[accountaholicc]

I always have trouble with time management on the exams. I’m a slow test taker and try my best to rush through the MC, but I have a hard time moving on when I know I can get the answer…if I just take an extra few minutes. With the varying difficulty of SIMS, it’s hard to guess on MC I know I can get right to leave time for a batch of SIMS that could be stupid hard and that I would struggle to get anyways.

On my last FAR attempt I left myself 1 hour for SIMS – not nearly enough but I got the harder MC testlets so it took me longer to get through them even though I just ended up guessing on bunch in testlet 3 to try and leave at least some time to SIMS. The SIMS were STUPID HARD. Like, this is my last exam, and I’ve never seen them focus so much on such specific, hardly covered topics. Oh and the new format of the SIMS is super zoomed in, and it REALLY throws me off because I can’t really split screens. Probably was able to attempt 1-2 SIMS, but the rest…even the research…zero idea what they wanted from me. Granted, if I had another 30-45 minutes, I probably would not have been so flustered.

Score report: 64.
-MC = Stronger 3/5 categories; comparable 1/5; weaker 1/5
-SIMS = weaker

My question is, since they curve the exam and the difficult questions you get in the harder testlets give you more points to grab, do you think there is a point where you just max out on MC points since they can only count for 60%? I know I need to change my strategy for my retake next week. I just know that that is going to mean having to move through the MC quicker and if I’m getting the harder testlets…I’d probably be more inclined to skip a lot more. Judging from my previous score report, it looks like I spent way too much time on MC.

Any advice on test time management or FAR SIMS is greatly appreciated! Of course I had to leave this god forsaken exam for last.

REG- 66, 77
BEC- 72, 77
AUD- 55, 78
FAR- 8/16

Using Becker self study

[Gary]

I would assume that if you got every MCQ right and every sim question wrong the most you could end up with is 60.

One thing I did on the MCQ for FAR that looking back might have been helpful was if I read a problem that I either needed to take my time doing or didn't know I would skip it and go back to it once I got through all the questions I knew. I wound up with plenty of time for the sims that way.

AUD 8/18/16
FAR 11/16
BEC 1/17
REG 2/17

[ng3926a]

I write down what at what time I need to move on in order to have 1:45 for SIMS. 45 minutes for each MC testlet is my target. Just make an educated guess and move on, if you need to take more than 2 or 3 minutes to answer something, you probably don't really know the concept very well.

You may have spent too much time on MC. But really the report makes no sense and shouldn't be taken too seriously.

I made a 66 with MC: weaker 3/5, stronger 1/5, comparable 1/5 and SIMS: weaker. On my first try when I made a 64 I had weaker on EVERYTHING.

So really based on that info YOU should have gotten a much better score than me, but who the heck knows what I answered differently than you.

Also, as others have said across this forum. When you get to the exam write down everything you know on the boards during the 10 minutes you are given to read the disclosure stuff. This may help you answer a question later on.

[accountaholicc]

I definitely would advise not trying to sneak writing notes on your white board during those first 10 minutes before starting your exam. They watch you on the cameras at the prometric site and can definitely tell if you haven't started your exam. I usually spend 2 min trying to do this after hitting start but probably am not going to bother any more since it rarely helps.

For the MC I try and get through the first testlet quicker since the following two will take longer if you get harder testlets. Does anyone strategically blow through the MC causing you to get easier testlets that won't take as long to answer so they can get to the SIMS and pick up points there? I was thinking of possibly blowing through the first one and then if I notice the 2nd testlet is easier, putting a little more time in to make sure I pick up points and get the harder testlet for the 3rd. I know I'm probably overthinking this, but on so many of these I get stuck in these testlets where every question seems to be a paragraph, and it seems to be counterproductive because I end up having to skip so many and can't pick up points.

REG- 66, 77
BEC- 72, 77
AUD- 55, 78
FAR- 8/16

Using Becker self study

[ng3926a]

I've sat at prometric 5 times since February '16 and I've never been told me not to and no one has ever said anything about the fact that i write notes down. It's not sneak writing notes… they're watching me do it. Is this something you at prometric were warned about or have you heard stories?

[ipadminihalf]

My approach for MCQ on all exams has been that if I can't answer a question right away, I flag it, skip it and go on to the next question. After I get to the end of the section, I go back and do all the flagged questions, and I spend a little more time on the ones I think I can get, and then guess on what I don't know. For FAR specifically, I tried to finish each test section in about 40 minutes, to give myself more than enough time for the Sims. Since you need both the MCQ and Sims to pass, there is no point in trying to perfect the MCQ at the expense of time. Some of the MCQ are pretest and don't count towards your score, so imagine spending 10-15 minutes to get a question correct and it does not count toward your score.

Also for the FAR Sims, before the exam, I looked at the ASC to see which code sections had example financial statements. If I recall they are in the illustration section. This is very helpful when you have to fill out a cash flow statement or income statement, or something similar. I took FAR 2 times, (63 first time, 82 second time) and had 3 research questions, and I felt they were a little more vague than the other sections. I had to read and understand what concept they were asking about so that I knew what to look for, without spending too much time.

REG - 2/19/16 - 77!
BEC - 4/16/16 - 79!!
AUD - 6/04/16 - 84!!!
FAR - 8/31/16

[Trele6]

FAR has some really long questions.. Read the last sentence first to see what they want. I felt like FAR questions were always full of distractor info so make sure you are only looking at what matters. This should help you save time.

I don't see how writing notes on your board once you sit in front of the computer would be against the rules.. Not like you have a book or anything there with you. Your scratch pad is there for you to write whatever you want on it, write your notes, I did, just don't take more than 8-9 mins to do it. I typically wrote out my mnemonics for better visual aids or crazy formulas/JE's I needed to know to keep my head straight if I got a problem on them.

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

[accountaholicc]

I've asked the prometric person I checked in with on a prior exam and they said you can't write anything on your board until after you get through the 10 minute instructions but he may have just been trying to air on the side of caution. Some one mentioned a story about someone getting booted from their exam for writing stuff down, but who knows since it seems they don't mind when you guys do it.

REG- 66, 77
BEC- 72, 77
AUD- 55, 78
FAR- 8/16

Using Becker self study

[Author]

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