[COVER U CPA]

Just curious how everyone else’s exam experience was if you have taken Reg in Q3 or Q4.

In my other sections, I measured if my testlets were medium or hard based on how long it took me to complete them. In Reg, for the first time it took me more time to complete Testlet one (55 mins) than it did testlet 2 (35 mins). I know part of the reason for this was because testlet one had A LOT more calculations in it where as testlet 2 had more definition based and business law questions. However, I couldn’t help but feel testlet 2 was also easier than testlet 1 by a long shot. But not that testlet 1 was necessarily hard.

Then came the sims. Sims always make me feel like crap. I had 3 DRS in which you had to fill out a letter with a bunch of options. These ones are so hard I feel like cause you have to go through like 10 supporting docs, and the answer all have different numbers. I got one of these 3 mostly correct; the other two I basically made a best guess but they were not confident guesses at all.

I also had a sim that specifically said use the AL to find these answers and it had ten blank cells. And then I had a normal research sim. I’m hoping both of these count since they weren’t as bad and I got em both correct. I know if you have two research sims one is throwaway, but in this case the first one wasn’t a normal research sim…. it had a bunch of cells.

The other 3 sims were cells and you had to plug in numbers based on calculations. I feel like I got half of two of them correct and the other one didn’t feel good about at all.

So I feel I got 3 sims correct, 2 half correct and 3 I really did not feel good about. I feel like it will all depend if they throw away a AL sim or one of the actual harder ones.

How did everyone else do? I hate this waiting a month nonsense and feels good to read other experiences

[Lentilcounter]

Thanks for sharing. What materials did you use to prepare? Is there anything that you would change about your studying? Have you heard about and used the blueprints? Thanks.

BEC = 72 (6/08/16)
FAR = ?
REG = ?
AUD = ?

[VanDammage]

I don't think the thing about 2 research sims is correct. I had 2 research sims on Audit, and I'm pretty sure they both counted. I absolutely bombed one of the other sims that seemed to be out of left field. It wasn't covered anywhere in either Wiley or Ninja study materials, so I suspect that was the pretest and the 2 research sims were scored. I got a 93, so pretty sure my assumption was correct. People like to say that 2 research means one of them is pretest, but I've never seen that from any source other than posters on this forum.

I took Reg about 2 weeks ago and left the test feeling pretty down. I thought the MCQs were significantly harder than anything I had seen from Ninja or Wiley. Maybe I got hard testlets, or maybe I just wasn't prepared as well as I had thought. I didn't feel great about the sims either. I know that I missed a few easy questions in there. I also had 2 research sims formatted similar to what you described. Like you, I'm also hoping that they both count. I really couldn't tell what the pretest sim was for this test. In my other 3 exams it seemed obvious, as there would be one sim that was very different from the rest and hadn't been present in any study texts.

[COVER U CPA]

@vanDammage Yea i don't think anyone really knows if they throw away one research sim or not. I just remember one of the instructors for Becker in the past said one is most likely a throw away if you get two research. However, I would think the way the other AL sim was set up on this test they would keep both. I'm hoping so; I can use every point I can possibly get.

But I would agree with you; this is the first time I legitimately couldn't determine which one might be the throw away. I would say MAYBE one of the DRS with drop downs because two of them were pretty tough.

[TimmyO]

I took the test this morning as well and based on how you described your SIMs, I'm fairly certain that we had mostly the same SIM questions.

I only had one research question, so maybe based on that, you could figure that one is a pretest.

I felt the same about this test. I'm not a big tax guy and I found this test to be incredibly difficult. Hoping that I pass and I'm done with this monster of an exam but I'm not counting on it for now.

[CPADream]

Are you sure you have to use AL for all the blank cells? Mine was only the last cell required to use AL to search.

[COVER U CPA]

@CPAdream yea mine had me use it for each individual cell… it most likely wasn't the same testlet as you then… that's interesting too because I've never been told to use the AL at all aside from research. Maybe this is something they've been trying to implement in the new exams to use the AL for more sims

[CPADream]

I am glad I did not get yours then. I have gotten this exact same question in Q2.

[jcman240]

CPADream -my last question yesterday said to use the AL to answer the question but I knew the answer and didn't even bother looking it up.

[jcman240]

@COVER U CPA – I walked out of REG convinced I had failed. Could not find the 1 research question I had and messed up another SIM beyond repair. ended up passing. you never know.

[cpac]

I took REG in November and found it very difficult (seemed more difficult than FAR!) Hoping for a pass but def. not counting on it…

[Anonymous]

I just took REG in December. I found REG to be twice as hard as FAR – especially my simulations. I felt a lot more comfortable with the FAR material and FAR had more traditional accounting I had learned in Undergrad. Whereas REG was very random and all over the place with rules, exceptions, and unfamiliar language that I had never covered during Undergrad. I find debits and credits to be ssssoooooo much easier than Rule xyz with Exception xyz. All of these exams are very difficult, but I found REG to be the hardest without a doubt.

Goodluck everyone.

[Lentilcounter]

How long should one budget for the multiple choice on the test and how long for the sims?

For example, I had previously targeted 2 hours for MCQ and 2 hours for SIMs on FAR and this wasn't good for me. Instead, 1.5 hours for MCQ and 2.5 hours for SIMS was a better allocation.

What do you guys recommend for REG?

Thanks!

BEC = 72 (6/08/16)
FAR = ?
REG = ?
AUD = ?

[Anonymous]

@Lentilcounter

You got it! 45-50 mins each MCQ testlet and the rest of time for Sims. Better to be safe than sorry.

Goodluck.

[mfbc23]

@COVER U CPA
I took REG today and I had the same experience as everyone that has posted here so far. First of all, the first testlet took way longer that I expected and wanted it (almost the full hour). Being that I lost too much time, I was pressured to finish the second MCQ faster to get to my planned time for the SIMS. I found the MCQ on both testlets to have very confusing questions, even though only about 1/2 of them actually required a calculation. There were many questions MCQ and SIMS that I had no idea what the answer was because I never saw the material during my studies.

I got through the two MCQ testlets and the 1st SIM and had only 1 1/2 hour remaining for the other SIMS. I really wanted to have 2 hours so I lost 30 min of my time thinking through the questions and I think that confused me even more. I took my scheduled break,trying to recoup myself from feeling like I bombed the exam already!! Some of the SIMS were very complex, with the type of questions. The others were about medium difficulty, yet I still felt rushed to complete them. I don't doubt that I made very stupid mistakes in the process.

Overall, I felt that this exam was by far the most difficult test I have taken! I feel horrible about it! I was so confident going in, and I felt prepared… I guess I was wrong :*( I'm just planning to keep studying for it as if I never took it and plan to take it again early next year.

AUD: 83 (Aug. 2015)
FAR: 78 (Nov. 2015)
REG: TBA
BEC: TBA

[Anonymous]

@mfbc23

I had them same experience as you the first time I took REG. I was really confident going in and was completely blindsided. However, on my REG Retake I felt much better bc I really focused on my weaker areas and practiced moving through the MCQ’s at a faster pace. I am really hoping I get at 75+ but you never really know with these exams. My REG Retake was the hardest exam I have ever, ever, ever taken.

Goodluck on the 19th and stay Grinding!

[Author]

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