[Anonymous]

anyone out there past 45 who is now taking the exam. ? I am finding it very difficult to get back into the swing of studying especially for FAR since I am in Tax not Audit. I got a 68 first time around this past November. Unfortunately other issues got in my way until now and it is like studying from scratch again…

Any helpful hints ?

[ahugemistake]

I am not past 45, but I was not familiar with the material like you when I started. My college classes only vaguely prepared me for the exam. Which is why I got the CPAExcel course. This course comes with two thick books for FAR. Very in depth and thorough (500 pages each), which was great for someone who had no memory of what was being said in college. I am working full time and have 2 kids at home who also need my time and attention, so it took me about 4~ months of studying time to get through the books and the course with the MCQs and Sims. On top of this I also got the Ninja Audio course from Jeff, and also the Wiley Test Bank (though I have heard the Ninja TB is better).

With this combination, I feel that I am very comfortable with the material, though I am still nailing the MCQs in wiley, and going back looking up the ones I got wrong. I think you really have to find your method of learning, for me, I have watched the videos for Yaeger, and they bored the heck out of me. I learned better reading the books and doing the MCQs, and only occasionally watching the videos. I hope this will help, and hope you don't give up!

FAR - 78*
AUD - 66, 79
REG - 73, 76
BEC - 79

[h0wdyus]

The good thing going for you is , Reg will be a lot easier for you since you are in Tax. I am in my 40's. I used Yaeger all the way.

I do like the videos infact, Keeps topic moving otherwise you could spend an hour reading one page of wiley and then get demoralized. The video paced me and made me move forward. For the review before the exam, I watched the videos and read my notes ( just a few notes I made on like T-stock etc. ) . Of course you got pray also for FAR.

FAR - 81 29th Aug 2013
AUD - 84
REG - 82
BEC - 89 29th Aug 2014
Using Yager

FROM NJ

[Tncincy]

I am 49 failed far and reg in 2013. Here I am again…..about to weenie out. rescheduled far twice and reg once. I do not feel ready. Don't like the mxq's and simply a ball of nerves…..so what was the question again?

taking far 8/13 and reg 8/14…..absolutely under prepared……

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[ahugemistake]

cincy is that 8/13 and 8/14 as in august 13 and august 14 back to back?

FAR - 78*
AUD - 66, 79
REG - 73, 76
BEC - 79

[CPA50]

Hi Bose,

Just turned 50 🙂 I'm using Roger and Jeff for FAR – the guys are helping me through this. I am finding it much harder this time to stay focused and I have a very short attention span with my daughter home for summer.

But, I am trying to go through the AICPA released questions and nail them down hard as to the why, and really understand them, not just memorize. That seems to help – fingers crossed for us all!!

AUD 88 (expired), 80 retake
FAR 64,69,67,73,67,73,73,73, August 3
REG 75 (expired) September 7
BEC 72, 77

The adventure continues...

[Excel14]

@ahugemistake:

Glad someone is learning this stuff in CPAexcel. I'm taking FAR on 8/31, and started studying on 6/1. Per the norm, I have forgotten almost all of what came earlier, which is evidenced through my terrible NINJA MCQ scores. I'm not giving up, but I have less and less faith of a passing score. I didn't want to wind up “memorizing”, as I have been diligent in trying to “learn” it; but, it very well may come to that. Oh yeah, I'm 50. 🙂

BEC (2/28/16) ----- 78
FAR (09/10/16)-----
AUD
REG

CIA, CGAP, CFE

[Tncincy]

@ahugemistake,

Yes, I am going back to back. I was scheduled in may for far….I wasn't ready but I kept studying, life happened 3 children home from college, fourth child graduated from high school, now on the way to college. so I rescheduled for july. life happened again, a very good friend passed a way so I traveled for that, no study like I wanted to, it took too many days to get back in the groove, but more time off the ready clock. Then orientation for my new college student (child), then orientation for my oldest daughter that decided to attend the college of my youngest…..and so on. So 8/15 is the absolute last day on my nts. I might not do both but I am studying like I am. I hate to lose money but I might have to eat one of these. Why? because its off to school between the 8th and the 25th. I will have all four of my children away and in college and not any closer to passing this gut wrenching exam. I feel more comfortable with reg since I have been doing tax for 17 years (my own company) so might pick up far in October.

