[Anonymous]

After about 7-8 weeks of studying for FAR, I finally took the exam today at 12:30 p.m.. Given that this is my first section of the CPA exam I’m taking, I felt prepared but unprepared at the same time if you know what I mean. I brought my Becker book and notes just so I could just glance them over because I got there an hour early, but at this point, I either knew the materials or I didn’t.

Here came the time for me to type in the launch code and start taking the exam – the first testlet of MCQs was nothing I have not seen before. Maybe, there was two or three questions I wasn’t so sure on, but I did all of them without having major issues. As for the second testlet of MCQs, I could tell that many questions were a lot wordier than the first testlet MCQs, and a little more comprehensive. I believe someone on this post already mentioned that the FAR exam candidates should not take “certain” topic lightly, and this is absolutely true and I can utterly attest to this. Perhaps, the AICPA should change the % of this “certain” topic on the Blue Print because it can be misleading.

Let’s talk about the SIMs…surprisingly, I didn’t have a single DRS on my exam, but the topics that were tested on these SIMs were not what I expected. Honestly, I do not know how I still feel about these SIMs. When you go through your review course practice SIMs, sometimes you know you got the correct numbers for sure, but this wasn’t certainly the case for me during the actual exam. I believe I got the research question right and some SIMs, but for the rest, I felt lost in the maze, not because I didn’t know the concepts, but they weren’t just what I expected, and I didn’t know how to approach those SIMs.

I completely felt like crap after coming out of the test center because of the SIMs. I guess I just have to wait until 3/20 to find out whether I will have passed FAR or not. Those of you taking FAR soon, make sure to study hard and finish strong!

[turo9992000]

I took FAR on the 27th and I felt the Sims were much more difficult than the last 2 times I took it. December and August.

I always feel a great sense of depression when I finish an exam. Every time, I've accepted it's all part of the process. The interesting thing is that I run a lot and the feeling I get after running a good marathon is very similar to the feeling I got after I clicked submit testlet. Except with the exam I have to wait to celebrate.

[Anonymous]

The 2 times I took FAR the most challenging part IMO had nothing to deal with understanding the concepts tested within the question but rather how to use the concept to fill out the answers if that makes sense. They seem to ask the questions in a round about way and not straight forward.

[readytobedonewthecpa]

Did the sims topics align with the blueprint ones that state analysis?

[Anonymous]

@readytobedonewthecpa – I would say the topics did align with the ones on the Blueprint, but don't rely on the Blueprint too much..just use them as your basis to study.

[satyakatiwal]

@Big4beancounter , may I ask what you meant by saying you were not expecting , you knew the concept but didn’t know how to approach ?
In one webinar they clarified percentage is always in the band they have mentioned in BP.

[Anonymous]

@satyakatiwal – like @Tiderfl said above, it doesn't matter whether you fully understand the topics/concepts that have “analysis” level on the Blueprint because you need to be able to how to apply those concepts on whatever SIMs they throw at you with other variables, be multiple supporting documents (invoices, ledger, financial statements, etc.), other misc. information, or whatever the case may be.

[2bigcpa]

@big4beancounter I agree with you. I also took the FAR exam today, but I have been too exhausted to post my experience. I had a very long day. A family member woke me up at 4:30am getting up for work. As Big4beancounter said, the first MCQ testlet was okay, but the second one was more comprehensive. I studied for 8 weeks and I think I over studied because I started forgetting the material during my review. I plan to reduce my study time for the next exams. I am already expecting to retake FAR because there were information on the SIM that I should have known, but I wasn't expecting the SIM's on the exam. The AICPA needs to do a better job narrowing down the options. I counted 217 FAR topics in my FAR wiley book yet the exam covered at most 15 to 20 topics. I don't think the SIMs were too difficult except one, but a candidate can only prepare so much. AUD is next for me. Good luck to everyone studying FAR and make sure to know governmental accounting.

[satyakatiwal]

@2bigcpa,thank you for sharing your experience, feeling better after reading your update that only one SIM was difficult.
could you figure out how to approach SIMs ? Have you seen Blueprint and did u see application level in SIM . If you
Haven’t seen Blueprint then NFP/Govt have only application level topics.

[Anonymous]

I had at least 2 Sims that were “application” topics on the blueprint and not “analysis”.

[PDiddy2000]

Thanks for the update. Hope you passed. I take FAR which will be my first CPA exam the first week of April. I can already tell from my review course that understanding the concepts is only half the battle.

[2bigcpa]

@satyakatiwalIt was difficult because the review course didn't cover it like the exam tested it. I think all the SIMs were doable, but I wasn't prepared or in my case I tried to know about every topic Wiley covered. The layout of the SIMs were straightforward, but I forgot the material so I will probably have to retake FAR. I plan to complete the other three exams and then I will retake FAR at a later time. I am burned out on FAR material. The blueprint was applicable to the exam and next time I plan to know how to construct and know the parts of each financial statement. Certain parts that were application on the blueprint were application on the exam. Yeah, NFP/government might be application, but they might determine if you pass the exam or not. I took a class on NFP/government in college and actually the NFP professor in Wiley gave good tips. He did a better job than my professor in college. Haha

[datsuiki]

Agreed with @2bigcpa, the SIMs were doable but I forgot some of the topics and feel like I will need to retake. I took the blueprint too seriously and will restructure my studying accordingly when I study the material again. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[CPA4Wakanda]

@Big4BeanCounter Out of curiosity, I took my FAR exam a few weeks ago and had a few DRS SIMs, unlike your experience. I thought I read on the AICPA site that the SIMs were the same across the board? What determines what SIMs you get? Is it different since I took it a few weeks ago?

[Anonymous]

@CPA4Wakanda – I'm not sure how the AICPA assigns each exam candidate's SIMs as well as MCQ testlets. I don't think it matters when you take the exam – I can't remember but I read somewhere from the AICPA Q&A that everyone is going to have different exam testlets regardless of the location/date.

And yes – I didn't have any DRSs, nonetheless, the SIMs I got were still difficult to approach.

[CPA4Wakanda]

@Big4BeanCounter I see. I hope for the best for both of us during score release!

[Author]

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