[jeff]

This is for people taking their exams in the January/February 2010 testing window.

Recommended prep time for FAR is 6-8 weeks @ 20 hours a week.

CPA Exam Score Release Predictions:

https://www.another71.com/cpa-exam-scores-results-january-february-2010-wave-1.html

[Anonymous]

Hi Jeff,

Not sure if you could help with this question……

I applied for my NTS for FAR Sept. 27, even though I wasn't planning on writing until the first week of April. The reason I applied so early is that I'll be writing my exam in Guam and the dates fill up pretty quickly – I mean several months in advance (I'm writing AUD there Jan 5 and I was on prometric.com everyday for a month waiting for a cancelation), especially for the longer exams – AUD & FAR. It didn't even dawn on me at the time the expiration date for my NTS would be three days shy of April. I'm unable to write the exam until mid-March, but March being a “no write” window, I'm pretty much out of luck as well as over $300. I wrote NASBA the very next day when I realized the mistake. Still haven't heard back from them.

Do think there is anything I can do to extend my NTS number just three measly days??? Or should I suck it up and re-apply for a new NTS??

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Does anyone study the AICPA released questions? I know they are “retired”, but is it worth it to get a different perspective on things?

I wonder if the Becker and Wiley questions are retired? Or do they purchase currently used questions.

Seemed like when I took REG, I didn't recognize any Becker or Wiley questions, but I saw a lot of simliar material in the AICPA questions (not exact, but very close).

[Anonymous]

CPAWannabe,

I always look over them…mainly because I look at Becker's so much that by the end of my study period I have them all memorized. I don't allocate much time to them…I typically just glance over them to make sure I understand how they got the answer they got, and I tend to do it a day or two before the exam.

[Anonymous]

Becker is the easiest way to remember the material; I just could not pony up that much money to take their courses

all review companies work if you put in the work…….it is kind of like a skate board………you can have the best one in the world but still suck at skating b/c you never put in the time and work to develop the skill and vice versa

[jeff]

rycpa – My guess is that you're out of luck and will have to buy another NTS. Hopefully you'll hear back from NASBA.

-Jeff

[jeff]

You can memorize mnemonics all day long, but if you don't understand the material on a foundational level, you'll crash and burn.

The AICPA released questions are retired…my recommendation is to not mess with them. Instead – work the questions in your review course – like in the Wiley book…those questions are licensed from the AICPA and it is very likely you will see several of them on your exam word for word.

Most review companies get their questions from the exact same source: the AICPA.

[Anonymous]

very true Jeff

you need to do somthing with your knowledge…..be able to apply it and work it…….Wiley problems are great for that…very challenging

[Anonymous]

Another question about studying FAR…

With such limited time and so much information, I'm trying to prioritize. In Becker Lecture 7, there is a section of “Homework Reading” on ratios with no homework questions assigned. It seems like a BEC topic.

Is anyone spending a lot of time on this? My philosophy is that if I don't see a homework problem on it in Becker or Wiley, I skip it. I don't need any more formulas bogging me down than necessary.

[Anonymous]

sometimes in sims you can get ratio analisys, at least remeber the main formulas

[Fikester]

Enjoying my December off after taking BEC in November. Becker course starts 1/2 for FAR…

BEC - 89 FAR - 89, AUD - 89, REG - 80

[Anonymous]

enjoy it b/c next yr will filled with pain and misery for those are two beasts have been known to drive people crazy

[needtobecpa]

Is anyone here like me who is LACKING motivation to study for FARE? I take it the 8th. I am barely halfway through the review course. It's REALLY bad. Any advice?!

Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm. AUD, REG, BEC, FAR - PASSED

[Patrick909]

“The AICPA released questions are retired…my recommendation is to not mess with them. Instead – work the questions in your review course – like in the Wiley book…those questions are licensed from the AICPA and it is very likely you will see several of them on your exam word for word.”

I disagree slightly with Jeff here. I'm sure it's true that the AICPA released questions are retired, yet on all 4 of my exams, I did see questions that were very similar to the AICPA released questions. To me it was obvious that it was basically the same question, they just changed a number or two.

I don't think it hurt me at all doing the released questions; it may have even helped me a little. Sure, I'd put much more focus on the questions in the review materials, but I think getting questions under your belt that were actually on recent exams can be a good thing.

[Anonymous]

needtobecpa,

I hear ya! All I want for Christmas is some motivation to learn this absurd amount of material. I just started L-9 in Becker and when I start reviewing all 9 lectures in a few days, it will be like starting over because it has been SO long and SO much to remember. My brain has just about reached a saturation point.

I am going to look at the AICPA questions, just as reinforcement.

[zena]

I agree with Patrick. For BEC I went over both the 2008 and 2009 AICPA released questions, if nothing else, to boost my confidence, that if I had taken the exam a year or two ago I would have been able to handle these questions. Also, I don't think the actual exam questions are much different than the released ones, at least on the exam that I got. I spent maybe a couple of hours, and in my opinion it was worth it.

FAR 86 | BEC 94 | AUD 90 | REG 85
All done! used Becker

[Author]

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