65 to a 69 on BEC what am I doing wrong? ADVICE PLEASE!!

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  • May 9, 2016 at 9:05 pm #201890
    hannahFletcher16
    Participant

    Hey guys, I recently received my score for BEC and my 2nd time around I increased a miesly 4 points. As devistated as I am, I am also pissed. I thought I did okay enough to pass.

    Anyways, I am using becker self study (total bore) as well as Ninja MPC and I have added Blitz this 3rd time around.

    I read I watch I practice. What the heck am I doing wrong? I honestly feel like I didn’t do well on the first section and that just completly screwed me for the rest although they were easy, the questions probably were not worth as much.

    I started studying in September with 2 attempts at BEC so far I am getting discouraged. I need to pass something! I am going to start again with BEC for a retake in JULY.

    I am hoping for some advice from my fellow examiners.

    THANKS IN ADVANCE

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)
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  • May 9, 2016 at 9:11 pm #775803
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    How many MCQ's are you doing? What was your avg score going into the test?

    May 9, 2016 at 9:15 pm #775804
    hannahFletcher16
    Participant

    I cleared my STATs but I think I was averaging 70s for Ninja and high 70s for Becker. 🙁 What about you?

    I was doing around 30 questions on work days and as many as I could handle on non work days

    May 9, 2016 at 9:23 pm #775805
    Claudia408
    Participant

    BEC is such a crap shoot and mixed bag you can get anything on your testlets, you just need to work harder on your weak areas. for me it was cost accounting and financial mgmt and it took me 3 attempts: 65 – 71 – 75!!

    BEC - 75 (3x)
    AUD - 78 (3x)
    REG - 67, 66, Aug 1
    FAR - 54, Sept 8

    May 9, 2016 at 9:24 pm #775806
    hannahFletcher16
    Participant

    Thank you. That makes me feel better. Gosh I cannot wait to pass this damn test!

    May 9, 2016 at 9:31 pm #775807
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I took the tests in this order
    BEC – BEC – REG – BEC (Pass) – REG (Pass) – AUD – AUD (Pass) – FAR – FAR (Pass).

    I started doing around 3,000 questions per preparation period once I hit my 4th attempt. For AUD and FAR I did more.

    Work on your weak areas but at the same time, don't focus 70% of your effort on areas that represent 5% of the exam. I was stuck on Cost Accounting. Finally on the third BEC attempt, I barely studied Cost Accounting and moved on to master other areas, and passed.

    May 9, 2016 at 9:38 pm #775808
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I passed on my second attempt. Got a 70 the first try. I used CPAexcel and I chose to read the book instead of just listening to the lectures and then doing the questions. I felt like I retained more if I said it to myself. Especially with the COSO/COBIT and internal control stuff. Which was good because that was 60% of my exam! I also focused on the financial ratios and measurements because I had a feeling that would be tested. It was on the memos so I'm glad I did!

    Good luck!

    May 9, 2016 at 9:55 pm #775809
    hannahFletcher16
    Participant

    Thank you. I feel like COSO was a huge part of my second exam and I really thought I nailed it but obviously not.

    What were your guys daily study routines?

    I get so tired and feel brain dead while studying BEC.

    THANKS so much for the advice guys!!!!

    When you say 3000 how many did you do a day?

    May 9, 2016 at 10:09 pm #775810
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I have two young kids , married and work full time. I had to get up and study from 5:30am to 8:00am before work everyday and then longer on the weekends so I could be around in the evenings to help with chores, dinner, baths, homework , etc.
    I normally started each study session doing 30 MCQ's per day. My overall study time was 5-6 weeks , and I would ramp up to 100-150 MCQ's per day by week 4. I would be doing a lot of questions my last two weeks. Focus was on having a high average score. I took notes on all questions missed and would zero in on these questions and topics the most. There would be dozens, maybe hundreds of these pages of notes by test time. I did whatever had to be done to pass.

    May 9, 2016 at 10:24 pm #775811
    hannahFletcher16
    Participant

    6silvermoonbeams!

    I appreciate your feedback! I also have 2 kids and work full time and understand that struggle. I also just found out I have another one on the way. Now I really need to get these tests done in the next 9 months.

    YOU ROCK for getting up at 530 every morning. I try so hard but I just fail at getting up that early. Then when I do I am dosing off the entire time.

    I am seriously going to make it my goal to get up that early to study. It will definitely improve my score and has to get easier when I get used to it.
    I also think I got lazy writing down my wrong answers and taking more time. I just get discouraged when It takes me so long to take a 30 min quiz, adding the extra writing in there is torture.
    BUT, I commend you for doing it and agree you gotta do what you gotta do to pass. THANK YOU.

    New goals are to get up early and start with 30 mph a day while writing down the wrong answers and taking real time to find out what I did wrong. Along with adding as many MPC as I can as I get closer to exam.

    Thanks again.

