[AndrewE]

Currently I am studying for a REG retake, I failed my 3/9 test with a 73. I have begun studying again last week rewriting notes, listening to NINJA AUD, doing Becker MCQ’s and SIMs, and NINJA MCQ & SIMS. I previously used this method (minus audio) to pass my AUD retake (70 to 75) studying about 3 to 4 hours everyday.

I am just wonder, is it better to work yourself into the ground or to take breaks during the process? I worked myself into the ground for my REG first take for 5 ½ weeks studying listening to audio to and from work, studying at lunch and 3 hours after work M-F, and 6 to 8 hours Sat and Sunday. I did not use this same process for AUD first try (70) or BEC (77). I’m currently not studying like that and believe its going well so far.

BEC – 77
AUD – 70, 75
REG – 73, Q2 Retake
FAR –TBD

[AndrewE]

For my AUD retake I studied about 3 to 4 hours a day, but not every single day. Some days I had gone lightly through materials.

[krstnam]

I think everybody is different and you'll probably get a mixed bag of answers here.

Some people will do a massive burn out cram to get the exam out of the way. Others like me will prefer something more stretched out. I can't sit and do homework for 3 hours at a time, heck, I can't typically study for 90 minutes straight. The material is boring, I get tired and want to nap or I get distracted and my mind starts to wander, then I start making stupid mistakes with my MCQs, I get discouraged and don't want to do anything.

Do I take breaks – yup tons of them. I take mini-breaks while I'm studying and I have a scheduled weekend off once a month. Otherwise, if I'm ahead with my weekly goals, I'll take a night off here and there or I will go light with the studying. This is usually what my study time looks like:

Before work 30-60 min
mid-morning 15-30 min
lunch 30-45 min
mid-afternoon 15-30 min
15 min drive home – NINJA audio
after work/before dinner 45 min
after dinner 45 min
evening review 15-30 min (usually I just read through my notes before bed or if I decide to watch an hour of TV, I'll read during commercials)

If work is slow, I pull out the materials (I'm usually waiting for my boss at least 15 minutes out of every day and that's another 15 minutes I can be reviewing). I also have images of my notes and I have them rotating through on my desktop wallpaper. That way if there's a second of free time, I'll glance at it 🙂 This plan gives me 3-5 hours a day.

Weekends are a mixed bag, just depends what I have going on.

Good luck!

[AndrewE]

Usually studying at lunch (1 hour), listening to audio either to or from work to home vice versa (1-2hour), and studying after work (2-3 hours). That comes out to about 4 – 6 hours just M-F, weekends I typically do 4 to 5 hours Saturday and Sunday.
I think I am going to try just the standard 3 to 4 hours a day, and go light either on Saturday and Sunday. My previous thought process was that taking breaks meant I’d lose/forget information but now I’m starting to realize they are necessary.
For BEC I only studied 5 days a week but wasn’t working during most of that time.
Like you said everyone is different.

[RockLobster]

Breaks are essential af. Know yourself. I get distracted easily and can't absorb information if I'm studying for 10 hours straight. This is a schedule I'd recommend if you work full time and you are like me:

Monday-Friday

– Wake up at 6
– Eat breakfast (major key), get dressed and drive to work
– Work 8 am – 5 pm
– Ignore your friends
– Get home at 6 pm, gym (also a major key) for an hour
– Eat Dinner, study till 10 pm with one-two 15 min breaks
– Sleep for between 7-8 hours

Weekends

– Study for 10 or so hours, but take breaks every hour or so
– Eat food
– If you hit your goal level of studying, spend a few hours with loved ones/friends

I think not maintaining balance is the biggest reason people fail. They try and absorb 4 different review courses when one is often times sufficient if you make sure that your study time is productive and focused.

[AndrewE]

@RockLobster Funny your schedule is pretty much the same as how I have gone about this grueling process. Except for the 7-8 hours of sleep and usually about 8 to 10 hours of studying on the weekends. I get to bed about 8 hours before the time I have to wake up, but end up usually tossing and turning and getting 6 hours or so. I’m currently working on that.

I only started using Ninja and Becker together when I failed AUD, I think having 2 sets of MCQs definitely helps but anything more than that is counter productive.

[CPYay]

To touch on what RockLobster said…

Knowing yourself is key. Don't power through material if you're not energized and giving it your full attention. If you just go through the motion of studying and move on to the next topic, that topic will not get the dedication it deserves and you'll suffer later.

If you feel yourself zoning out or not retaining the material, take a break. Whether it's 10 minutes or a day is up to you.

