[Anonymous]

I’ve only had 6 weeks allocated to study for FAR, my 2nd attempt (suggested study time is approx. 10 weeks, or 200 hours). i earned a 57 the first time, taken 2 years ago out of college. for what it’s worth, i only studied the first 7 out of 10 chapters of FAR (less gov’t, NFP, and other misc. concepts) and had no time to review. of course, by the time i sat down for the test, i had not remembered a thing clearly from previous studies. i couldn’t even remember whether or not salvage value was taken into consideration for DDB depreciation (it isn’t, darn).

anyway, needless to say, i’ve got less than 2 weeks to study chapters 8-10 AND do a review. i do have a 2 hour round-trip commute and a regular job.

anyone been in this intense situation before on FAR? what’s your suggested plan of attack? finish the 3 chapters by end of this week, and do progress tests of 20 MCQs per chapter? skip the sims for last, if i even have time for it at all?

[CPAfit]

I would say NINJA notes and MCQs, i personally feel the lectures or just reading the chapters hasn't done much good for me. Also don't skip the sims as it really helps the concepts sink in. Good luck on your exam

[CPAfit]

I would say NINJA notes and MCQs, i personally feel the lectures or just reading the chapters hasn't done much good for me. Also don't skip the sims as it really helps the concepts sink in. Good luck on your exam

[JamesBJames]

In your situation, I would lean toward rescheduling the exam. Two weeks to learn three chapters you've never touched and to re-learn seven chapters that you only sort of understood the first time around… while working? I'm not even sure if Becker FastPass crams FAR into two weeks, and that's for people usually straight out of college who have all the time in the world.

Hell, it's not the worst thing in the world to take it in the next testing window — you still have two attempts before your AUD credit expires, after all.

If you're absolutely dead set on taking FAR at the end of May… well… is it possible to take vacation time off from your job? You're gonna want all the time you can get. I would recommend skimming everything you did previously and then putting a solid effort into understanding governmental and not-for-profit accounting (a combined 20%ish of the exam). Then, do MCQs until your brain hurts. I've read of a couple people who have passed just by doing insane amounts of MCQs and trying to learn from their mistakes.

At any rate, good luck.

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]

In your situation, I would lean toward rescheduling the exam. Two weeks to learn three chapters you've never touched and to re-learn seven chapters that you only sort of understood the first time around… while working? I'm not even sure if Becker FastPass crams FAR into two weeks, and that's for people usually straight out of college who have all the time in the world.

Hell, it's not the worst thing in the world to take it in the next testing window — you still have two attempts before your AUD credit expires, after all.

If you're absolutely dead set on taking FAR at the end of May… well… is it possible to take vacation time off from your job? You're gonna want all the time you can get. I would recommend skimming everything you did previously and then putting a solid effort into understanding governmental and not-for-profit accounting (a combined 20%ish of the exam). Then, do MCQs until your brain hurts. I've read of a couple people who have passed just by doing insane amounts of MCQs and trying to learn from their mistakes.

At any rate, good luck.

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]

I can't reschedule. Do you really think it'll be that hard to cram 3 chapters and do a quick review? We have a long weekend (Memorial Day), plus my work gives me Thursday off that week to study before I take it on Friday.

Even if I weren't ready at all…I think it's still a good idea to take the test. And then immediately study again the next window. I think it'd be a waste not to take it this window, considering you can only take an exam once per window. Also, with upcoming tax (extension) season, I really only have 2 chances to take it.

You're right though about asking for additional time off. I may ask for the entire last week of May off, depending on where I am by the end of this week.

[Anonymous]

I can't reschedule. Do you really think it'll be that hard to cram 3 chapters and do a quick review? We have a long weekend (Memorial Day), plus my work gives me Thursday off that week to study before I take it on Friday.

Even if I weren't ready at all…I think it's still a good idea to take the test. And then immediately study again the next window. I think it'd be a waste not to take it this window, considering you can only take an exam once per window. Also, with upcoming tax (extension) season, I really only have 2 chances to take it.

You're right though about asking for additional time off. I may ask for the entire last week of May off, depending on where I am by the end of this week.

[Anonymous]

I've been studying for 3 months – 250 hrs and still don't feel ready 😛 – I take the exam tomorrow.

I'd definitely ask for time off! I've been off since Monday basically wrapping up my final review.

[Anonymous]

I've been studying for 3 months – 250 hrs and still don't feel ready 😛 – I take the exam tomorrow.

I'd definitely ask for time off! I've been off since Monday basically wrapping up my final review.

[Anonymous]

Is it doable to review Ch 1-7 and learn 8,9 & 10 in 2 weeks? I'll let you know June 9th! I'm on the Becker Self Study and found myself in a similar predicament earlier when on April 28 I realized my FAR exam was looming on May 16 and I still had not touched Ch 8, 9 & 10 and needed to begin reviewing. My plan was to learn Ch 8, which I did and I was relieved that it wasn't as much of a brain squeeze as deferred tax, pension and some of the other areas were. I then attempted to do ALL the MCQs beginning with Ch 1 and worked my way to Chapter 9, which I learned, then I finished the MCQs and simulations the two days before my Exam. The day before the exam I began re-writing the Ninja notes, and while I did not get all the way through that, I worked on the sections first that I was weakest on. Unfortunately I did not even get a chance to glance at Ch 10. Unfortunately, I do work a full time job but was able to take some time off to accomplish this. I hope it was enough! Good luck and let us know how you did!

