[Wolfpack88]

Hey Guys,

Have a dilema here. After some admittedly bad planning I am going to take Audit on May 18th, and will have two test (BEC and REG) left on my NTS which expires July 4th. I have signed up for REG on July 3rd. Here comes the problem, of which I have two possible solutions. Start studying for REG on May 18th and forget about the money I spent on BEC…Or, sign up for BEC on May 28th, study like a madman from May 18th-28th and give BEC a shot, then proceed to take REG on July 3rd. The problem with the second option is it will limit my study time for REG to 5 weeks, as opposed to the more than 6 weeks I’d have if I dont take BEC. Other than studying I will be taking one (final) summer course, which shouldn’t be too time consuming.

Basically lose the money already spent on BEC and have 6-7 weeks to study for REG, or give myself 9 days for BEC (longshot) and 5 weeks for REG.

Thanks for the advice,

Wolfpack88

[Anonymous]

I would put all my time into studying BEC. It's the easier out of the two. I've never studied for the exam on a full time basis so I have no idea how much material one can cover, but if you're going to school as well, I think you'll need the 5 weeks just for BEC.

I would take reg just for the experience but I would aim to pass BEC.

[Wolfpack88]

Thanks, hadn't really considered doing that. For anybody else reading, do you think 6-7 weeks is enough time for REG, full-time studying? Obviously I'd rather pass either one of them rather than failing both, but if REG is doable, I'd rather pass that one first.

[Anonymous]

If you're feeling good about Audit, you could always move it up! It would cost less than losing the full exam fee for BEC.

If you have tax experience, 4 weeks is enough time to study for REG if you're using Becker. You can spend two solid weeks on the Business Law lectures (there are 4) and then pound out the MCQ on all the tax lectures and go in and review things like estates and trusts, not-for-profit, etc, if you are coming up short.

If you don't have a mound of tax experience or are just stepping out of a Business Law class with a solid A, I don't think studying for REG in such a short time is advisable. It is possible, but not advisable.

BEC, however, is a different beast. None of the material is super hard. It's basically a review of Cost Accounting, Accounting Information Systems, Intro to Financial Analysis, and Managerial Econ (with a little macroeconomics thrown in). The problem is there are 6 lectures with the possibility that a large chunk of your grade could come from knowing all of it. (Even the writing comprehension questions are usually geared around a BEC subject). You can re-learn it in 2 weeks, but if you're teaching it to yourself, it's probably not in your best interest.

[Wolfpack88]

I have final exams this week and will need all of next week to finish reviewing Audit, so moving the test up doesnt seem like a great idea. While I've taken quite a few tax courses, I would definitely not consider myself competent in the subject. Even studying full time, I will probably only be able to knock out two (becker) sections per week. Thats four weeks right there, add in two weeks of review, and thats pushing all of the available time I have. It now seems obvious that I will not be able to take both test, and even spending a minimal amount of time one one could greatly hurt my chances with the other. I guess the question now is, BEC or REG.

For those who have taken REG, does the two sections per week + two weeks of review seems like a good idea for someone with time, but not much/any tax experience. Or should I just focus on BEC. It seems like the BEC route is safer, but I will feel so much better about finishing all of the sections by the time I start work in Sep. if I can get a big section like Reg out of the way now. Thanks for the responses btw, they are helping a lot

[Anonymous]

If you're a disciplined study-er, I would so go for REG. You can knock out all the courses with progress tests after each, review every single MCQ, do 10 Wiley Test Bank tests (30 hours right there) and take both Becker Sim Tests in 6 weeks. 3 hours a day x 7 days a weeks x 6 weeks=126 hours of good study time. If you plan on studying for more than 3 hours a day, do it in split shifts if you can. A big break in the middle helps re-acclimate your brain.

If you are committed to putting in the time, you can get REG under your belt, especially if you have had a “few” tax classes. I think a lot people take it with 1, Intro to Individual Taxation, so you're at an advantage.

[Wolfpack88]

Yes, I've recently taken: Estates Gifts & Trust, Intro to Passthrough entities, and Taxation of Corporations. I did plan on studying more than 3 hours a day, too. So far I've been doing strictly Becker, would you suggest the Wiley book as well? Also, thanks for the help.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like you're finishing up a Master in Tax.

I would suggest buying the Wiley Online Test Bank 2012. The software allows you to build tests in your particular study area complete with sims. It is great supplemental material to the Becker stuff, and the REG questions have the same “feel” as the actual test. Jeff from another71 probably has the best price around, and it is well worth every penny. When you take a practice test, it will give you the breakdown by topic, so you can see where you need to improve, cross-reference it with Becker and brush up on your weak areas. Rocks.

[Wolfpack88]

Sounds helpful, I'll check it out. Also, you're correct about the masters. Only three more finals (which I should be studying for now) and one summer class and I'll be free…from school at least. Think BEC will have to wait, too.

[Author]

Replies