Hi @CPAat21 , in response to your post:
1) I highly suggest to follow the final review Becker provides the best you can and not to blow through it. The final review is SUPER helpful to pull of the information the FAR book spits at you. During my final review sessions I would always take notes just like I did during the regular lecture sessions. This was time consuming but very helpful in making the material stick. Read it, write it, remember it.
2) The SIMs are a different story. The practice SIMs Becker provide are great at showing you what you will expect on exam day in terms of format, however, that is where the usefulness of them ends. The SIMs on the actual exam are tricky, lengthy, and will take you time. My suggestion is to budget a max of 2hrs for the MCQ's and 2hrs for the SIMs. There are only five, but like I said, they're tricky, lengthy, and you definitely want to make sure you can get to every problem on the exam. I have heard from a number of people that they take the exam, feel confident on the MCQ's, and then are not able to finish all of the SIMs. In summary, time management is crucial on all of the exams and Becker's SIMs are really good at helping you budget your time.
3) In terms of the study materials I used I only used Becker (sorry Jeff), I felt that it prepared me enough, but if you feel you need more MCQ's to work on or different SIMs to do, by all means purchase extra materials. Everyone is different and what worked for me may not work for you. You just have to find your study groove!
Best of luck with your exams, as long as you stick with it and don't get knocked off of your study plan you'll do just fine.
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