[futuremdcpa]

What should I be focusing on? I’ve done all the Becker Q’s both tax & law twice.. and I also have completed all tax questions in Wiley.. I do keep getting a few wrong, but I book marked them and plan on going over them tomorrow.. as well as Wiley/Becker sims tomorrow.

What should I be focusing my time on? I really feel so unprepared for this exam its driving me insane..

Please help! 🙂

REG: PASS || BEC: PASS || AUD: PASS || F: SCORE PENDING..

[CPA Hopeful]

I felt the same way before I took my FAR exam at the end of May. I felt like I had failed when I left the exam and was pleasantly pleased to find out that I had passed. I think this is how just about all of us feel when we go through this. I see this is your first exam and it sounds like you are having the same thoughts I did leading up to FAR. Just keep reviewing the material and keep working MC questions until you just can't take it anymore, then do some more LOL. That's what got me through FAR and I hope will get me through REG in August. Also, in the days right before the exam I basically went through each chapter and wrote notes on all of the main points. I feel like it did help me to retain information as I went into the exam. So again, it's perfectly normal to feel like you do. Just have confidence that you know the material and that you WILL do well. Good luck.

FAR - 81
REG - 75
AUD - 85
BEC - 79

Thank goodness it's over... Now on to the next step...

[jalban1324]

I have my REG exam on 7/02 so I have seen your various posts over the past few weeks. It seems to me you are doing everything necessary to be ready. Based on what worked for me for AUD, I suggest/am doing:

-Take as many full practice exams as you can simulating real conditions as closely as you can. Get the timing down for everything (testlets, SIMS, bathroom breaks!) Eliminate as many surprises as you can. No snacks or coffee at Prometric.

-When you can't do full exams, work in “exam mode” blending all topics so you are used to topics changing from one question to the next (as opposed to “homework mode” where you are aware of the topic so you tend to have expectations as you work a set of related questions).

-The Becker practice tests resemble the real thing well, but go through the AICPA sample anyway (again, no surprises).

-Skim the book and hit every topic at least every 2-3 days to keep everything “flowing” through your mind.

Good luck!

A (05/23/12) 92
R (07/02/12) 77
F (08/29/12) 69 Retake 2/27/13 80
B (10/22/12) 79

[Anonymous]

I would say spend the majority of your time on tax topics that you're weak on. Half of Becker's material covers law topics, but according to the examiners, 80% of your questions will be over tax topics. Of course, you might have more law than that, you might have less. That's just the joy of this exam :). However, you will most likely be tested over much more tax issues than law, especially in simulations.

It sounds like you're pretty prepared for this exam, especially if you've gone over everything twice already with 11 days to go. What really helped for me was to read back through the Becker chapters and write down in a notebook things I thought I might forget. Writing reinforces it and it gives you sparknotes over the things that you struggle with.

Have you taken the Becker practice exams yet? If so, how did you do?

[futuremdcpa]

@akh89 – Yeah I took the practice exams about 1-2 weeks ago.. On the first one I had: 62, 79, 71, and 50,40,70,40,0,78 on the sims. On the second exam I had 58, 71, 67 and on the sims 100, 100, 80, 85, 0, 100.

Im going to redo all MCQ's again, and this time make detailed notes on any topic I feel weak on, as well as focus a little more on it within the 11 days. You have a very nice REG score – Were the becker questions representative of the question length/type you saw on the exam?

@CPA Hopeful – Well, feeling like you failed you ended up with a pretty nice FAR score!! Thats what I keep hearing is to work the m.c. as many times as possible.. Im going to be doing that everyday for the next 11 days.

@Jalban1324 – Good luck to both of us 🙂 You did very well on AUD, so I am sure you know what works for you by now. For me.. I feel like I have no clue how to really study and what to expect.

Good luck to all of us 🙂

REG: PASS || BEC: PASS || AUD: PASS || F: SCORE PENDING..

[momto5]

Wow, you are getting some GREAT advice! I agree with it all! I was feeling the same as you on my first exam – FAR. Felt very unprepared because I didn't feel like I knew everything backwards and forwards, and it seemed like I could easily get everything confused. (Yes, it is a little different than studying for a final in college – lol) Rewriting notes helped a great deal, as well as going through the practice exams for Becker and AICPA. After you get through this first one, at least you know a little more what to expect going forward. If you are only getting a few questions wrong, I certainly wouldn't worry too much- sounds like you are pretty well prepared! Just try to keep it all in your brain until test day and stay relaxed while testing! Good luck!

