[jeff]

NINJA Study Notes, Flashcards, and Audio: https://www.another71.com/products-page/

Wiley Software: https://www.another71.com/wiley-cpa-software/

Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS) | Another71 | NINJA CPA | NINJA CMA | NINJA CPE

[hurley.120]

IwannaBaCPA

I had about an hour. In both of my practice tests, I finished 45 minutes early, so I was not anticipating the sims taking too long, but my plan was to have an hour to do them just in case there were some surprises. I had two research questions, which I know I nailed, but they were actually kind of hard to find. I even had a whole class just on researching the codification. Good Luck on Thursday!

FAR - 86
AUD - 90
REG - 79
BEC - 89

[mattswope]

Just took FAR yesterday. I had about an hour and fifteen minutes left when I got to the SIMS and barely finished on time. I found the whole test to be more difficult than anticipated…at least more difficult than the practice tests. There seemed to be lots of questions in relatively few areas. Hopefully I'm just being overly critical of my performance because I sure don't want to go through this one again!

REG 11/8/10 - 90
AUD 2/7/11 - 81
FAR 5/23/11 - 81
BEC 10/17/11 - 84

[yankeeaccountant]

@mattswope,

Can you tell me what software you used? Did you feel that the mcq's or the sims were harder? Was this your first time taking it?

Sorry to ask so many questions. The test can be so different each time. I have taken it twice: once in the old format and one in the new. Getting a 70 and then a 73. The first time I ran out of time on the sims, the second time I had finished all the sims.

I sit on May 30th for the third, and I hope final time, so just curious about more of your thoughts.

Thanks in advance..and best of luck to you..you are halfway there!! yahoo

[magster]

So I'm supposed to take the test on Thu and it is my 3rd attempt – I feel like I don't know anything and the more I look at it the more I feel like I am not ready. It is almost a given that I will need to take it again..should I even bother to look at it anymore between now and Thu 8 am? My mind just keeps getting overloaded…any insight would be appreciated.

REG - Passed
FAR - Passed
BEC - Passed
AUD - 2-25-12 PASSED - DONE !!!!!!!! WOOHOO

*** One day I will get my life back.... maybe today is the day ***

[Anonymous]

Magster, I was feeling exactly the same way last night and this morning. When I attempted my weak subjects, I felt overwhelmed and when I tried questions from “stronger” areas I was just reminded about all the things I've forgotten.

And I take the exam tommorow!

What helped me: 1)Took a Break. 2) listed top 5 most uncomfortable topics. 3) Decide to learn just one more aspect of each. – ie pension – calculate service cost. and 3) try to do atleast 10-20 MCQ to get an overall review.

Just breaking the whole thing down into 10-15?'s at a time helped it seem manageable, and as I I worked the MC. I realized I knew more than I gave credit for, and ended up solidifying alot more that I had decided was the minimum.

3hours later: I'm actually comfortable w/ Bonds + Pensions, (for the first time in my entire review) And I feel like I'll be able to hit my remaining soft spots.

In sum: stop for while, clear your head and get back to work.

Plus like your signature “Everything in Life has 2 sides, look for the good ones” for all the topics you may be stressing about, there are things you do know and don't.. just remind yourself and try to leverage your knowledge to encompass the missing issues

[magster]

Thank you soooo much for the post. I will take your advise and hit the 20 question options on the Gleim test bank….who knows – we may just pass this thing afterall!!!

Good luck to you. As someone told me before – these tests are 1/3 knowledge, 1/3 the test and its selection of questions, and the last 1/3 attitude. I will work on my attitude and the 1/3 knowledge (a little) and then hope for the best.

Thank you again – I really appreciate it. Just what I needed to hear!!

REG - Passed
FAR - Passed
BEC - Passed
AUD - 2-25-12 PASSED - DONE !!!!!!!! WOOHOO

*** One day I will get my life back.... maybe today is the day ***

[rowingOC]

Just took FAR yesterday and I totally agree with mattswope. Lots of questions of very few topics. A few topics I felt like I didn't get any questions on. Who knows how I did??? Hopefully passed but not a clue, but as my husband said, I've either passed or failed, but as this is my (hopefully) test, at least I don't have anything to study until scores come out! I'm gonna enjoy Mem Day & June like none other =)

B - 11/10: 79
A - 10/10: 81
R - 2/11: 77
F - 5/11: 83 <--- DONE!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

@magster I too am taking this for the 3rd time on Thu at 8 am. I have Jeff's Ninja notes and all the handouts from the lectures that I read every nite before bed. I have literally done over 1,000 mcqs just this time around and am sick and tired of them and the whole test.

I have watched the lectures, took notes (reams of them), rewrote the notes I took, done mcqs but I don't know what else I can do in order to pass. If I don't and didn't pass BEC in Apr then I lose my AUD credit and am seriously rethinking the whole “I want to be a CPA” thing. I am reassessing at this time if I am even cut out to be a CPA, I might just not be a numbers person. Luckily for what I do the CFE will be more relevant and based on the ACFE job postings there are a lot of jobs out there in auditing (which I love doing). So come Thu I'll give it my last best effort and if I didn't pass I'm out.

