[jimboace88]

My FAR exam is coming up this Wednesday. However, it’s not until 4 PM. What do you recommend doing preparation-wise during the time before the exam on that day?

FAR 07/27/11 - 87
AUD 10/01/11 - 85
BEC 11/15/11 - 87
REG 01/03/12 - 92

[jomarie]

on July 11th, I took Audit at 12:00. What I did, after I dropped my girls off to daycare, I came home reviewed some notes, did some MCQs and off I went. I have to drive 45 minutes to the exam site so I pack a lunch and ate it on the way. I arrived about 11:30 and as soon as I arrived I signed in, used the ladies room, and sat back down in the waiting room for someone to officially sign me in. While I was waiting in the waiting room I reviewed some more notes. I'm planning on doing something along the same lines for REG on Aug 9th. I just take it easy and don't stress yourself about the exam. Good Luck!!

Started sitting in May 2002, on and off. But since 2008 I've been nonstop and my scores are....
AUD - 39, 48, 56, 65, 68, 73, 76!!! (Finally passed in Oct 2011!!!) Becker, NINJA, & Wiley
REG - 75 (Lost Credit) 72, 68, 73, 75 (Passed again in Aug 2011) Becker, NINJA, & Wiley
FAR - 65, 68, 75 (Lost Credit) 68, 73, 73, 80 (Passed again in May 2012) Roger, NINJA, & Wiley
BEC - 65, 68, 71, 72, 72, 71, 76 (Lost Credit)- 70, 76!!!! I AM DONE!!! - Roger, NINJA, & Wiley
After 10 long years of studying, I AM DONE!!!! Finally a Licensed CPA in the State of New York!!

[Liz317]

On days that I had an exam after lunch, I reviewed in the morning, had a quick lunch out, and got to the exam. However, looking back I was so burnt out on studying that I spent most of the morning stressing about what I didn't know and anticipating the exam so much that I couldn't focus. I was actually procrastinating my review! All of the study material says it, and I didn't believe it then, but you really should relax. I'd say review your notecards for a max of two hours, but spend the rest of the day doing things that aren't mentally strenuous.

FAR - 92 --- AUD - 87 --- REG - 80 --- BEC - 87
A licensed CPA in Louisiana!!!

Dear CPA Exam, You are a beast. But you WILL be defeated!

[Anonymous]

Listen to Liz. Honestly, I wouldn't even review notecards. I took audit today at 11:30. I got up early, went for a walk, got coffee and bagels for breakfast. Played Halo for 2 hours, printed my NTS and left to take the exam.

You'll realize that your doing yourself favors – the benefit you may get of reviewing and remembering a few last minute things wont outweigh the stress and fatigue you put on yourself on test day. Especially when you get to that 3rd hour of the exam and your wracking your brain to finish some simulation on governmental financials.

[rknight21]

good luck bro i must i say i rather doing early morning exams…. lot less chance of any distractions in the day. with that said my suggestion for the day of the exam is have all the formulas and hard notes in hand to go over an hour before the time..

[Peanut]

@rknight21, I agree about the morning exams. I scheduled a 12pm exam and I will never do it again. It was way too much time in the morning to think about all the little things I wasn't fully understanding. By the time noon came I had hyped myself up so much that I ended up kind of freaking out in the exam room with crazy questions being thrown at me (granted this was my first exam ever) Since then…9am exams all the way lol

AUD 81 (X4) Previous scores 59, 72, 72
REG 80 (X3) Previous scores 59, 60
FAR 75 (X2) Previous score 67
BEC 79 (X2) Previous score 58

[IwannaBaCPA]

I actually have to work the day of my exam (tomorrow) and I think that was a bad bad idea on my part…not looking forward to that.

My advice is TIME MANAGEMENT. I have said it over and over and it really can make or break you IMO. When you are faced with a few MCQ you can't figure out, remind yourself they aren't worth spending 10 minutes of your time spinning your wheels. That time is far better used on the SIMS.

Good Luck!

BEC: 79 - April 2011
FAR: 78 - May 2011
AUD: 81 - May 2012
REG: 79 - October 2012
Ethics: Passed - March 2013
I am finally DONE!

[rknight21]

^^ corrdct and i need to remember this more so for BEC…

[valueofnothing]

drink six to ten beers

REG - 81
BEC - 88
AUD - 85
FAR - 81

[Erica H]

This thread just goes to show how different things work for different people.

I preferred a noon or 1pm exam. I find it gave me time to stay up until 11 or 12 studying the night before, get 7.5 hours of sleep, wake up, have breakfast and do a key point review of a few topics, then shower, have a small early lunch before leaving at 11:00 for my exam. I would then get there about 11:20-11:30, check in, look over NINJA notes for anything that I hadn't already reviewed (and almost always found some little “nugget” that gave me an AHA! moment on the test), then waltz into my exam at 11:55.

Having two short review sessions in the morning allowed me to freshen up things I'd studied, review any equations on that particular exam, run a few random MCQ and yet keep it low key mentally because I was breaking it up by showering and getting ready.

I'm a compulsive type who runs through things in my head over and over, so for me having a few factoids to chew on actually helped me focus for the exam rather than getting fried out.

BEST exam tips I've heard EVER: 1. Do NOT try out any new foods on exam day before your exam. Eat something you've had 100 times before that will keep you fueled and won't upset your tummy. 2. Moderate your caffeine, taking your last bit just before walking in to the testing center, 3. Consider electrolyte drinks like gatorade or poweraid to give you that little boost of blood sugar before your test and keep you hydrated.

AUD - 92
FAR - 73, 82
REG - 72, 82
BEC - 84 DONE!!!!!! 🙂

[Author]

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