[traceylynn089]

Hi guys, I am scheduled to take REG this Saturday and am freaking out a little. I passed both FAR and AUD only using wiley and scored high on both. I didn’t feel particularly great about those going in either but I don’t work in taxes, I’ve never liked taxes and that is definitely contributing to my anxiety. There are SO many small nuances, details and exceptions. People keep posting that questions are rather surface level but I feel like quite a few of these wiley questions have been rather detailed knowledge of topics. Did anyone out there go into REG only using wiley and did you feel the questions were indicative of the exam or more difficult? I am spending this week solely doing practice MCQ and Sims questions so I am hoping I can work out my weaknesses. Some of the questions it surprises me that they supply the needed information (one even supplied the standard deductions!) while other questions require you to know rather detailed deduction limits and phase outs for what I thought was a relatively unimportant item that wasn’t really stressed (one of my biggest worries is messing up phase outs-do I need to have these all down?!) Maybe it is just luck of the draw in questions! Sorry to be so long winded. Sometimes it helps me to type out my anxiety.

[Jimmy Dugan]

I didn't know any phaseouts except AMT and think it's a waste of time and energy to study them heavily. I may be wrong but I wouldn't focus on the phaseouts very much.

[dcrowdy]

I use Wiley and just passed REG (taken 1/15/19). REG did not test specific $/%'s for phaseouts.

I feel like Wiley and the actual exam are on point but I noticed that about 55-60% of my multiple choice questions involved various calculations, which seemed higher than usual (I have taken REG before), so I tried focusing my studies on concepts that involved calculations, formulas, etc. I also made sure to know partnerships, K1s, etc. like the back of my hand.

I felt like a good chunk of my sims had to do with depreciation and property exchanges.

I would be curious to collaborate on FAR using Wiley because I have to pass it by mid-May or lose out on a round of promotions!

[Nate]

I didn't study with Wiley but I will say this about REG, of all of the exams I've taken, I was sure I failed REG. I was confident I bombed it and there was no way I passed, and I got an 83. I've talked to a lot of other CPA's who felt the same way with REG. The other three I was confident, maybe not BEC as much, but I thought there was a 55% chance I passed BEC and a 90% chance I passed AUD and FAR, but REG, I thought there was a 10% chance and somehow I passed. I say this to let you know that REG seems hard in the moment, but people seem to pass even though they're certain they failed. Just relax, you don't need to work in taxes to do well on the exam, and trust what you've studied.

[traceylynn089]

Hi Dcrowdy, I appreciate the input especially since you just recently took the exam. I will focus on the calcs these next couple days. I felt that wiley did a good job for FAR. I did not feel surprised at all for the exam. You should have no problem passing by May using the material.

[traceylynn089]

Hi Nate, thanks for the input. I definitely felt like I failed both FAR and AUD and I passed on first try so I think I just need to calm down and things will click. I have also noticed I always do worse at home just because I am at home. I'm never 100% focused and I always just want to be done so I don't pay as much attention to the details of questions as I should.

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