[diegotron]

I have roughly 90 days…we play Alabama the day of my exam and I’m pretty sure that should be enough time, but does anyone have some tips or advice or what study strategy they used to pass this exam? This is my last one so I’m pretty stoked to study for a CPA for (hopefully) the last time!

Thanks everybody

AUD -73, 82
REG - 65, 71, 79
BEC - 83

[Anonymous]

Hey diegotron,

I started studying for FAR roughly two months, but didn't start getting serious until about a month ago. I take the exam on Wednesday and feel somewhat prepared, so I'd say 90 days will be more than enough time.

Also, I wish you luck on the exam, but I'll be on the other side for the game. I'm a UA student. Roll Tide!

[diegotron]

akhurana,

Thanks and good luck Wednesday! And may the best team win… Fight On!

AUD -73, 82
REG - 65, 71, 79
BEC - 83

[maylin]

I think it always depends on the person. I definitely feel like FAR was my hardest test so far – but that's because I always get nervous around the math-intensive questions, plus I waited a while after I took my financial acctg classes too.

Most of my classmates actually had the hardest time with Audit – which for me was the easiest! But they don't like writing intensive sims, so that's when I realized it's different for everyone.

I think 90 days is enough though, I see some people studying for it for only 2 weeks and passing… crazy! To me at least. I also have heard from some people that REG was their hardest. What did you think of it – that will be my last one hopefully (crossing my fingers) if I pass the FAR I just took? By the way – I studied for FAR for 11-12 weeks.

AUD - 76
BEC - 80
FAR - 83
REG - 77

you can do it!

A - 76
B - 80
F - 74 🙁

[Anonymous]

90 days is too much. this is from personal experience and YMMV- i realize everybody studies differently.

at least for me personally by day 30 i start forgetting what i learned on day 1.

30daysx 5hr/day= 150hrsof studying.but you have to be committed and stick to a schedule. i prefer this schedule than the much less intensive 2.5hrs/day x 60 days = 150hrs.

same total study time but i feel the lesser time-frame aids retention.

[Anonymous]

yes 90 days is enough for a real shot unless you are in busy season, then it might be tough.

[lolo]

90 days are more than enough! I think it should only take 6-8 weeks maximum!

AUD - 95
BEC - 87
FAR - 93
REG - 87

My nick name is Sunshine but the fact is that I have never been in touch with it since I started studying for this CPA exam. I KNOW It HURTS!

My Nick name is sunshine, but the fact is I have not been in touch with it since I started this CPA exam! IT HURTS

AUD - ✔ Passed Becker self study!
BEC - ✔ Passed Becker self study!
FAR - ✔ Passed Becker self study!
REG - TBD

[Jdn9201]

90 days is too much. The problem with studying over a long period of time is you have to spend more time reviewing the earlier information. I knocked it out in 21 days, and it was a crazy schedule but I really didn't need much time for review at the end. Being that it's your last exam, you should have a pretty good idea as to your pace, study habits, etc. I wound up leaving FAR for last for that reason – so I'd be extra motivated and know how to study. Use the content specific outline provided by the AICPA. I used it as my guide to determine when I'd spend more time on a topic vs moving on. Also, make sure you spend a good amount of time on the AL – particularly the implementation sections. You will be glad you did when you get an off the wall SIM or 2. Good luck!

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

[Titleistg0lfer]

I have been studying for 3 months for this exam and I would say for me that is the amount I needed while working full time. Any less than that and I wouldn't have felt decent at all. I take FAR in 2 days so we will see how that amount of time pays off for me.

Also WAR EAGLE!!! 🙂

REG: 84 (10/5/15)
AUD: 83 (11/23/15)
BEC: 77 (2/27/16) - The bubble sucks
FAR: 90 (7/20/16) - AND DONE FOREVER!!!!!

[Anonymous]

@jdn9201 I would like to hear more from you. can you elaborate on your study schedule for FAR please? how many hours? are you like a genius btw lol?

our stories are pretty similar- I left FAR for last for the same reason, thinking if i pass the easy ones first i would have extra motivation to pass FAR last and also would have knocked down my study habits by then. i study about 4 hours on weekdays and 8 on weekends. i passed each section in about 20 days. I have 25 days for FAR and I am worried because it is “harder” so people say.

it is encouraging to hear that you passed in 20 days! that gives me and my 25 days lots of hope! i hear people throw around these 90 day 60 day numbers and it makes me overwhelmed.

