Sorry for this rant, I was just dumbstruck because I followed every study instructions my review course is telling me to do. I use Yaeger CPA. I really don’t know what I am doing wrong.
I think FAR is just a brutal amount of material- regardless of prior education. I recommend getting as familiar with the material-through lecture and homework- and then immersing yourself in MCQ's, note taking, audio, or anything else you receive benefit from.
You also need to really put in the hours to study.
As many of the posters mention you need to be comfortable with all the topics, you can't go in thinking I am going at A and B but its okay if I am not in C and D.
Also repeat the MCQ's – don't just do them once and think its all good — no no ..
You need to do all the MCQ's when you learn that chapter. then redo them again at review stage when you have learnt all the chapters. This will truely tell you has the material sunk in or not.
You can then see which areas you are weak in and which are not – Focus on your weak areas and strengthen the ones you are okay in.
Learn to apply the material to any given situations – this is where the SIM's come into play. Good Luck!
You also need to really put in the hours to study.
As many of the posters mention you need to be comfortable with all the topics, you can't go in thinking I am going at A and B but its okay if I am not in C and D.
Also repeat the MCQ's – don't just do them once and think its all good — no no ..
You need to do all the MCQ's when you learn that chapter. then redo them again at review stage when you have learnt all the chapters. This will truely tell you has the material sunk in or not.
You can then see which areas you are weak in and which are not – Focus on your weak areas and strengthen the ones you are okay in.
Learn to apply the material to any given situations – this is where the SIM's come into play. Good Luck!
Agree with everyone on re-doing MCQs…who would've thunk it that I'd do better in SIMs than MCQs…
Florida:
AUD: 73, 81! Thank you Lord!
BEC: 73, 77! Thank you Lord! and WTB
REG: 71, 82! Thank you Lord! and A71
FAR: 72, 78! Thank you God and my Mommy in Heaven!
CPA Excel, Ninja Notes & Audio, Wiley Test Bank, CPAreviewforfree
Agree with everyone on re-doing MCQs…who would've thunk it that I'd do better in SIMs than MCQs…
Florida:
AUD: 73, 81! Thank you Lord!
BEC: 73, 77! Thank you Lord! and WTB
REG: 71, 82! Thank you Lord! and A71
FAR: 72, 78! Thank you God and my Mommy in Heaven!
CPA Excel, Ninja Notes & Audio, Wiley Test Bank, CPAreviewforfree
“I just got my score this morning and passed with an 87. I used Yaeger and I literally would not have known (definitively at least) the right answer to one question before I started the review course. All I did was the course. I did every question on the handout but nothing more. Well, I did do the CRAM also but it's just a super short version of the original videos.
You REALLY need to do the suggested homework. It's not that much — especially in comparison to how many MCQ's/SIMS your average CPA exam student does. If you don't do them, you have no idea if you grasped the concept the instructors were teaching you — especially if you just followed along in the videos as they were working the problems and didn't stop it to see if you get it on your own first. I normally didn't stop the videos because the course was SO LONG to begin with…”
I actually do ALL the assigned questions on the back of the handout and read the explanation at the end of the chapter whether I got the questions right or wrong.
“I just got my score this morning and passed with an 87. I used Yaeger and I literally would not have known (definitively at least) the right answer to one question before I started the review course. All I did was the course. I did every question on the handout but nothing more. Well, I did do the CRAM also but it's just a super short version of the original videos.
You REALLY need to do the suggested homework. It's not that much — especially in comparison to how many MCQ's/SIMS your average CPA exam student does. If you don't do them, you have no idea if you grasped the concept the instructors were teaching you — especially if you just followed along in the videos as they were working the problems and didn't stop it to see if you get it on your own first. I normally didn't stop the videos because the course was SO LONG to begin with…”
I actually do ALL the assigned questions on the back of the handout and read the explanation at the end of the chapter whether I got the questions right or wrong.
@OP- sorry about your fail- I know that its really frustrating. What I would suggest to you is to not focus so much on “doing everything everyone says I need to do to pass” but to make sure you are really UNDERSTANDING the material.
As you study for your retake and do MCQs, don't just choose the right answer- explain to yourself why the others are wrong. Another way to increase comprehension is to explain the topics to someone who knows nothing about accounting. Also, try re-writing your notes in your own words.
F- 7/13- 84
R- 10/13- 79
A- 11/13- 99
B- 1/14- 86
Licensed in PA- 3/20/2014
This exam ALMOST defeated me back in 2006-2008, but I came back and WON!
@OP- sorry about your fail- I know that its really frustrating. What I would suggest to you is to not focus so much on “doing everything everyone says I need to do to pass” but to make sure you are really UNDERSTANDING the material.
As you study for your retake and do MCQs, don't just choose the right answer- explain to yourself why the others are wrong. Another way to increase comprehension is to explain the topics to someone who knows nothing about accounting. Also, try re-writing your notes in your own words.
F- 7/13- 84
R- 10/13- 79
A- 11/13- 99
B- 1/14- 86
Licensed in PA- 3/20/2014
This exam ALMOST defeated me back in 2006-2008, but I came back and WON!
John, I'm basically going to mimic what everyone else said. You need to be comfortable with all the material. Just like when I failed REG twice in a row with a 60, I had gone through my whole review course (well, the first time I did) and I had done all the problems. But I had not gone over them all two and three times and didn't REALLY KNOW all the topics. You just need to keep studying and remember quality over quantity and if you have time for both, even better.
John, I'm basically going to mimic what everyone else said. You need to be comfortable with all the material. Just like when I failed REG twice in a row with a 60, I had gone through my whole review course (well, the first time I did) and I had done all the problems. But I had not gone over them all two and three times and didn't REALLY KNOW all the topics. You just need to keep studying and remember quality over quantity and if you have time for both, even better.
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