[Anonymous]

Is it doable to review Ch 1-7 and learn 8,9 & 10 in 2 weeks? I'll let you know June 9th! I'm on the Becker Self Study and found myself in a similar predicament earlier when on April 28 I realized my FAR exam was looming on May 16 and I still had not touched Ch 8, 9 & 10 and needed to begin reviewing. My plan was to learn Ch 8, which I did and I was relieved that it wasn't as much of a brain squeeze as deferred tax, pension and some of the other areas were. I then attempted to do ALL the MCQs beginning with Ch 1 and worked my way to Chapter 9, which I learned, then I finished the MCQs and simulations the two days before my Exam. The day before the exam I began re-writing the Ninja notes, and while I did not get all the way through that, I worked on the sections first that I was weakest on. Unfortunately I did not even get a chance to glance at Ch 10. Unfortunately, I do work a full time job but was able to take some time off to accomplish this. I hope it was enough! Good luck and let us know how you did!

[pikachu]

I did FAR in 4 weeks. Allocated 200 pages per week, which is about chapters 8-10? Using Wiley. The end of the text, except for government, was pretty straight forward. I did government last.

I found it helpful, especially since Wiley MCQ are sequential, to do MCQ, 1 by 1, review each question after I answer, and take notes, since notes and questions build on each other.

FAR: 2/23/14 77 (1 month studying)
AUD: 5/25/14 68
AUD: 7/13/14 72
AUD: 10/12/14 72
I GIVE UP

[pikachu]

I did FAR in 4 weeks. Allocated 200 pages per week, which is about chapters 8-10? Using Wiley. The end of the text, except for government, was pretty straight forward. I did government last.

I found it helpful, especially since Wiley MCQ are sequential, to do MCQ, 1 by 1, review each question after I answer, and take notes, since notes and questions build on each other.

FAR: 2/23/14 77 (1 month studying)
AUD: 5/25/14 68
AUD: 7/13/14 72
AUD: 10/12/14 72
I GIVE UP

[GuitarSalad]

I allocated 7 weeks for FAR while working full time. I have to take the exam by the end of May or I wouldn't have put myself on that kind of schedule. I know this doesn't help now, but I put myself on a ‘get through the materials in 3 weeks' schedule. I finished in about 3.5 weeks and have been reviewing since. My suggestion might be to try to do all the MCQs associated with the materials you haven't gone over and then do a review of why you missed them. It could save you a little bit of time. Granted, it looks like you're using Becker which I'm not familiar with, so if those sections are pension, EPS and bonds, you might not be able to do it.

Regardless, what has worked best for me in my review phase is to just do lots of MCQ and make sure you understand the reasoning behind every wrong AND right answer. As I've done this, I've found my practice sessions in WTB keep getting easier and better because my knowledge is increasing. This is just as useful as going through the lectures and reading materials in my experience.

BEC 7/12/13 - 84
AUD 8/31/13 - 86
REG 4/11/14 - 84
FAR 5/30/14 - 88

Licensed AZ CPA - 10/2014

[GuitarSalad]

I allocated 7 weeks for FAR while working full time. I have to take the exam by the end of May or I wouldn't have put myself on that kind of schedule. I know this doesn't help now, but I put myself on a ‘get through the materials in 3 weeks' schedule. I finished in about 3.5 weeks and have been reviewing since. My suggestion might be to try to do all the MCQs associated with the materials you haven't gone over and then do a review of why you missed them. It could save you a little bit of time. Granted, it looks like you're using Becker which I'm not familiar with, so if those sections are pension, EPS and bonds, you might not be able to do it.

Regardless, what has worked best for me in my review phase is to just do lots of MCQ and make sure you understand the reasoning behind every wrong AND right answer. As I've done this, I've found my practice sessions in WTB keep getting easier and better because my knowledge is increasing. This is just as useful as going through the lectures and reading materials in my experience.

BEC 7/12/13 - 84
AUD 8/31/13 - 86
REG 4/11/14 - 84
FAR 5/30/14 - 88

Licensed AZ CPA - 10/2014

[Anonymous]

I have been reviewing for the last two weeks and my test is Thursday May 29, and I still don't feel 100% ready but more confident with each passing day. It's so much material, a real beast. This is my last exam to pass, and studying for this is like studying for AUD, REG and BEC combined. I'm starting to feel like Jack Nicholson from the Shining and starting to look like it according to my wife lol.

I just figured to go balls to the wall/all out for the next week and a half and then I can stop and relax, either forever or for a couple of weeks, and then take it slow for a retake in August.

[Author]

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