In defense of NJDevilz, I feel and a majority of my co-workers feel that this is a test of your guts. This exam is long and brutal; it tries hard to break you. I have a newborn, and a full-time job, and yet I find 40 hours a week to study, granted 24 of those hours are on Saturdays and Sundays. But you are really setting yourself back if you aren't putting in at least 20 hours a week. Unless, and this is entirely possible, you are one of those people who just gets it. Give yourself a month for BEC and AUD, and 6 to 8 weeks for REG and FAR. Put in 3 hours a day in a work week, and 5-8 hours on the weekends and you'll pass.
I have found that doing multiple choice until you'll know which question is coming next is the best prep, takes about 5 times thru, including supplemental questions if you're a Becker user. This is no exaggeration here, but there are 1500 m/c for FAR and I did them 8 times over…that is what it truly takes, unless-again, you're blessed.
I also feel that you don't need to do that well on the sims to pass. I know this b/c I didn't attempt the second sim on my FAR exam and I only answered three tabs on the first, the research, the memo (which may or may not have been graded), and one other tab. I did not manage my time well at all but I passed with a 77.
Finally, and I think that saying this is gonna be ok with the AICPA rules, but the topics you get are so random. I've heard people say they "felt" like 50% of their exam was government and not-for-profit, while others say they were heavily tested on concepts. You never know, and sometimes it is luck of the draw.
I want to wish all of you who haven't passed this section or other sections the best of luck. Someone previously wrote for this thread that if the exam were easy, everyone would be a CPA. I hope you realize that it is an honor to be a CPA. Be willing to earn it, you'll be better off for it.
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