[Keely]

I know I should post this in the exam experience thread, but I just want everyone to read this. REG is a completely different beast than AUD or BEC. I flew through both of those exams in under and hour and a half, and when I left, I felt pretty good (or neutral, at least) and ended up with high scores. Today, during the REG exam, I started crying. Like, silently sobbing.

The MCQs were fine. There were a few I didn’t know within each testlet, but could narrow it down to two choices pretty much every time. So I have a 50-50 shot at those. The SIMs. Ha. What can I say except they ate me alive. Every SIM I had was a calculation. Even the research SIM took me over 30 minutes to find. At first, I gave up on it and almost left it blank, but thankfully I found it before I decided to throw in the towel. I had 3 SIMs on the same topic. I swear by Becker, but I will say this topic was sparsely covered in Becker. There are a lot of MCQ practice questions on it, but the book/lecture offer little guidance. The very last SIM I barely knew what they were asking me and I seriously almost just walked out. I am really glad I read this board the past few days because someone (Mini, maybe) gave someone else some good advice. They said to not let the exam emotionally beat you. So I gathered myself and attempted the calculations instead of just putting in random numbers. I do think I at least got a few correct on that one.

Basically, I just want to let everyone know that the exam is certainly doable. There was nothing on it that was out of left field. But you better just know how to do everything like the back of your hand, because you might end up with half your test on one specific topic. Here’s hoping.

BEC: (4/2012) 88
AUD: (5/2012) 91
REG: (8/2012) 82
FAR: (1/2013) 78 🙂

VA CPA #42010

[Anonymous]

I waited until I got home to my wife, then I cried. LOL

I didn't want to scare the people doing last minute crams in the parking lot by crying there.

[goodluck2everyone2]

its always bad

cool story bro

[Whatdidyou]

^ lol, Reg is awful. I may have gotten misty in the parking lot.

Although Keely, there's still a good chance you passed I think. Alot of people say they did good/fine on the MCQs and bombed the SIMS and end up passing. Remember SIMS are 40%, and one is a throw out.

Now I don't see as many people saying that they bombed the MCQs and did fine on the SIMS that passed – unfortunatly for me :(, I guess I'll find out soon.

And you are right. REG was completely different for me too.

REG - Passed!!
BEC - Passed
FAR - Passed
AUD - Passed

Study Materials: Becker basic course

[skintapeup]

Sorry to hear about your exam experience. I actually took REG yest. and felt the same way you did about the MCQ's. I got 2 research Sims and thought I got both of them right, although might have put the wrong section letter for 1 of them :(. One of these will be a pretest Sim. so I'm hoping it's the one I might have got wrong. Two other Sims I pretty much got completely right and two Sims I got completely wrong. So basically 2 or possibly 3 Sims I got 100% on out of the 6. Let's say 75-80% on MCQ's. Hopefully that is enough to pass.

[kobebryant168]

REG is no joke….if I could score abit better on the SIMS I would definitely be a CPA already

a 74 totally killed me two days ago when i found my score…

Keely, hope you pass! and you can tell me wut u did on the SIMS so I can learn from ya

[Sandra]

@Whatdidyou- I'm in WA state so passing scores don't get the stronger/weaker report but I think I didn't do as well on the MCQs but know I nailed the sims, so just wait and see.

The literature was a life saver for REG sims.

[Shay]

@Keely….if you are confidence about M/C. I am sure you will pass. just remember 60% is MC and 40% SIMS.

I am also using Self-study Beckers. Do you think Beckers covered all topics on real exam. I am thinking about looking over Wiley just to not be surprised on exam day.

When you get 2 Research questions, does that mean ONE is Pre-test? Is it possible that it might NOT be, while other 4 might have TWO Pre-test.

[Anonymous]

Keely mind if I e-mail you? I took REG in this window also and am using Becker and want to see if the sparsely covered topic you are referring to is the same because I was annoyed also

[skintapeup]

I had a topic that wasn't really covered in Becker and got 0% on it. What a joke. I supplemented with Wiley's book and barely see the topic covered in there as well. Both books give a “cliffnotes” of the topic I had. So unfair.

[Keely]

I'm glad I have some people to commiserate with! I was really upset when I left. Now I'm feeling kind of ‘whatever.' I mean, I thought the AUD SIMs were ridiculously vague and ended up with a 91, but only one of those was a calculation. I am sure I got SOME of the answers correct, but I just don't know if it will be enough. It's frustrating because everyone says ‘add 10 points to your practice exam scores in Becker.' Well I got in the 80s on both of them, but I do not see a 90+ REG score in my future.

@Life, I can't say what the topic is without violating the exam policy. I will say, Becker SIMs are a joke compared to the real thing. But practicing the SIMs won't help you any in my opinion. Your time is better spent working complex MCQs. All of the SIM questions could have been a bunch of separate MCQs. MCQs were much simpler than Becker and more theory than calculation (I saw several questions in each testlet that were almost identical to Becker), but SIMs were just out of this world. They are much more complicated and complex than anything you will see in Becker. HOWEVER, if you really know the details of the Becker book, you will know how to do the SIMs. Be prepared to get overwhelmed with information, though. I get easily bent out of shape when I don't know how to do something, I can't work through it very well. I just let me anger/frustration get the best of me, throw something down on the paper and leave. I have never, and I mean NEVER, stayed in a test for almost three hours. I am almost always the first person to leave. Usually that works out pretty well for me…so I have no idea what to think for REG. Ha.

BEC: (4/2012) 88
AUD: (5/2012) 91
REG: (8/2012) 82
FAR: (1/2013) 78 🙂

VA CPA #42010

[Anonymous]

Are you using 2012 material? Were the topics you are saying were “sparsely” covered highlighted in the Becker material?

[Keely]

@Life, yes I am using 2012 materials. I can't tell you what the topic is because it violates exam disclosure rules since if I tell you you'll know I had 3 SIMs on it. Study R3, that's all I can say.

Does anyone know Jeff's target date for upcoming score release?

BEC: (4/2012) 88
AUD: (5/2012) 91
REG: (8/2012) 82
FAR: (1/2013) 78 🙂

VA CPA #42010

[Red315]

I went through that too. I relied a lot on the research tool to get through the sims. Unfortunately becker can give you every bit of info that you need. The research tool saved me!

Jeanne Aparicio

B - 75 (11/2011, First Attempt)
A - 88 (2/2012, First Attempt)
R - 89 (5/2012, First Attempt)
F - 79 (8/31/2012 First Attempt)

I AM DONE!!!!!! BECKER IS AWESOME!!!!

Licensed Florida CPA 09/2012

[Anonymous]

Keely – I wasn't meaning to get the exact topic I was just wondering if the topic you are saying was sparsely covered was highlighted in the material or not… Like was it something that Tim said to highlight or underline or was it something you just had to read on your own

[Kim4]

Keely, don't worry too much about the time thing. FAR and REG are known for bring the exams where time is especially tight.

FAR -- 90
AUD -- 95
BEC -- 82
REG -- 92

DONE!

[Author]

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