right to the point. I am not drilling info that will not be tested. so get good materials and drill until you can't stand it. There are so many stories of passing on the first try and many more of passing after numerous tries, just know that you are not alone, it is a long journey and the people on the forum will pep talk as much as necessary if it will help you pass. Unfortunately, the conclusion is set test dates early so you won't have to cram, get good study materials,try and get through all of the materials, (no short cuts) and stash a little cash to be able to get another nts should you fail. Oh and make sure you read the entire question. You can do it, if you really want to be a CPA.

@Rodney, That was a really good summary. I think I'm feeling mushy because of the holidays or something, but your story was very encouraging.

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[Vanessachy]

I know one of the girls got 24 the first try. She took 4 times and end up with 85. So you just have to keep trying.
I haven't passed any parts, so I cannot share my experience. I am going to retake Far on 1/4 (second try). I was using Gleim and I honestly didn't like Gleim, so I purchased Ninja MCQ since it is not expensive. I feel like it is pretty similar to the actual exam and I listen to the Ninja audio when I am driving to work. Hopefully, I can pass the second try.

Far 10/26/2015, 64, 1/4/2016, 82
Reg 7/10/2015, 60, 2/27/2016, 86
Aud, 5/9/2016, 74 (ouch), 7/26/2016, I cannot wait to take this test again
Bec, 6/10/2016, 70,9/8 retake

[waffle_house]

A 49 may indicate that you did not study at all. What material are you using?

[win2bet]

i think some1 who skipped the entire SIMs section got that score

REG 68,87
BEC 85
FAR 75
AUD 64,64, 86!

[Missy]

Just remember this is not a test of intelligence, it's a test of will. It's about the level of effort to prepare and comes naturally to very few people. I believe absolutely anybody can pass this exam if they're willing to give 150%. You don't have to give up everything in life but there are sacrifices to be made, it's not something you can do in “spare” time, must follow a schedule that you set and be at least familiar with how you learn best.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Hangry]

I'm using Becker study materials. I also purchased wiley test bank for my retake. I find that some of the Becker MCQ can be wordy and trips me up a bit. But there are obvious holes in my FAR knowledge. Anyone else use Becker, but found more success w/ other materials?

FAR: 49, 64

[Marlya]

I passed FAR on my 5th attempt. It was my last section and I even lost credit for BEC because I didn't pass in time… but I didn't give up even though I really wanted to after finding out I failed a 4th time with a 68 (see signature below) and was losing credit for BEC.

I used only Becker for my first attempt (72) and last attempt (80), for the ones in between I used only Ninja MCQ's.

What I found worked for me was listening to lectures followed up by homework questions, then I went back read the chapter and took notes, after that I went back to the homework questions with my notes. Anything that gave me trouble I went back to book and updated or added more notes. I reviewed my notes during lunch at work to keep it fresh.

I also made sure to make time for the progress tests starting when i got to chapter 4. I would not let myself move on unless I was getting 80% or higher on them. For example once I got to chapter 5 and completed the chapter, I'd do progress tests on 1-5, with question blocks of 40 questions. At the end of chapter 6, the progress tests were from 1-6…

I started practicing the SIMS 2 weeks before my exam, SIMS can be tricky if you are not comfortable with the material. Practicing SIMS is very important because it tests your knowledge in a different way, and with the fill in the blank (or drop down format) it isn't as easy to narrow down the answer like you can in the multiple choice questions.

This is what I did the last time I passed, because the other times I did not tackle the material this way. Good luck, you can do it!

BEC - 66, 77 (3/14* expired), 82 (11/15)
AUD - 58 (4/14), 76 (8/14)
REG - 75 (6/14)
FAR - 72 (11/14), 67 (1/15), 68 (5/15), 68 (7/15), 80!!!! (11/15)

Licensed Florida CPA. God is Good!!

