[Michael_Scarn]

Need some advice/guidance on my upcoming FAR exam which I have scheduled on October 7th.

To give some background in understanding my situation, this is my first attempt at FAR and I have been studying since about the end of July. I work full time and our busy season is right about now, so I’m starting to travel more and more, and it is cutting into my review time. The partners at my firm are very accommodating and try to give me the time I need to study. But at the same time, I can’t take time off for a majority of our busy season to study. Also it doesn’t help that I am a slower learner. I’m using Becker and I have to go through the lectures at least twice to understand the material or at least have it click for me. Just the lectures, that doesn’t include the time it takes for me to do MCQ’s and note taking. Luckily I was able to do that with REG and pass during the summer, but as you probably already know, FAR is a different beast. The amount of material to review is crazy and its taking a lot longer to review the material than it ever did with REG. And honestly I just don’t feel confident at this point that I could pass. I’m pretty pessimistic to begin with, but I know the difference between not feeling ready and just being pessimistic that I won’t pass. To top it all off, I scheduled BEC on November 11th. I’ve taken BEC twice and not passed obviously (due to my effort and not taking it seriously enough a year ago). But my reasoning for scheduling it only 5 weeks after FAR now was that I’ve studied for it before. I’m not starting from scratch and it has the least amount of material to cover. I wanted and thought I could cram in these three sections (REG, FAR, BEC) in one testing window. However I can’t move BEC back because it is scheduled for the last day of my testing window.

So in a nutshell, my options are as follows. I can keep FAR as originally scheduled for October 7th (basically a week away) and keep BEC scheduled for November 11th and cross my fingers. I can move FAR back maybe a week or so at the most and give myself a little more time with FAR, but at the expense of BEC. Or I can basically forget BEC and swallow that money I paid for it and focus solely on FAR until November 11th. And the only reason I would consider that is because I do not want to retake FAR. I really don’t want to have to go through this review process again. But that’s why I’m here. I need your guys’ advice. What would you do in my situation? Please, any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[tskits75]

If you have been studying since July pushing FAR may not be the best since you'll run into forgetting information. As you stated you are a slower learner, so you may want to push BEC back some to allow for more time.

BTW, love the name!

AUD - 92
BEC - 79
REG - August
FAR - TBD

[Earla Riopel (NYCARE)]

Never reschedule. You never know what you're going to get on 2017 Q4 or 2018 Q1.
Having written, 2017 Q1 and 2017 Q3, and many other exams in the past, there are not the same exams.
Similarity of questions asked? Maybe 50/50% than the prior or the rest in the past.
I've written 2 FAR exam in 2016 and 2 FAR exam in 2017, they are not alike.

[Michael_Scarn]

Only issue is that I can't move BEC back. At least not in my current testing window. I have it scheduled for the last day possible.

As far as FAR and advice from others on here, I thought 2.5 months was about the recommended study time needed for FAR. I'm not too worried about forgetting info. I just don't feel like I've gotten deep enough into the material to feel confident taking a test like this. How do you guys get through this material in a reasonable amount of time? It takes me at least a week to get through one section in Becker. And I study 2 hours in the morning before work and about 6-8 hours on Saturdays. And even after that I'll still see MCQ's that I have no notes for and nothing in the book or lectures that helps me understand. Its very frustrating.

[Michael_Scarn]

@EarlaTheBeanGardener

It's not that I am pushing the test back into another quarter. The issue is do I move it back a week or two at the expense of another test that I haven't begun to prep for yet.

If I take your advice and keep my test as scheduled, but don't pass. Then I am definitely taking it in a different quarter with what could be a totally different exam (as you say).

[Earla Riopel (NYCARE)]

Hi @Michael_Scarn,

I never passed FAR, because I do the same thing each time I wrote the exam. I actually thought I passed 2017 Q1 (last exam for the old format), unfortunately got so disappointed. But not so disappointed enough to try 2017 Q3 (with the new format), see what's in it, and how it's like.

No doubt, the new format is tougher. The MCQs are 80+% number crunching compared in the past (min 50-60%). Number crunching problems is my biggest weakness in FAR. If you think you can do MCQs/SIMs testlets at 45/45/30/60/60 split go for it. If not, you're taking a chance.

If you understand FAR Becker textbook, front-to-back cover, plus notes & videos, these alone are 50% of the exams. Understanding the basic concepts is 50%, the rest 25%-50% are more on how good of a test-taker you are. Doing as much MCQs/SIMs will have a big rule in passing. Make sure you practice your weak areas and time management as well.

Last exam, 2017 Q3, I was 60/60/30/45/45, it didn't work. I needed 2.5hrs for the last 2 testlets, short of 1hr-1.5hr, for the last 2 testlets that were given.

If I happened to live in the US, I will take 1 section per month, especially if you are racing with 18 months threshold. I am a Canadian resident, the soonest I can travel is every 3 months. But that's me.

Anyway, you know yourself better than anyone else. Follow what you think is best in your situation.

Lastly, check this link:
https://www.another71.com/cpa-exam-forum/topic/far-crash-course/

Good luck.

[Author]

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