[Nina]

So I’ve been studying for the past 2 weeks on and off. Originally, planned an 8 week plan but I fell off track. I’ve always struggled with procrastination and motivation. I also suffer from depression which tends to affect it as well.

I have 6 weeks left and I am really trying to stick to a plan. However, I am confused on what to do. I have both Roger and Ninja. I thought I would like Roger but he speaks so fast that I find myself feeling confused. With Ninja, I understand the audio and blitz videos a lot better. I decided I would go with Ninja and started reading the book. However, I realized reading the book I get confused as well. I don’t know sorry for rambling but if anyone has passed FAR within 6 weeks please let me know any tips you may have. I realized when I don’t understand something I get upset and feel like I may not be smart enough and quit.

Also, I want to add I am unemployed which sounds great because of the extra time but I am struggling to find work. That as also added to the stress. I lost my job due to covid. So, a lot of my time has been spent on applying for jobs and phone/zoom interviews.

Any tips also on balancing looking for work while trying to study? Maybe I’ll make another post asking that question.

Thanks for reading!

[water]

Most review course suggest at least 150-250 hours of study to pass FAR. If you split that up over 6 weeks you are looking at about 30-40 hours a week. Being unemployed this is definitely doable but you will need to find a pace that works for you where you can stay focused, and make sure you are understanding the material. Make a daily planner to allocate your study time. I would give the Roger Lectures another chance and try to do, say 70 minutes a day while taking notes on them. You are not going to understand everything on FAR first try. There are thousands of questions believe me you are going to get some of them wrong. The hard part is looking at why you are wrong, but it is what you have to do in order to learn. Once you accept that getting questions wrong is not a big deal then it gets easier.

[Recked]

6 weeks for FAR would be tough.
I did 10 weeks at 25 hours a week.
I'm not sure my mind could have absorbed any more, and faster. But I'm also older and out of school for a while and it was my first exam.
If all else fails, just use the Roger method as outlined in the review course. Watch the video, read the book if you have to, and work the MCQs. Once you finish all of the Roger MCQs, switch over to Ninja and keep hammering away at them until you are getting solid scores.
It's not at all uncommon to feel completely lost and in over your head on the CPA exams, especially on FAR.
Just. Keep. Pushing!

[Road2CPA]

@Nina I was in the same boat. Originally scheduled for 8 weeks, got sick and didn't study for 2 weeks. At that time I only had about 5 weeks left (3 weeks currently remaining), so I took the Ninja approach and just went through all the remaining lessons in about a week and half (stopped doing the MCQs after each lesson). Now with a little less than 3 full weeks remaining, I'm just working the MCQs and TBSs, while handwriting notes on the questions I missed. I work full-time, so my evenings 6pm-9pm (sometimes a little later) and weekends are dedicated to studying, and I have PTO planned for the 3 days prior to my exam date. I will say this approach was different from my approach for the first 3 exams, but I seem to have a little bit more confidence and retaining more because I'm not working complex problems, and then stopping to read/watch videos in between. Instead, I'm consistently working problems that seem to build on each other (without interruption), and then I do a quick review of some of the harder problems for about 20-30 minutes at the beginning of my study hours each evening.

I say all of that to say, while I haven't passed FAR just yet, I'm in the same boat, and feel that it's doable. Keep in mind, I haven't been in an accounting class in 10+ years and this exam process has definitely been challenging, but definitely requires some structure and discipline.

[TKobeCPA]

I think it is doable if you study hard. Another tip for you if you find the Rodger lectures move to0 fast, is that you can slow the lectures down to .75 speed. That may make the pace a little more digestible and help you retain the information better.
Good Luck!

[Professor Farnsworth]

It all depends on the review course you use. For example I use Roger and you can definitely finish all the material for FAR in a month and leave yourself about 2 weeks for reviewing. When it comes to efficiently and effectiveness I think Roger is the best in that regard. The lectures are not that long and they cover everything you need. For FAR I was able to do a topic a day (I was also working part-time and doing a masters) so its very doable. Just watch Roger's lectures, do the mcqs afterwards and make sure you meet those Smartpath goals and you'll be fine! Roger perfected the studying process for the CPA exams, just trust and process and keep studying.

[Author]

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