[sarah210]

I’m about midway through FAR becker… and… I just. dont. even.

I thought I felt lost with BEC.

I’m going through the homework in F5 right now and I’m getting tons of the homework wrong. It’s like my brain completely shuts down when it sees multiple interest rates, multiple periods, amortization, premiums, and then throw in some freaking detachable warrants? If I pass FAR this time, I am so going to buy myself a present. How is this possible? Are there any easier chapters coming up? Someone tell me it’s going to be okay.

REG- 53, 91
BEC- 88
FAR- 62, 85
AUD- 85

Ethics- 93

[Anonymous]

@sarah310

what was your trick for going from 53 to 91 in REG?

i received a 57 in FAR; people are saying a 10 point increase might be possible if you work really really hard..but I need 18 points.

please tell me there is hope.

[MIA2CPA]

@ Jacquelyn

In my opinion, doing practice sims really do not prepare you for anything. There are simply too many different possibilities that can show up on test day that practice sims will not cover. You mentioned that you are able to do bits and pieces but have a hard time applying mcq knowledge to the sims. This may mean that you need to have a stronger conceptual understanding of the material, rather than focusing on formulas. When you practice your mcqs, instead of finding the answer and moving on, take an extra 10-30 seconds afterwards to think about how it applies to the “big picture.” For example, if you're working on a question asking for bond amortization, ask yourself what the journal entry would look like or what part of the F/S it would appear on. Eventually, this thought exercise will become part of your study routine.

During my own FAR experience, I noticed that the simulations tend to have a lot of useless information, require lots of scrolling, and are generally designed to intimidate the test taker. However, if you can read past the garbage and distill the essence of what the sim is asking, it's usually a familiar concept with MAYBE a small twist or two. My strategy is to always take care of the research first. They are generally easier than the other sims, and give me a confidence booster knowing I have 1-2 sims in the bag already. I then scroll through the remaining sims and work them in order of easiest to hardest. The reasoning behind this is that we don't know which sim is the pretest, so it's best to get as much completed before getting stumped on a question that is possibly not graded. I had NO IDEA what my last sim was talking about and I ended up filling spaces for the sake of not leaving anything blank. It was probably the pretest because I ended up scoring “stronger” in sims. Again, every exam is different, but this strategy worked for me.

Hopefully you find a strategy that works for you and good luck!

If you're curious, I scored weaker in mcq and comparable in sims for AUD.

BEC - 84
AUD - 83
FAR - 82
REG - 81

I'm DONE! CERTIFIED PARTY ANIMAL!

[Anonymous]

Looks like I'm in the same boat as everyone else!

Studying for FAR with Becker right now and, in short, I feel like an utter moron. I also purchased the NINJA Notes & Audio for supplementary material because after doing the Becker lectures, I knew that I needed something to streamline things a little more. Personally, I can't stand Gearty in the lectures; I feel like all he tells me to do is highlight, highlight, oh and highlight some more. I just feel entirely overwhelmed right now but I know that it will all pull together in the end.

I am doing what everyone else seems to be doing: MCQs over and over and over, while listening to the NINJA Audio (thankfully I'm allowed to listen to it at work!) and reviewing the NINJA Notes. I have been writing my own “fact nuggets” as I go along as well and that seems to be helping a little. I still have the Becker note cards and Final Review, so I think I'm okay material-wise, but yeah, like the OP said, definitely a humbling and frustrating section.

[MIA2CPA]

@charlos

I can't stand Gearty which makes me so glad I took the live class instead of self study. My live instructor was excellent and was able to teach the material in a way that engaged the audience. I wish that guy taught the other sections as well.

BEC - 84
AUD - 83
FAR - 82
REG - 81

I'm DONE! CERTIFIED PARTY ANIMAL!

[momto5]

@Jacquelyn

I made flashcards after reading each chapter and going through the questions. This gave me a better idea of what I wanted to make sure to review. When I started out studying (F1-3), I only made minor notes as I figured I had the book to look at. The deeper I got into it, the more notes I took because I realized that writing things out helped me retain it better. I tried to write notes AND do my flashcards at the very end of the chapter, before I moved on to the next one. Of course, that takes time and it was always tempting to cut corners and not do them. During my last two weeks of review I went back to F1-3 to write complete notes and tried to rewrite any notes I struggled with from the other chapters.

I probably did around 40 flashcards per chapter, with all the mnemonics and formulas and procedures I wanted to review. I carried them with me to review during my commute (I wasn't the driver) and at other times. In my succeeding exams I tried to maintain this procedure but found that I either didn't take enough time to review all these flashcards, or didn't have time to make them all in the first place. (For BEC I only got through 3 chapters of flashcards). I think writing them out myself helped me retain the information better and am currently wondering if I could get away with only writing flashcards (extensive ones) instead of notes. I tend to enjoy grabbing a chapter's worth of flashcards and taking them with me more than reading over my notes anyway.

Everyone learns differently, but for me writing out formulas and calculation procedures and mnemonics definitely helped me. Consistent review, of course, is also helpful.

FAR - 92 (4/27/12)
AUD - 96 (7/17/12)
BEC - 92 (8/30/12)
REG - 91 (11/12/12)

[GoodbyeSummer]

@sarah In my opinion it does get a little better. I cried so many times during FAR because it was my first one and I thought I had to know every single detail about everything in order to have a chance at passing. As many have said, just take it one step at a time. F5 was one of my worse crying sessions. Anytime I'm struggling with anything else I tell myself remember how you felt about F5 and how easy it eventually became. Practice makes perfect, but sometimes it's better to move on and come back to it with a fresh mindset depending on how frustrated you're getting. Like I said, I think it gets easier. I was pretty much coasting after that until I hit NFP and derivatives in F10. Not going to lie, I crammed for FAR and didn't take the time to master those topics but if you have the time master everything you can, especially your weak areas. Best of luck!

