[Jimbo Slice]

Just wondering if you understand what types of questions you need to improve on? For example, is it the simulations, calculation-type problems, conceptual type problems?

I agree with the above post that recommended writing down journal entries. To practice for simulations, I would recommend going through the Becker book and flagging all pages that have journal entries / complex calculations on them and make sure you know those backward / forward. Draw yourself t-accounts, write down journal entries repeatedly until you feel that you’re solid on the topic.

If you’re considering the Wiley book to re-study, I found that a lot of the MC questions are repeats from Becker. Also, they are way more difficult / wordy than anything that you’ll see on the test, but if you can do them, it’s probably a good indication that you understand the stuff conceptually. If you want to get the Wiley book for simulations, focus on the ones that ask for calculations / JEs. I didn’t think that the bubble-filling ones were very useful / similar to the actual test.

FAR - 8/30/11 [60] | 11/23/11 [88]
REG - 10/28/11 [84]
BEC - 1/2/12
AUD - 1/21/12

[Anonymous]

@JIMBOSLICE, think being embarrased in front of your freinds is rough, try telling your dad who has been a CPA for 40 years, whom you work for, who is expecting you to take over his practice, and tells you the day before you get your score “well for as hard as you were studying, you should pass”.

Oh crap, now I sound like those other posters who post to whine about their problems!

Good luck to you man, and remember, its for you and for no one else. Plus I always remember that sometimes the best test takers aren't always the best performers in real life!

[Anonymous]

I totally agree that there is no one right way to study for the CPA exam. Some people find it helpful to take intense notes over lectures. While I was studying for AUD and FAR I took intense notes, but not over lectures… well ok pretty intense over FAR lectures. However, what helped me more than lecture notes was taking intense notes over every MCQ I did in the Wiley book and many I did in Gleim test prep. I took these intense notes whether I got the correct answer or not because even if I got an answer correct on the first try chances are that in a week or so when I looked back at that question I could not remember exactly how I came to the answer. Also, having these notes helped tremendously in my final review.

[Megan]

CPAman – I know you've said it before, but what exactly was the difference when it came to FAR? What was your previous method compared to your passing method?

BEC 52, 61, 74, 77
AUD 80
REG 75
FAR 50, 60, 70, 74, 83...DONE!!
..Texas.. Baby #2 born 4/11/11

[Jimbo Slice]

@Megan: You were so close to passing! I don't know if you remember but I was predicting an 80 for you a few days back :). I think the underlying message from all the topics/forums I've read is that everyone is different in the way that they learn/retain information and to choose Review materials (Bisk, Yaegar, Becker, etc) based on if it fits with your learning style. In the end, though, learning can be broken down into simple elements of concepts. If you truly understand a concept, you can be asked a million questions in a million different ways on that concept and still get it correct. The problem with FAR that I've noticed is that a) there's a VOLUMINOUS amount of concepts AND b) some of those concepts can be very detailed (i.e Pensions).

What I've also observed from going through the Becker questions for FAR is that Becker attempts to teach you the material by testing you on every single EXCEPTION of a “general rule”/concept. That way, with enough expose to these exceptions, you will ultimately come to know/memorize that single concept they are trying to test you on. Thus, assuming you retain that information, you will do well on the actual exam.

It's funny that Becker makes a guarantee that they will refund your money if you get “over 90% on all the homeworks” and fail the actual exam. I did just that and I received a 60 on FAR, but looking back I attempted to brute force memorize things and not really try and understand what underlying concepts were being asked.

Unforunately I found out all the above during my final days before my actual FAR exam. Moving to REG and knowing the above has made a tremendous difference and on average I'm getting at least 70-75% on the homeworks on my first try.

As for going back and reviewing FAR (after my REG test in mid-October) my strategy is to re-watch the lectures and take intense notes for each section and then work the MCQs for each section (ie – watch F1, do F1 questions, watch F2, do F2 questions), etc and perhaps supplement with Wiley MCQs, which seems to be the general recommend route with Becker's FAR on the 2nd go-around.

Wish you the best of luck. You can do it!

FAR - 8/30/11 [60] | 11/23/11 [88]
REG - 10/28/11 [84]
BEC - 1/2/12
AUD - 1/21/12

[Jimbo Slice]

@ddiver. “always remember that sometimes the best test takers aren't always the best performers in real life.”

I like that. It was a tough pill for me to swallow when I found out that all my buddies that are going to working with my at a Big 4 all passed. But I'm sure you have the same, if not more, pressure to pass. Without a doubt, I know we'll both end up getting our CPAs. The path getting there, though, sucks. But I guess everyone has to pay the price. Good luck!

FAR - 8/30/11 [60] | 11/23/11 [88]
REG - 10/28/11 [84]
BEC - 1/2/12
AUD - 1/21/12

[Joe36y]

What helped me get through FAR was doing the HW questions. I just looked back at the number of times i did the home work on Becker. I ended up completing the homework for chapter five and six eleven times.

