[Anonymous]

Just curious…and venting~

Does anyone else get frustrated with study review programs that mention “to only use their questions and their notes?” Yet, when you look at other questions for additional practice…you have trouble answering them and/or get them incorrect.

If I’m unable to look at “random” study review questions and get them right…..how am I expected to get the CPA exam questions right? Feel free to give your opinion!

[Last_First_MI]

I exclusively used one review program and did just fine on all the exams so I have not experienced what you are experiencing. I am not trying to be mean but it sounds to me like you are memorizing questions and answers instead of actually understanding the material. If you get a foreign question from somewhere else and it covers the same material as a question that isn't foreign and you can't answer it something else is up other than the question format itself.

A review program can't possibly cover all the questions that have ever been seen on the test so you have to be ready this kind of thing to happen on the actual exam. Maybe someone that has used 2 programs can help you out a little more.

[Anonymous]

I've been studying since August, 2010 and have failed BEC twice (70 & 66). I just cannot grasp the “correct” studying tactics and it's really frustrating. IMO, I'm just thinking the CPA is not meant to be.

Thanks for the reply, though.

[Last_First_MI]

Keep at it you will eventually get it. Everyone is different and you will find it. The more and more questions you do the more and more you will see and the more prepared you will be.

[Herbieherb]

Cpa is tough. The concepts in BEC are hard to master, even tho content is light. Keep going some people in forum can't seem to pass BEC either or took it multiple times

NEW YORK- DONE

[Anonymous]

I've bounced back and forth between review material. Stuck with Becker exclusively for my first 3 fails in BEC. I'm not an accounting grad and the classes I did take were taught by an idiot. I had to use Lambers and Yaeger to LEARN cost accounting and fin. mgmt. They got me to a 72 (and if not for some serious health issues I think I would have passed). Now I'm using CPAexcel and the Yaeger cram for reinforcement. I test for the 5th and final time on Friday. Accounting (math) does not come easy to me so I had to find a program that didn't just review topics I never really learned I had to find one that taught me. I also have Accounting Coach and use the drills there to again, learn, what I didn't already.

[Herbieherb]

@dhuff good luck!! I posted some new FAR mneumonics in the FAR sticky forum.

NEW YORK- DONE

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the feedback / replies, everyone. I guess my frustration comes from the “way the questions are worded”!!! I truly study and feel I know the overall concept of the material, but the wording on the CPA is like a curve ball. Obviously I swing & miss (twice on BEC & REG is coming up 5/14). My study tactics include video/lectures, writing my own notes, Jeff’s notes & MQ’s (Wiley, Gleim & cpareviewforfree.com). But, when I get the detailed questions….I strike out!

[studyingmike]

I know exactly what you mean. My first test was FAR. I used only Wiley–the book and online test bank. (And I actually did quite well, much to my surprise.)

Now I'm using Becker for AUD, and when I go to the Wiley online test bank, there are tons of questions that seem completely out of left field–terminology that wasn't used in Becker at all and situations that weren't brought up even once.

Still, I'm not necessarily worried. My experience with the FAR exam itself was that I guessed on as many questions as I actually knew the answers to. I think they go out of their way to throw questions at you that you're unlikely to have seen before. The trick is just to understand the broad concepts so that you can apply them in as-yet-unseen situations.

FAR 2/23/2011 | 95
AUD 4/15/2011 | 97
BEC 5/25/2011 | 94
REG 8/17/2011 | Fingers crossed

[Gina]

@CPAcandidate, I had no problems memorizing the formulas, but my biggest problem was learning how to apply those formulas to tricky & theory-type questions on the exam. I think learning how to “tweak” the formulas is essential for BEC. Don't worry too much on getting questions wrong while practicing. Try focusing on why you got those questions wrong. Be careful with Gleim Test Prep mcqs. I had to skip about half of the publisher adapted questions because they were ridiculous. For my second try I worked on all the theory questions (both cpa & publisher), and some of the calculation problems (all cpa & easy/moderate publisher). Good Luck! You can do it!

REG 68,67,83(7/2010); FAR 43,71,80(8/2010); AUD 85(11/2010); BEC 74,79(2/2011)
NYS CPA 5/2011
EA 2/2011

[Author]

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