REG SCORE: 94
I am a CPA candidate who is (uniquely?) entering the litigation/financial advisory service line; I am not a tax specialist.
The studying approach detailed below was done in combo with a BECKER CPA PREP, but is easily adaptable to other prep courses.
This exam was daunting, especially with respect to the taxation of corporations, partnerships and estates/trusts.
TAYNE's STUDY PLAN:
Divide each lecture (i.e. R1, R2, R3…) across 3 days:
Day 1: Follow along with the lecture; take notes; actually pay attention (it's hard, but pays dividends – pun).
Day 2: Go through the reading again, TAKING NOTES ON PAPER ALONGSIDE –> Your goal is to CONDENSE a section (r1 as example) from 60 pages into 7-11 sheets of hand written concepts that you will be able to use as your personal Regulation Bible.
Day 3: Study YOUR handmade notes. Study them like you're about to be tested on them. Then flip them over, but keep them by your side. Spend the remaining time crushing practice problems section by section. (Like study your notes on personal exemptions, do problems, then study notes on gross income, do the problems).
This third step is crucial to you being able to review efficiently; as you get questions wrong, read the explanation and flip over your notes and identify the gap where that concept could have been clearer, more detailed, or present if missing entirely from the handmade notes. Make the new note in a different color or in a different handwriting (any difference will work) so when you review again you're aware of the fact that this is a supplementary/corrective note based on feedback you've received.
repeat 8 times = 24 days for REG (using Becker).
24 days… inefficient?
NO – it is THOROUGH, but not inefficient; Here's why:
Your review process will now take only 6 days if you spend 2 days on the 2 practice finals and the other 4 days doing progress tests and SIMULATIONS (DO THE SIMS I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH).
Now, the 24 days of thorough review have shortened the suggested 2.5 week review period into a 6 day process, leaving a CUSHION of 3 days (calculated below)
typical prep = 1 day lecture + 1 day MC/sims = 16 days ‘learning'
typical review= 2.5 weeks = 17.5 days reviewing
TOTAL= 33.5 DAYS
(30.0) days in my revised approach
= 3.5 days of extra time.
3.5 extra days? So what?
Using this approach, you're constantly identifying weaknesses AS YOU PROGRESS, meaning that your review process is ACTUALLY a review, rather than a re-learning, ‘oh s***t I dont know what DNI is'phase of stress-building, time consuming study behavior. Additionally, this prevents students (by design) from focusing too much on the answers to MC problems and more time actually learning the concepts, which is so clutch when you're thrown a curve ball.
If you have failed already and need a new approach, try this out. If you're worried about failing and you have a full 30 day period to study, try this out.
Best wishes,
T
.