    May 9, 2016 at 10:58 pm #775812
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I studied in the evenings only until I got to my last two exams, then switched to morning prep times. I was far more alert and absorbed the material in the mornings better than after work. I come here are write still because other people here helped me so much. This test was such a large part of my life.

    If you study hard and focus you can pass all 4 of these tests in 9 months. I know you can do it.

    May 9, 2016 at 11:31 pm #775813
    1koolcat
    Participant

    Hannah, I'm switching to this thread from the “I passed BEC.”

    You asked about my study routine. I am the WORST, so I'm probably more of an example of what NOT to do. I watch a Becker video, then I do the multiple choice questions. I tried to do one video a day, but I am so easily distracted by things I want to do more than I want to study. I didn't bother looking at WC until a week before the exam. I am confident in my writing abilities, so I thought that looking at samples wouldn't really help. I looked for patterns in the writing samples and it was the beginnings and the endings, so I wrote that. Everyone says to study IT and COSO so I did that too. I reviewed the chapters a few days before the exam. I didn't stress over formulas. I took extra time with the MCQs and read each question carefully, because I have a tendency to read too quickly. So I have to assume that I also got lucky and got questions that I knew. Because I have taken REG and FAR 2x each and I got different questions and different SIMs each time. Nothing was the same.

    AUD - 77
    REG - 73, 80
    FAR - 69, 73, 79 and DONE!
    BEC - 82

    May 10, 2016 at 2:38 am #775814
    hannahFletcher16
    Participant

    6silvermoonbeams- Thank you for the motivation and positive vibes. I really do want this. I just need to suck it up and try harder. I think it is super awesome you still come here to help. you are right, these exams are life changing and its nice that we can all stick together and help each other out.

    Tomorrow is a new day and I am determined to get it done!

    1koolkat- It seems like that strategy worked well for you so far! I am jealous. I guess I am someone who has to try really hard and rarely gets lucky. Good luck on passing FAR!!!

    May 10, 2016 at 1:12 pm #775815
    Ginja_CPA
    Participant

    @Hannah, it really depends on your study method. When you are watching the videos, do you actually pay attention? I personally have not watched one video during my study time.

    My study method goes something like:
    1. Read the entire book (this normally takes 2 weeks)
    2. Once I've read the book I do MCQ on Ninja (I do a lot of these, somewhere around 3000-4000 per section)
    3. Make notecards using Cram.com if I feel I really am struggling with something.

    I study for a total of 6-8 weeks so that I don't just waste time and forget more information! The reading I do really just allows me to get a broad understanding, the true learning comes from all of the multiple choice questions I do.

    Everyone is different, if you've done the same thing both times you've taken the exam and failed, try something new! I know Jeff has a good Audio that you can listen to on your commute/mowing/doing anything else you have 5 minutes of free time!

    You'll get there, its a marathon, not a sprint!

    REG: 80 (02/19/16)
    AUD: 83 (04/11/16)
    BEC: 78 (05/28/16)
    FAR: ?

    May 10, 2016 at 3:02 pm #775816
    1koolcat
    Participant

    Hannah,

    it's funny how everyone has a different answer on which exam is the hardest, or what topics they struggle on. I really thought AUD would be my hardest test and FAR would be easier. You are focusing on the positive and that will help carry you through to the finish line. You increased your score, so you ARE improving. Whatever you are doing IS working, just keep at it. I decided to take BEC before retaking FAR a 3rd time because I felt that I needed another win. Another failure would have really crushed me. But I think you will tackle BEC on this next try. And if you don't, don't take a break from studying, just move on to another test. Saving the worst for last is definitely the strategy of a procrastinator like me, but I have extra motivation to pass now. Once I slay FAR, I am DONE. Unless I don't slay FAR by the end of August, then I have to retake AUD. Right there is extra motivation to buckle down and study.

    Hey, one thing. I'm not sure if this will help. You say you read, you watch, you practice. I watch, I read, I practice. I'm not sure if that would make a difference. Those videos are super dull, so I watch and highlight and underline first. Then I go back and read. I never take the full practice tests, I just do the review multiple choice at the end, where you can select as many of each chapter, so I can pinpoint my weak areas.

    Good luck and Congratulations on your baby news!

    AUD - 77
    REG - 73, 80
    FAR - 69, 73, 79 and DONE!
    BEC - 82

    May 10, 2016 at 7:50 pm #775817
    hannahFletcher16
    Participant

    I really appreciate the advice guys. It is exactly what I need!! I am going to try everyones approaches to switch it up a bit in hopes that helps!

    One thing I really struggle with is just getting through multiple choice. Like once I start a test I immeditly get this tired dull feeling and want to quit and take a nap. doesn't matter what time of day. its like multiple choice are the death of me. Maybe because I actually have to focus..I am not sure. But I do know I need to get better at them and some how develop a more positive I'm going to kick these questions butt type attitude verses omg this is boring and re read the question ten times before I realize what its asking…

    If anyone has advice on how they tackle there million multiple choice attempts that would be sweet!

    Thanks again!

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