[osidecompass]

Ok, so as I’m sure you all are aware, Reg is terrible. I’m sitting in the Prometric parking lot feeling violated and destroyed. I felt reasonably prepared for the exam, with maybe the exception of a fewer of the more esoteric items. The test resembled something from another planet. It’s sad really because I know I learned a lot about tax and now as an auditor can reasonably speak to topics and even provide exceptions! But apparently this test didnt like that. Inane topics for MC questions, including multiple questions asking for the same calc. which I didnt know for any of them. I’m glad they tested that instead of some of the other 800 topics in this section that I spent loads oc time studying. Good luck to all taking Reg and be forewarned that it will crush your soul. I’m going to go drive and get lost somewhere. How could Pete and Tim led me so far astray?

AUD - 99 (10/4/10)
FAR - 92 (11/29/10)
BEC - 87 (1/24/11)
REG - 90 (5/30/11)

[jmd494]

@ WhyMe – LINK: https://goo.gl/uwnTv

[mnCPAwannabe]

@jmd494 I don't know if it will comfort you at all… but that is about the exact same experience I had on REG this past window using Becker as a review course.

FAR: 84
AUD: 95
REG: 78
BEC: 88
ETHICS: 100

[jmd494]

Thanks mcCPAwannabe. I'm just not going to think about it. 2.5 months is too long to dwell.

[WhyMe23]

Thanks for the link jmd….I will try to memorize the 2010 amounts and hope nothing too specific comes up.

B - 85 (5/31/11)
A - 93 (7/1/11)
R - 87 (7/29/11)
F - 77 (8/31/11)

[osidecompass]

Hey Everyone,

I had meant to post back on the forum after score release, but I had forgotten what the topic name was when it went off the front page of Jeff's forums.

@CPAMan – Yeah, I don't really know what to say, I didn't intend to be that “sand-bagging” kid who says he failed and then beats the snot out of the exam. Like you alluded, I think I did maybe know more than I thought and I probably got lucky on some guesses as well. When I wrote the original post, I was about to drive off a cliff and proceeded to drive my wife insane until scores were released. Also, with the weighting of questions, you never know how things are going to end up. Maybe the ones I missed were easy ones and not worth that many points. That might have been part of it.

I think my advice would be as follows: 1. Make sure to read Becker's book. I didn't reread any section of the exam, but would have gotten some more multiple choice right if I had. 2. Try and research simulation answers if you have time. I allotted myself about an hour and a half for the Sims and I guess it worked out all right. 3. In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have been so dramatic. I think you just have to study hard, take the test and wait to see what happens with the score. You can only do the best you can, if you don't slack off.

Not to be pretentious, but anyone have any questions, I'll help as best I can!

AUD - 99 (10/4/10)
FAR - 92 (11/29/10)
BEC - 87 (1/24/11)
REG - 90 (5/30/11)

[WhyMe23]

@osidecompass

Did you only use Becker materials? I am only using 2011 Becker (and ninja notes) but I have heard a lot of bad things about Becker for REG so I was a little nervous about that. Also, did you have more specific calculations or more theory?

B - 85 (5/31/11)
A - 93 (7/1/11)
R - 87 (7/29/11)
F - 77 (8/31/11)

[osidecompass]

Hey Whyme23, I only used Becker and am an auditor, so I really have no background in taxes. I had a post about using only Becker somewhere else on the forum where i went section by section on how I thought Becker did, if you want to check it out.

Here's the thing with Becker. I think the videos (self study) and book are good. I think as long as you put in the time studying, they should be okay. I did all lectures, all HW problems until cleared (twice), all supplemental questions until cleared (twice) and the simulations once. I also did the practice exams also. It's important to understand the concepts rather than just memorize formulas or mnemonics. If the examiners don't ask you the information in the format of the mnemonic or formula, you need to be able to adapt quickly, so that's my take.

As far as content goes, I can't be super specific, however I spent a lot more time on complex calculations than it appeared I needed to. I would have read the tax portions of the chapters a little more closely than I should have. The simulations I had were very difficult and tested multiple different skill bases.

AUD - 99 (10/4/10)
FAR - 92 (11/29/10)
BEC - 87 (1/24/11)
REG - 90 (5/30/11)

[Anonymous]

i'm going to post a more detailed recap in the REG thread, but wanted to say that I tested Friday 7/1 and didn't have any 2011 amounts on my exam.

It was obvious because the question either said 2010 amounts or the answer using 2011 amounts wasn't available. HTH.

[WhyMe23]

Thanks dorky, I will only focus on the 2010 amounts. Good to know that before I start studying both and wasting time.

B - 85 (5/31/11)
A - 93 (7/1/11)
R - 87 (7/29/11)
F - 77 (8/31/11)

[mnCPAwannabe]

@WhyMe23

I only used Becker materials as well. I didn't do nearly as well on REG due to my own issues, but still passed. If I had to say I'd estimate 95% of my REG questions were in that Becker book SOMEWHERE.

PS. I took it in May so it was 2011 materials.

FAR: 84
AUD: 95
REG: 78
BEC: 88
ETHICS: 100

[WhyMe23]

Thanks, that makes me feel better that Becker should be enough to pass. I am trying to identify weak areas in Becker (I also have a new Corporate/Partnership Tax textbook) and I am planning to focus more on tax than Blaw. So far reading the Becker material post-lecture is taking so much time I am questioning whether it is even worth it.

I know S corporations is one weak area so I will read the corresponding chapter in my other textbook and do some additional problems. Are there any other specific areas that Becker was not as strong on?

B - 85 (5/31/11)
A - 93 (7/1/11)
R - 87 (7/29/11)
F - 77 (8/31/11)

[kb24]

@Whyme

I had access to the Becker text but not the videos so I don't know what exactly is covered in them. However, I would strongly warn you against ignoring any of the ancillary material on REG. The general consensus has been that it's much more heavily tested than the ancillary classification would indicate it should be.

FAR 4/1/11 - 89
AUD 4/15/11 - 85
REG 4/29/11 - 80
BEC 5/13/11 - 85

[WhyMe23]

Kb/others, I plan to read the ancillary material. I just find it so time consuming to read every page (non-ancillary) after the lectures and question the cost/benefit. I was able to do if for audit because it was less material but this seems overwhelming.

I am considering switching to: lectures, then quickly skimming the non-ancillary instead of reading, reading the ancillary, then reviewing flash cards and Jeff's notes, then mcq. How does that sound?

Also, any weak areas other than S-corps you would focus on outside of Becker?

B - 85 (5/31/11)
A - 93 (7/1/11)
R - 87 (7/29/11)
F - 77 (8/31/11)

[mnCPAwannabe]

@WhyMe23 – Make sure you hit the huge chunk of ancillary material in R4 hard. It was a big portion of my exam.

FAR: 84
AUD: 95
REG: 78
BEC: 88
ETHICS: 100

[kb24]

@whyme – I'm much more of a visual learner than an auditory one so I would need to read the material thoroughly even if I'd listened to the lectures. That's why using just the text worked for me. If you feel that you learn the material well listening to the lectures, your plan sounds OK. Just be sure to do as many MCQ as humanly possible to get practice on details. I didn't really have a complaint about a specific topic in Becker except S corp. However, overall I didn't feel that it went into the detail that the exam required. That's where doing the MCQ really helped me. You also want to do as well as you possibly can on the MCQ to help compensate for the SIMS. They're unreal on REG.

FAR 4/1/11 - 89
AUD 4/15/11 - 85
REG 4/29/11 - 80
BEC 5/13/11 - 85

[Author]

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