[Faintear]

I just finished watching all the lectures for FAR from Yaeger. I’ve also read the book and taken a lot of notes, but when I start doing the Wiley test bank questions, it’s making me seem like I’ve learned nothing. There are some questions that I understand have familiar with because I have seen it during lectures and read it off the book. While at other times, I have no idea where they are coming up with the questions. Seem like they want to test every single little detail.

Am I doing something wrong here or is this just the normal process…?

[Givemesleep]

I felt the same way the first time thru. Stick with it, read the book and keep doing MCQs. I have done 2000 plus mcqs and 90ish sims. It's starts to stick after a while. Take one topic at a time, before moving one. Chip away and have confidence in yourself. We all have roughly the same skill level and the same study materials. Keep thinking roughly half pass half fail, which makes it seem doable. It is tough material. Dont give up

Reg 11/15/2011 - 80
Aud 02/28/2012 - 81
Bec 05/31/2012 - 78
Far 08/31/2012 - 83 Do you believe in Miracles, YES !!!

CPA License received 10/2012 !!
CFE License received 04/2013 !!
EA License received

Givemesleep

[Anonymous]

I always see people on here talk about how they primarily learn through multiple choice. While that is certainly a way to do it, I find that extremely inefficient. In my opinion, it's best to KNOW the material before even starting to do the multiple choice. FAR is definitely the one test where it's hard to know everything from just the book and you will always gleam small nuggets from the multiple choice, but even with the book on FAR, if you know the material in the book, you should be able to get 70s or 80s on most of the topics your first time through. And, the benefit of getting 70s or 80s on the first time through is that you only need to do a short second pass through (definitely not all of the problems again – maybe just a few to make sure you have the basics down and then the ones you marked the first time through. You definitely don't need to end up doing the thousands upon thousands of questions that people on here always talk about.

For me to understand the material before even starting the multiple choice, it's not enough to simply listen to the lecture, reread the book, or look through your notes again [at least for the hard topics]. After watching the lecture, I go back through the book page by page and make my own flash cards on everything from the major points to the smaller points that they're liable to test you on. Then, I quiz myself on the flashcards until I feel comfortable with all of the material. Only then do I start the multiple choice. I've found this method extremely helpful especially because if you're learning the multiple choice, you may be liable to end up learning the problems than the material in addition to the fact that it takes forever to keep on going through the multiple choice over and over again.

[Faintear]

I also have the idea where I'm just learning the questions instead of the material constantly running through the back of my head. But, doing the questions has helped me with some techniques and I've written notes on concepts that I seem to have missed.

I'm definitely taking notes on the things that I am messing up on.

[Anonymous]

Try doing the MCQs in REG w/o reading first and you're guaranteed to get < 20% correct..lol

[Anonymous]

CPATerminator's post proves my point. Once you learn the material from the book, I've been scoring high 80s into the 90s on the first try. It's way easier and FAR less frustrating than just going right at the multiple choice before you truly know the material.

[Faintear]

I thought I knew the material. ….until I started doing the questions.

[Anonymous]

Ya it's really hard. It's definitely not enough to just have a broad grasp of all of the topics. It's really necessary to know the small stuff too

[Anonymous]

and the small stuff also gets tested sometimes, which could be considered “difficult” and thus increasing your chances of passing if you have memorized the book. lol. My college Professors always said, “you study to pass, you don't to get a 90%+. The goal is to maximize your score.”

[Anonymous]

CPATerminator, I honestly don't understand the underlying point of most of your posts in terms of what you are trying to convey… Are you trying to say you should know the small stuff or you shouldn't because you're only “trying to pass” and not get a 90+?

[Faintear]

Having a horrible night. Turns out I am blanking out on a lot of these questions. I am able to get most of the questions correct for the smaller topics like Interim reporting, Segment Reporting, Foreign Currency. The basic concepts and things aren't too bad and I'm also doing pretty well on Governmental and Not For Profit. Not sure why I'm struggling so much on things like Fixed Assets, Bonds, and Monetary Assets.

I have my notes and Ninja Notes, but doing these questions on the Wiley test bank, I'm how sure how the notes apply to the questions that are showing up.

…maybe I'm just stupid. =/

[Faintear]

I swear… some of these questions…

You teach a small child how to do simple addition. When test time comes, you ask them to add fractions.

[Anonymous]

Hang in there Faintear. Make sure once you get the material down to go back and review it.

[Faintear]

I'm trying to hang it in there. Maybe I'm just frustrated since I put almost 200 hours in study time in July and some of these questions are making me feel like I haven't learn a thing.

On one of the Wiley test bank question, for Monetary Current Asset and Liabilities, they asked how much should the employer deposit in his bank to the special payroll checking account to cover the payroll for one of the employees. I have to calculate the net pay from the gross pay and to do that I know I have to deduct the federal income tax and the FICA tax. I know that the employer also has to pay his share of the taxes. In this question, FICA is calculated 3 times. One to subtract from the employee's gross pay and twice for the employer. It said that the employer has to pay for his share and the and employee's share of the FICA tax. Ok.

Then on another question, it said to calculate the payroll tax the employer has to pay. So based off of the other question, I calculate the FICA twice since I thought that the employer once again has to pay for his share and the employee's share. Turns out, that is wrong and the employer only has to put down his share. Can someone explain this? The book in this section doesn't even explain much about payroll. It just shows the journal entries.

[Herbieherb]

I studied the old way college style ,read book get 90…but when it came to CPA it was read book get 40 LOL…for me mcq practice was the ticket to freedom.

NEW YORK- DONE

[Anonymous]

@Faintear…don't stress about it….They mainly test the important topics and not in detail…Just go in there with a positive attitude…

[Author]

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