[Scared-cpa]

Hi guys, I posted on here a while back needing a game plan to study for a FAR retake. I just now received my performance report in the mail and here are my results…

Framework and Standards – Comparable
Financial Statement Accounts – Weaker
Specific Transactions/Events – Stronger
Governmental – Comparable
Not-for-Profit – Stronger

Multiple Choice – Comparable
Simulations – Weaker

After getting this, it confirmed what I thought walking out of Prometric…I would have probably passed if I had not bombed the sims. But here we are…
I just started studying again today and my original plan was to rewatch all lecture videos, take notes, do the MCQs and SIMs per section, and use Ninja MCQ at the same time. But it seems I didn’t do awful on the multiple choice and should maybe focus more on Financial Statement Accounts and JE and just do a heavy review on everything else? Or should I stick with my original plan?

I would like to retake mid-January. I’ve only started restudying today, but it seems like I’m not moving as fast as I should be to go back through all the lectures and take notes like I originally intended. Should I just do this anyway and work harder or should I just hammer mcqs, focus on financial statements and journal entries, and heavily review it all at the same time?

I apologize for another post on tips for review but my performance report suggests to me that I am okay in most areas, so I should just review to keep it all fresh and focus on a few weak areas? Or am I totally wrong and just kidding myself?

I’m using CPAexcel and Ninja MCQ. 4 weeks!

[RE2PECT]

Hopefully you passed and just need to get BEC over with. I know you're gonna rock that next time.

I just purchased the test bank. I felt like the whole course would just be overkill since I already have Roger and the 10 pt combo. I started out doing a set of 20 for each section and then cumulative sets. There's so many questions it's going to take me a while just to see them all once. I really bought it for the sims, but the mcq's are no joke! I've been asking everyone this, but did you practice any sims and did you think they helped?

FAR: 75 Roger & Ninja (notes/flashcards/audio/MCQ)
AUD: 73, 81
BEC: 71, retake 8/29
REG:

[mtaylo24]

I agree, the REG MCQs are ridiculous, I used mostly Ninja for those. Freaking paragraphs every question.

Lol you're going to laugh at my sim strategy, as soon as I open up the sim I hit submit testlet, meaning I don't even try to guess at all, because I'm a half-asser. Then I would just review the answer explanation. I would use the “split horiz” function, putting the sim on top and the answer explanation on the bottom. I only did this during my final week tho, but I would have been golden if I did this over 3 weeks.

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)

[RE2PECT]

Hahaha I feel like doing that sometimes too, but I'm terrible with sims and need all the practice I can get. I'm only averaging like 60 on those too lol.

Good call on the split screen. I hate switching back and forth between the explanation and my answers.

FAR: 75 Roger & Ninja (notes/flashcards/audio/MCQ)
AUD: 73, 81
BEC: 71, retake 8/29
REG:

[Scared-cpa]

Okay guys so how does this sound…

Between Ninja MCQs and the rest of WTB I didn't complete my first go around, I have about 2,500. Over 30 days that's about 83/day but let's say I do 100.

So,
-I complete 100 mcqs per day at least
-I complete 4 SIMS per day
-I write down the problems I get wrong/notes I feel are important
-Write down and study all the journal entries I can find since I suck at these
-Review notes whenever I get the chance

Do this every day until this time in January and then sit for the exam. Does this sound okay? Between your alls responses and the fact that it seems my knowledge on mcq topics are okay (less financial statement accounts and journal entries) so maybe I'm wasting time reviewing stuff that I already have a relatively decent grasp on. Doing all of the mcqs possible will help be understand everything better and reinforce my knowledge. Over a month of doing this, I feel like my knowledge and understanding should grow. The sims, while I know aren't *super* important to study, I feel like I need to work on since I am not good at them at all. Special emphasis on journal entries should help me a lot, too. So this way I am specifically targeting the areas I am weak in while still keeping a constant review of all the material to keep it fresh (and hopefully build on) over the next month.

I know devising a review plan is a shot in the dark since I don't know the best way to restudy (start over or heavy review) but it seems like this is what most people think is best? Because if I keep doing what I'm doing, I will only finish up watching videos and taking notes by this time next month which isn't an efficient use of my time…plus I'm restudying the topics individually and it will leave no time for a final review.

[RE2PECT]

Sounds like a good plan. I would only go back and rewatch lectures for areas you are having a hard time with.

