[icpa]

Hi Guys,

I have just started studying for FAR from, Becker. Although the material as such does not seem too difficult the sheer volume of it makes it tough to move quickly. Infact I spent 3 hours on just 1 topic which should have ideally taken me less than 30 minutes, My average time is 4-5 minutes per sum which is ridiculously slow and taking a toll.

I intend on taking the exam in the 1st week of Dec’16 but at this pace an unsure if will be able to finish it on time.

I also work full time and try to put in 3-4 hours on weekdays and 10 hrs on weekends. But still only stuck on FAR-2 and what I have learned is also very uncertain.

My questions are as follow:
1)Is it normal to move at such a slow pace at the start?
2)What can I do to increase my pace?
3) My strategy is to practice the simulations once I am done skimming through the material and have a good grasp of the concepts. Is that a good idea?
4)Any idea to increase concentration as my mind keeps wandering while studying which further adds to the slow pace.

[Manal]

just want to say good luck as am still waiting for the evaluation results from NASBA.

[icpa]

Hi Manal,

Thank you for your reply. Have you taken FAR yet? Would really be helpful if you can address any of my queries or throw light on a few key aspects I should focus on with regards to the preparation for the exam.

[KayBee]

I'm studying for FAR and I'm using Wiley. It took me a long time to get through the first two modules but I don't think you should stress too much. Keep on trucking. I go through the material, get comfortable with the MCQ's, and then do the sims last when I feel like I'm grasping the types of questions they're answering. I have a white board where I list the modules and put target complete dates next to them (meaning I went through the material, went through all of the practice questions once, and went through the sims once). I try and calculate how long it will take me based on how thick that section of the book it is. My goal is to go through everything by about 10 days pre-exam so the rest of the time I can do practice quizzes over and over which seems to help me more right before the exam. Your exam is in December so you've got plenty of time.

One thing that helps me not forget past material is when I completely finish a module and all of the questions and everything, I take one night after I complete it to put all of the modules I've completed on “shuffle” so I can practice MCQ's with multiple topics, and I keep adding modules after I complete them.

My FAR exam is Nov 12 so we're both starting the study train early. It was supposed to be Oct 1 but I had to reschedule for some medical issues which is both relieving and frustrating! But on the plus side, it's more time to dig through the mountain of information for this exam.

KayBee
Bachelors and Masters in Accounting, concentration in public accounting
REG - 77
AUD - 71, Next one tentatively early November
FAR - Oct 1
BEC - before Jan 5

[KayBee]

Oh and something to increase concentration – take breaks! Set a timer for every 30 minutes and take 5-10 minutes. Even if it means stretching for a bit after you finish 20 questions or something (some of them can take a long time with all of the math). Heck, even do 10 crunches, anything to get the blood moving. If you find yourself reading the same thing over and over, take a break. Also, with some of this information I actually read it out loud and talk to myself when answering the questions. I don't know why but saying it out loud helps me remember it a little more. Even if I sound a little crazy and my cats look at me weird.

KayBee
Bachelors and Masters in Accounting, concentration in public accounting
REG - 77
AUD - 71, Next one tentatively early November
FAR - Oct 1
BEC - before Jan 5

[icpa]

Thank you so much for your response. Really appreciate it.

My idea is to first skim through the entire material once (doesent matter if I score 60-70% in MCQs). I finish the portion once and then come back to it. This does help to better understand the material and retain it as well.

Let me know what you think.

[Author]

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