[RockLobster]

@Andrew u lift bro?
The tossing and turning thing is very relatable, no matter when i go to bed I always wake up a few times during the night which is a bummer. I don't disagree with what you said about Ninja, I have heard more multiple choice questions helps some people.

[AndrewE]

@RockLobster 3 or 4 times a week I try to get in the gym. And yep the tossing and turning is annoying.
-.-

[AndrewE]

@CPyay I definitely agree, I’ve powered through topics not fully awake and thought that would be better than pushing it off. Realizing now that it is counter productive, it is unrealistic to believe that every time you study you’ll be fully engaged.

[Jdn9201]

I agree that people are different but I also think that the number of hours you spend don't matter nearly as much as the quality of learning that's occurring. If your eyes are glazing over because you are exhausted, I don't see how that is beneficial. Of course we all have/had different time constraints. When I went through this process, I didn't have a family. Doing it with work is hard too, but I can't imagine how much harder if I had to juggle kids too. You really do have to know yourself and tailor everything you do on what gives you the best chance to learn and pass. What helped me was giving myself short windows of time (3 weeks – 8 weeks) to study, with a 2 week break between each part. It motivated me more to power through on the weekends, when I knew it wasn't going to be for a long time. I also never did late night studying unless it was on the weekend – did my best to always get 7-8 hrs of sleep. Also, I think it's key to have a flexible study plan. If I gave myself 6 weeks for AUD for example, I'd divide the material up into 3 parts. As long as I was on track to finish my third in whatever 2 week period I was in, I would give myself a night off if I felt I needed it. Again, it's quality of time – not quantity. I think we as accountants are so used to being structured and organized, but if your plan is too inflexible, you become a slave to it.

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

[SaveBandit]

My philosophy was to study until it hurts and then study some more. That being said it is important to space it out. Like others, my schedule was:

1 hour before work
1 hour during work
2 hours after work

I would also pull out notes / do MCQ randomly if I had small pockets of time. It all adds up.

You said you study 16 hours on the weekends? That is pretty heavy even for a study nazi like myself. After a while you simply aren't going to absorb it. I generally wouldn't study for more than 2 – 3 hours at a time. Although it isn't a bad idea to do a 4 hour session every now and again simply for conditioning for the length of the exam.

Have you thought about giving yourself more weeks to study one exam? 5.5 weeks for Reg is borderline crunching it (unless you have a tax background) so no wonder you were studying 16 hours on the weekends.

4 for 4

FAR 85
AUD 94
BEC 86
REG 90

[Floreat]

The degree of intensity or time a person needs to feel comfortable with the material varies from person to person. That being said, no matter how much time one needs, it boosts understanding and retention to let the brain “reset”. That means doing something completely unrelated for 15-20 minutes. It's also good to end a study session in areas where you are strong. The idea is that the brain will approach the next study session with a positive attitude because it remembers the last time was a good experience.

I typically study for about 2 hours, then do something unrelated to the computer or accounting for 15-20 minutes. Then repeat. When I get to the point of mental fatigue, that's when I know I have to call it quits for the day. Usually, I do a light review right before bed to jump-start my subconscious on problem solving my weak areas.

Some of this might sound wacky, but heck, it's a wacky exam.

Here's a write-up about studying that I found insightful and helpful.

Study Hacks

FAR: 80 (10/28/2016)
AUD: 85 (2/6/2017)
REG: DSIT (Dragon Slayer in Training) (5/2017)
BEC: DSIW (Dragon Slayer in Waiting) (7/2017)

[AndrewE]

@SaveBandit I only did those crazy hours cause I bought my NTS right after feeling horrible about my AUD retake ( I ended up passing) and knew that the test was changing so I just went for it.

I am currently restudying now I have gone through the first two chapters in about a week or so and plan to study for this re take about another 4 or 5 weeks. I usually do 3 or 4 hour sessions max, anything more than that isn’t going to stick.

[AndrewE]

@jdn9201 I think when we see those suggested times of studying for each part it messes with our brains so we strive for the quantity and not the quality as you said. I’m currently trying to retrain myself to focus more on the quality than the quantity.

Usually I plan very well, sometimes I try to stick to them too well and that’s probably when I hurt my learning process because I feel rushed or focus on the quantity to get to the “suggested” study time.

[AndrewE]

@Floreat I will definitely take your advice into consideration, especially by the look of your scores , thanks for the info! Also looking at those study hacks as well.

[Author]

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