[jstay]

Hello all,

new to this forum, first post!

So i just started studying for FAR last weekend (using becker) did F1 completely 100%, even the optionals and felt pretty good about it. made my notes and index cards, etc. studied all week. Yesterday I did F2 lecture and today i attempted the m.c. questions. I say attempted because I only could complete about 40% which has me very frustrated. I am going to attempt to finish them tomorrow and do the sim tomorrow as well, hopefully. and monday do the progress test. I don’t know why but I just couldn’t get it today and I am so frustrated!! I feel like it was a complete waste. Anyway I’m just venting. but any tips or anything in general would be great.

I plan on taking FAR the latest possible day in august for as much study time as possible. This is my first attempt at any CPA part. In fact I don’t even have the 120 credits required to sit for my state (NY). I am currently taking a 9 short to get me to 117 and then a class ends july 3rd for 120. so I will have to send my stuff in THAT day to get my NTS in time and everything. any thoughts?

ALSO, a little post fact is that I have never taken advance accounting. So i have not learned partnerships & consolidations. But I have taken gov’t & NFP. I’ve read online that it is doable without taking the an advanced course. And once this 9-day course ends i’m going to spend at least 25-30 hours every week studying until the test date, prob more in the final 3-4 weeks. I work 20 hours a week as an intern and have to take that 4 hour course every thursday night. so from thursday- sunday i will be hitting the books hard starting june 1. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated, I feel like i am not ready for this.

Thanks. and sorry for the length , just trying to be thorough!!

[JamesBJames]

F2 has that tendency to blindside people.

Although everyone attacks FAR differently, I don't think it's a good idea to watch all three hours of lecture and then try to do all the homework problems right after. There's just too much material per section for that. I would read the matching section, then do the HW. Read long-term contracts, then do the HW, and so on.

Taking a government and NFP course will definitely help. That's one of the things I opted not to do in college (I took linear algebra as my elective, oh boy), and I think I struggled with a lot of the government and NFP questions I had on my FAR exam. You definitely don't need to have taken an advanced accounting course. Consolidations and the cost / equity method are pretty big, but Becker does a good job explaining it, and it's not like it's two chapters long.

FAR: May 1st, 2014 - 91
AUD: May 29th, 2014 - 97!
BEC: July 16th, 2014 - 91
REG: August 29th, 2014 - 88

Licensed December 2015

Feel free to add me on LinkedIn by clicking my username!

[JamesBJames]

F2 has that tendency to blindside people.

Although everyone attacks FAR differently, I don't think it's a good idea to watch all three hours of lecture and then try to do all the homework problems right after. There's just too much material per section for that. I would read the matching section, then do the HW. Read long-term contracts, then do the HW, and so on.

Taking a government and NFP course will definitely help. That's one of the things I opted not to do in college (I took linear algebra as my elective, oh boy), and I think I struggled with a lot of the government and NFP questions I had on my FAR exam. You definitely don't need to have taken an advanced accounting course. Consolidations and the cost / equity method are pretty big, but Becker does a good job explaining it, and it's not like it's two chapters long.

FAR: May 1st, 2014 - 91
AUD: May 29th, 2014 - 97!
BEC: July 16th, 2014 - 91
REG: August 29th, 2014 - 88

Licensed December 2015

Feel free to add me on LinkedIn by clicking my username!

[Anonymous]

Something to consider: When you apply for your first NTS, the process is going to take at least a month, sometimes 6 weeks or longer. And then you have to schedule. Assuming you finish 7/3 and submit your application immediately, you're looking at getting your NTS by 8/10 at best, and my guess would be that your Prometric site won't have availability at the end of August. The end of testing windows always get booked VERY quickly.

You might be looking at an early October date with FAR, to be quite honest.

[Anonymous]

Something to consider: When you apply for your first NTS, the process is going to take at least a month, sometimes 6 weeks or longer. And then you have to schedule. Assuming you finish 7/3 and submit your application immediately, you're looking at getting your NTS by 8/10 at best, and my guess would be that your Prometric site won't have availability at the end of August. The end of testing windows always get booked VERY quickly.

You might be looking at an early October date with FAR, to be quite honest.

[Anonymous]

My situation was: apply 1/17, didn't hear back as of 2/20, and had to call NASBA to even get the ball rolling. Didn't get my NTS until 3/13. Took almost 2 months!

[Anonymous]

My situation was: apply 1/17, didn't hear back as of 2/20, and had to call NASBA to even get the ball rolling. Didn't get my NTS until 3/13. Took almost 2 months!

