[jjm1181]

So glad I’ve been studying those major topics for the exam because they did me no good. Had a lot of minuta questions about topics barely referenced during studying. I have the Becker 2012 materials and there’s no ancilary materials so I made sure I went over all the topics others said hurt them. I swear I had a FAR question.

First testlet was medium…blindly guessed on about 4 topics. Had a few questions that I was kicking myself for not knowing the answer. And then came the second testlest…WHAM! I guess this means I did well on the first testlet. I struggled through this one too. Another few questions that just came out of this world. Including one topic that I thought wasn’t even testable, but no, let’s hit you with back-to-back MCQs on that one. The third testlet was easier which clearly told the test takers realized they weren’t dealing with the guy from the first testlet. They were dealing with the guy who did okay on the first testlet and then my true colors came out in the third. I would say there were about 3 – 4 blind guesses due to topics that Becker said “Hey, we don’t feel it’s important so we won’t even mention it. Thanks for your money”.

The sims were hard. Nailed the research. Got another one 80% – 90% correct and then it was all down hill from there. That’s when GuessFest really took off. I have had some good luck with the research tab in the past with finding answers but not this time. Couldn’t find a damn thing. I was able to find the topic, but it sure didn’t speak any sort of language I could understand. Instead, it just listed some random facts and then threw the rest of the important information I needed into another IRC section under an obscure heading with hieroglyphics mixed with words (not literally but that’s what each section looked like under pressure). I eventually began using simple math to complete the cells. I know from experience that 1 + 2 doesn’t equal 3 on the CPA exam. It usually equals 980.760-niner with a remainder of 7. Also my A.D.D. kicked in and I had some issues concentrating. Yay. Thanks Mom and Dad.

I know have a headache. My brain literally hurts. I wan’t a beer to follow 4 consecutive shots of tequila, but I can’t because my wife’s pregnant and that’s just rubbing salt in the wound for her. I’m a nice guy I guess.

I am 100% positively absolutely undeniablely sure that I failed (and no one can convince me otherwise). So now I will take the night off, read some more of MockingJay and tomorrow I will continue studying so that I can be ready to slay this stupid test. And when I do, I will take a picture of my middle finger with a polaroid and send it to the test makers to let them know how I really feel cause that survey at the end just wasn’t enough. 🙂

B 79
A 75
R 78
F 85

[Veronica75]

REG did suck. I took it Monday. I had a couple of sims that I wouldn't have been prepared for even I had studied an additional week. One good thing, possibly… is that I marked a couple on the first testlet that I wasn't sure about, 4-5 on the second and 7 on the third. Crossing my fingers it's because I was doing well on the MCQ so they got harder, but it could just be that I didn't know the answers! ha!

So glad we'll have scores next week. Hopefully, Texas will release by the morning of the 9th!

FAR - 79 (2x)
AUD - 81 (expired), 77!
REG - 74! omg (3x) 87!!!!!!! I'm done! OMG!
BEC - 81 (4x)

[jjm1181]

The little one is due 5/31 and it's our first child. SO…I am under some pressure here to get this CPA before He comes so that I don't have to join the “studying with kids” group. That group has it's work cut out for them.

As I've said a few times, I just didn't luck out with my research tool. I couldn't find any information that was helpful in completing the sims. To me that was cruicial in FAR and AUD which had topics from the farthest ends of the earth. Oh well. I am in an ideal situation for failing though. Can get my score back in a week and if I fail, I just retake in a month so I don't have to worry about a long lay off and forgetting info.

B 79
A 75
R 78
F 85

[Anonymous]

jjm – I took REG on Saturday and am feeling you about the FAR question, haha. We definitely could have had the same question. I think you deserve a beer and some tequila…I'm 9 months pregnant and due in a few weeks and would have loved to drink a bottle of wine after the test. Instead, I made my husband drink wine for me 🙂 I'll be in the “studying with kids” group shortly as this was my first exam. I do hope you pass (and me as well)…is it next week yet?

[jjm1181]

Supposedly the scores will come out next Wednesday…of course that means that their incredibly efficient system will them spit out 3 scores per hour over the course of 5 days.

I've started looking up some of those easy questions I missed that I didn't think would be tested and I'm seeing I've got them wrong. So far I can confirm at least four and that's beginning to really destroy my confidence.

For the second exam I am going to read the entire REG Becker book and re-listen to all of the lectures (I do this while driving 2 hours to/from work). I'm also going to figure out how to complete those sims I got because I just saw recently that someone got a same sim from two different testing windows. I'd never forgive myself if that happened and I didn't figure out what I did wrong the first time.