FAR - 92 (4/27/12)
AUD - 96 (7/17/12)
BEC - 92 (8/30/12)
REG - 91 (11/12/12)

[The Dingo]

@futuremdcpa

Sounds like you're making good progress, and while you still have some work to do based on the sample tests, hopefully you've been able to use the scores to focus on your weak spots and concentrate your efforts.

As others have said, it's a marathon and if you haven't say through a three or four hour professional exam before, the physical and mental impact is truly there. Know that it's do-able, it seems like a big mountain to climb, but keep making progress each and every day. Lay out your plan and just keep going.

[futuremdcpa]

@momto5 – Very very nice score on FAR!! Yeah I mean I feel good enough to know the subject, but I don't feel as if I know it backwards, forwards, and sideways like I should. I did all the practice exams in Becker, the final exam #2 I did it twice.. I printed out the AICPA 2011 & 2012 questions and I am doing those today, and taking notes on things Im a little unsure about, and am going to review them later.. I also printed out the ethics portion of Gleim, and will read that and make sure I understand Circular 230/Responsibilities.. many people have said they where surprised as to how many questions they received on a topic that Becker spent a 10 minute lecture on..

As far as SIMS.. well reading this site for the last few months.. I know its going to be a crazy beast.. But I'm going to try and go through the 40 SIMS through Wileys online test bank & rework/understand Beckers simulations.. I have 11 days.. and i plan on utilizing 16 hours a day or more if I can 🙂

REG: PASS || BEC: PASS || AUD: PASS || F: SCORE PENDING..

[jalban1324]

@futuremdcpa – One more thing that I feel is well worth your time is to go over the AICPA newly released questions from the Becker updates. There are no explanations, but this is the only source I know of where you can see examples of what the AICPA labels as “Medium” and “Hard”. I am sure you will feel that some “Hard” are easy for you. The point of this is so you don't get discouraged on the actual exam if your testlets don't progressively feel harder. Browsing the Exam Experience forums, you will notice most people noting the changes in difficulty between testlets, but it is nearly impossible to correlate perceived increases in difficulty in the testlets to higher scores. For the record, on my AUD exam testlet one and two felt about the same, but the third felt harder. What does this mean? What does it matter?

A (05/23/12) 92
R (07/02/12) 77
F (08/29/12) 69 Retake 2/27/13 80
B (10/22/12) 79

[futuremdcpa]

@jalban1324 – I printed out the AICPA 2012 released questions. Im going through everything now, and anything I might not have 100% understanding, Im taking notes & reading the little part of it in the book. I am taking this exam down!

REG: PASS || BEC: PASS || AUD: PASS || F: SCORE PENDING..

[Anonymous]

@futuremdcpa – thanks! Honestly, you won't see any multiple choice questions on the exam that are harder than anything you saw in Becker. Becker really over prepares you for the MCQ'S. The sims on the other hand are much harder on the exams than in Becker. What you have to keep in mind with the sims is they're still testing you over the same stuff, just in a different way. It's good to practice sims just to get the interface down and some extra practice in, but I really think your time is best spent re-reading Becker over and over and doing MCQ'S. You'll get what you get on the sims. In all likeliness, itll be much different than the Becker sims. You'll probably be stumped on a couple of them – I know I was. Don't panic though. Do the ones you know first, then spend the rest of your time putting down what you can for the other ones. Search through the IRC for hints if you have time. Good luck!!

[futuremdcpa]

@akh89 — I just spent about 4ish hours reading R1-R3. I did pick up things I didn't realize the first time I was going through MCQ's. I am taking a few minutes break (by being on this website hehe), and I am going to do the tax portion of R4 tonight as well. I think my problem was that I studied to long for REG.. I feel like I really forgot a good portion of law.. and I read many people here felt like they were taking a law exam. My plan after I finish reading R4 today is to re-work all 650ish questions in Becker relating to tax as well as all 630ish in Wiley. Then do a few hours of law, and continue doing tax until I see it in my sleep.

REG: PASS || BEC: PASS || AUD: PASS || F: SCORE PENDING..

[Anonymous]

pardon the ignorance… where can i find the 2012 aicpa released questions???

[futuremdcpa]

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REG: PASS || BEC: PASS || AUD: PASS || F: SCORE PENDING..

[Anonymous]

thank you! I'm also taking the exam on 7/5 and still trying to stay focus after getting a 74 on my first attempt.

[Anonymous]

@futuremdcpa – to review for law, I liked to just listen to Olinto. I would turn off the screen and just listen. Then, I'd go over all the important mnumonics (ie do flash cards). The reading for law can be a little too involved sometimes and it's easy to waste a lot of time on minutia that most likely won't be tested. Pete does a great job of highlighting and explaining the most important points.

[Author]

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