[lampy44]

Hey guys,

So I am so happy to report I passed FAR and AUD in the last quarter. Both were retakes for me but couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome. This will be my first attempt at REG and looking for any inside tips and tricks. I hated my tax classes in college and will basically be starting from ground 0 on this sections. Let me know if anyone had similar experiences and passed. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Who are you using to study?

[Nate]

I found that of all of the four exams, practicing questions was by far the most useful for REG. You can't do enough multiple choice and TBS questions for REG, so no matter what you use, put a lot of emphasis on practice tests.

[lampy44]

I have used Becker so far and plan on using Becker for REG as well.

[Anonymous]

@lampy44-Becker is good for REG, don't get hung up on phaseouts, I think there is a method to the madness that is tax, and event though at first it seems impossible, it comes together. I would supplement with Ninja and follow the AICPA blueprint… Good luck! you have FAR under your belt, it's all downhill from there!

[Anonymous]

@lampy44, Since this isn't your first exam, you know what to expect, and that's a huge advantage.

I used only Becker. I read all of the lectures, and completed all of the MCQ. What I found most helpful was using progress tests to hone in on what I needed to work on most. Like @anyatver said, don't get hung up on phaseouts or specific numbers, rather know how to apply the processes. Take your time, REG is less material than FAR but is certainly not a walk in the park. I wish I could tell you there was a section or sections that weren't very important, but they all are. The good news though is that Becker is plenty comprehensive to pass the exam.

[mosaic]

I second the suggestion to focus on multiple choice. The REG sims I saw could easily be broken into small pieces, like an MCQ testlet.

I don't feel comfortable saying ignore the phaseouts though. My exam definitely had a couple questions where AGI was set such that filers wouldn't get the full amount of a credit.

Overall though, my impression of REG was that it was challenging, but not to the point of obscurity like AUD and BEC were at times. Go through a full review, find your weak areas, and hammer those in the last few weeks and you should be fine.

[Anonymous]

@mosaic, interesting- like not being specific, but were you tested on phase-outs for items that are inflation-adjusted each year (IRA income limits, personal exemption phase-out, itemized deduction phase-out, credit income phase-outs etc.)?

Obviously, I think you should definitely know the ones that don't change from year to year (captial loss limit, % medical, % miscellaneous, charity, RRE, etc).

I agree with you that REG was more straight-forward than AUD or FAR.

[OTK1995]

Make sure you check out the AICPA sample test. It really reflects what I saw on the exam in terms of the SIMS.

[Author]

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