[jeff]

Welcome to the “I Passed FAR” thread for Financial Accounting and Reporting.

See Also: I Passed the CPA Exam Official Forum

[passthisthing]

First, great job to everyone!

Second, honestly did not think I'd get to post here, but I sure dodged a bullet – 75. I'll happily take it.

Month one: I viewed lectures, did readings, watched Youtube on trouble topics, and took intense notes.
Month two: I focused on NINJA MCQs and welcomed our first baby – my good luck charm.

Next up: All about that Basis…

[CPA788]

@CPA50 – your story is so crazy to me and I am in awe! So excited for you.

I passed BEC last October and have failed FAR 2x, REG once, and finally got my 78 on FAR this week. My ~10 month passing drought has come to an end. Being done with FAR is seriously the best thing ever.

BEC - 74, 77
FAR - 72, 71 (retake 7/29)
REG - 69
AUD - Q4 '16

CA Candidate

[steph]

I passed FAR and OMG I can't believe it still, it's been two weeks and it still hasn't fully sunk in. I feel so proud to have done it. Truly truly proud of myself. I used Becker cuz it's what the firm paid for. I passed by studying a lot, every single day. I think it is KEY to take notes, or add extra notes/annotate a study guide that you might have provided for you by whatever course your using. For me, I feel like I can't just memorize a lot of stuff I have to actually learn and understand it. I think, personally, that's the best way to take the exam. Learn and understand each topic and you do that by reading the book and taking notes. I think that was the best thing I did. After that it's just practice practice practice. And for anyone who gets test anxiety like I do. The more I prepared I felt a little less anxious. And when I was in the test whenever I felt myself get nervous or doubt myself I told myself, hey you've been studying and studying for months, YOU ARE PREPARED, just do your thing. And I think all that practice is also the most important thing to success on this exam especially if you hate exams like me. Best of luck to the rest of you that are still working on this exam. It is extremely difficult.

AUD - Passed in May
BEC - Passed in June
FAR - Waiting for score
REG - Planning it for Q4
We can do this ninjas!

[Keith E.]

Finally got my official score: passed FAR with an 86 first try!!

I only used Becker self study online lectures and the book. I was pretty distraught after calling my state board and getting an email from them telling me I failed..only to find out my official score hadn't been released by NASBA until today with a PASS!

Now to push on with the next three, and hoping for a clean sweep.

My advice is to not give up on this goal when you have your days (or even weeks in my case) where you don't study and start to question everything. It's ok to fall down, you don't need to have a perfect study plan to pass – I hate studying. There have been so many times when I felt like I didn't have it in me or wasn't as prepared as I should be, but would just have to brush it off each time and force myself to move on regardless, keeping the goal in mind.

Listening to Peter Olinto also helps: Put a $100 bill on your mirror or laptop and tell yourself it'll all be yours as a CPA baby!

All I have to say is that God is good, because I didn't even finish 3 sims so was pretty prepared to fail – which I thought truly happened after calling my state board. I had 15 mins and 3 sims..so guessed through 1..and left zeros on the other 2. I guess one must have been a pre test and I got some freebees on the others.

Also, study government – don't skip it because it really is a huge part of the test. It felt like my entire exam was about government accounting.

Finally, at the end of the day JUST DO IT!! I have seen other candidates dread this test so much that they wait forever to take it, over study, and over think everything. It's just a test at the end of the day. Pick a date that will give you decent time to prepare, lock it in, study what you can leading up to it, then just take it…

On the night before, I just skimmed my notes and slept early. Next morning had coffee – ran through a few mnemonics – did some meditation and prayer – then took the darn thing.

Stay healthy and have fun my friends, we're accountants but we're also allowed to enjoy this experience!!

Can't wait for the “,CPA” after my name. You can do it too!

[acctonehunnit]

Got a 93. This was my first section, so I “over studied”. Spent about 160 hrs total and am taking the lessons with me to my next sections.

Used Roger + Ninja MCQ + the Governmental vids from Ninja Plus

Here's my advice:
1. Know the natural balances of accounts (assets = natural debit balance, liab = natural credit balance, etc etc)
2. Step 1 will help to understand J/Es, which are obviously extremely important
3. Use Ninja MCQ
4. Don't waste your time thoroughly understanding an obscure topic when you could be using that time to study something that definitely will be on the test (govt/nfp)
5. I did not use the NINJA method and was extremely inefficient with time having to go back and relearn subjects I forgot. I am using the NINJA method now on REG.
6. Study as much as you can in as short an amount of time as you can. Roger says it and I agree that this is a test of discipline, not of intelligence. You don't need to know this info forever, just for the test, so cram as much info as you can in your head and throw it all up on exam day.

