I took FAR yesterday and was thoroughly disgusted. My background is as follows. 97 on Audit, 80 on BEC, passed CIA exam, passed CFE. For additional information, I have never scored below a 100 on any collegiate level accounting course exam of any kind. Financial accounting is my strong point, and I find myself a MASTER at journal entries. I recently completed my masters in accounting degree and plan to pursue a PHD in a few year's time.
That being said, in addition, I utilized 2011 materials for Becker, Becker Final Review, Gleim, and Wiley, fully completing each individual review course. I took 4 full-length practice exams multiple times, did all the questions in each review course multiple times, and compiled a notebook of why I missed certain questions, and why I got certain other questions correct.
I did this for other two exam parts I have sat for (BEC and Audit) and felt even more confident for this test going in. I studied right under 500 hours at a 60 hour per week rate. My notebook is completely organized by topic and by question style, ended up being 125 pages front and back (225 pages total)and I reviewed my notes 5 times in the days leading up to my exam.
All of that being said, my particular test was an absolute nightmare. I found myself guessing on SEVERAL questions which to my estimation were almost nonsense. I don't want to mention specifics, due to the confidentiality agreement of the test. I don't feel this does though.
Of the 25 separate discrete topic areas I identified in making my notes, 8 of them were tested in some fashion on my test. Of those eight areas, on two of them I received one question each. Those questions were NONSENSE and did not test my level of understanding of that area in any way.
5 of my seven sims were on the same topic area, which was also highly pervasive throughout the remainder of my test. The vast majority of what Becker said was heavily tested? Not on my exam. The “minutiae” as Peter put it? On my exam.
I will end this post with this. Four of my classmates took the exam recently as well. After hearing of my frustration after the exam, they were shocked. They felt the exam was very tough, but fair. I felt the exact opposite. Their sims were all on relevant but tough topics you expect to see on FAR. Mine were, for lack of a better word, again, NONSENSE.
If I end up failing, (which I expect), I am going to spread the word of the “unpassable test” certain individuals receive. For a “Uniform” exam, this is highly upsetting and entirely unacceptable. I never dreamed I would feel like this.
AUD (97)
BEC (80)
FAR (78)
REG (92)
DONE!!!!!!
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