[KSOZE]

I learned I passed the exam today, so I wanted to share my experience with frustrations and what I think the most efficient way to pass is. I’m going to preface this by saying that everyone is different and needs different things to learn and understand concepts. That being said, these exams are MOSTLY high-level concept based exams with (lots of) sprinkles of details to keep you on your toes. These sprinkles will make or break you.

After struggling MIGHTILY with FAR twice by budgeting 2-3 months per take, I decided to get one out of the way with BEC since I am a Finance major and knew the material would be relatively easy for me outside of cost accounting (which I did OK in also in school). I budgeted about 5.5 weeks for BEC. It ended up being 1 week too long, and I feel like I had TOO MUCH TIME to study for it. I ended up getting an 80.

Next up, I decided to TRY 3 exams in one window – FAR (third time), AUD and REG. Boy am I glad I did this. FAR I studied about 4-5 weeks (81), AUD about 3-4 weeks (81) and REG just about 2.5-3 weeks (I work in financial planning/tax – 79). All of this was done with a toddler at home and full time work.

All the people that are budgeting 3 months+ for these exams and failing over and over – TRY TO CRAM. It gears your brain up for short term misery, but I believe these exams are mostly concept based with necessary details that are IMPOSSIBLE to remember over a long period of time.

I owe my life to NINJA MCQ and GLEIM (for FAR). I did nothing else but take MCQ’s and notes on difficult subjects, with a few supplements of NINJA Audio/Blitz (for BEC only since I wanted to be “SURE” I passed the first time and get that first win), and Yaeger CRAM (for FAR only). The NINJA MCQ’s are extremely representative of the style and feel of the questions you get on the exam.

PS – Wiley stinks IMO. I followed their method my first time on FAR and got a 59 after wasting hours reading that dry text and watching those boring lectures. Their MCQ’s are too easy and SIMS are a waste of time.

BEC - 80
FAR - 81 (third attempt)
AUD - waiting for score 8/23
REG - 09/08/2016 - going to cram and wing it

OH Ethics - Completed

[Pete E. Rino]

@Rgleicher

With great difficulty I plan on doing it. About 2 chapters a week. Started studying last week and will have done F1, F7, F8, and F9. I am doing the hardest chapters first. F9 is killing me. But the good news is that the rest of it is not insanely hard for me. I am much stronger with FAR than I am compared to BEC and AUD. I enjoy most of FAR, minus the governmental and NFP accounting. I will have about 2 weeks of review once I finished the studying and I believe that will be enough if I really learn it well as I do the first round of studying. Given I took the review course back in August, I didn't start until a week after I finished with BEC. If I leave it any longer, I won't be able to finish up REG and I probably will end up burnt out. Nov 2 = FAR. Dec 1-10 = REG I hope. REG I will really have to cram in with the 8 chapters, but at least that is stuff I really enjoy. Tax and law are my love. Worst comes to worst I take it in 1Q 2017.

[iamstrong]

Hi Pete,
I'm planning to do 2 chap of AUD a week with progress tests. A month to get through the material and a month to review?

Then if i can get AUD done- I can cram for FAR retake by Dec 10th? Is a month enough for a FAR retake? According to my score report- i was fine in everything but SIMS (ugh- the dreaded sims) and Govt (go figure).

Wow- I'm feeling motivated again!

[Pete E. Rino]

@rgleicher

For audit, I did 2 days a week just because I was focusing on BEC. Here is my recommendation with Becker and how I passed. Given I got lucky because I didn't see too many questions on Evidence. I do not understand evidence to this day.
1) A1 + A2 MCQ are a must. Know those two sections like you know how to breathe. Those don't require lecture. Reading + MCQ will help ALOT. These can be done in 7-8 days of studying. There are patterns you will see anyway.
2)A3 — Do yourself a favor and watch the lecture. It is hard without it. MCQ are a must as well. Take about 5-6 days to study for this with the MCQ. 1 Day lecture, 4 days MCQ.
3)A4 — This is Mike Brown doing the lecture, so don't bother wasting your time watching it in my opinion. You are better off trying to read it yourself and really trying to understand it. This one take a whole day or two days just looking at everything. Then take like 4 days minimum to study the MCQ. This is by far the hardest section in audit for everyone I believe. Don't worry about time here is why.
4)A5 = Mike Brown again…useless. Plus is isn't heavily tested. Take a day or 2 and just go quickly through this.
5) A6 — Just focus on the first part (Ethics) Take 2-3 days of Book + MCQ. I don't know how Gearty is with going over Ethics. Ethics is about 15% of the exam according the AICPA and they are tougher than Becker questions.

