[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

[momo5]

One more question. My fault for asking so many questions but I asked this earlier but no one replied.

For the statement of cash flows simulations, does it matter what order I put the entries under each of the cash flow activities (operating, financing, investing)? For example, do depreciation and amortization have to be the first ones under the heading or can they be in the end? Do you get my question?

Thanks.

[Minimorty]

I actually have a similar question as momo's. When doing journal entities (let's say for a non-monetary exchange), does it matter what order you put the entries in as long as you have the correct debits and credits?

[mattswope]

yankee

I've used Wiley for each section. This is the first time I sat for FAR. As far as difficulty…MCQ vs. SIMS…I'd say they were about equal. They definitely took more time and required more in-depth thought than I expected. I didn't experience many “I KNOW THIS ONE” moments.

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

[Minimorty]

momo5 – I found out that the order does not matter within each section of the statement of cash flows.

[IwannaBaCPA]

Just faced FAR. I totally had test amnesia 🙁 I spent 160+ hours studying and couldn't remember even the basic…frustrating 🙁

Anyone else have this happen? There is just too much info…my brain was on overload…

As for difficulty:

Research question was pretty hard to find

Sims were detailed, but not impossible once you get going. I had 1.5 hours left for them and used every minute.

MCQ were ok, but didn't get harder…guess I wasn't guessing them right 🙁

BEC: 79 - April 2011
FAR: 78 - May 2011
AUD: 81 - May 2012
REG: 79 - October 2012
Ethics: Passed - March 2013
I am finally DONE!

[Anonymous]

I just got home from my 8 am test too. It's a 2 hour drive for me so I spent the night at a hotel. I read over Jeff's ninja notes and the Yaeger handouts the night before but I swear you could never tell. This was my 3rd time and like you “Iwannabe” I found it difficult to tell if the MCQs were getting harder or not. I did notice a marginal degree between testlet 1 and 2 and then 3. I did find some of the questions ridiculously easy and a few I had to flat out guess on. I took 2 hours for the TBS section tho. I found the research to be somewhat esoteric but easy enough. Several of the others I thought the concepts were straight forward but I still struggled as I don't do a lot of that kind of stuff in my day to day work. Anyway it's over now…will be drinking a beer tonight for sure.

[IwannaBaCPA]

@dhuffman-

Sorry your experience wasn't stellar either…I had no clue these exams were so difficult! I took BEC last month and was blindsided by it and so I was determined to be better prepared for FAR. Riiiight! Who thinks up those SIMS btw?! A few of them were just there to salt my open wound 🙁

At this rate, I feel like I will be taking this exam on a never ending loop 🙁

BEC: 79 - April 2011
FAR: 78 - May 2011
AUD: 81 - May 2012
REG: 79 - October 2012
Ethics: Passed - March 2013
I am finally DONE!

[Anonymous]

Have a quick question.

Someone else was asking about the order which you put the entries into the Cash Flow Statement. How about the order you use for other journal entries? I just took the Becker Practice Exam and did alright, but on two of the Sims I got about 22% which scared me at first. When I reviewed it, I had all the journal entries correct but in a different order. Anyone think the order matters? I don't think I have ever been taught a strict order so I just threw them in there as I developed the solution. With the clock ticking, the last thing I want to worry about is the order of the journal entries. It all has the same affect on the financials, so am I correct in believing it doesn't matter?

[yankeeaccountant]

@everybody

Thanks for your posts dhuffman and Iwannabeacpa. I can totally relate. Monday I take my third swipe at this thing. By the time I take the exam I am exhausted and on fumes, so I don't know about you guys, but maybe you are too pooped to be objective about the exam? I am pulling for you both.

Right now I am at the library (again). I have a standing order to reserve the study room. I have just taken my umpteenth exam on Wiley. I got a 63 overall on mcq's. I would say only 10% of the mistakes I made were because I didn't understand the way the question was worded or I plain didn't know. The other mistakes were stupid–very avoidable. I have been in the 60's or 70's in Wiley. Becker I score higher on. Is this enough? I will find out soon enough, until then I will keep trying. Thoughts?????