FAR 7/5/12 83
AUD 7/20/12 86
BEC 8/6/12 74; retake 11/20/12 76
REG 11/5/12 74; retake 1/3/13 77! DONE! 🙂

Used Becker Self-Study

[kristen1479]

I felt just as lost with FAR, and didn't feel ready when I took it. I followed what Becker said, watching lectures, doing MCQs. I only did a few random SIMS though. And I listened to Ninja audio and read through Ninja notes. But I only made it through the book once and didn't have time to go back through.

So even without knowing my score, I'm restudying FAR right now. I'm switching up my approach slightly as well. This time (since I've already done all the recommended highlighting) I'm taking notes along with the video and writing out all the things they say are most important. Then doing the MCQs after each lecture. Once I make it through the software I'm going to following Jeff's approach and rewrite my notes and his notes.

But, what I am noticing as I start over on FAR, is that I have retained a lot of information, but I am also picking up bits of information I didn't remember from my first time through. I think the key with FAR will be time. The time to really understand the concepts and the time to go over them enough to actually remember them.

BEC- 73, 73, 80
REG- 74, 83
FAR- 50(didn't study), 76 (<--How the heck did that happen?)
AUD- 71, 71, 79!!!!!
Finished!!

[Jacquelyn]

@ Kristen- I feel 100% exact same as you going back through FAR. It is flowing better, and moving quicker than the first time through Becker. I am also going to take the same approach you are.

@Momto5- thank you so much for your advise! I went through F1 and made note cards as you suggested. The information already feels like it is sticking so much better after writing out the flashcards. It helps to visually organize the data on a note card. Yeah, they eat up a lot of time making them, but I know I will be happy I did come my 2 week review.

I am still concerned with SIM practice. I will probably end up buying the Wiley SIMS as so many people have recommended. Whats another 100 bucks after all the money and time we have put into this exam, right? LOL.

Well, thanks to everyone who gave up their help and advice about my SIMS issues and studying help!! This blog is such a great support system!

B 71, 74, 84*
A 74, 72, 69, 74, 87*
R 80* ... lost credit... 82* done forever!!!
F 68, 68, 74, 78*

Yep, I've gotten five 74's! Wah!

[Jacquelyn]

@CpaScrub- I know EXACTLY what you mean when you say “long story short, within an individual sim, don't change an answer that you know is most likely correct in order to make the overall picture look correct, as it seems like the examiners gives tons of partial credit.”…. I did that very thing on a simulation that dealt with consolidations. I KNEW my calculation of goodwill was correct, but when the JE's didn't work, I changed it. What an IDIOT move of me! Next time through, I am going to stick to my guns on what I calculate, and if the accounting laws are violated when i put it all together in an answer, so be it. Thank you so very much for your advice. It is exactly the kind of thing I need to hear.

@MIA- I am going to start writing out the JEs after doing an MC problems, as you suggested. I think that is a great way for me to hammer out more knowledge per MC, and do it in a repetitive fashion. That way, when SIM time comes, I have already solidified the JE's along with the calculation. Since a SIM tests both those concepts, I should be sufficient if I practice what you suggested. Thank you!!

B 71, 74, 84*
A 74, 72, 69, 74, 87*
R 80* ... lost credit... 82* done forever!!!
F 68, 68, 74, 78*

Yep, I've gotten five 74's! Wah!

[Anonymous]

@ jfw484 I'm also in Austin, TX. Currently studying for FAR! Let's get together…

[wobrie4]

You can definitely do FAR. I had one frustrating night in FAR during F3 where I ended the night almost in tears, convinced I would never pass this section. Look at my sig to see how that ended up.

On My Way to a CPA...

FAR- 83 (12/02/12) (Try #1...by some miracle)
BEC- 80 (2/23/13) (Try #1... by some miracle)
AUD- 77 (05/04/13) (Try #1... by some miracle)
REG- 79 (08/03/13)(Try #1... by some miracle)

[jamesb]

@wobrie4…I am also at F3 and its killing me

AUD: TBA-
FAR Done
BEC Done

Becker
NINJA for AUD

[wobrie4]

Hang in there jamesb! It is certainly doable. As I tell people, I am by no means a bright man. If I can pass FAR, anybody can!

On My Way to a CPA...

FAR- 83 (12/02/12) (Try #1...by some miracle)
BEC- 80 (2/23/13) (Try #1... by some miracle)
AUD- 77 (05/04/13) (Try #1... by some miracle)
REG- 79 (08/03/13)(Try #1... by some miracle)

[wobrie4]

Hang in there jamesb! It is certainly doable. As I tell people, I am by no means a bright man. If I can pass FAR, anybody can!

On My Way to a CPA...

FAR- 83 (12/02/12) (Try #1...by some miracle)
BEC- 80 (2/23/13) (Try #1... by some miracle)
AUD- 77 (05/04/13) (Try #1... by some miracle)
REG- 79 (08/03/13)(Try #1... by some miracle)

[kctiger]

I can certainly relate to all of the posts in here. There are times where I start doing my homework, get the first few answers wrong, and get so completely frustrated with how I am doing that I have to take a few minutes to recompose myself! Has anyone else experienced this? It is hard for me to not take how much I struggle at some of this stuff as a personal assault on my knowledge. I don't think I've ever been so frustrated doing something as I am studying for this exam. I am on F10 right now, which is the last chapter. I am trying ever day to get better at just learning from the homework as opposed to flying off of the handle for my complete lack of understanding of some of the material. While I typically score in the 70-75% range doing the HW, that still makes me feel like a complete idiot. This is just brutal stuff.

[Author]

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