[jeff]

We have a lot of “I took __ today threads” so to consolidate, here is the official thread.

Please – Not even a hint of exam disclosure per AICPA rules.

AUD

BEC

FAR

[Anonymous]

@shawn in VA

Do you believe everything the AICPA says? I sure as hell don’t!! The New REG Sims are Beasts and literally require you to master every nuance in the IRC!

Everyone that I know is putting in 1000+ hours to pass all 4 exams – that’s if they are even able to pass all 4 exams within 18 months! Not just some random person on A71 making claims that they passed all 4 exams in less than 300 hours with all 90+ scores. I’m not saying you are one of those candidates, but I do frequently see such claims and it is hard to know whether the candidate is credible or not. Tax and B-Law were my two weakest areas as well…

Anyhow, everyone that I personally know is putting in at least 150-200 hours per section. For FAR AND REG I know multiple candidates putting in 250-300+ hours. As a result, I do not care what the AICPA says about the needed hours to pass. If the AICPA was transparent and told candidates the TRUTH about hours needed to pass, then many candidates would not pay their fees to take exams and the AICPA would lose a lot of money.

Alright, I’m done defending myself and ranting. Lol.

Goodluck everyone and study your butt off!! These exams are passable if U make sacrifices!!

[Earla Riopel (NYCARE)]

Took REG December 04, 2017. It was hard right from the first testlet to the last one. After writing BEC a couple days ago (Dec 02, 2017), before the REG exam (04th), with hardly any calculation questions, I know I am going to get hit with my scheduled Q4 REG exam (04th), and Q4 FAR exam (07th) hard in calculation questions, which I did.

So for REG, even with over 250hrs added studying on top of knowing at least 50% of the materials, plus being a decent individual tax preparer (Canadian), former REG passer (76% in 2009), comfortable with BLaw, Auditing, and Tax topics, and many REG exams that I wrote in the past that I lost count, I still find the 2017 Q4 REG exam hard to pass.

Maybe it's the time to complete all the testlets with all the calculations and/or still getting used to the new SIMs format. REG questions were fair game in REG Q4 2017. If you have access to Ninja (at least Sniper package), Becker textbook, or any CPA material textbooks for that matter, and visit the AICPA site for its SIMs Sample Tests, I think you'll do fine.

However, you have to know these CPA review materials ‘cold', even the IRC topics that you thought in your textbook that won't show up in the exam (even the one that already showed up). So basically, comfortable with your texbooks, front to back cover.

I have that feeling, AICPA has an individual profile of each one of us. Most of the questions that I got hit for 2017 Q4 were the ones that I was weak on the previous REG exams. In this recent Q4 REG exam, my score won't be another in the 50%s like in 2017 Q3/Q1, since I put a lot of time, studying, practicing, learning how to manage time, and exam testing strategy.

Of course, I am praying for a ‘pass' from the CPA God.

P.S. Related link: https://www.another71.com/cpa-exam-forum/topic/reg-q4-2017-exam-experience/

[fxbinbin]

just want to share a little experience – took REG on the 9th, met one question where I could narrowed down the choice to 2 and wasn't sure which one, so I basically guessed on one. Came in to the 2nd testlet and there was this test point again – different questions but exactly the same choices again – so I chose the other one. went back home and checked – i got it right the second time. don't know if this sharing violates any confidentiality

[sangtvo]

I just took REG (Feb 8th, 2018). I didn't have a lot calculation questions and I felt like I had more business law/ethics questions than I thought. There wasn't that many basis MCQ and all of my sims were basis questions and NOL.

Word of advice: Do not skip business law!

[Drew]

Hi All, took REG this morning. I had a little over 4 weeks to study and have been slammed at work, but wanted to squeeze in at end of the window and try my best. There were barely any business law questions, but I've read plenty of posts where candidates experienced significant BLAW (take it for what it's worth). So yup, mostly tax. I think the MCQs were more than fair, harder in T2. The TBS I knew I would struggle with, but the topics were also fair and not at all out of left field. With that said I simply wasn't prepared quite enough to remember all the small details for the TBS and likely bombed them. All in all though I feel encouraged that if (probably) I take it again, I will feel confident.

Know pass-through entity taxation and major taxation topics (Corporation/Individual in detail); I know that's vague, but the exam did a good job covering the topics I actually studied (I use Wiley and supplement w/ NINJA; I think Wiley is set up nicely for Tax). Definitely practice DRS.