@Dhuffman and Iwannabeacpa: don't get down on yourselves. you know how unpredictable these exams are. never can tell. keep the hope alive. I have had test amnesia before—not fun. The first time i took FAR I went into the sims with one hour left, only to “wake up out of a trance” with 15 minutes left and 3 sims left. I still have no idea what happened there!!! It is a long weekend coming up here, have that beer, maybe a couple?!, and enjoy the time away from studying.

@danatwvu09,

I have had the same experience with becker. I take that into account when I look at my scores. It does make me wonder if it the entries should be in order of the balance sheet? Probably a question for Jeff. Heck, I am happy that I got the entry in total correct, but you bring up a good point if it will cost points or not. I think not. But that is my guess.

All in all, keep plugging along everybody. I am existing on caffeine until the exam. And dark chocolate. Gotta keep my heart healthy.

I can't wait for all of this to be over.

Best of luck to you guys.

[Minimorty]

dana – my understanding is that the order of the journal entries do not matter. I ran into the same issue with the Becker TBS. I would imagine the CPA grading system figures out that you have the correct entries, even if they are in a different order. Would love to hear from anyone who knows for sure on this. I know for sure on the Statement of Cash Flows and I would imagine the same goes for journal entries.

[Anonymous]

Thanks. I assumed so as well and then when I took that into consideration I was pretty happy with my score. Could have done a little better on the MCQs, but as I have witnessed with BEC, AUD and REG, my Becker score on the practice exam is usually 10 points lower. So I hope that is true as I will truly need those 10 points on this sucker.

@yankeeaccountant thanks makes me feel a little better about it. I do the same thing. I should score about 90 all the time, its the dumb mistakes that always get me. In my practice exam earlier about 75% of the questions I got wrong were simply because I overlooked a minor detail. I knew how to do it, I just messed up. Hope I get all of those out of the way now so I do not do it this Saturday.

[yankeeaccountant]

@danatwvu09,

I hope that we can both get it all out of our systems so that we get a passing grade on FAR. I just noticed your signature line and see that you are done! Hooray for you. That is inspiring for me to see since I am waiting on my first passing score. I took 3 exams this window. I sure hope it is a trifecta.

If you don't mind me asking: what has been your success? do you think it was the review software, the studying method, or attitude?

Best of luck to you on Saturday–you can do it. You are at the finish line!!!!

[jdd32005]

I just took FAR yesterday. I must have done well on my first testlet, because the second one was pretty intense. The third one got easier, so I guess I didn't do as well on the hard one. I don't know what to think about the simulations. Some were okay, some were ridiculous. There was one on there that asked me to do something that I've never even heard of. I have probably taken close to 20 accounting classes in my life and studied the Becker book practically cover-to-cover (including the ancillary material), and I have never, ever been asked to do this particular task. It was so esoteric and particular that I really can't believe it was on there. Has anyone else encountered a similar situation?

BEC - 85 FAR - 83
REG - 84 AUD - 86
DONE. First time's a charm.

[GirlAcct74]

I took FAR today at 1pm. I couldn't tell when the questions got harder either. I'm just hoping for the best. Was I the only one who had 2 research questions in the TBS? I thought that was odd.

Right now I'm dead on my feet; but I'm too tired to sleep. That sounds crazy, I know. I'm just glad its over. June 1 marks the beginning of studying for REG. Great!!!!

FAR 56, 77 (credit gone - THANKS BEC!), 73, 74, 79!!!!
REG 65, 65, 75
AUD 59, 64, 70, 70, 80
BEC 68, 73, 78

[momo5]

Just took my exam earlier today at 1:00 P.M. as well. All I have to say is WOOOWWWW!! Those simulations were harddd! I had about 45 minutes to do them and I thought they were quite difficult. I had been doing really well on the Becker ones, but then when I came across these on the exam, I thought they were really difficult. I just hope I did well on them. Some of them I had to just guess on. I hope I don't have to retake the exam.

From what I know, I don't think everyone gets the same simulations, right? Does that mean that they are a little more lenient when grading the harder simulations?

Do you all suggest that I just continue studying FAR or move onto AUD and hope for the best?

Thanks.

[Author]

Replies