Best of luck to all on this crazy journey. “If you study, you will pass”

[mihir]

Hi All,

I just got result yesterday and i was surprised. FAR Pass 80

I studied Becker.. spend 300 hours.. when i saw exam i was surprised government and nonprofit everywhere.. simulations were awkward i never saw them before and i thought i am failed for sure.. i was expecting 50-60.. after exam since i thought i am fail for sure.. this was my first section. so i started to re-studying far.. i know you will think that i am stupid but i was 1000% sure that i will be fail with very very lower score..so as soon as i get my result i can reschedule this section again as soon as date available and get it clear.. i just wanted to see the score yesterday to make sure how baldly i failed.. but what it was unexpected and i pass.. with 80 I still have one question hows that possible.. but i am happy that i was able to make it.. i never wants to touch that big book again for FAR..but i feel good.

the reason for my post is to let you know share share my two advise

1) that if you think you have given exam and you are going to fail.. wait for result and.. now i regret that i did not wait for result and re-studied entire FAR again.. i could have invest that time in other section.. if the EXAM is hard to you its HARD to other students also and their scoring method is different so you never know..

2) if you get many questions or simulations you dont know or you have not seen in real book or subject.. dont panic they are tricking and trying your evaluating skill little.. stress less and use your educated guess approach.. trust me my 50% of exam was from very small topics which we think it will never tested but they can test anything and everything

Also i have couple friends who i believed studied way hard compared to me and their exam was pretty good and they were confident enough, but guess what they both failed and i was hopeless after exam but i pass somehow with 80 so its different experience

hope above information helps some of you guys

good luck to all who are seating for FAR.

[Trees202]

October 2015: took Becker in person classes, did probably 80% of the MCQ – 71

Feb 2016: was not prepared at all, only did a couple MCQ the week before, knew I was going to fail it but I don't believe in rescheduling just b/c I failed to prep properly (figured I'd get mad at myself and motivated to do better once I failed horribly) – 58

Sept 2016: Read the Becker book from front to back, went through all the text simulations & JEs, went back and practically re-read the book while taking notes by hand -76

[Hlmcpa2b]

omg omg omg i passed my first cpa test at 19!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't even breathe I am sooooooo syked!!!!!!!!!! Thanks to Roger CPA studies for about 6 weeks and then when i had about 3 weeks left i got NINJA and started doing the questions like a on every day…… I think the NINJA questions really helped me just getting used to test taking.

got an 89!!!

[Wanna_B_TXCPA2014]

Im almost at loss that I can finally post in this thread. After 6 tries i was finally able to attain the illusive 75!

Congrats to all those who passed

[gmorley1]

Passed on my first try!! 78!!!!
Can't believe it…thought I bombed the sims!!!!

AUD: Passed 4/12/16
BEC: Passed 7/6/16
FAR: Sometime in September
REG: TBD

[Lostinamerica]

Passed with 84!

B Passed
A Passed
R Passed
F 8/31/2016

[Pete E. Rino]

Passed with an 84! Sweet sigh of relief! Onto REG on the 7th!

[mncpa11]

I passed with an 80 and can honestly say that I NEVER expected to pass. I walked out feeling way worse than the first time I took FAR. This was my 11th time taking an exam and now I am finally DONE! I got a 64 in July when I took FAR and I can't explain what a relief it is to be done.

[Ginja_CPA]

Done! I got an 80 on FAR after getting a 74 in the last window! I took the approach of this is a new test, I need to study like it is my first time studying!

Thank you Jeff! Without your Ninja products, I wouldn't have passed any of my exams!

REG: 80 (02/19/16)
AUD: 83 (04/11/16)
BEC: 78 (05/28/16)
FAR: ?

[accountingisfun]

Congrats @Ginja_CPA !

I had a similar situation I got a 73 in the last testing window (last section of the exam) and passed this time around with an 82!

I used Becker and a little bit of Ninja Audio + Wiley Testbank. I still can't believe I'm done!

[Author]

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