B 79
A 75
R 78
F 85

[Anonymous]

Oddly enough, I looked up about 6 questions I was confused with on my exam and I see that I got 5 out of 6 correct. So, there is the slightest bit of hope for me.

[nolifecpa]

@CPAMan,

last window i had the same experience as you did on the MCQ, pretty much was guessing and narrowing down on all 3 testlets, and i ended up comparable or stronger on all sections…obviously sims did me in

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

[Anonymous]

CPAMan – there is definitely hope! I looked up things from my Sims and was somewhat pleasantly surprised that I may have gotten more right than I intially thought when I first panicked. I really want to move on and start studying BEC but I cannot let REG go until I know my score.

[Anonymous]

I don't get how you guys go back and look up answers, I just can't get myself to do it. If I found I got a couple wrong it was totally ruin my week until the scores are actually released.

[Anonymous]

bakerslky – I've always been this way. I have to give myself some glimmer of hope (or failure) after an exam and I have to know the answers to the ones I missed. My husband feels the way you do but I'm just the opposite.

[Anonymous]

CrockPot – More power to ya…i just can't do it. However, I actually felt good about this exam compared to the first time I took it. I am just hoping this long journey is over. This is going to be a very long week waiting for my score.

[jjm1181]

I have decided that I should on be upset with myself. I've been going through some of the Becker study materials and some of the questions I missed are because I didn't dive too far into the detail. I relied too much on the Becker Final Review book and not enough on the Massive study guide. I had the flashcards and didn't use them. I started reviewing the flashcards last night and found answers to 2 of the MCQs from the exams right on the flashcards. If I had been using the flashcards, those MCQs wouldn't have been tough for me. I'm beginning to think of my exam as more of a “missed opportunity”. I have been sick to my stomach about the questions I missed. I should have destroyed that stupid test. That is my fault. I should have studied harder. I knew that I struggled in some of the areas and it showed. There's no excuse. People don't score in the 90's because they got the “good” testlet. They score in the 90s cause they are fully prepared. It's not the examiner's fault, it's mine.

So…what does this mean? I've started watching all the lectures again. I'm going to start using my flashcards. I'm going to start diving deeper into those big topics I didn't understand (AMT, DNI, etc). I will master those other topics that I knew “mostly” (commercial paper, secured transacitons) and those minutia topics that I just glanced over (bills of lading, etc.). I will be so freaking prepared that there is no way I can fail in April. Unfortunately I will have every practice MCQ in Becker and Wiley memorized because I've already seen them 3 times.

P.S. – And yes I realize the scores haven't been released yet, but based on my experience and the reflection of MCQs/SIMS missed, I will fail. I hope not, but it's likely. 🙂

B 79
A 75
R 78
F 85

[Anonymous]

@jjm1181- There were people on this forum that were 100% positive that they failed and they passed with flying colors. Don't lose hope.

[Anonymous]

Hindsight is always 20/20. The little details will always get you but it's hard to know where to focus because there are SO many little details! There are also a lot of “big” subjects to get down as well. Do you focus on property transactions or AMT or DNI or all of the above (apparently all of the above)? I'm just counting down the days to next week….

[Anonymous]

I had a very similar experience. MC wasn't too bad – kicking myself for missing a few. A couple oddball questions but I'm sure those were pretest. SIMS threw me for a loop. Took a while to find the research question, really had to dig. Had one question I'm pretty sure I got 80-90%, another that I probably got 70-80%, then the other three were a WTF moment. I can guess as to which was the pretest, but the other two questions heavily tested a certain subject that Becker believed wasn't

“commonly tested.” I remembered exactly what they had taught on the subject, in fact I remembered a visual of the page in my book. Becker didn't provide nearly enough background for me to have any grasp on the subject beyond the basic concept. Maybe I snuck by with a 75 – we'll see next Wednesday.

[Anonymous]

Don't kick yourself too hard. I took REG during the same test window, and I know exactly how you feel. There was at least one MCQ that my test prep (CPA Excel) specifically said that the AICPA has eliminated from the exam. That pissed me off for a good week. I also noticed several that should be in other sections. I prepared myself for a failing grade based on my experience, which was EXACTLY like what you described, and I ended up passing (but just barely, with a 75). I was running out of time and just applied common sense to two of the sims (I was just hoping to get some partial credit on those). Don't freak out too much. If you have to, you can do it again in April before the baby comes. Until you're a parent, you have no idea how much you can actually accomplish!

[Author]

Replies