[Jordan]

I found out today that I did not pass FAR. I’m pretty sure I know what areas I really need to work on, but I was wondering if anyone had tips on restudying… I used Wiley, which is such a structured program, but I think I’ll be bouncing around in the materials for my retake. Any tips are appreciated!

[sashapalekha]

Jordan, I was in similar position . I failed FAR first time with 67 and passed on second attempt with 80. I used NINJA only for first time, and on exam day I was realized that I didn’t prepared enough for SIMS. I switch to Gleim and follow their adaptive learning promt form beginning to the end. On my second attempt I didn’t feel lost on sims, because Gleim’s sims difficulty comparable with real exam. So if you’re willing to switch, take a look on their free trial. Good luck!

[Jimmy Dugan]

Look at your reports in Wiley, and they will show you exactly where you were struggling the most. I used the Wiley test bank for one of my exams and know the analysis tools are pretty good. Hit those weak areas hard between now and your retake. Also, spend some time on sims.
Everyone says you can't prepare for the sims on the exam, and while it's true that you don't know which sims you'll see, going through a few of them gives you a better idea on how to approach them overall.

Only other advice I would give is that if you were having a hard time with governmental and NFP, check out the Bob Monette videos in Ninja. They are the best instruction I've seen on those topics by far, well worth the price of a Ninja monthly subscription.

[Kimberly]

Hi –

I had my battles with FAR, so I'll just second a few things already mentioned. Bob Monette's videos (available in Ninja) saved me. Honestly even though it's not all up to date, I found him essential to learn bonds among other things. Also the Ninja database will give you access to more MCQs. I liked to alternate between Wiley (which I used) and another platform in hopes of not memorizing MCQs.

How long did you take to go through Wiley for FAR? I know the first time I took it, I went too slowly and took too long. There is SOOO much they cover. But they do cover almost everything, maybe too much. I got lost in the details there.

Do not feel discouraged. FAR is a beast, certainly. It was definitely my hardest to pass, but I got there, and I'm sure you will to. Best of luck!

[Mike J]

I'd only add the following. Since you know which topics you struggle with, that's half the battle right there.

Throw away the score sheet. You got a 0. Not a 74 or whatever. First take a few days to immerse yourself in those areas. Scour the internet, your old college textbook, etc. Read up and take notes on anything you can find. No, you won't become an expert in them but you just want to broaden your knowledge.

Then, start from scratch your CPA exam studies. Like I said, you got a 0. But that's good. Clean start with your new found confidence. You learned what you could on X,Y AND Z. You'll see those problems again and you will be familiar.

Anyway that's what helped me.

[Author]

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