[ryan33]

As I finally passed my last CPA exam (REG), thought I would just share with you folks my experience as I always enjoyed searching for someone who had a similar experience to mine and could give hope to a passing score.

I took REG in September and thought I did pretty well on MCQ and TERRIBLE on sims. I ended up getting a 74. So really close, sucks, but really close. Had I studied a bit harder on business law, I think I could have gotten there even with bombing the sims.

Then I restudied my butt off, and retook the exam on November 1st. When I got into the MCQ, they were so random and tricky and I felt like I was guessing on a majority of them. I was so frustrated that it wasn’t resembling anything like I was studying. Side note – if I had failed this one, I would have lost my FAR credit which would have been so terrible. I am not a high anxiety person, but I literally had a panic attack mid way through the second testlet because I could just tell “I’m failing this test”. So naturally that made me feel even worse, but I closed my eyes, prayed, and refocused just to finish the exam.

After the 3rd testlet, I took a break to hit the restroom, got a cold drink of water, and quickly got back into the testing room. I was feeling so discouraged, but when the sims came along they were much different than my previous experience. I wouldn’t say they were “easy”, but they were on topics that I had hammered in Becker, so I gave really good answers on almost all of them. I felt like I must have gotten almost all of them right except for one.

Still, I walked out feeling that I had no chance of passing due to the 60% of MCQ that I thought I had done terribly in. I spent the next 20 days preparing for a fail and losing FAR and searched for some hope on this forum. There weren’t a lot of experiences with feeling terrible about MCQ and great on sims. I ended up getting an 85 which is crazy. Anyways, I thought I would post this in case someone has a similar experience and can take some hope from it. This exam is crazy, and you literally don’t know how your score will end up.

Glad this is all over!

FAR - 65,74,73,78
AUD - 72, 73
BEC -
REG -

[justicebeaver]

Wow congratulations!! I had the exact same experience/score on REG with the same window – and I ALWAYS struggle with sims. The MC had such random questions, I thought for sure I was answering every single one wrong. This test is so crazy! Thank you for sharing =)

[debitcash]

congrats! i am in a similar boat — took reg and scored a 74 last quarter. stronger in mcqs and weaker in sims. my far is set to expire in march of 2017.

reg is my last exam and i hope and pray for that 75.

now, without divulging too much information (would not want to put you at risk for losing your credits) but i keep reading that the questions on Q4 are “very random”.

Would love to have that cleared up. what is meant by random? not in the book? random topics that were covered in one line in the textbook?

don't know what to make of this…so many details…so much minutia that even the best and brightest tax accountants need to look up and we are expected to essentially memorize the IRC.

any input would be greatly appreciated!

FAR:75!
AUD:69, 63, 73, TBD
BEC:76!
REG:71, TBD

BECKER + NINJA PRODUCTS

keep your cool

[ryan33]

@debitcash I would just say that Q4 seemed to have a lot more odd topics. I used Becker and hammered questions on certain sections that were heavily reinforced in Becker during my studying. It seemed to me that I wasn't seeing familiar topics or questions like Becker focused, but I did see a lot of those in Q3. Also, normally I get excited when a question pops up and it is like 8 words (no calculations, know it or don't know it type), but Q4 had a lot of those that I was not familiar with (like small topics in business law that may have been in my book, but not the big topics). That made me feel like I wasn't getting the “easy” ones I needed to pass.

I would say, however, that some of the ones I was getting frustrated with could have been pretest questions. I don't know. My 85 seems to say that I did at least respectably on the MCQ. Also I talked to another person on here who got a 74 in Q3 and then had the SAME exact experience as me and got a 92 in Q4. Seriously, go figure.

I would also say that you should still hammer the main topics, because those topics that didn't show up on MCQ, actually were very useful in completing my sims.

Not sure if that helps you at all. Apparently just studying paid off even though I felt like the MCQ were terrible. Could just be more aware of when you don't know things. I feel like it is sometimes the luck of the draw too – don't really feel like I was THAT much more prepared this time compared to my 74 and I got 11 points more. Keep thinking positively until you check that score, you honestly never know!

FAR - 65,74,73,78
AUD - 72, 73
BEC -
REG -

[mtaylo24]

Ryan I hear you man…took it last quarter for the third time, thought I had it, winded up with a 74 :(. Sat this quarter for the fourth time and was defeated by the time I took a break from the sims. MCQs were all crappy (I felt they were M-E-E), took a break after the third testlet, gave myself a good pep talk about either smashing the sims, or failing…fortunately, the sims weren't bad, but I left defeated and p'd off. I might have spazzed out on a few people that weekend (I'm sorry!) I seriously thought I did worst than my first time sitting (55), winded up with a 75 (tf?), Crazy stuff man, congrats on passing the exam!

AUD - 1st - 60 (12/12), 61 (2/13), 61 (8/13), 78! (11/15)
REG - 55 (2/16) 69 (5/16) Retake(8/16)
BEC - 71(5/16) Retake (9/16)
FAR - (8/16)

[ryan33]

Congrats @mtaylo24! That's the perfect score.

I never thought I'd be done. Just keep plugging away!

FAR - 65,74,73,78
AUD - 72, 73
BEC -
REG -

[Yolonge]

mtaylo24 – Congratz! I saw you around and glad to find that you finally passed.

Btw, is that your profile picture yourself? I swear I have seen that picture on YouTube..

Also, How should I approve simulations?

Like kind exchange, involuntary exchange, partnership distribution, rents, etc. to name a few. Any study materials do not cover them in depth, but you may get hit hard with detail on the actual exam. I feel like MCQs are so simple in a way that does not correlated well in regulation.

Materials: Wiley book + Ninja MCQ

FAR - 83 (Jan 2016)
Study time: 6 weeks
BEC - 87 (April 2016)
Study time: 2 weeks
AUD - 92 (July 2016), (74 Feb 2016), (72 May 2016)
Study time: 4 (Feb) + 2 (May) + 3 (July) = 9 weeks total
REG - (70 April 2016)
Study time: 3 weeks

[mtaylo24]

@mhei8116, thank you. Thats not me tho, its Alonzo from training day 😂😂😂

I didnt spend too much time on sims, but i studied the tax ones from Gleim, and they seemed to have helped. Didnt really attempt them, just submitted my session then reviewed the answer explanations because I was short on time.

AUD - 1st - 60 (12/12), 61 (2/13), 61 (8/13), 78! (11/15)
REG - 55 (2/16) 69 (5/16) Retake(8/16)
BEC - 71(5/16) Retake (9/16)
FAR - (8/16)

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