[ttd]

Hello everyone,

I am just finishing up on the course requirements for the exam (this is my finals week actually), and decided to take a look at what I’m heading into, as my plan is to start reviewing for FAR next week. One of my classmates has mentioned that CPA exams are very different from what we learn in Intermediate Accounting, but when I took a look at the sample questions on FAR section, they seemed to be almost the same as Intermediate Accounting questions. So now I am a little confused – how similar/different is FAR section from Intermediate Accounting? If I have just recently gone through the lovely 1500 pages worth of Intermediate Accounting textbook, should I still invest in a review course for FAR? I am just a beginner here so would would appreciate any comments, so I can make wise decisions and not waste time/money.

[T-rex]

I recommend a review course because the questions on the exam are written in the AICPA's own special screwed-up style; many are vague or poorly written in some other way. It helps to become familiar with the jacked-up style.

AUD - 95, BEC - 85
REG - 85, Rawrrrrrr FAR - 88
Used Becker for all sections.
CA candidate not residing in CA

[Herbieherb]

Ya its totally different and you need more intense study habits. College is ez. I would study for my intermediate and advanced accounting class 1-2 days ahead of exam and still get b+…do that for cpa get a 38 LOL…think about the millions of students who take accounting classes and pass vs the few thousand who pass cpa. It's not the same!

NEW YORK- DONE

[T-rex]

I agree with Herbie on the more intense study habits. Studying for this exam has required more effort from me than undergrad and grad school combined. I'm not kidding either.

Shout out to Herbie! Rawr!

AUD - 95, BEC - 85
REG - 85, Rawrrrrrr FAR - 88
Used Becker for all sections.
CA candidate not residing in CA

[Herbieherb]

Rawr! I studied for cpa more hours than the rest of my academic life combined! Good luck on FAR T-Rex!!! Raaaaawrr!

NEW YORK- DONE

[ttd]

Undergrad and grad school combined? Wow, I'm sorry for mentioning that FAR looks anything like Intermediate Accounting class. Now, I understand that the questions are a little skewed, but as far as the materials are concerned, does FAR go into anything not covered by Intermediate?

[Anonymous]

https://www.aicpa.org/becomeacpa/cpaexam/examinationcontent/contentandskills/downloadabledocuments/csos-ssos-effective.7-1-11.pdf

starts on page 13.

Unless you're intermediate accounting class covered governmental and not-for-profit accounting, detailed IFRS convergence issues, and lengthy consolidations to name a few, you will fail this section of the exam. While I'm sure you're a real “dynamo” with basic accounting issues, I assure you, the CPA exam will blow your hair back. Good luck though!

[T-rex]

Thanks, Heribie. I'm going to eat it alive, T-rex style! Rawrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

FAR is far more difficult than intermediate accounting. Many exam questions are very tricky. It is an extremely difficult exam. Intelligence and accounting courses help, but they are not enough to pass.

I recommend spending time reading through the various posts on this board. The posts will give you an idea of what you'll be up against. One thing that has made this process somewhat tolerable for me was knowing what I was up against before I started. I knew what type of commitment was needed to pass. I knew that preparing for the exam would suck up about a year of my life. I was mentally and emotionally prepared from the get-go.

AUD - 95, BEC - 85
REG - 85, Rawrrrrrr FAR - 88
Used Becker for all sections.
CA candidate not residing in CA

[ttd]

Thanks for all the “encouragements” guys. ^^ And T-rex, is that one year for this section, or one year for the entire exam?

[Anonymous]

Yeah, maybe some of our comments weren't very helpful, but what you asked is like the equivalent of someone saying, “Hey, I watch law and order all the time, do I have to study or should I just sit for the bar exam now?”. Granted, you didn't KNOW that (hence why you were asking), but for most of us, this exam has taken a huge chunk out of our time and our wallets! That being said, if you did well in Intermediate Accounting, that's definitely a good foundation, but yes, you should definitely build on that with some affordable study materials. Specifically, FAR is one of the most difficult and longest because of the breadth of material it covers. If you really understand the theory of accounting, however, you should be fine…FAR is just all about mental stamina and stretching the capacity of your memory.

[T-rex]

I'm not trying to discourage you, and I doubt anyone else on here is either. I want for you to go in knowing what you are up against so that you can prepare properly for it. This exam is about preparation and perseverance. That's it.

The one year is for all four sections. It's been a bit over a year for me, but I have a very demanding job that requires reading and writing all day, and a long commute. I've done this as quickly as I could given my situation. Also, I've been out of school for a long time and I was not an accounting major (but I did take intermediate accounting). There are folks on this board who pass all four sections within two months, which is pretty amazing!

mla1169 is not using a formal review course, so maybe she can give you some tips on passing without one.

AUD - 95, BEC - 85
REG - 85, Rawrrrrrr FAR - 88
Used Becker for all sections.
CA candidate not residing in CA

[ttd]

Hi BaseballCPA,

Actually all of your comments were helpful, and were information that I was looking for. So I wasn't being unthankful for your comments. I just meant that you guys were scaring me a bit, but I guess that is the reality. Like I said in my 1st post, I am a beginner trying to get an understanding of what's coming up ahead so I can get started with the right attitude/strategy. So thanks again.

[T-rex]

@ttd,

It's great that you're thinking about this stuff already! I wish you success on it when you do attempt it! 🙂

AUD - 95, BEC - 85
REG - 85, Rawrrrrrr FAR - 88
Used Becker for all sections.
CA candidate not residing in CA

[Anonymous]

Well I'm always a supporter of new people achieving the coveted designation! Don't be scared, that's definitely not the intention, but it's certainly a reality check. If you work hard, you'll pass with flying colors!

[2010Please]

@ttd – I concur with all of the previous comments…invest in a review course.

Having just finished Intermediate will be of great assistance to you but very unlikely to be enough to give you a passing score on the CPA exam. Governmental and NFP accounting can easily represent up to 24% of your FAR exam. If you don't have a good grasp on these topics, this alone will be your demise. Everyone's test is different, but historically, some of the nastiest of nasty of Intermediate is on the exam – and the questions are somewhat twisted and convoluted with lots of “extra” info in questions – got to know what you need and what you don't need to answer the question. Plus, there is no time to think about how to do something – you have to know it, do it, and move on.

The review courses have one goal – to help you pass the CPA exam by focusing on the areas most likely tested and teaching you to do it, and to do it quickly.

Good Luck!

AUD 92, REG 85, BEC 90, FAR 85
Ethics 100
Obtained License 7/11/11 🙂

[kb24]

@ttd

As others have mentioned, FAR includes not only the topics from Intermediate Accounting but Govt/NFP and Advanced Accounting. IMO, one of the big differences between the CPA exam and college exams is the depth of understanding required. The trickiest questions I ever saw in college were straightforward compared to the ones I saw on the exam. Also, time management is a huge issue for the exams, especially FAR and REG. I think a lot of people who've had scores in the high 60's or low 70's knew the material well enough to pass but either didn't finish or rushed through some of the questions because they were short of time. Also, the SIMS count for 40% of your score, and they are tough. Like the others who've posted I'm not trying to scare you, but you're almost guaranteed to fail if you go into any of the exams thinking it will be like college. The review courses not only go over the material on the exam, but they prepare you for the wording tricks you're likely to see and help you plan your time management for the exam.

FAR 4/1/11 - 89
AUD 4/15/11 - 85
REG 4/29/11 - 80
BEC 5/13/11 - 85

[Author]

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