[JamesBJames]

Definitely send in your transcripts as early as possible. I originally sent mine in January, then had some doubts about when I actually wanted to start studying, so around March I e-mailed NASBA asking, “Hey, still got my stuff?” Surprisingly, they did. I paid for my sections and got my NTS in a week and a half.

Are you sure you have to wait until July 3rd to send in your transcripts?

FAR: May 1st, 2014 - 91
AUD: May 29th, 2014 - 97!
BEC: July 16th, 2014 - 91
REG: August 29th, 2014 - 88

Licensed December 2015

Feel free to add me on LinkedIn by clicking my username!

[JamesBJames]

Definitely send in your transcripts as early as possible. I originally sent mine in January, then had some doubts about when I actually wanted to start studying, so around March I e-mailed NASBA asking, “Hey, still got my stuff?” Surprisingly, they did. I paid for my sections and got my NTS in a week and a half.

Are you sure you have to wait until July 3rd to send in your transcripts?

FAR: May 1st, 2014 - 91
AUD: May 29th, 2014 - 97!
BEC: July 16th, 2014 - 91
REG: August 29th, 2014 - 88

Licensed December 2015

Feel free to add me on LinkedIn by clicking my username!

[jstay]

Thanks guys, really helpful.

As regards to the NTS, I already applied (sent transcripts) and got denied. I told the guy who emailed me about it that he is going to mail it july 3rd and he is expecting it so hopefully that fastens it a little.

But do you think FAR is doable for me, given the three months of prep time (June, July, August) and half of may?

JamesBJames, I usually do the lecture all at once on a friday. Wake up Saturday do the m.c. and sunday usually finish m.c. and sim (or something along the lines of this process). Any thoughts on it? Do you have the book open when doing the m.c questions?

I finished the m.c. and feel a little better, gonna probably do the sim tomorrow.

[jstay]

Thanks guys, really helpful.

As regards to the NTS, I already applied (sent transcripts) and got denied. I told the guy who emailed me about it that he is going to mail it july 3rd and he is expecting it so hopefully that fastens it a little.

But do you think FAR is doable for me, given the three months of prep time (June, July, August) and half of may?

JamesBJames, I usually do the lecture all at once on a friday. Wake up Saturday do the m.c. and sunday usually finish m.c. and sim (or something along the lines of this process). Any thoughts on it? Do you have the book open when doing the m.c questions?

I finished the m.c. and feel a little better, gonna probably do the sim tomorrow.

[JamesBJames]

Nah, I do MCQs closed book. If there's a question I think I'm close on but not sure, I'll check the book before I answer (and more or less convince myself, “Sure, that was what I was leaning towards anyway!”) but I think you get more mileage out of the MCQs when you do them without help.

FAR: May 1st, 2014 - 91
AUD: May 29th, 2014 - 97!
BEC: July 16th, 2014 - 91
REG: August 29th, 2014 - 88

Licensed December 2015

Feel free to add me on LinkedIn by clicking my username!

[JamesBJames]

Nah, I do MCQs closed book. If there's a question I think I'm close on but not sure, I'll check the book before I answer (and more or less convince myself, “Sure, that was what I was leaning towards anyway!”) but I think you get more mileage out of the MCQs when you do them without help.

FAR: May 1st, 2014 - 91
AUD: May 29th, 2014 - 97!
BEC: July 16th, 2014 - 91
REG: August 29th, 2014 - 88

Licensed December 2015

Feel free to add me on LinkedIn by clicking my username!

[jstay]

Same, except F2 had me wanting to stab something through the book.

Ever get the feeling that its all too much and shit? lol I'm in one of those moods today =/

[jstay]

Same, except F2 had me wanting to stab something through the book.

Ever get the feeling that its all too much and shit? lol I'm in one of those moods today =/

[Kimboroni]

The timing on the first-time application process varies from state to state. Mine only took 2 weeks from the time that I ordered my transcripts and sent in my application to when I received my NTS.

Keep practicing the MCQs– it's too soon to start getting discouraged. My method has been to keep using my resources when doing MCQs so that I'm always learning and not getting discouraged by low percentages. The closer I get to test day, the less I need them.

AUD 84 (1/9/14-Wiley books/TB + free materials)
FAR 83 (5/21/14-the above + NINJA 10 Pt Combo Lite)
REG 84 (7/9/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC/Notes)
BEC 76 (10/5/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC)

Disclaimer: My ninja avatar is not meant to imply that I have any affiliation with this site other than being a forum member. That's a pic of a T-shirt that my daughter gave me for my birthday. 🙂

[Author]

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