Has anyone studied for an exam and passed studying more than 8 weeks, like maybe 12 weeks, and come to the conclusion that you do retain information past the 8 week mark?
So far what it took for me. I feel like the multiple exposures to the material helps with retention, not the specific amount of time spent. Since BEC and AUD were shorter, it took less time to go through the material 2-4 times.
REG – 11 Weeks – I felt like I retained a lot of the material upon the 2nd review. Had 2 weeks after the 2nd review.
BEC – 5 Weeks – I felt ready after 4 weeks.
AUD – 7 Weeks – I think I started the second review at 5.5 weeks. At this point I was getting tired of studying. FAR – will be 12 Weeks – Right now I am very tired of studying. Currently in the middle of the 2nd review with 2 more weekends left before the test. If I had 13 or 14 weeks, I might feel more comfortable, we will see come test time.
I studied AUD for about 8-9 weeks, fresh out of my auditing grad course lol. I found myself re-watching review videos toward the end but it made the info click that much more. I barely passed regardless.. And I'm sure for FAR I'll need at least 10 weeks.
I been studying for BEC since end up July and I have my exam on September 7th. Given, some time between end of July to beginning of August my studying techniques were sucking, I still got 8 weeks in it. I rather take the time and study until the last moment I can take it.
So Far So good, your super-lengthy experience in taking notes, actually doubling the time of the lectures, is exactly what I have been going through. In taking super-detailed notes, that is what happens.
In my opinion, the shorter the study frame, the better.
I wouldn't recommend going over 8 weeks because at that point you start forgetting the material you studied in the beginning.
When you're initially going over the text, it's all about breadth, not depth. Just narrow in on the fundamentals and get a strong foundation. Don't get lost in the details.
Where you really learn is when you grind the MCQ's and TBS's and read the explanations of why you're correct or incorrect.
I used to spend hours watching lectures, reading the text and taking notes only to find myself hardly remembering anything a month later.
In my opinion, 3 hours of grinding questions and reading the explanations is greater than 6 or even 8 hours of reading text and taking notes.
@Bear-Bear: I am also using CPAexcel. What are you referring to when you state “unnecessary study info”? Do you just watch the lectures or review the slides instead of reading the entire study text?
I began studying for FAR right after Christmas last year and took the exam on May 7, so I'm an extreme example. To be fair though, it was the first section I've ever taken, so I was much more nervous and cautious about having a sufficient amount of study time. I also work full time and have been supporting my mom through my dad's major mental health issues, so that took up a lot of time. Despite all that, I passed with a 78. Looking back, I definitely think retention of material was an issue in my studies and I would have benefited from a shorter deadline. Revisiting early material in FAR was pretty tough coming back months later.
I did REG for 10 weeks and FAR for 12 weeks all during busy season. I wanted to give myself enough time, and usually, I will have last 10 days for final review. You definitely can retain the info for 3 months, and I think that is the max for me. For BEC and Aud , I would not suggest more than 8 weeks.
REG-84
BEC-76 (Thank you God!)
AUD-71,82
FAR-79 (what a surprise and I am finally done !)
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