Here's a couple of links with some journal entries to go over.

https://www.principlesofaccounting.com/illustrative%20entries/entrieslist.htm

https://sites.google.com/site/farnotes/gas-34/journal-entries–fund-based-vs-government-wide

FAR: 75 Roger & Ninja (notes/flashcards/audio/MCQ)
AUD: 73, 81
BEC: 71, retake 8/29
REG:

[mtaylo24]

Could work, I'm not much of a note taker personally. I'm a habitual failure so take my advice w/ a grain of sat. I usually do audios/lectures when I'm hands-off (morning routine, getting dinner ready, sometimes during my commute). I do MCQs all day everyday, usually hit about 200+ (sets of 20 has become my go-to lately). Gleim really looks out w/ their mobile website. Sims, I would say 6 or 7 a day isn't asking too much. W/ Gleim, we have 6 or 7 sims per chapter, and I would usually try to bang out at least 1 chapter a day. I wouldn't say re-read the book, but definitely grab something condensed like Wiley focus notes or Ninja notes. I prefer focus notes (have them for all four sections), I use the google play app on my phone, but Ninja notes (have them for aud, reg, and far) are good too and shorter than focus notes (117 pages in far vs 331 slides w/ focus notes). Make time to try to make it through the Ninja notes or half the focus notes in a day.

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]

@RE2PECT I have both of those bookmarked! Thanks!

Does anyone have suggestions on how I should study journal entries? I'm going to write all of them down with their given examples, so should I just study them like that or is there a better method? I don't know if just randomly going through them like that will help or not, but I sure hope it will. Maybe once I get better at them, I can think of what journal entries would be made with each mcq that is applicable to enhance my knowledge.

@mtaylo24 “Could work” does that mean you're doubtful it will work? I have the focus notes, but I never actually looked at them haha. But at this point, I will do whatever it takes. I just want to make sure I'm spending my time doing the right things. In regard to sims, I just averaged that number to complete all the sims I have access to before I sit for the exam. I struggle with sims, obviously. For example, there will be more blanks to fill in than I think there should be, so I do what you did earlier…submit it and then review it. After I review it, I always do better on it but this is just because I know what the answers are. Because I suck so bad at sims, I always avoided them when I was originally studying. But I know I can't do that this time. I just hate them so…sooooo much!

[mtaylo24]

@scared_cpa “could work”, not being doubtful, nothing is guaranteed w/ this exam. I have been trying to crack the code for a while, and I'm slowly getting there, but it sounds like you are giving yourself a fighting chance 😉. Seriously, give the focus notes a try, 1 module at a time, and you will see they are pretty good. They are FLOODED w/ journal entries and they aren't too painful to read!

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]

Ohh lots of journal entries are right up my alley! I will definitely look at them tomorrow!

If you don't mind me asking, what was your study techniques when you failed v. when you passed you exams? What do you think was the difference between a pass or fail for you?

[mtaylo24]

^^^For Aud, it had to be luck. I really didn't do anything different, just read more and went through the course a few times. It took me 3 years to pass Auditing, Failed Dec 2012, failed twice in 2013, quit, started back up in Nov 15 and pass my first shot. For REG, my improvement attempt 2 was doing Gleim book questions over and over, but not enough. Added Ninja MCQ attempt 3, hit review phase the day before and got a 74. Pretty much did the same for my 75, but added sims and hit review phase a week earlier. For both of my passes, I thought there was no way in hell that I would come close to passing.

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]

Thanks for the info. It seems like I am going to be doing what you did for your reg pass…ninja mcq, sims, and taking notes. How long did it take you to hit review? I've got 4 weeks so I'm hoping that's long enough. Does it usually go by the number of questions you have answered or the number you've gotten right or do you know? Also, what were your trending and average when you passed? Sorry for all the questions 🙂

[mtaylo24]

^^^No worries at all. My strategy for Ninja is to do all of the new questions first in custom. I try to 0 out the “questions not seen column” in the progress report first. That takes about 5-7 days depending on the section. Next, I try to 0 out the “questions not answered correctly column” in the progress report. This is by doing all of the “missed last time seen” questions until none are left. Takes about 3-4 days. This gets you to review phase. DISCLAIMER: I just tried to do the same for FAR, but I started out w/ Ninja. I hit review like 2 weeks before my test. After I hit that, I was kind of confused of where to proceed. A piece of me wanted to just reset and go again. I did adaptive sets in 20s, but I was still missing mad questions, so I started baking in sims, focus notes, and gleim mcqs. Not sure how I did on FAR, so I can't really tell whether the strategy will work for FAR, but it did me justice in REG.

Here are my Ninja stats for my REG pass:

Reg attempt # 4

Trending 78%
136 hours
Average 62%
4909 Questions attempts
Review phase met

And this is what I just did for FAR (as you see my scores were horrible LOL)

FAR attempt # 2

Trending 58%
215 hours
Average 43%
5587 Questions attempts
Review phase met

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]

So if I do ninja mcq like you, I should hit review phase in a little under 2 weeks which would leave me 2 weeks in the review phase. Hmm…that's interesting. Is that a bad thing or do I just keep doing mcqs over and over until exam day?

And thanks for the stats, I really appreciate it! I know WTB stats are different but I was averaging about 68 or 69% before the exam. Once I went back over questions I had missed originally, my percent went up to 72 or so, but I still didn't know enough obviously. So I like to see how ninja percentages translate into an actual score.

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