[Anonymous]

Hi everyone,

I took FAR for the 2nd time on Friday. I thought I’d share my experience with you all since friends and family (as well meaning as they are) cannot possibly understand what I just went through for the 2nd time lol

Okay, here is my experience:

I’ve been extremely busy with graduate school. I thought since I was only 3 points off, I’d give it another shot (my first time around was a 72 back in August). I didn’t get as much studying in as I’d liked, and I crammed for about 5 days straight before the exam. I highly recommend that nobody do this as this was borderline torture lol (literally studied 6-7 hours a day for 5 days straight).

Anyway, the exam starts….the first 30 questions are actually going well. I feel good after these first questions and feel like I’m finally going to pass this monster exam. They asked some theory, some calculations, but nothing crazy…things are going well…I finish the first 30 questions in about 35-40 minutes….then hit done….then BAM.

Ok, don’t panic, I thought…I must have done well on the first 30 because these questions are really really REALLY difficult now. Every question had a twist. Even on topics I knew really well, I was struggling to get to an answer. I marked quite a few for review and this 2nd batch of 30 shook my initial confidence…I thought – ok – these were very “difficult” but the next 30 should be back to medium since I was sure I missed about half of them lol

Ok, next 30…the questions are not getting easier, they’re getting HARDER. I start to panic…thoughts start drifting to how I wish I never took that first accounting course, how I didn’t want to be a CPA anyway, how I hate prometrics…I almost have to slap myself to concentrate…I tell myself to calm down, that I have a job offer once grad. school is finished, and that I can still pass with a 75. I think I marked about 10 or 11 for review on this last set of 30…

So, multiple choice done….after 1st 30, Im in a great mood, after 2nd 30, confidence is a little shaken, after 3rd 30, I’m sure I failed lol

On to the SIMS….SIM #1….I look at the topics…..UGGGHHH..they’ve hit all the topics Im weak on…were they spying on me? I click on the first sim topic….impossible….I skip it…click on the next one……okay..skip them all and go to the Written Communication….I write what I think is a decent essay…..back to the topics…Its down to about an hour now so Im thinking I need to put some answers in and get to SIM #2…..I feel terrible after this….

SIM #2….I dont even look at the topics…I go right to the Written Communication and write a good essay…..I feel good..I knew the topic well and even though my brain was fried, I thought I wrote a strong essay….back to the final SIM topics…Topic #1…I skip..impossible…Topic #2…okay great, I know this!! I do topic #2 fairly well….topic #3….impossible….I’m running out of time now…..I guess until the very last second….then I run out of time.

I’m pretty sure I failed but who knows 🙂

[Anonymous]

Aside from the fact that I studied my A off for two months, your story mimics mine. I hope you have a better outcome. It is very possible since no one knows how they grade this thing. Good luck.

[magster]

lol – sooooo funny because this is just how mine went as well. Took it for the second time and studied for about 4 weeks. Takine the test yesterday, the entire time I was thinking “You have to be kidding me”. Even if I would have put in 2x the time I would have not been prepared for this. Is there a candid camera in the house, are they spying on what my weak areas on? How can they have both sims on the same topic? Then is the percentage thing, supposed to have a percentage of your grade on this and another percentage on that……several things did not even come up in my test.

Well, I guess I was supposed to take the new format in 2011 – I suppose there is more money to be made off me.

I know I did not pass; this is one score I will not check…what a bummer.

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 ***

[thorsbew]

I had a very similar experience! They threw some REAL screwball questions in the mix, but I'm positive that I aced the simulations. Journal entries were the only reason I could figure out some of these topics!

Aud - 65 + 79, BEC - 82, REG - 89, FAR - 86

[Anonymous]

I could not agree more. Same exact experience I had.

[32CPA]

I know you've seen this a million times, but I'm one of those that passed FAR with doing minimal non-MCQ work. I was left with 45 minutes for BOTH SIMS.

Sim 1: I went straight to the written section, skipped the research question, did one page of sim work.

Sim 2: I went straight to the written section, skipped the research question, did one page of sim work. Time shut me down (meaning I didn't even press the done button)

I did this in this Oct/Nov window. Remember that you get credit for sim cells that are supposed to be blank that you left blank. I know one of my sims had journal entries… they gave you like 7 rows for a 4 row JE… so I assume I got points for leaving some blank.

Considering that A LOT of candidates in this window speak of not finishing the sims… you will probably compare well.

Don't assume you fail until you see a <75 in the score. Trust me, I failed before… my performance in the sims in my fail and my pass were almost identical. I did not improve any in the sim/written section. MCQ are what get ya!

BEC - Pass 10/2010
FAR - Pass 10/2010
AUD - Pass 11/2010
REG - Pass 05/2011

[Anonymous]

@32CPA : Thanks for describing your test experience! I'm really nervous about my FAR result but your experience makes me think I have hope!

Did your MC testlets get progressively harder?

[32CPA]

I, by no means, want to give a false hope… but I have been using this forum to make me feel better about my FAR experience both times… basically looking for people saying they didn't finish sims or did poorly on them. So, take what I said as a guide, not a rule. Many do in fact pass FAR with out finishing. I think that's because so many people aren't finishing. Also, some fail after saying their testlets got harder AND they finished the entire 2 sims.

My test did get harder, but not as hard as I thought it would. I think if you really know your FAR, you may not be able to tell the difference. When I made a 69, I thought my testlets got harder and harder. My passing grade, it felt more even, but I could tell they were probably worth more in each testlet.

BEC - Pass 10/2010
FAR - Pass 10/2010
AUD - Pass 11/2010
REG - Pass 05/2011

[Author]

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