With that time schedule you are allotted a one day break in between sections to relax and another day to do some progress tests if needed. It will take about 4 weeks. I don't know if you will need 4 weeks to review. If you catch on to the material in the first round of studying, then you will need about 2 weeks to stay refreshed. I took 3 days to review just because BEC was more important. I did not expect to pass but I miraculously did. For AUD, you want to know those MCQ inside out. A very good indication of how you will do on the exam and how the questions are asked. For SIMS, a lot of it is just knowing what to do when the time comes. Know about the research question. You want those free 6-7 points. That can be the difference between a Pass and Fail.

I am sure a month to refresh yourself to retake FAR will be fine. It doesn't hurt anything but your wallet to retake it in the 4th quarter.

[emichelle2321]

Unless you are fresh out of school, I don't see how it's possible to “cram” for FAR. It's taken me a week and a half of studying every single day to get the juices flowing in my brain in regards to this stuff again. Or maybe I am just a slower studier….lol.

I do think some of the lectures are way too long winded in Becker though and I'd rather just see them go over more examples than tell me to highlight literally every single damn line on the page.

[iamstrong]

Hi Pete,

Thanks so much for this. I'm on chap 3 and yes- lots to know. I also listen to the audio tapes to keep things humming. Did you use the NINJA audio notes?

[Pete E. Rino]

@Rgleicher

Just Becker. Don't worry too much about what is in the book. Most of what you will learn will be through going through the MCQ and seeing why you got something wrong, and fixing the error in the next time around and comparing it with what is in the book. That is the only way I was going to understand Audit. Becker did a great job for me. A3 is a hell to understand but Gearty actually did a pretty decent job in explaining it.

[iamstrong]

Thanks Pete
I agree- I think the Becker material is really good (it's just a lot of material) I also like the book reference in the MCQ.

[Pete E. Rino]

@rgleicher

If I was able to pass and I started off knowing nothing about Auditing, you will be fine. Becker does its job for Auditing.

[BenB]

I like Wiley a lot. I've passed two sections thus far. FAR 87, and BEC 83. I did mostly Wiley and then about 30 hours of NINJA per section. Everyone's learning style is different, evidenced by the OP. I personally thought the Becker material was dry. Not everyone is built to cram.

FAR 7/11/16 - 87
BEC 9/9/16
REG TBD
AUD TBD

[nolan7120]

Becker kills you with too many MCQ's, for FAR at least. I did Wiley questions (ones that Yaeger recommended) but used Becker's lectures and passed with an 81 in 5 weeks.

FAR (6/9/16) - 81

[KSOZE]

@dnob04 – that's hilarious and so true. In college, cramming is different than what I consider cramming for CPA exam. It's all relative I suppose. 2-3-4-5-6 weeks just seems like it's a short period of time compared to most people on here and what most education providers recommend. Maybe “cram” is not the word – accelerated study.

I'm all about efficiency, and I wish I would have done it like this from day one. I would have saved myself about 6-9 months of misery.

BEC - 80
FAR - 81 (third attempt)
AUD - waiting for score 8/23
REG - 09/08/2016 - going to cram and wing it

OH Ethics - Completed

[iamstrong]

Hey Nolan7120- you passed FAR in 5 weeks? That is awesome! I spend months preparing and still failed!

[TX LECPA]

Cramming was a life saver for me. I started out taking alot of time going over the materials and like you said ended up with too much time and not doing well on the exams. Then someone mentioned cramming and like a light bulb came on and I have passed 3 parts since february and hope to pass AUD in November and be done! I agree, it's not for everyone, but for me it completely is working.

FAR - 64,71,64,71,75!!!!
REG - 64,63,65,68, July
BEC - 69,74, July
AUD - 53, June 8th

[Tncincy]

Congrats on being done…glad you decided to share your experience. I am in total agreement with cramming…..I have been struggling with time constraints. I don't want to keep spending money on so many retakes, of course I am at the point of “let's get this done”. Don't know if 6 weeks per part is cramming, but I am just about ready to try anything. I know, I know, if I study I will pass, so with cram, it's call study for real……wish me luck. attempting again with far…..

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[Author]

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