[barelystayingsane]

Hey guys,

Need some encouragement/advice… So I’m taking REG in a week, and I just started my final review two days ago (just using Becker). I feel like I keep learning new stuff/minutiae that I missed the first couple times around (boot offset rules, state and local business taxes are deducted on Schedule C, not state and local income taxes, etc.)…getting kinda discouraged because I feel that my review time should be just that: review. In addition to reviewing a chapter a day, I’m doing 50 MCQs and redoing the simulations for that chapter. Not so worried about business law since I’m usually scoring 100% on that stuff and it’s not as big a part of the exam. I’m consistently scoring higher than 90% on the tax quizzes, as well, but the fact that I keep learning new stuff is really worrying me.

I tend to overstudy, so it’s also worrying me that I’ve totally ignored some stuff. For example, I’ve memorized all of the deduction, exclusion, credit limits, but I’ve ignored the phase out amounts, except for maybe three of them. I’m also ignoring the forms for the alternative minimum tax (God help us if we’re tested on that), nonprofits, estate and gift tax, etc. and just focusing on Forms 1040 (and Schedules A-E), 1120, and 1065 (including Schedules K and K-1).

What do you guys think? Is this enough? Do I have a chance?

[Anonymous]

I think you will do very well on the test and you are probably over studying. I would stop looking at the forms and just concentrate on the final review and MC questions. Also, if you have not already, I would memorize how to calculate gain / loss from transactions involving individuals, partnerships, and corporations. But if in doubt, just concentrate on the final review.

[jrosen92770]

I am also studying for REG using Becker. Just started today in fact. I am planning on taking the exam at the end of August. I am curious for those who have taken Becker, is it enough for REG?

BEC – (75) May 13

REG – (??) Aug 13

BEC - 5/26/2013 75
REG - 8/31/2013 82
AUD - 11/24/2013 74, 2/9/2014 92
FAR - 5/25/2014 85

NY CPA

[LT-P]

@jrosen Becker is definitely enough for REG .. There were no surprises on my exam & when I was finished I knew that I had passed!

- passed all 4 exams on my first try using Becker!

Ethics: TBD

[jrosen92770]

Thanks Tanaya. I am noticing that Tim is skipping some items in R1. How did you handle those?

BEC - 5/26/2013 75
REG - 8/31/2013 82
AUD - 11/24/2013 74, 2/9/2014 92
FAR - 5/25/2014 85

NY CPA

[LT-P]

You should just read them over once. Probably the day before your exam. Since the material is so dense i have a hard time picking out whats important if its not highlighted/underlined. I only got one question from material I purposely skipped over.

- passed all 4 exams on my first try using Becker!

Ethics: TBD

[Anonymous]

mattz13: You'll be fine. I see that you're well prepared. I just started seriously 1 week ago and be so worried now too. So many new things to learn. And I almost score under 75% on wiley tests :((. I scheduled the test on July 6, now I consider to reschedule it in 2 more weeks…

By the way, I wonder is it ok to use BECKER 2012 for the exam in this July? Because I know that tax law changes and regulation too.

[barelystayingsane]

Thanks for the encouragement, guys! So I took the two Becker practice exams and got an 86.5% and a 86% (these are adjusted for the 60/40 allocation). While I feel these are relatively decent scores, I'm still worried because I'm having trouble recalling all of the rules. For example, there was a question about the Statute of Frauds, but I totally forgot about the SWAP exceptions. I have them memorized, but they didn't even cross my mind. There would be other questions that I would get right, but it would require thinking about a detail that didn't even cross my mind, and I was just lucky that the answer I chose still applied. I feel that those scores may not reflect my knowledge of the material. Granted, I also finished each exam in an hour and 45 minutes, so during the actual exam, I will be going back over and rechecking every question, but on some of the questions, I know that the material still would not have popped into my head even if I had gone back.

Does anybody have any tricks for remembering all of the little details for REG? Maybe doing something the night before the exam? I'm taking it for the first (and hopefully only) time on Monday!

[Author]

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