[Katie]

I can never seem to get the right answer on research SIMs, and if I do, I’ve spent 20+ mins trying to find it. This seems so much more difficult than FAR research. Any tips on how to get the right code section in a reasonable amount of time? I’m trying to avoid wasting time on the exam just to not get the points anyway.

I’ve tried to stop using the search and move logically through the navigation on the left of the screen. That seems to have helped a little. The words I search always seem to be useless.

[chitown87]

I took REG last week and had a hell of a time trying to find the answer to my research SIM. I think it took around 35 minutes.

Once I got the hang of it, I found it best to use a combination of keywords and the navigation/table of contents to the left. Find a larger topic or sub topic on the left that seems appropriate, and then use the ‘search within' function. This also helped me find the answer to a couple problems for the other sims as well.

[Lentilcounter]

@Katie

You are not alone. I spent 25 minutes yesterday trying to find NOL rules in the IRC. I didn't realize they were in the same section as with itemized deductions. I think it's a good idea to get familiar with the layout of the IRC. The “search” function is not the best.

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

[cmcook]

Not to over-simplify, but just practice practice practice. I did every single SIM in the Gleim test bank, and by the end, I would use a search word once I got into the section I figured the material was in (the search within function). I knew where to start because I had referred to it probably a hundred times. I know this sounds horrible to spend this much time in the code, but it's worth its weight in gold.

I wasn't this familiar until I had to take REG a second time. This was my least favorite section and, by God, I wasn't going to take it a 3rd time. Knowing the codification that well helped on other SIMs in the actual exam, too. I think that becoming so familiar with the organization of the code is what helped me jump from a 64 to a 75.

[Katie]

I feel so silly for not utilizing the “search within” feature. Thanks for all the advice! I will definitely put it to good use.

[Author]

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