[kingkyle626]

I recently took FAR. I felt very confident that I knew the material going in and I got an 83 on my last Becker Mock exam which usually indicates you are prepared. However during and after the test I did not feel as confident. The wording of a lot of the MCQ is different than Becker and a lot of the sims are setup differently. I just wanted to hear how people who passed FAR (and others) felt how they performed before they actually knew they passed?

[Birdman]

This is the second topic you've posted fretting about your FAR score. Let it go, man. You passed or you didn't. You don't need the extra stress in your life.

Both times I took it I thought it could have gone either way.

FAR- 74, 78 (10/15)
BEC- 73
REG- 65, 88 (05/16)
AUD- 7/16

[Trele6]

Statistically you are more likely to have failed with FAR having a 45% pass rate.. I felt like I failed when I took it but squeezed out a 79 and I left one SIM blank basically and I know I got my research question wrong.

Like @birdman93 said, don't fret over it, what is done is done, all you can do now is wait.

First go at the CPA! Only using Becker
Reg / Nov 2015 - 87
Far / Apr 2016 - 79
Bec / May 2016 - 80
Aud / Aug 2016

[tvpaul]

I recently took FAR as well so I feel your pain of having to wait till August to figure if I passed out not… but one thing that eases my mind for the time being is that there's supposedly going to be a curve! I happened to stumble upon a video from Surgent CPA Review where they say try to take your hardest sections in April-May because the curve should be really helpful. So if you put in the work on top of this curve, you should be good. Or at least that's what I'm hoping haha

[jc1103]

@tvpaul I hope there's a curve! I know I need one haha. I thought I did well on FAR last month but I've been thinking about the SIMS I did and realizing that I got the wrong answers on some :/ THe worst part is not knowing until August…

Now that they changed the exam pretty drastically it's hard to know how well we did :/.

[ageis0101]

It may just be semantics, but I've been studying for these exams not thinking that I just need to get close enough to get swept up in whatever curve there may be, but instead I think I need to make I'm more prepared than 65% of the other people taking the exam. You can be (fairly) certain they won't let less than 40% pass (that would look bad, everyone knows a 39.99% pass rate looks terrible compared to a 40% one). You can also be fairly certain not more than 50% or so is going to pass, judging from previous trends. Although I'm not sure they would go so far as docking scores to keep pass rates under control (who knows). And I do realize I just pretty well defined what a curve is, but it's how I look at it so the responsibility falls more back on me than relying on the judgment of those charged with governance…

Study for something else (if you have more). I'm trying look at the August release date as a good thing. I'll be doing all 4 of my exams before I get my first grade back, so while studying for my 3rd and 4th exams I won't be thinking about having to start FAR or AUD back over while trying to focus on the other two.

[Wannafree]

JC1103 ,based on your exam experience I can say you will pass ,may be between 79 to 86.Can't give you details as it's based on very small sample data but you can be rest assured of pass in Aug.I have passed 3 times and your experience matches with my pass experience.I wish to have similar experience in exam on 30th May.

[Wannafree]

Should I practice Becker's SIM or Gliem ? Please advise , your input will help me.Done with MCQ , want to focus on SIM now.

[kingkyle626]

Becker sims are a lot like the exams just a bit easier.

[jc1103]

Thanks @WannaFree!

I actually think the SIMS on the exam were similar to one of the Sims on Becker's final exams too. Becker's SIMS are similar to the ones on the exam like @kingkyle626 mentioned but I'd say more of the really long ones you see in Becker. There were some pretty huge tables to fill out.

If anyone's curious about the curve that was mentioned, Sturgent has a video on it and the NASBA on their FAQs talked about how they were going to process a ‘new' passing score.

After the close of the Q2 2017 testing window, the Board of Examiners will assemble panels that consist of CPAs with experience supervising the work of newly licensed CPAs. There is one panel of CPAs for each section of the Examination. These CPAs will review test questions and performance data for candidates in the Q2 2017 testing window and approve ratings to recommend a passing score for the Board of Examiners approval.

From: https://www.aicpa.org/BecomeACPA/CPAExam/ForCandidates/FAQ/Pages/computer_faqs_3.aspx#standard

[hasy]

Did not read the ones above.

The first time, when I left the test center, I secretly harbored that I did enough TO PASS but you can see that from my score. Internally though, I knew that there are definitely some areas I was very weak at, such as Gov't.

Second time, I studied like it was no tomorrow. I MADE SURE that I understood every concept and made sure that I could make an educated guess for EVERY mcq. BUT even as I left the test center, I was SO UNSURE of myself. I think my post right after leaving FAR is still ON this forum somewhere.

You honestly DON'T KNOW until you know. Just move to the next section.

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved - Helen Keller

-

BEC 80 (10/23/15)
FAR 72 (4/2/15); 83 (7/11/16)
REG 52 (4/28/15)
AUD (9/9/16)

Roger + NINJA MCQ + WTB

[aaronmo]

I worked my tail off on FAR and was getting around 75-80 on MCQ. I felt pretty good. Then I took the exam and it was firmly geared towards my weakness (memorization rather than concept); I had 20 IFRS questions and highly detailed questions about report titles. I knew I had killed the SIMs, but thought I totally boned the MCQ. I felt TERRIBLE during the exam and worse afterwards. I was pretty sure that I failed and I wanted to quit the entire process…

I got an 89.

You don't know how you did until the scores are back. You don't know what counted, what didn't or what was weighted. I know it's incredibly hard to believe this until you've been through it…but it's true. You will always feel like crap after these exams and you don't know until the score is in.

[12tang]

I felt like I bombed half the sims and did average on the MCQ. Turned out an 82. You just won't know until you know. People have reported feeling like they bombed these tests and they received >90.

Using Becker self-study
FAR: (82) 175 hours - 1st attempt
BEC: (XX)
AUD: (69) 45hrs of study - 1st attempt
REG: (XX)

[Author]

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