[larzetme]

I got 35 on FAR, I was studying 3 months.. i don really know what to do now where to pick up the pieces, should just give up and decide that a CPA path is defiantly not for me. I started with Far that was my first cpa exam, I can’t even tell how miserably i failed. So i decided to ask you guys… Have you ever heard or experience that someone got the score so law as me, but then actually passed. Please share.

[leglock]

How did you do on your Intermediate I and Intermediate II courses in college?

[EuroAddict]

ooof. What was your study habits like?

-----------------------------
BEC - 77, 03/2015 (first try)
FAR - 79, 05/2015 (second try)
REG - 83, 12/2015 (first try)
AUD - 84, 03/2015 (first try)

I got 99 problems but the CPA ain't one.

[Missy]

I got a 47 on AUD the first time, not a lot better. I've been licensed for 4 years now.

It can be done, do you happen to have test anxiety?

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

[Andyred04]

“should just give up and decide that a CPA path is defiantly not for me”….. Go ahead, we'll see you back here in a couple years. EuroAddict asks the significant question “what was your study habits like?” You say you studied 3 months but if you only studied 2 days a week for those 3 months your score speaks for itself. Studying for the CPA exam isn't a part time thing, its a full time thing. Don't worry though, you've come to the right place. In the 3 months I've been on this site I've learned so much from everyone and I can honestly say they're helping me through this more than anyone I know personally.

In my opinion, you need to start from scratch and go at this exam with everything you have. If you aren't willing to do that then you're just going to waste another 3 months of your life. We have faith in you, this isn't a test of wit its a test of will. 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

[Tiesto]

Larztme- I can relate to your situation. FAR was also my first attempt last month and I failed…badly. I have read on this blog that 3 months might be too long to study and to cut it down to 6-8 weeks. Start over studying and don't give up. It's now or never. Andyred04 is right, it's another full time job to study for the CPA.

FAR 02/22/16- fail, 5/23/16 retake
AUD, BEC, REG - tbd

[TheHoundThatRides]

Did you feel like you were understanding the information in each chapter as you went? You should identify heavily tested material and aim to get AT LEAST a 75 or close to it in the MCQ when you finish a chapter. I would recommend you master it before moving on to new material. At least be able to say you understand the main points of a lesson.

Did you review at any point? I'd say you should be doing mini refreshers as you go along by doing cumulative MCQ for all the material you've covered so far. This allows you to store it in long term memory. Understanding material is half the battle, retaining it is the second half. If you don't review, you will forget the stuff that you only saw once 3-4 weeks ago.

BEC - 78 (August 2015)
FAR - 80 (November 2015)
AUD - 73, 67. (Ok I gotta confess I was even more lazy this time around)
REG - August 27th, 2016

[monikernc]

don't be embarassed. it is what it is. just put it behind you. start fresh and dig in. these exams will exploit your weaknesses so you have to study with the intention of eliminating them. learning to answer the mcq's that you do during review should mean that you understand the concept presented. rarely will you see the same question on exam but the concepts will be presented so you have to tackle those during your review.
three months for a retake may be too long but you will have to commit to starting fresh and spend the time it takes to fully grasp the material.
you can do this. revisit your reasons for doing so and give yourself a real chance next time.

good luck!!

FAR 7/25/15 76!
AUD 10/30/15 93
BEC 2/27/16 82
REG 5/23/16 88!
Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
if you want things to change, you have to do something different

[K-man518]

The first time I took REG I got a 32. I just passed REG with an 87. It can be done.

[ILCPA2014]

Your score is better than mine, I got 33 on AUD first time. And I took it again and got 66. Then took it again and got 73. And took it again and finally passed with 78. It can be done. Now, I am on my last test. Just keep trying, you will get there.

AUD Passed 78 (4x) Thank you Lord.
REG Passed 81 (2x) Thank you St Joseph of Cupertino
FAR Passed 77 (3x) Thank you St Joseph of Cupertino. Thank you Lord.
BEC TBD
My CPA journey started in 2013 and it will be finished in April 2016. That's for sure!!
Ethics 91

[qfolmar]

@K-man518, what were your study materials and methods for the 87 you earned for REG?

FAR-79
REG-82
AUD-83
BEC- August 31st

[MrHopeful215]

Absolutely nothing to be embarressed about. This is actually a great opportunity for you to reevaluate yourself and your study habits. I will gaurentee you that when you study everything over, you will see material that you saw on the exam and realize that you did not study as hard as you think you did. Taking the exam for the 1st time is a great experience to learn about what you are lacking and make yourself better so that you can go in the next time having a better idea of how hard this exam really is.

AUD - 82
REG - 78
BEC - 78
FAR - 76

[K-man518]

@qfolmar, I used the Ninja book, Ninja notes, and Ninja MCQ for the 87. I actually failed REG three times before passing with scores of 32, 57, and 70. The first three times I used only CPAexcel but the material never really sat well with me. For the 87, I basically rewrote all the tax sections of the Ninja book, did as many MCQ's as I could, rewrote the Ninja notes, and then did more MCQ's. Tax was something I never was strong with and don't use for my job so I needed to focus on it.

[larzetme]

Guys! thank you so much, i slacked my way thru school memorizing test banks. so I'm basically studying accounting for the first time.. well I'm going to get myself together. Will redo every chapter of my Becker book. Im scoring around 50% on my hw with becker. will try to to master every subject. Will do new notes, hopefully next time i will nail it. If you guys can share your study habits i would really appreciate it. What i used to do is watch the lectures, do hw on the questions i got wrong i was writing my notes. Thank you one more time!

[Tripin93]

Good luck Larzetme! You might also try reading the book too, but it really depends on your personal learning style.

When I took FAR, I used Becker. First I would read the book and take notes while reading. Then, I would do the MC hw. And after that watch lecture if I had time or if I struggled with the concepts. Lastly, I did simulations.

I broke each chapter up in chunks, so I did this cycle for each section of the chapter (read, hw, lecture, then repeat for next section.) I did simulations at the very end of the chapter. I think it's easier to master the concepts if you can practice the mc immediately after reading about it.

Motivated by JC. I do it to make God proud.

FAR: 91 July 2015
AUD: 83 October 2015
REG: 81 January 2016
BEC: 83 February 2016

[monikernc]

you did the right thing by reaching out. you can do this. ask for help. hang out in the far study group. Post questiins you need help with. Tackle questions folks post there. explaining to others really helps master the concepts.
you can do this. make “time and effort” your mantra.

FAR 7/25/15 76!
AUD 10/30/15 93
BEC 2/27/16 82
REG 5/23/16 88!
Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
if you want things to change, you have to do something different

[Author]

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