[Scared-cpa]

I’m only a week into studying for the FAR exam (my first section – never taken the exam before) and I’m currently finishing up SEC info and moving onto balance sheets. I’m using Wiley CPAexcel.

Should I just do the assigned MCQs and TBS’s right now and wait until I’m done with the material to do MCQs in the test bank or what? Is there a point of doing MCQs right now over information that I haven’t covered yet? I’m just afraid it will confuse me. But y’all know better than me!

[Lashifty]

Far was my first test in July and I got an 82 on it. Figuring out how to study for it is relative. I also used Becker and ninja mcq for extra practice.

What I found worked for me was to skip the videos entirely and copy the notes/highlights from the eBook. After I would read a section and make my own note cards with info/rules. Then take half the MC for that 1 section. Repeat for the rest of the chapter. After I was done, I would reread the entire chapter Then do half the optional MC and all the sims. Then go to the next chapter. Every Morning I would go through my notecards making sure they are muscle memorized in my head as well as take a quick 10 mcq progress test with all chapters selected. Before I started on the next chapter, I would do a 10 Mcq progress test for each chapter.

What I found was repetition, repetition, repetition! worked for me so I my brain could recognize things. It's a TON of info and took my 2 months studying full time.

It may have been overkill but I am a moron and a passing grade is a passing grade.

GL!

[mtaylo24]

3 months is plenty of time to do it the right way. If you are short on time, then MCQ until you puke is the way to go. I gave myself 2 months for FAR, and really think an extra month would have done me justice. It all depends on your time-frames. I think I made it through everything twice before I started banging it out for final review, not sure if I passed though…I can say this though, something magical happens during that 2 weeks of final review where you question what the heck you have been doing the last month and a half.

AUD - 1st - 60 (12/12), 61 (2/13), 61 (8/13), 78! (11/15)
REG - 55 (2/16) 69 (5/16) Retake(8/16)
BEC - 71(5/16) Retake (9/16)
FAR - (8/16)

[Scared-cpa]

I'm trying to work through MCQs and literally 4 or 5 questions in, my brain begins to throb and I simply cannot focus!

I'm currently doing Statement of Cash Flows – Operating Expenses in Indirect Method. It's no fun. No fun at all. I actually hate it.

I've read the book, watched the videos, taken notes…

So I'm working through MCQs in study mode and I just cannot bring myself to do so many of them. There are 39 available and I can't do more than 4 or 5 before I have to get up and do something else. My head hurts and I can't seem to comprehend what I'm reading…like I'm half asleep or something.

This really concerns me because there's no way for me to successfully do this without a ton of MCQs and right now that just seems impossible.

It's like a rollercoaster where I will do good one day and feel confident, then the next day I'm struggling and just want to cry.

[waffle_house]

Do the questions after each topic covered. Then a few days later go back to the questions and do them again. Repeat. Pass.

[Jordan Clark]

The biggest thing this exam tests us on is our determination to pass. I am taking FAR on Sept 8th, so I haven't passed or failed yet, but will share with you how I studied using WileyCPA.

I had about 2.5 months, I started at the beginning of July. I did two lessons a day, there are 75 or so lessons so doing 2 a day gets you through all the material in 38 days. When I did a lesson I would first read the entire section of the book that the lesson was over while taking extensive notes. Then I would do he MCQs in study mode, I know in some lessons the MCQs are very discouraging and time consuming. But because I read and took notes I actually knew what I was reading in the question and was much more proficient. If you are getting the right answers it is a lot easier to take 39 question quiz than it is when you don't know what you are doing. After going through the study mode and reading the explanations on what I got wrong, I took the quiz in exam mode, just so it would register that I did it. I did not watch lectures, unless the lesson was very difficult (i.e. bonds). So that's what I did to get though all the material in a little over a month. I studied about 2-4 hours a day depending on how big a lesson was. I did get behind some days but I just kept going and went back to the ones I missed at the end of the week or something like that.

Now I'm in my review stage and I'm spending two hours a day watching lectures. There are 40 or so hours of lecture and when I started review I had about 20 or so days till the exam, so watching two hours a day gets me though all the lectures. After I watch the lectures I take quizzes on the topics I've watched plus the ones I watched the days before, so it is cumulative. When I'm struggling in an area I go back to it.

I haven't taken my exam yet so I do not know if my method will result in a pass or not. I'm like you though in that I have days where I feel really good, then days I get mad at these stupid questions with their stupid little details… But I encourage you to not give up. Even if I decide to leave accounting one day I still want to have passed this exam because it will be a show of my determination and willingness not to give up. You just gotta hang in there, you'll eventually find a study method that works for you. If you are getting MCQs wrong, don't get mad or discouraged, get even! Find out why you're getting them wrong and you won't again!

[Author]

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