5 weeks too little to CRAM for FAR? – working full time

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    Topic
  • August 25, 2016 at 12:02 pm #820686
    SkiBum1990
    Participant

    Thoughts? – Thinking I should retake AUD in Nov after x2 fail (May 68, July 70) instead of my scheduled FAR (NTS expires). Taking reg Oct 3rd.

    "The mind can only absorb as much as the seat can take"

    B - 79
    A - 68, __ (got bumped from Aug 4 release to Aug 23-THANKS AICPA)
    R - Oct
    F - Nov (HA! 1 month to study working full-time; love NTS rules)

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 18 total)
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  • August 25, 2016 at 12:05 pm #820692
    Harambe
    Participant

    I think you're setting yourself up for failure.

    August 25, 2016 at 12:21 pm #820725
    SkiBum1990
    Participant

    As in retaking AUD over FAR? or Cramming for FAR in 5 weeks

    "The mind can only absorb as much as the seat can take"

    B - 79
    A - 68, __ (got bumped from Aug 4 release to Aug 23-THANKS AICPA)
    R - Oct
    F - Nov (HA! 1 month to study working full-time; love NTS rules)

    August 25, 2016 at 12:38 pm #820755
    PleaseLetmebeaCPA
    Participant

    Harambe is always right.

    On a serious note, it took me a solid 2 months to study for FAR and I was studying full time (Becker). Personally, I think 5 weeks is too short. The most useful tip that I received and did was to give yourself at least 2 and a half weeks of “final review” before the exam. Everything will suddenly make sense in that final review phase. You will know when it when you are ready for FAR. Good luck!

    August 25, 2016 at 12:50 pm #820764
    SkiBum1990
    Participant

    I'm leaning towards OWNING Audit in November, as painful as throwing away FAR is due to an expiring NTS. I think I'd rather use those 5 weeks and eat/sleep/breathe audit to pass. —I'm almost there, scoring May 68, July 70. I'd hate to have to put AUD off to Q1 knowing I'll probably have to retake FAR in Q1 anyways because 5 weeks is no where near enough time to prepare. (lets be real)

    This is such a tough decision! I just want knock AUD out! UGH

    "The mind can only absorb as much as the seat can take"

    B - 79
    A - 68, __ (got bumped from Aug 4 release to Aug 23-THANKS AICPA)
    R - Oct
    F - Nov (HA! 1 month to study working full-time; love NTS rules)

    August 25, 2016 at 12:54 pm #820767
    sancasuki
    Participant

    Really depends on the person. I would not be able to do it. Certainly not with CPAExcel since FAR has 1200 pages to read. The Ninja book/notes seem more condensed, so maybe it's possible using those. If you had trouble with AUD though…..let's just say FAR has more material than AUD and BEC combined. It's a lot of f'in material.

    August 25, 2016 at 1:02 pm #820773
    SkiBum1990
    Participant

    Yeah very true.– I feel I will be able to pass AUD this time. My 2nd go around (70) I burnt myself out trying to cover as much as possible until I went to bed the night b4 the exam because I “didnt want to miss anything to pass this time”. —Half way through the test my brain was fried, and I have no doubt that contributed to my score. sigh…. Lesson learned: give yourself ample time for mental break/recover before the exam

    "The mind can only absorb as much as the seat can take"

    B - 79
    A - 68, __ (got bumped from Aug 4 release to Aug 23-THANKS AICPA)
    R - Oct
    F - Nov (HA! 1 month to study working full-time; love NTS rules)

    August 25, 2016 at 1:34 pm #820791
    Missy
    Participant

    It depends, if you've got very limited general ledger work experience I don't think its enough time. I did it in 6 weeks and could likely have done it in 5 but I've got a lot of general ledger accounting experience which I think worked in my favor quite a bit.

    Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
    Finance/Admin/HR Manager

    August 25, 2016 at 7:05 pm #821247
    SkiBum1990
    Participant

    hmmm

    "The mind can only absorb as much as the seat can take"

    B - 79
    A - 68, __ (got bumped from Aug 4 release to Aug 23-THANKS AICPA)
    R - Oct
    F - Nov (HA! 1 month to study working full-time; love NTS rules)

    August 25, 2016 at 10:32 pm #821436
    Tncincy
    Participant

    I was thinking of retaking far in 6 weeks, I know I can't get distracted but if I go longer than 8 weeks I can't hold the information. I feel like I am re-learning the information…..so why was 6 weeks a bad idea? so if I wanted to go 6 weeks, what topic (of far) should we start with first? (ex: IFRS, or Bonds,)

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

    August 25, 2016 at 10:36 pm #821442
    Amortized and Energized
    Participant

    I studied 6 weeks for FAR using Becker and was working full time. I suppose 5 weeks isn't unthinkable, but would be tough. I crammed all the lectures for 2 weeks and then just did a sickening amount of multiple choice questions for the rest, but made sure every question I got wrong to catalog the section it related to and then circled back to key on those homework problems separately. Made BEC really easy to study for though! 🙂

    FAR - Aug 2015 (58), Feb 2016 (81)
    u
    BEC - May 2016 (79)
    AUD - Jul 2016
    REG - Aug 2016

    August 25, 2016 at 10:49 pm #821451
    Tncincy
    Participant

    I don't have any lectures…so 6 weeks of reading and mcq's?

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

    August 25, 2016 at 10:59 pm #821457
    mtaylo24
    Participant

    Don't waste the $, get the experience. I bombed FAR, mostly due to how you described above of burning out, but I'm glad I sat. 5 weeks should be plenty of time depending on your strategy. How committed are you to REG? Why not just study for Aud now? Unless you have another one expiring…

    AUD - 1st - 60 (12/12), 61 (2/13), 61 (8/13), 78! (11/15)
    REG - 55 (2/16) 69 (5/16) Retake(8/16)
    BEC - 71(5/16) Retake (9/16)
    FAR - (8/16)

    August 25, 2016 at 11:05 pm #821472
    Amortized and Energized
    Participant

    Tough to say, I don't know what your experience is or if you're the type that can sit down and read a 1200 page text book and not fry your brain. It would fry my brain. I'm the type that learns better from cramming questions and if I get it wrong, learning from that. So for me it was more MCQ's than book, but I used the book to go back and study the stuff I just couldn't learn from the questions I was doing.

    I think part of what had helped me is I came up through the ranks of being a staff acct in industry and moved up to Sr, so I'd seen a fair amount of the book keeping stuff right up to the financial reporting stuff. So I made sure to go over NPO's and Gov't because I had zero exposure to it before and then the weak parts I was seeing in my progress tests and homework.

    FAR - Aug 2015 (58), Feb 2016 (81)
    u
    BEC - May 2016 (79)
    AUD - Jul 2016
    REG - Aug 2016

    August 25, 2016 at 11:24 pm #821484
    Tncincy
    Participant

    @hamms, I appreciate your response…no I cringe every time I think I want to read that Far (wiley or ninja) book, I can and rather learn from the questions because I know what I am dealing with the the questions. The book sometimes is just words….I learn accounting and got the best grades doing projects or practice sets (telling how old I am), I've gotten my best grades doing direct mcq's from the homework….can't really remember straight reading chapters, but always took the work to the chapter. I just get so scared and even frozen because I keep thinking it can't be this simple.

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

    August 25, 2016 at 11:38 pm #821496
    Amortized and Energized
    Participant

    Repetition Repetition Repetition, good luck! It's tough, but it can be done.

    FAR - Aug 2015 (58), Feb 2016 (81)
    u
    BEC - May 2016 (79)
    AUD - Jul 2016
    REG - Aug 2016

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