[RE2PECT]

So i just started doing mcq’s going back to section 1 of Roger. I’ve been using Ninja and am focusing on the layout of the sections of Roger’s course as I go through them. This is my first exam and had no idea how I should study so I tried out the Ninja Method and really didn’t do many as I went through the chapters. Now that I’m doing nothing but mcq’s, it’s taking me forever to go through them and I’m worried I might not have enough time to go through all the sections. My exam isn’t until 2/29, but my wife is due any day and who knows how my study schedule will be after the baby comes.

I’m usually a slower test taker and sometimes I find it hard to focus when I see a long question with a lot of variables involved. I know it’s recommended to do each question in 90 seconds, but sometimes it takes me that long just to figure out what it’s asking! Maybe I just haven’t been exposed to enough questions and I’ll pick up the pace as I become more familiar with them, but it’s really discouraging and I feel like I’ve barely retained anything.

Does anyone have any tips or advice on how to pick up the pace a little bit or do you think it will come as I attempt more of them?

FAR: 75 Roger & Ninja (notes/flashcards/audio/MCQ)
AUD: 73, 81
BEC: 71, retake 8/29
REG:

[Jdn9201]

I don't think you should be worried about speed right now – you will pick that up as you become more familiar with the questions. Since you mention a problem with retaining information, I think you should focus more on the explanations to the MCQ answers. Don't just try and get the right answer – know why it's right or wrong. Otherwise, if you are flying through MCQ's, the only thing you are doing is memorizing answers. I caught myself doing that when I used Roger for BEC, but luckily caught it before I took the exam. If you understand the explanations and the why, then you can use that to apply to other questions over the same topic. Also, don't stress over the TBS because they are only 15% (I think..or maybe 20%?) of your score. I've already taken BEC and Roger does a very good job at preparing you for the TBS. You get so many of those points just by repeating the question in your introduction and conclusion.

BEC - 88 8/29/15
REG - 82 11/14/15
AUD - 83 1/8/16
FAR - 80 2/29/16

[Andyred04]

First off, congratulations on the kid! Similarly to you, I am a first time test-taker in a little over two weeks (2/12) and have finished my Gleim FAR textbook and Ninja Notes so now I'm just crushing through Ninja MCQs every night (~150/night). Not so similarly to you, I am on the other end of the spectrum when it comes to taking tests (I was ALWAYS the first one done with my college exams and still managed to do well on them). When doing Ninja MCQs, I usually finish a set of 30 in around 30-40 minutes which is right where I would like to be. Here are a few tips & tricks that I use to decrease my time per question:

1. Short questions with one word answers should be completed in 15-30 seconds. This time can be met simply by knowing your concepts which can be learned through flashcards, etc. Spending less time on these questions gives you more time on the more wordy questions.

2. When you see a wordy question, read the final sentence or two first (the actual question). Doing this will help you get a gauge on what the question is actually asking and you'll be able to sift through the information part of the question much more efficiently.

3. Write down anything that actually pertains to the question itself. Say the actual question asks “what is ending Stockholder's Equity?”. You'll want to write down anything in the information part of the question that deals with Stockholder's Equity(Beginning Additional PIC, Common Stock Transactions, Treasury Stock Transactions, etc.). Usually, I like to organize this information in a T-chart (it makes the ending calculation much easier to do).

4. Keep grinding through MCQs. The more you do, the more you'll learn the most efficient ways to read them.

I hope this can be of some assistance to you, GOOD LUCK!

FAR: 80 (Gleim, Ninja Notes, Ninja MCQs)
REG: 87 (Gleim, Ninja Notes, Ninja MCQs)
BEC: 87 (Gleim, Ninja Notes, Ninja MCQs)
AUD: 8/27/16

PA Candidate

[RE2PECT]

Thanks Andyred04! I've been going through so many mixed emotions lately with the pressure of studying along with the excitement and nervousness of being a first time parent that it's been taking a toll on me. Just trying to focus on the big picture and know that I'm doing this for my family to help provide a better life for them.

I hope I can get to the pace you're on .It's been taking me about 2 hours to get through 40 questions, but I have been going over the explanations so I can understand why I answered them wrong like jdn9201 said. I copy and paste them into a separate file so I can review them later on.

One thing I'm having trouble with is doing journal entries for questions regardless if they're asked or not. I see many people on here suggesting it, but I guess I'm not used to doing them that way from my accounting classes in school. Just seems like I have so much work to do in the next month and I don't know where to start!

FAR: 75 Roger & Ninja (notes/flashcards/audio/MCQ)
AUD: 73, 81
BEC: 71, retake 8/29
REG:

[TaxGod]

Slow test taker here (always finish top 5 last in the class when taking a test), but honestly I did not have any problem except FAR. My only advice is dont spend way to long on a question. Educated guess is better than spinning your wheels for 5-10 mins sometimes. I would always have a a cut off period as well, like if i only have an hour and 15 min left I NEED TO GO TO SIMS. But it honestly wasnt as much of a factor as I thought it would be.

AUD: 02/28/15 - 89
FAR: 05/29/15 - 80
BEC: 08/03/15 - 81
REG: 08/27/15 - 76

[Anonymous]

If you're a slow test taker in general, then doing some exercises to improve your test taking speed may prove valuable. Just being slow with the CPA questions at this point wouldn't be concerning, cause you'll be likely to speed up as you get more familiar; however, if you've always been a slow test taker, then there's likely more test taking speed skills that you could work on. I posted recently in a different thread ( https://www.another71.com/cpa-exam-forum/topic/failure-1 ) about simple math timed sheets that I used growing up, which I think were a very big part of what helped me learn to be a quick test taker. I'll paste here what I said in the other thread about the sheets, though some of the other information in the post may be helpful too (it was about training your mind to think quicker in general):

Got some free time? Look for a basic arithmetic worksheet. Here's an example where you can make your own: https://worksheets.theteacherscorner.net/make-your-own/math-worksheets/basic-math/math-worksheets.php Generate a PDF of 100 addition problems, just with basic numbers (1-15, no crazy 1367+4561), and time yourself going through the sheet. Generate 3 different versions of it, 100 questions each, and rotate through them. We had a similar sheet in our school curriculum, and we got pretty quick at them. My siblings and I would compare times and yes, I'll admit that I felt inferior if I couldn't beat my 2.5 and 5 year older siblings' speeds, so I put a lot of effort into these. 😉 However, even when I was doing algebra in highschool, I'd sometimes go back and borrow a younger siblings' timesheet (as we called them) just to reinforce the quick math skills. So, do some of these. Maybe do all 3 sheets once a day. Should take less than 10 minutes total once you're practiced with them.

[wombataholic]

Don't worry about speed yet, but sometime before the exam take a practice test – strictly to get a feel for how quickly you'll need to work.

Licensed CPA
Passed each section on the first try with Ninja Notes/MCQ/Audio

[Yaz88]

could someone enlighten me on what is the ratio (on MCQ) of computational questions?? roughly speaking I know its different evertyime but I am just slow at the computational ones as I try to focus too hard on the Q which sometimes makes me very very slow…

[Author]

Replies