[MrNormalGuy]

I’m noticing that memorizing is absolutely pointless unless it happens naturally from the multiple choice. I could memorize everything in the book and still get every question wrong because of how it’s phrased….is this the trick to passing the exam? Learning by multiple choice primary?

Has anyone actually benefited from memorizing lists of information as is in the Becker book? I have a good memory and can do it but I find it actually confused me….

Any help doubly appreciated…hut hut.

One more question too, has anyone used Kaplan?

far:
aud:
reg:
bec:

[nolifecpa]

memorizing don't work, you have to be able to apply it to the questions being asked

know the concepts inside and out and you should be good

REG-65,71,74,73,70,74,79
BEC-60's,60's,69,71,76*,78
FAR-67,66,65,79
AUD-54,60's,65,83*,69,80
*expired

DONE

[MrNormalGuy]

Thank you. That's what I figured.

far:
aud:
reg:
bec:

[Maverick]

MrNormalGuy, memorizing may help with a few topics, but it will not be as productive and may even be counter-productive for most concepts. You have to understand the material and its applications. Many concepts are interralated, so you need to be able to identify how one variable/account will affect another or a group of variables/accounts.

Oh and, you may discover that during this process you may find yourself questioning how normal of a guy you are – sometimes you may feel like throwing your book against the wall, tearing it in pieces, or even feeling like your head is in a pressure cooker. However, it will be considered normal to most of us cpa candidates.

Good luck.

F - Passed...THANK YOU, LORD. GLORY TO GOD.
B - Passed...THANK YOU, LORD. GLORY TO GOD.
A - Passed...THANK YOU, LORD. GLORY TO GOD.
R - Passed...THANK YOU, LORD. GLORY TO GOD.

Ethics - 95

Licensed CPA

I COULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT MY LORD. THANK YOU.

"According to your faith will it be done to you." Matthew 9:29

[Keely]

@MrNormalGuy, I am having the same problem. I've found constant repetition of MCQs will help you apply the concepts to other questions that are worded differently or are tricky. I am using Becker and Wiley Test Bank, studying for BEC. I have heard horror stories about BEC, and I'm putting in about 30 hours on each chapter of Becker, most of that is dedicated to MCQs. I'm not working, so I have all day to do this, but this is my attack plan: watch the lecture once, do the homework. Read the book, take my own notes. Make flashcards Watch the next lecture, do the homework. Read, flashcards. Once I've completed all the lectures/MCQs for the section, I go to Wiley and do some more MCQ. I do CPA Review for Free as well, because once you've done Becker's MCQs a couple times, they're too familiar. Someone on this board said the trick to the exam is doing MCQs until you puke, then doing some more. This is my first attempt at studying for the exam, so I don't know how well my strategy is going to work, but I'm pretty sure it'd be impossible to over-estimate what you're going to face on exam day. And if it IS possible, I'd love for that to happen to me and get a 90+! Good luck!

BEC: (4/2012) 88
AUD: (5/2012) 91
REG: (8/2012) 82
FAR: (1/2013) 78 🙂

VA CPA #42010

[Anonymous]

@KeelyDare1

Our study attack plans sound VERY familar…. good luck to you, I bet you will do great with that study plan.

[Anonymous]

Do MCQ's until you puke. Then clean up the mess. Then do more MCQ's 🙂

[MrNormalGuy]

Maverick – thank you deeply for the help and that last bit…since studying for the cpa i've converted religions every week seeking spiritual guidance for not ending it it.

keelydare1 – thank you too…that makes sense, to go to two sources, I may not have time to do that this time around however…the exam is april 9th and I am a slow learner when it comes to accounting.

bobkorz – thanks for your support as well…

Thus far I am doing a boatload of questions and then feeling manic – my version of puking.

far:
aud:
reg:
bec:

[MrNormalGuy]

If anyone else reads this, what about phase outs…becker tells us no…don't memorize, but some of the simulations and multiple choice questions ask about phase outs…kind of lame sauce if you ask me…

far:
aud:
reg:
bec:

[Anonymous]

Do more MCQ's until you puke. Then clean up the puke. Then do more MCQ's 🙂

[ppierce]

anybody mention its all about doing MCQ's till you puke?

FAR 80
REG 76
AUD 85
BEC 85
Ethics 98
DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MrNormalGuy]

Thank you all for your help….I've been doing this but I kind of hit a speed bump recently so I'm thinking I might need to take this exam again….Plus most of the stuff on the exam isn't review for me, it's mostly brand new…like the band except less glamorous.

far:
aud:
reg:
bec:

[Anonymous]

The only time that straight memorization helped me was memorizing the standard audit report for Auditing. I started singing it to the tune of Gilligan's Island and I can still sing it!

[MrNormalGuy]

Now if I could do that I'd take me to the moon…

far:
aud:
reg:
bec:

[msgolds]

The lectures are useful primarily for the broad concepts they explain. You won't learn details, however, without working the multiple choice. The CPA Exam does not usually test you on how well you regurgitate lists of information. They're more concerned about what you can apply.

BEC - 90 PASSED
FAR - 84 PASSED
AUD - 93 PASSED
REG - 84 PASSED

I DID IT!!!!

Using Becker Self-Study

"If we were put here to carry a great weight, then the very things we hate are here to build those muscles."

[MrNormalGuy]

That actually is my strength…but I'm finding that most of this stuff isn't review….I only had tax 101 and 102 in college. That is the equivalent of r1 and r2 light in becker…so I've really only ever seen about 10 percent of the material on this exam…sadly, I can't find a job…but I could sit here and make excuses all day….I have to go now and learn a couple semesters of taxation on my own….good thing is I'm almost there…I feel that if I don't pass this time I will pass next time for sure because I'm linking the information up in interrelated couplets….whenever a question pops up in my head I answer it immediately by researching it in Google. In this way….I create a transcendent function for internalizing the material….I know I know….less talk more walk….but what can a garrulous puppy do?

far:
aud:
reg:
bec:

[Author]

Replies