[NY.CPA.Someday]

Just took FAR this week and actually found it to be more difficult than the Becker practice finals and passmaster questions I had previously encountered. I marked 15 questions throughout the exam and upon coming home and cracking open the FAR text, discovered that my answers to all 15 of them were in fact wrong. However, I am fairly confident with my answers on the balance of the questions. Assuming that I got 20 wrong in total and that I had medium, hard, and medium testlets (most of the wrong answers occurring in the hard testlet) does that pretty much preclude me from passing this exam? I’d say I got about half the alotted points for the simulations and full credit for the written communication. This was the first exam I’ve taken and felt extremely prepared going in since my averages on Becker questions were in the 90s for all questions. About half of the questions I answered incorrectly were not encompassed in the Becker questions but rather in minute details in the text. I know that it’s extremely difficult to assess the situation since some questions are discarded and some not weighted as heavily as others but I was just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience getting around this quantity of multiple choice wrong and still ended up passing. It’s been awfully difficult for me to come to terms with sacrificing 2 months of my life for something I’m almost certain I failed. It’s been proving difficult to get my head into Audit which I’m taking in less than 3 weeks but I know I must forge onward however hard that may be. Any thoughts or comment would be greatly appreciated.

FAR - 8/4 - 93
AUD - 8/26/10 - 97
REG - 10/3/10 - 93
BEC - 11/21/10 - 82

[Anonymous]

NY.CPA.Someday

After reading FAR test takers comments during the last couple of windows – your feelings sound pretty much on par with most test takers. Many of those folks passed. Some with even very high scores. The scoring of these exams is done in a black box. It is hard – but put FAR behind you and focus on AUD. It will seem much more managable compared to FAR. Don't waste precious time about something that is done. Just dive into AUD. Easier said than done – I know.

Good luck!

[NY.CPA.Someday]

cpa journey,

Thanks for the encouragement, it is much appreciated. Your statements provide me with some assurance that i'm not out of the race yet. The first few days after the exam my studying was severely inhibited by the mental shell shock I was experiencing. I felt utterly slighted in every which way since I was so prepared and yet tested on topics containing such minute details. I swear I had like 5 questions with 2 answers that seemed completely acceptable and some fact patterns that did not elaborate enough, making the answer subjective. Anyhow, as you said, time is of the essence and there is no point in continually beating myself up when there is stuff to get done. I'd be a lot less stressed out if the format and content of the exam wasn't changing in 2011. This is my first part and finishing the exam prior to 2011 is looking a lot less likely if I have to retake FAR. It will be a big shame if my current study materials are rendered obsolete but I suppose all I can do is limit the damage and bang out as many parts as possible prior to then.

FAR - 8/4 - 93
AUD - 8/26/10 - 97
REG - 10/3/10 - 93
BEC - 11/21/10 - 82

[joohj1187]

I hear you, I took the test recently and found the first testlet very doable, then the second testlet even asked me a question i hadn't read about ANYWHERE in the becker textbook…and i've read that thing front to back. The simulations were no joke either, I didn't know how to approach one tab so I just guessed at it.

i'm in exactly the same situation as you, but i'm trying to keep positive (I gotta because audit is less than 3 weeks away like yourself). And I'm sure you know something like 20% of the test doesnt actually “count”. Just plug away at audit, because if you let this paranoia affect your audit studies, that's exactly what the AICPA wants! We gotta beat 'em at their own mind games and pass this thing the first time around!!

Also, i'm a NY candidate too lol. Good luck to both of us and keep us posted on your scores!

FAR: 8/5/2010 - 89
AUD: 8/24/2010 - 92
REG: 10/11/2010 - 94!!
BEC: 11/30/2010

[NY.CPA.Someday]

joohn1187,

I hear you on that Becker issue. I had about 4 questions that weren't referenced in Becker at all. I had to actually find the associated pronouncements to find the answers. I'm hoping that the questions we got not referenced in Becker are indicative of a difficult testlet. Like you, my first testlet was almost laughable and the second began the in-depth conceptual and multi-step calculation problems. I'm just expecting the worst and hoping for the best at this point.

