Elsie – for AUD and REG, I used Wiley in addition to Becker. I read Wiley and worked all the MC qu's during the month prior to starting Becker. I agree, the material is overwhelming. It covers virtually everything you may encounter on the exam, including areas Becker does not cover. Your task is to make the material manageable.
Everyone learns in different ways. I learned the material by reading the text, and I tested what I learned by working hundreds of MC qu's. I'm a visual learner, not an audio learner. I like to read (see) the material, not listen to it, so I never replayed the lecture CDs from the Becker class, as some people do. And I have to read material several times before it starts sinking in. Every time I reviewed a chapter (not every word, just the sentences or phrases I'd highlighted), I retained more each time. I never got to 100% retention but I probably made it to 80-90% – and that's enough to pass the exam.
Becker tells you what to highlight (plus I underlined additional sections that I felt were important) – I don't know if Yaeger does. If not, you need to do it yourself. You can't read Wiley or any text, cover to cover, multiple times – you have to read key passages only. I'd advise you to write out notes or make flashcards only if you're having a problem sorting out specific material. I only did this a couple of times: I wrote out all the ratios on 1 or 2 pages, so they'd be easier to memorize, and I scribbled tons of notes on the financial formulas in chapter 3 of Becker (BEC) becuase if any chapter was my potential waterloo, that was it.
To sum:
A. Read the chapter and highlight as you go (or listen to the CD/video, if you learn best that way)
B. Work MC qu's
C. Read the explanations for the correct AND incorrect answers
D. Keep repeating A, B, and C until the day you take the exam.
I had 2 months to prepare for AUD, REG and FAR; I had 3 weeks for BEC. I recommend 2 months (if you work full-time). I also recommend a venti chai tea from Starbucks every day around 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. The caffeine enabled me to double my study time.
AUD – 99; REG – 98; BEC – 82; FAR – 4/26/10
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