I would suggest mark any homework you get wrong and print out the explanations from Becker or any other homework software. Make a packet for each chapter and review them until you know how to do the problems cold. Honestly i feel like this helped me get a few points that I would have missed if i didn't.

BEC: 82
FAR: 79
AUD: 85
REG: July 10th

[Anonymous]

Jimbo as someone who has failed FAR and BEC, passed AUD and REG and then lost them when my 18 months expired due to the aforementioned failures I would recommend not moving on until you pass FAR and then whatever other test you feel you would be weak in. It really, really sucks to have to start all over again because of two failed parts.

[Jimbo Slice]

@dhuffman. Good point, I actually considered doing REG/BEC/AUD in the next testing window because I felt more confident that I could pass all those sections as opposed to REG/FAR/AUD, but I feel like I would be wasting the 8 weeks I put in for FAR prior to studying REG. I stressed myself out so much during the final two weeks before FAR that surprisingly I recall a lot of the information from Jeff's Ninja FAR notes.

Also, if anyone knows of anyone who failed FAR and passed on a later attempt, please share their methods (both old and new) they used for FAR and what they did differently. I feel like any input of that nature would the subsection of people on Another71 that have failed FAR and attempting to take it again.

FAR - 8/30/11 [60] | 11/23/11 [88]
REG - 10/28/11 [84]
BEC - 1/2/12
AUD - 1/21/12

[Anonymous]

@Joe36y Great tip on printing out the answers you get wrong. I felt really stupid that I didnt open my Becker disks until 3 days before the test. I thought that what was online was the same as the disks. WRONG. Disks are way more powerful and you have a way to print out in detail the ones you get wrong. My problem though, I have a photographic memory and a knack for remembering stupid things, so if I study the ones I get wrong and then go back to do them again, I always remember which one is the right answer, so I never get a good feel if I have the concept down or not.

[Megan]

Jimbo – I do remember you saying that! I wish you were right!

BEC 52, 61, 74, 77
AUD 80
REG 75
FAR 50, 60, 70, 74, 83...DONE!!
..Texas.. Baby #2 born 4/11/11

[Anonymous]

@Jimbo, if it was easy everyone would do it. Also, passing this exam is so much like graduating from college. Once you get it done, no one can take it away from you. Right out of college I went to work for a manufacturing company, being a CPA was the fartherst thing from my mind. 12 years later, that company and I had a difference of opinions and we had what I call an amicable divorce. Since I had a job right out of school, I never had a good feeling for what a college degree meant. I got a good feeling for it when I had to job search after being unemployed and in my early 30's, I was instantly seperated from the rest of the pack with experience and a degree. Now, if I had the CPA certificate to go with all of that, regardless if I wanted to be an accountant or not, the doors that open up are exponential. If it takes a year out of your life to study for this thing, big deal. Dividends are huge later. Well my 7 hours of BEC are done for the day, time to go do chores at home. I so look forward to mowing the lawn now!

[Jimbo Slice]

@ddiver, have you decided how you're going to approach the tests before tax season starts?

FAR - 8/30/11 [60] | 11/23/11 [88]
REG - 10/28/11 [84]
BEC - 1/2/12
AUD - 1/21/12

[Anonymous]

@Jimbo Slice; Well here is my grand plan. I am going to go to work part time for October and November. With this, I am sticking with studying for BEC (which by the way variances are absolutely kicking my arse right now) and am scheduled to take that exam on Wed 10/12. But, a close freind who has had cancer for the last 8 years died last week and I have to travel 4 hours two ways this Saturday to go to her funeral. So, I think I am going to push that back to 10/17. Starting the week of 10/24, I will devote 38-42 hours a week studying for Reg and AUD. Speaking of tax season, I will be working tax season hours during that time as far as family is concerned. That being 13 hour days M-F; 6-8 hours on Sat and 4-6 hours on Sunday. I will take the Becker courses for Reg and Aud then, knock out the requirments, and then come back do it all over again, and then do the same thing again. I take Reg on 11/22 and AUD on 11/29. Then starting 11/30 I will dive back into FAR, and take that the first week of January. If I have re-takes for BEC, AUD or REG, I will tackle that scheduling nightmare when I get there, but probably something around the end of January.

As far as tax season, I have to shove the exam to the side and work. 65 hours plus a week of not just working, but sitting and staring at the computer is killer. Plus I cant miss out on tax season because it is the only time of the year that I can rack up serious OT, my bonus and salary increases are dependent on chargeable hours so I really need those hours during tax season so my chargeables look good. If need be I will just pick it back up after 4/15 and shoot for retakes the end of May.

My plan for Ocotber and November may seem a little un-orthodox, but its what I have to go with becuase I think it will work for me. I do a lot better when I am totally immersed in something. I do not transisition real well between any projects. It goes back to you have to do what works for you. Which out of this whole test is what really ticks me off, I think by the time you figure out how to study for it, you end up passing and then everything you learned about how to study for it goes out the window.

[Author]

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