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[ahugemistake]

FAR - 78*
AUD - 66, 79
REG - 73, 76
BEC - 79

[ahugemistake]

@Cincy That will be one hell of an accomplishment, and I hope you pass both. Goodluck to you, reading your post really gave me hope for next week, because I only have one exam to worry about and I am seriously going crazy over it.

@Excel That is exactly how I felt when I started the MCQs but as you progress you are looking up older terms and reviewing chapters and it all begins to stick to you. The point is that you should do as many MCQs as possible so you won't be caught off guard on exam day.

FAR - 78*
AUD - 66, 79
REG - 73, 76
BEC - 79

[Anonymous]

tncincy-

That's going to be rough. I did AUD & FAR back to back. Passed AUD but missed FAR by 2 pts. To my detriment, my time management skills were lacking and I had to bail on the FAR studying. It was fail one, or fail both.

Just keep your monitoring your progress against the calendar and hold yourself accountable and you should be fine.

[Excel14]

@ahugemistake:

I'm starting to go back through all of this stuff utilizing the NINJA test bank now. It is unbelievable to me though, just how bad my scores are. I read people on here sweating 60-70 on their initial pass through the NINJA questions, and I only can wish that my scores were even that high. Jeff told me that I need my trending score to equal 80% or better, to feel confident in sitting. I should reach that mark by Summer of 2015. lol

BEC (2/28/16) ----- 78
FAR (09/10/16)-----
AUD
REG

CIA, CGAP, CFE

[Anonymous]

@bose- I am 41 and I went back to school in 2007 to earn an accounting. While going to school I continued to work at my FT job which was as a retail sales manager. I really wanted to get out of that line of work and into something more stable and better paying. I graduated in 2010 and left retail to work in public accounting at the end of 2010. Last year I transitioned to private accounting and I started seriously taking the exam. I passed FAR last May and then REG and BEC this spring (I tried to pass them last fall but I was less than successful). I think that trick is schedule the crap out of everything and then work the study time in where ever and when ever you can.

You CAN do it- it's just a lot of work and a little bit of sacrifice. 🙂

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anyone here Becker users? Is it just me or is everyone else getting 30% to 50% first time run through on the MCQs on Becker FAR? Because it is simply just getting depressing, literally I want to throw my hands up and be like screw this. I watched the lectures and while i'm watching I try to understand the concepts. But when I go apply the concepts it just doesn't make much sense. When I went through F1 I am getting roughly 60 percent to 70. F2 40 to 60. F3 30 to 50. And questions just seem to be getting longer and longer and calculation steps is literally 5 steps. As soon as i think I finally understand something, BAM! right in the face. Please tell me this is not how the exam will be…, because it's taking me 5 minutes to go through each question just trying to do calculations and understand what's exactly it's asking for. Anyone else have the same experience as me?

[Excel14]

@CPAorNot:

You sound like me, occasionally with CPAexcel, and quite a bit since I began availing myself of the NINJA MCQ. Like you, I'm trying to keep my head up and forge ahead, but it's tough! I feel your pain!

BEC (2/28/16) ----- 78
FAR (09/10/16)-----
AUD
REG

CIA, CGAP, CFE

[Anonymous]

@Excel14 it's good to know i'm not alone. I got 1 month left and i'm not even through with F3 yet. I just hope I finish everything with enough time to do my final practice. With working full-time it's getting tough. Thinking about taking 2 days off just doing some cranking on MCQ's.

[Author]

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