Anyhow, it doess appear that we are in an identical predicament doesn't it? I just finished A1 today so I have to pick up the pace if I want to get some quality reviewing in prior to the exam. I wish you the best of luck on Audit and the remainder of your exams. We will obtain that NY licensure in the near future. Hopefully we can both manage to bang this out before Dec 1. Keep us posted on your progress as well.

FAR - 8/4 - 93
AUD - 8/26/10 - 97
REG - 10/3/10 - 93
BEC - 11/21/10 - 82

[financeguy]

go read the comments from the FAR scores thread from last testing window

AUD - 81, BEC - 74, 80, FAR - 82, REG - 81
Done!

[Anonymous]

Don't count yourself out of the running- wait until you receive your score. For REG, I was really nervous because I found that I got at least 7 wrong with certainty and I couldn't figure out whether my testlets got harder or not. Turns out that they must have, because I was pleasantly surprised to receive a 90!

[potatogun]

Also the possibility of pretest questions that will not be counted.

FAR 92 - AUD 91 - REG 94 - BEC 86

[wags422]

someday,

I hear you on all counts. I took FAR this morning and am still reeling. Those minute details you talk about absolutely blew my mind. I can't divulge specific questions of course, but one of the questions asked something so ridiculously obscure, that I literally laughed when I read it. I looked it up after the test, and of course got it wrong.

Good news is, I felt almost the same level of desperation after I took REG. My score? 96! Best advice that I see on here and can tell you from experience: move on and just wait for the score. Agonizing over the “what-ifs” will just screw you up mentally at work and at study. It's all up to the AICPA and their super secret “we don't curve” scoring procedure now.

Best of luck to you and let's both hope for 75+'s!

BEC - 85
REG - 96
FAR - 92
AUD - 82

[NY.CPA.Someday]

Thanks for the encouragement and I wish you the best of luck with your score as well! I'll bring this thread up when I get my score to see if it is actually possible to pass getting 15+ questions wrong. I'm doubtful but we shall see. Like you said, no point in dwelling on something that can't be changed. All one can do is limit the damage by moving on and doing well in the next exam.

FAR - 8/4 - 93
AUD - 8/26/10 - 97
REG - 10/3/10 - 93
BEC - 11/21/10 - 82

[financeguy]

Think about it this way:

you guys know how much effort you put into studying for this thing…well over 100 hours. Some people I read 200 hours. Now, how many candidates do you think actually put in that much time? I'm guessing not a ton. If you put in 125/150 hours studying for this thing and come out shocked as hell, what do you think someone who put in 50-75 hours is thinking?

The goal is just to beat out the other 60% of people who didn't put in as much effort.

AUD - 81, BEC - 74, 80, FAR - 82, REG - 81
Done!

[NY.CPA.Someday]

That's a very valid point financeguy and I'm hoping your logic holds true in my scenario! I definitely put in about 200 hours studying for this thing so I will feel ultra slighted if I end up failing. I hope you aced FAR and dominate REG in a few weeks!

FAR - 8/4 - 93
AUD - 8/26/10 - 97
REG - 10/3/10 - 93
BEC - 11/21/10 - 82

[financeguy]

haha well I certainly didn't ace FAR…I would bet my life on it. When I left I was 99% sure I failed, but then I read so many posts of people feeling just like I did and they passed. All I want is a 75!

AUD - 81, BEC - 74, 80, FAR - 82, REG - 81
Done!

[Anonymous]

@financeguy….I'm right there w/you. IF I passed….which I am also 95% sure I did NOT….it would be by the grace of God!

[NY.CPA.Someday]

I would rather be in the black than to actually know how many questions I got wrong. I unfortuantely remembered every single question I had marked and found out they were all wrong upon coming home and researching them.

FAR - 8/4 - 93
AUD - 8/26/10 - 97
REG - 10/3/10 - 93
BEC - 11/21/10 - 82

[financeguy]

I don't know how in the world you could remember 15 questions coming out of that exam. I don't think I could remember 1.

AUD - 81, BEC - 74, 80, FAR - 82, REG - 81
Done!

[Author]

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