[Anonymous]

My first attempts at the CPA exam back in 2010 were using Becker (I got a 73 on my first FAR).. and my subsequent half assed attempts were Becker (never sat for the exam again) until this recent one with Wiley. If you have the attention span to immerse yourself in the Becker materials, they work well. I have always had a short attention span so found WIley to fit my personality more. It truly is what mla says – you do need to understand the material, but it's a test of tenacity. I've worked in industry for a long time, so some things came easier to me because I do them daily.. but even those are just completely different ways of thinking about it when it comes to the questions.
You just need to get yourself in the mindset of what the testers are looking for and really push. Spend the time deconstructing the sentences and finding out way you didn't answer it correctly. I would also suggest Ninja MCQ and notes – his notes are concise and to the point.. it can really help you solidify the main points and then back fill.

[Anonymous]

stick with Becker, i doubt its the software that caused the 49…Becker is great software- supplement with NINJA mcq for $47 if you must

[Gatorbates]

Here's a whole slew of them. Some are very good, especially the one from February 5, 2014 🙂

https://www.another71.com/cpa-exam/i-passed/ninja-hall-of-fame/

Licensed Florida CPA:
B: 71, 73, 79
A: 83
R: 78 (expired), 77
F: 74, 74, 80

It's finally freaking over.

[Anonymous]

@Gatorbates I just read that story, its amazing. thank you

[Jenny]

50, 65, 72, 73,73, 76 were my FAR scores. Don't give up. Get real with yourself and decide if you are really putting in all your effort into studying!! When I finally decided to really try, I got the 76. The other scores were when I would studying about 50% of the time I was actually “studying”. The first 2 scores were from barely studying and not even making it through all the sections.
You can do it. Don't give up!

Oklahoma Candidate
AUD - Pass (8/14)
FAR - Pass (11/14)
REG - Pass (2/15)
BEC - Pass (11/15)
Ethics Exam - Pass (12/15)

[If I can, u can too!]

I FEEL YAEGER IS BETTER
seems like we all have similar stories. for me Yaeger worked for me because they are very, very practical. they do many questions during the lecture to cement the concepts they've discussed, especially with Audit. i found Yaeger Audit was much better than Becker. Gary Bullmash (Yaeger) says “read the question carefully” about 150 times in his lecture but in Becker, this is not emphasized that much but it is very, very important. i feel Becker prepares you to get 100 while Yaeger prepares you to pass with 80. i'm not saying work less but i feel there's just too much info in Becker so you get lost in the mountain of information. i did use Becker for referencing concepts i had hard time. also don't get me wrong, i used an old version of Becker (2014) to subsidize my study material.

YOU MUST PUT IN TIME/CAN'T UNDER-ESTIMATE ANY EXAM
no matter what material you use, it is important that you do put in your hours. i started tracking the number of hours i was putting in weekly after i failed FAR twice that kept me honest. and it would wise to never under-estimate any exams. i ended up taking FAR 3 times, Audit 4 times (pending) because i took these lightly since i was so close on passing them each time. i was also looking up various standards/codes as i was solving problems and also saw myself flipping the book back and forth as i was solving problems in addition to audio notes i was recording to listen on my way to/from work.

Licensed CPA since Apr 16
Order in sequence of passing
FAR-71,71,79
BEC-80
REG-72,77
AUD-56,72,72,72,80! Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord!
FAR/BEC/AUD: Becker & Yaeger lectures (Wiley & Ninja MCQs). REG: Becker lectures (Ninja MCQs).

[Anonymous]

I used Roger to learn the material. During my review period I mixed MCQs with Roger and Becker. I will say Becker SIMs have a much more exam feel to it than Roger. I wish Roger's course would improve on that (some are still helpful though)

As far as the exam goes, I spent a little too long on MC and had 1.5 hr to finish the SIMs so I was a little nervous.

A tiny piece of me is disappointed I pulled a 78 considering I've done very well in all my accounting courses and spent 3 months studying for this. At the end of day though, I know 75+ is all that matters so I'm just excited to have passed esp on my first try.

Bottom line, if you're using Roger's course, I'd recommend supplementing with another review course for SIMs

[Author]

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