[Brenna]

I struggle to use the authoritative lit for REG, any tips on using it effectively. Also I’m confused on how/why people would use it during sims? Could someone give an example.

Thank you!

[Operation_CPA]

Practice makes perfect. Pick a random topic you know such as Section 179 Expense and try to find it in the AL as quickly as possible. Also try to use the advanced search function – this helps tremendously.

As far as using the AL during SIMS, essentially what that means is efficiently researching a topic mid-exam (that you potentially blanked on or otherwise forgot) and finding the rules in the AL to help you answer the question contained within your TBS. Using my example above, let's say you get a TBS on Section 179 Expense and you completely freeze and can't remember the exact rules. You could in turn look it up in the AL and find the $510,000 maximum deduction allowed for qualified expenses. To take it a step further, there is a phase-out. You need to reduce the $510,000 dollar for dollar by expenses in excess of $2,030,000. Now, if you hadn't utilized the AL, you would have received no credit for this entire question. That is what people are referring to.

[turo9992000]

It feels like cheating during the exam. I must have used the authoritative literature for all my sims in AUD and REG. Search key words drill down a bit and your answer is there.

[Recked]

agree with the 2 above. it's like having an open book test.
2 issues with this.
1. if you are not familiar with the AL to use it effectively you will spend more time searching than you really need to or should. practice it before your test for sure.
2. be careful not to go down a rabbit hole. on my FAR exam i wasn't sure about one particular topic in a SIM and ended up trying to chase down the answer in the AL, I ended up not finding a conclusive answer, so I wasted a ton of time that I could have used more wisely on testlets 4 and 5 to maximize my points. Ended up leaving 2 SIMs partially blank in testlet 5 and running out of time. Beware the rabbit hole.

[Brenna]

Thank you so much – I completely understand now! I will definitely start practicing using the AL during my review.

Good luck everyone!

[Tncincy]

So how and where do you practice AL before the test.

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[Anonymous]

Hi @ Tncincy, generally the AL will be incorporated in any online review course. If you don't have access to an online review course, you can practice the AICPA practice tests for free. Knowing how to generally search/navigate these before you take the exam is big. Don't blow over the research questions when you're practicing. They are easy points on the exam.

[Tncincy]

Great! I will be looking into the AICPA practice tests today. I need all the help I can get.

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[Skynet]

When they say they use the “AL” , they mean to say they “Ain't Lyin” when they say REG is Hard as Hell!

[CS]

Definitely get comfortable with using IRC for REG. I thought FASB & PCAOB were pretty straightforward, and during the exam pretty much found what I needed very quickly (not really for FAR but that was just a horrible exam experience).

I found the IRC to be another story – I thought I found the answer, but so many nuances in each topic I was scrambling through different sections. Also REG SIMs seem to test some very fine details which I think candidates (or at least I did) probably overlook while studying, assuming their grasp of the topic is strong enough. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I agree on the fine details being tested. Being able to do research in the AL was really helpful to me on the sims. You think you have a solid understanding of the topic and then the exam throws some twist or nuance into it that makes you question everything!

[Author]

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