[Anonymous]

Well, I suppose that I’ll preface the forthcoming passing by first introducing myself. I’m an early-to-mid-twenty-something fresh out of college. So far I’ve passed REG/FAR on the initial swipe and am impatiently awaiting my AUD score. I’ve lurked around this site for several months now, occasionally doling out a bit of advice when I deem it constructive. But the lion’s share of my a71.com time is spent passively perusing others’ posts, picking up a tidbit here and there and tossing it into my strategic arsenal with the hopes that it is of benefit come judgment day. Well, today is a bit different, as I’ve decided to be proactive in my search for a fresh perspective. I recently endorsed an offer letter for and assurance position and will be starting November 14th. My date with BEC is November 30th, and I’ve decided that I won’t be standing her up. I figured that it would be in my best interest to at least give it the ol’ college try; maybe I’ll end up getting one of those fluke passes I keep reading about. You know, those, “I know Johnny Bananas only studied for 37 minutes before REG and got a 97” type stories? Digressions aside, I’ve made it through the first two chapters of BEC, albeit half-heartedly. I’ve done nothing (literally, nothing) but study for the past 4 months or so and am burnt out. I’m cleaning the entire house on a daily basis, doing my roommate’s dishes, playing with the cat for 45 minutes…yeah, that kind of burnt out. I hate cats.

Okay, so on to the real question: how can I cut out all the bull[expletive] in BEC and focus on the high probability stuff? I no longer have the luxury of intensely studying the entirety of the material due to the aforementioned job. I’ve watched lectures thus far, but I’ve come to realize that they’ll skip blocks of 4-5 pages, assure us “scholars” that it’s unimportant to exam success, and subsequently give us 10 questions on that omitted material in the homework? Really, what the hell? Is it important or not? I understand that such material is included in the review course because it was tested at one time or another, but still. So I call upon you well-versed test takers, what was your recipe for BEC success? I’m not asking anyone to violate the nondisclosure agreement, as that’d be unethical. But in your respective opinions, do I really need to spend exorbitant amounts of time studying the abundance of ancillary material? Does BEC tend to test the nitty-gritty’s or does it take a more generalized approach? What aspects did you focus most heavily on when studying and were you successful in doing so? I’m a Becker “scholar”, FYI. I’d appreciate any insight one might be kind enough to provide. Thanks in advance!

– DMFroze

[kaaCPA]

i have heard to “focus” on becker chapters 3 & 5. so thats what im doing.

AUD | 85
REG | 77
FAR | 76
BEC | 83
========
ETH | 93
State Board Application pending!

[See Pee A]

@DMFroze: Congrats on FAR and REG. Compared to those exams, BEC is very simple. Some of the topics are a bit challenging, but just churn through it and study the notes and you'll be fine. Once you get through all the material, be sure to review the topics you struggled on. Most importantly, read your questions carefully in practice and on the exam. What is tough is that there isn't such a defined process like in FAR to every question. Good luck!

BEC 86 (08/30/11)
FAR 84 (10/13/11)
REG 88 (11/08/11)
AUD 86 (11/29/11)

Exam prep - Becker self-study

[KasiaS]

If you need to cut down on BS then place your focus on Corporate Governance, COSO, SOX, and Cost Accounting and you should be golden. This is where I spent majority of my time and it completely paid off.

FAR 88 (07/15/11)
BEC 83 (08/31/11)
AUD 81 (10/15/11)
REG 83 (11/26/11)

Used NIU Correspondence CPA Review

[Kitty200]

@DMFroze. I have had many economics courses and have a masters in statistics/finance. I barely studied for BEC and passed. I would say its not the norm though. Focus on Supply and Demand curves and know what happens when prices or demand changes. You surely will have 3 or 4 questions on it. Do most the questions (pick like every 3rd question) and from that see what areas you should study. I wouldnt read the ancillary but pay attention to the questions so you remember those topics. I have passed three of the sections to date and what has helped me is to write down a brief descrip of every question I get wrong, take brief notes, and to cram formulas I can't remember on the last day before the test so they are fresh. I take 5 minutes at the beginning of hte test and write every formula and acronym I can think of. Then when I am completely wiped out halfway through the test, I have those items written down. Hope it helps

[Author]

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