[Bear-Bear]

The consensus on here seems to be “if you’re a strong writer, don’t worry about studying for the WC…just make sure you use proper grammar, repeat the question, and use an intro, closing, and proper salutations. Technical accuracy isn’t that important as long as it’s not glaringly inaccurate”.

That said, should I truly not bother studying for the WC section? I have 8 days until exam day. How, if at all, should I prep for this part?

[stozzo88]

I would def take a look at a few to see how they are structured and get a feel for the wording. I think most of the points come from the key words form the underlying topics and structure.

FAR- 1-18-2016- 82
BEC- 2-22-2016- 81
REG- 4-11-2016- 84
AUD- 5-17-2016- 86

[Credit Revenue]

Look at a couple of examples. I wouldn't practice actually writing one. Just have the format down and know how to “bs” it if you don't understand the question.

A - 79 expires 4/30/16 need a pass on REG
B - 78
F - 80
R - 83!!! Can live again!

[ohiostategirlcpa]

No, no, avoid practicing at all costs. Avoid studying, preparation and practice for the CPA exam, because that is how you avoid 71s on Another 71.com

That is indeed the consensus, and the consensus is always right.

Look at me, I studied and I barely passed. Had I not studied, I would have been an EWS.

F91 A95 R90 B94
CMA since 2015
(Gleim books/PDFs, MCQs, SIMS)

[Anonymous]

lol ohio state Im with you 100 percent.its somewhat baffling to me seeing the countless people on here who think they dont need to study or can spend 3 weeks on FAR and pass understanding the material..after 3 months of study 6 hours a day I can discount a fucking bond in my sleep..

Its no wonder its so hard to get a good job without your CPA these days since there are so many people just trying to skate by on things..

For the OP just think how sick you will fee if you get a 74 and dont spend at least a day on it…But no you probably do not need to spend a TON of time going over it..but I would dedicate at least a day or two to the writing section..I mean it is 15% of your grade.

[Bear-Bear]

Well, i mean, I passed FAR on the first shot without practicing SIMS at all…so it's possible. :-/

[Missy]

Its entirely possible to pass without practicing but if you have the time to, I would. Anything you can do to get the odds more stacked in your favor is worth spending your time on.

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

[Bear-Bear]

…

Perhaps I should have rephrased my question…for some reason I can't fathom, it seems to have been received as if I were asking “Hey! I want to go play Xbox and have a margarita instead of studying for the CPA exam…can I just totally skip studying for those stupid WCs on BEC? I totally got 70% on a set of 10 Ninja MCQ questions this week, so I'm feeling prepared!” when what I meant was more to the tune of “Out of the three hours a night that I've been studying since the first week of March…how many should I devote to the WC section in this coming week before the exam? I realize that some things, such as FAR sims, are not something you neccessarily ‘study' so much as familiarize yourself with the underlying material. Is this the case with the BEC writing portion?”

[MaLoTu]

Honestly, the preparation for the writing part comes from knowing the material. Through your studying you should be able to have a basis of knowledge for anything they ask.

That said, if you cannot put together a 3-4 paragraph memo you may want to take an hour or 2 in the days leading up to the test to grasp how you are expected to write this portion.

I have scored stronger on the WC both time I took it ad it really is pretty much as simple as what you stated in your first post.

[ohiostategirlcpa]

@malotu, you scored stronger but you had to take the test twice, what happened? It makes me question the scoring system.

@Bear, an easy allocation is spend 15% of your time on it because it is 15% of your score.
Don't let the fact that you passed FAR without practicing SIMS get you overconfident.

F91 A95 R90 B94
CMA since 2015
(Gleim books/PDFs, MCQs, SIMS)

[Credit Revenue]

I think as much practice as possible for an exam is ideal. On the other hand, if you are a good writer I would just know the steps you listed above and focus your efforts elsewhere. Go over a few writing examples and if they make sense move on. Maybe there is value in writing out a few for practice, but I don't see it.

A - 79 expires 4/30/16 need a pass on REG
B - 78
F - 80
R - 83!!! Can live again!

[ohiostategirlcpa]

I wonder if the AICPA is increasing the SIMS percentage across all exams, just to quiet this “I didn't practice SIMS and I passed” crowd.

‘Cause in real life your boss/client won't give you a single MCQ to solve, not a single one.

F91 A95 R90 B94
CMA since 2015
(Gleim books/PDFs, MCQs, SIMS)

[MaLoTu]

I wouldn't question the scoring system … the written part is only worth 15 points max.

[Jdn9201]

If crunched for time, I definitely wouldn't skimp on MCQ's to work on WC's BUT 15% is nothing to sneeze at. BEC was my first exam and I studied for 4 weeks. I spent about 6 hours practicing WC's. I tried to get double duty by practicing on topics I was still having issues with for the MCQ's (to strengthen my performance in those areas). I also needed to practice because i tend to write too much and did not want to waste time by writing too long of a response. The technical knowledge comes from MCQ work, and you only need a paragraph of technical content. Even if someone thinks they are good writer, I think it's worth practicing just to get a feel for how they are completed.

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

[Missy]

Seriously debating over whether or not to practice SIMS and WC is pointless. If it works for you, great. If you don't need to, great.

You don't learn career skills by the process of studying for the CPA exam, none of it “sticks” after you walk out of Prometric. That's why there is usually an experience requirement as well to get licensed. That's also why you are expected to get CPE's to maintain your license.

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

[Bear-Bear]

I'm going to devote one evening to WCs. Sorry if I sounded grumpy. 🙂

[Author]

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