GL

[Christy]

Ugh…I just got out of my REG retake and have to say that was painful. Clearly this one (my last one) is going to be my nemesis. If you don't do this for a living I really don't know how you prepare for a test like I just had. Here's to trying to pass it in April before BEC expires.

Good luck everyone!

[goks22]

I agree with Christy..Just done with my regulation. My last one too. I just prepared for 3 weeks. So few questions I could have done better. But there were few questions I don’t know even with 10 weeks of preparation how I could have answered them. T2 was difficult. 2 TBS I feel went horribly wrong, others were easy. Good luck for March 20.

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone,

First time poster. I just took REG with six weeks of prep time using Wiley for the main preparation and Another 71 for supplemental materials. Given the circumstances, I feel that I did my best to pass REG. I found out I passed FAR with a 75 on 03/08 and my BEC score is going to expire this quarter. So if I pass REG, then I’m done! No pressure right?! Haha we’ll see but I kind of feel good post-REG. Hopefully I will post again with great news!

[Jen-J]

Not sure how I feel about REG (took it yesterday). I think there's a decent chance I passed. I went in with weaknesses in areas that I should have had down cold. I ended up finishing in 2 1/2 hours because I had nothing left to give and had answered everything. Either I knew it, or I didn't. I tried to stop myself from second-guessing things, because of how likely it is to change something to a wrong answer. I felt like the exam I prepared for and the exam I got weren't as close together as I would have liked.

[Anonymous]

For those who recently took the CPA test under the new software format, how was it?

How many windows can fit on the screen when you pull up multiple attachments/schedule tabs?

[LivingTheAccountingLIFO]

Hey Amor! I took REG on 4/14/18 and I really liked the new software. I was kind of worried about it because it doesn't look right on my laptop using Becker and I constantly had to use the horizontal scroll bar to be able to read the whole question on the left hand side (which can't be resized). At prometric with the new monitors though it's way better.

While I was taking the exam I had SIMs with 6 or so documents. I would pull up 2 or 3 at a time and you can resize them however you want. I'd say to be able to read them easily, maybe 2 at a time?? Just depends how long the document is I guess. You can technically have all the documents pulled up at once and just click between them to make the one in front the biggest with all the other documents still behind it (if that makes sense haha).

I don't know if the old software did this because I didn't utilize it until my last exam, but you can now highlight text in the new software too. If you go on the AICPAs website they posted a video explaining all the new software functionalities.

[Anonymous]

@LTAL
Thank you so much for taking time and effort to reply and answer my questions.

I’m thinking of buying a new computer monitor (23+ inches) at home so I could get a better feel of practicing SIMs using Becker software until my actual test date next month for REG.

[cpaswag]

@LivingTheAccountingLIFO how was the exam? what prep software did u use and did u feel the software questions helped u? how were sims? anything u have never really seen before? any u didn't answer or felt uncomfortable on?

[Lexi]

has anyone seen filing dates tested? I'm confused because Roger emphasizes they are no longer tested but Ninja does not disclose that… I have been kind of not paying attention to the dates but if means point I'll learn them…

[vorobjeva44]

Just got out of the exam😨 Feeling tired and unsure. 1st testlet was ok, 2nd got harder- I could see it after few calculation questions… Blaw – i could skip it that time… Maybe 7 straight forward questions in total 2 testlets. Lots of entity, ethics, property transactions- individual tax question were easy… Then TBS… Research question -I hope i’ve got it right. 4 others I think like 70% i was doing a right thing… But rest 3 of the 8- hope to get 50% from those 3. Of course I wish that 1 that I failed the most could be pretested. But I could not recognize which one of them was pretested- all material was in Becker, nothing strange… Last time when I ve got 73, I felt myself more confident- so lets pray this is a good sign as I feel myself as a big “sim” looser… 🤦🏻‍♀️ My advise – do all sims on TAX, like 3 times each at least. Do not skip! Especially entity! You can pass without blaw, but you should know TAX! So #1- entity taxation, #2-indiv.tax, #3 -ethics, and only after blaw. Good luck guys! If I didn’t pass my BEC is expiring on June 30. So I will update you on June 27.

PS Lexi, there were no due dates tested on my exam.

[Author]

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