[yankeeaccountant]

@magster and audittaxman,

I am in the same boat. I test on Monday and I am wiped out. I kinda did what audittaxman suggested yesterday: taking small 10 to 20 question tests to give my head a break. It helped quicken my pace and it didn't seem so overwhelming. I am also reveiwing the 8 areas (BTW I love the way Wiley breaks down the categories, it really helps target the areas to work on) I need to go over one by one and it is seeming to make more sense.

Guys, it is do or die time. I do not want to take this a fourth time. And I am tired of being a bridesmaid (ya, know, getting another 70 something) I need to be the bride this time. I think attitude is huge. I am going to walk into Prometrics with a little swagger, sit down and channel some Indiana Jones, some Spiderman, or Alec Baldwin in the Hunt for Red October, for my exam.

***sigh*** ok, have to stop making those mid day trips to Starbucks !!!! But caffeine is fueling my long days of cramming.

Have fun storming the castle everyone!!

Good luck to you!

[Orleans Candidate]

Ok so I took FAR for the second time yesterday and it was absolutely brutal!!! It is my last exam and really don't want to do it anymore. I dont think that I could survive another retake. So glad to have you guys to vent to cause I know yall feel my pain. I read a few posts ago that Hurley120 had two research questions, I only had one does that mean anything?

[yankeeaccountant]

@orleans candidate,

No, it doesn't mean anything. I think there was a letter from Gleim that was floating around the posts on this. It basically said that if you get two that you shouldn't discount one in thinking that it is pretest. You should treat them as a viable question that will be count.

when I took FAR in February, I had two. I was relieved because I felt confident that I got them both. I ended up doing well on the sims…it was the mcq's that did me in!!! ARGH!.

Hope you passed…now the wait..at least you don't have to study 🙂

Best of luck!!

[momo5]

Quick question. For the simulations, are all the questions given point equally? For example, does the research question have the same points assigned to it as another question that has 10 blanks you have to fill out?

Also, is there a website where I can practice these research questions? i have Becker but I feel like I need to practice them even more. And do they have the “Advanced Search” option on the test like they do in Becker?

Thanks.

[yankeeaccountant]

@momo5,

Hey, you might want to read the thread “audit-simulation grading”. There is alot of information there. They are definitely not adaptive, but some feel that a harder one might be worth more points.

Here in an excerpt of a email Gleim sent out regarding this issue:

. Task-Based Simulations. The topic of the new Task-Based Simulations was frequently discussed at this year's meeting. Below are the most salient points that were presented.

a. We received some important clarification about Simulation scoring. The presenter informed us that each task is equal to the others when scoring the Simulations. In other words, if there are 6 tasks, each task accounts for 1/6th of your total Simulation score, regardless of how many questions each task contains. This is currently how the Gleim Online and Gleim Simulation Wizards score your Simulations, so no changes to our system are necessary.

b. We were informed that it is possible for a candidate to receive two Research tasks in one Simulation testlet. Each Research task will be graded equally, and candidates who receive two should NOT assume that one of them is a pretest question.

c. The AICPA assured us that the Authoritative Literature used for the Simulations is updated at least once a year, but that it could be updated as often as once a quarter.

d. The presenter mentioned that about 6% of candidates had unsatisfactory load times – sometimes as long as 20 seconds – for their simulations. If you experience this delay, just remember that (1) there is nothing you cando about it, and (2) other candidates are having the same issue. Prometric is purchasing new equipment to decrease load times for future exam windows.

I hope that helps. How is your studying going? I am sitting on Monday. Some days I feel ok, some days not. I have been working with Wiley and feel ok. Today I did a final exam in Becker and scored a 70 on the first testlet, and a 60 on the second testlet. I skipped the third due to time. I actually did fairly well on the sims. But–OIY. I want to pass.

Best of luck to you!!!

[momo5]

Hey, thanks a lot yankeeaccountant. That was a lot of help. I'm not sure how I feel. I'm taking it tomorrow (Thursday, May 26th, 2011!!). Not sure if I'm ready for it or not but just hoping for the best. I've been preparing using Becker. I have similar scores on the multiple choice parts of the practice exams. I hope I do better on the actual exam. I also find myself with about 50 minutes left at the end of the exam. I know this is not good. But then again, I've read on here how some people say that they didn't think they had enough time to do the simulations even when they had 45 minutes or so left.

I was just taking the AICPA “practice-test” which had like 5 multiple choice questions and like 4-5 simulations. For the authoritative literature, their “Advanced Search” button didn't reutrn any results and kept saying no search results. I just want to know if the button works on the actual exam, or if we have to dig through the literature manually. This would be of immense help.

Good luck to everyone.

Thanks.

[rowingOC]

momo5 – i found the research tab almost identical to the one Becker uses (minus the “wrong path” hints that Becker gives you). I used a combo of key word searches and used the tree on the side (how you would “manually” go through it).

GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

B - 11/10: 79
A - 10/10: 81
R - 2/11: 77
F - 5/11: 83 <--- DONE!!!!!!!!!!

[Author]

Replies