@wannafree and @SallyCPA
I took the test yesterday (first-time test taker) and going into the exam I was extremely nervous after hearing so many horror stories, test takers getting drilled with IFRS, 5 DRS sims, people getting all of their trouble areas, etc., but I did not experience any of that. The areas that I thought were going to be huge on exam, were barely tested and some non-existent. However, I did not see an MCQ or simulation that I felt I did not prepare for or see in the study materials. I used Becker and Ninja materials to supplement (MCQ, Blitz videos, notes) and they are on par in difficulty with the actual exam. MCQs were straight forward and the simulations were not overly complex, again comparable to the study materials we are using. The areas that I thought were going to be huge on exam, were barely tested and some I didn't even receive a question on. I did have 2 DRS simulations and it is frustrating going back and forth between documents on such a small screen, but it was doable.
Here are my time breakouts, I used the Roger time estimates that I saw in a youtube video, I believe others mentioned it in this thread already. Times are given in time remaining, actuals are estimates:
T1 goal: 3:15 actual: 3:30
T2 goal: 2:30 actual: 2:55
T3 goal: 2:00 actual: 2:10
T4 goal: :55 actual: 1:15
T5 goal: DONE actual: :25
I wanted to give myself enough time for sims, but I wasn't rushing through the MCQs either. I would mark questions I didn't feel good about (~3-4 each on T1 and T2) and skimmed through it at the end of the testlet, but did not change any answers. 30 minutes is a bit ambitious for T3, but I was glad I had a bit of a buffer after the first two testlets. I did find that those 2 sims were the trickiest ones, which is consistent with what I have been hearing from other test takers. I imagine Roger and others will adjust the time goals accordingly.
My take-aways: The test is fair and straight forward, you either know/understand the material or you don't. Trust your study materials and do not get so caught up with the minutiae! READ THE QUESTION! There were multiple instances where just by reading the simulation question over or carefully reading the instructions made a difference.
Waiting til August is going to be rough. :/
I have been a bit vague in order to avoid any disclosure issues, but I'm more than happy to provide more feedback if you have any questions. Good luck this week! Onto Audit now!
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