[Jan_in_WI]

Hi all,

I’ve lurked on this forum for quite some time, although this is my first post. I just took the FAR section yesterday, and I think I’m still recovering – lol! It’s the first section of the exam I’ve taken, and I used Becker to prepare. I definitely think I put in the necessary amount of study time.

My first multiple choice testlet went alright I thought, but the second and third were more difficult. In fact, in the third testlet, there were several questions of which I had no idea how to approach and just guessed. I think the multiple choice went fairly well overall. The increased difficulty ate up some time on the clock, and I was pressed for time on the sims. I did the written communication tabs first, but had difficulty with several tabs on one of the sims. I also couldn’t locate the research response on one of the sims. I did okay on a few tabs of the sims. The areas I struggled with were ones that required more detail than my study materials offered, which was disappointing. I knew the stuff provided in the study materials very well.

I had trouble on one of the sims with the answer boxes when I tried to change my responses. I couldn’t zero out the box to blank as it started. Instead $0 showed up in them. I hope that’s not a problem.

I’m glad I used the ear plugs, because other people were walking in and out of the testing room constantly – doors opening and shutting, coughing, sneezing, and keyboarding noise.

I don’t know what to think about passing or not. Up until I started the sims, I would have thought that I passed, but the sims were a struggle, again, because of the topics and the push for time.

I didn’t sleep well the night before the exam. I guess I was nervous and couldn’t shut off my brain. I hope so much that I passed, as I feel like I’ve run a marathon with all this studying – very exhausted now. I really don’t have a great sense as to whether or not I passed. I feel a bit deflated, like someone else mentioned in another post. It would be great to just know that I passed, but I really can’t be sure. I’m going to try to forget about FAR for a while and move on to the Audit section.

For all of you who have taken a section already, how did you mentally move on while waiting for your score?

I’m in Wisconsin. Can anyone share when I could possibly expect to learn my score?

Good luck to everyone working on this section right now. My thoughts are with you,

Jan

FAR - 94 (7/10)
AUD - 99 (8/20)
REG - 99 (10/15)
BEC - 88 (11/20)

[Anonymous]

This sounds very similar to my experience Jan. I walked out of the exam wondering what just happened, but ended up with an 80. To get the score out of my mind, I had to tell myself that it would take forever to receive it. I took FAR on May 19th and didnt receive my score online until June 29th. It's a looooong process, and even longer for WI

[Jan_in_WI]

cpajd – Oh, your wait was really long! Congratulations on your great score, though – worth the wait, I'm sure! I studied SO hard for this exam that the thought of not passing is hard to take. I hope I'm as fortunate as you. Wisconsin is a notoriously slow state for getting scores. I guess I better get over this feeling of being on the edge of my seat and move on mentally and emotionally.

FAR - 94 (7/10)
AUD - 99 (8/20)
REG - 99 (10/15)
BEC - 88 (11/20)

[whitesoxfancpa]

Don't even think about your score. I took AUD 4/26 and didn't get my score until 6/19.

Just move on and hope for the best.

AUD 96 FAR 95 REG 94 BEC 88

[Anonymous]

Jan, how much time did you spend preparing for the simulations? Did you do all the ones in Becker?

Thanks for sharing your feedback, and good luck!

[Jan_in_WI]

Anagha – I spent quite a bit of time preparing for the sims. I did not do every Becker sim, especially Govt/Nonprofit categories (those are less likely to be tested as sims on the actual exam, and I have worked in these areas, so they were easy for me). The Becker sims are useful for understanding the format of the sims on the actual exam, but in terms of content, the sims on the actual exam could be about anything. The main reason I struggled with some of the material on the sims, I believe, is because it was more detailed than the material I had studied. I knew the overview of the topic, but not in enough detail needed for some parts of the sims. I don't know how anyone could prepare for these minute details in full, as the sims could be about anything – and who knows everything about everything? So, it's the nature of the beast, I think.

Jan

FAR - 94 (7/10)
AUD - 99 (8/20)
REG - 99 (10/15)
BEC - 88 (11/20)

[Anonymous]

Jan,

I took FAR today, and have more or less the same experience as you. I struggled with the sims- that seems to be the case always with me, one tab required journal entries over a topic not covered, 2 other tabs I was confused over how to figure out the answer etc.. In the mcq's I too had to guess on a few, more than in AUD or BEC. They definitely seemed hard; however I'm pretty sure that I had reached a point that any more studying wouldn't have really made a difference. That's the frustrating part….

Which section are you now studying for?

[Jan_in_WI]

Anagha, it's on to the AUD section next! Woo! Hoo! :o) Boy, I sure hope I passed FAR, because every day that goes by without studying any more for it is a good day, even though I'm now working on the audit section. Your passing scores are great! Any advice on AUD? I bet you passed FAR with flying colors! Let's check in again when we get our FAR scores. Good luck!

Jan

FAR - 94 (7/10)
AUD - 99 (8/20)
REG - 99 (10/15)
BEC - 88 (11/20)

[Anonymous]

Jan,

You'll likely find AUD far easier than FAR! For AUD, having a good memory and remembering the details helps a lot. Audit questions tend to test detail quite a bit. I took an undergrad Audit course for my MAcc some time back with a great professor- so that helped too. Good luck- have you scheduled a date already?

[Jan_in_WI]

Anagha, Yes, I'm scheduled for 8/14. Yikes! I get anxious just saying the date! Unfortunately, I have a health problem that needs attention, and I will be having surgery just a few days before the exam. Sure hope I'm recovered enough to think straight – lol. No other dates that work for me are available at this point, and I don't want to miss this window.

Jan

FAR - 94 (7/10)
AUD - 99 (8/20)
REG - 99 (10/15)
BEC - 88 (11/20)

[financeguy]

You are having a surgery just days before the FAR exam? I would definitely not do that. I would highly recomend you schedule the exam before your surgery.

AUD - 81, BEC - 74, 80, FAR - 82, REG - 81
Done!

[Anonymous]

Jan I can say with about 80% confidence that you probably passed.

[Anonymous]

Hey guys,

I just took FAR and the first testlet went fairly well. The second was very hard with complex calculations and the third exam was easier with a lot more simple, straightforward questions compared to the second exam.

Anyone have any (honest) take on what this might mean?

[Anonymous]

you really can not read too much into it. What you perceive to be more difficult or easier may not be the case. I though after my Audit exam that the last testlet was easier than the second. I worried myself to death and lo and behold 94.

[Author]

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