[Nessie]

There is a studying dichotomy with FAR. It stems from the fact that there is *a lot* of material to master. If you start studying 3 months in advance, at the beginning of the last month, depletion of what you studied during the first month will commence. You have to tackle both “learning” and “not forgetting.”

So, you will have to spend a good chunk of your day reviewing. But, the problem is, if you spend 30% of your day reviewing, that doesn’t leave much time to learn new material.I think the people who have the largest challenge with FAR are those who have not seen the material previously at school and will somehow have to tackle it all within 6-8 weeks.

On the positive side, I thing FAR is harder to forget than REG. So once one learns the steps of a concept, it takes longer to forget.

AUD - 80
BEC - 84
FAR - 80
REG - 88

Using Becker Self-Study, Final Review and NINJA MCQs
Sat for BEC Dec 6th, 2016 !!!! 84!!!!!

REG Aug 20/15: 88
AUD: Feb 29/16: 80
FAR: Jun 10/16: 80
BEC?

Becker self-study, Becker Final Review & NINJA MCQS

[Jdn9201]

@Eesti and anyone else interested – I totally agree the time is dependent on several factors. I began studying on Feb 7th and had originally planned to take it in May, however I had a spot open up for me on Feb 29th and decided to take a shot. I think people should focus on how productive their time is, NOT how much time they spend. By the time I was ending this process, I was so burned out that I wanted every minute to count. I really didn't stick to a schedule – just tried to study when I was the most alert so I'd be the most productive. I listened to lectures at work (while working), which cut down some time. I studied 2-3 hours after work, then I'd study 4-6 hours each day of the weekends. Here are my tips – I hope they are helpful.

1. Pace – (Roger) – He has about 30 chapters, so my plan was to knock out 3 chapters per day. I was able to keep to this pace pretty well, except for GVT, NP, Bonds, and Cash flow statements. I dedicated separate days to each of those topics (see #2).

2. Use the Content Specific Outline as a guide on how to spend your time. I based how much time I'd spend on the harder topics on how much percentage they were in the outline. There's too much material and not enough time to know everything 100%. My baseline was to be able to narrow down a question to 2 answers, and score 65-70 range on my quiz. If I did that and a topic wasn't listed by itself or as a high percentage, I moved on. Think high level with FAR – learning 100% of everything is a waste of time. I spent entire days on the lost topics that counted the most. I was lost on other topics too but moved on when I saw they weren't large portions of the exam.

3. Take the AICPA practice exam and read the released questions. This gives you a feel for the exact software you will be using, and what is considered to be a moderate vs difficult question.

4. AL, AL, AL, AL…I reviewed for 4-5 days, and one entire Saturday was spent on nothing but AL (I focused on the implementation sections). I believe that had I not done this one thing, I wouldn't have passed. The AL bailed me out big time on 2 SIMS that my mind went completely blank on.

5. MCQ's – I might have completed 750 questions – I didn't exhaust the test bank. I tried to focus more on the explanations rather than the answers themselves. I am not a believer in MCQ's until your eyes bleed – quality counts more than quantity

6. Timing – Roger advises 45 minutes per testlet, but I think that's too long. I wound up not needing that time, but I set a goal of getting through the MCQs in 90 minutes because I was scared of the SIMS. If you know the material, a few MCQ isn't going to kill you. Also, I never flag questions. I think flagging questions is a waste of time. I'd read every question twice, and if I didn't know the answer I'd pick the best one and move on. Do not sacrifice SIM time because you spent too much time on MCQ's.

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

[Anonymous]

@jdn9201 thanks for the tips! great info there-a goldmine really for efficient studying. [bookmarked] i actually do most of these things already. except im a compulsive flagger *sigh* i dont think i am brave enough to try your strategy LOL

interesting about the MCQ/SIM time mgmt also. i was thinking 4hours * 60% MCQ weight = 144min for MCQ and the remaining 96min for SIM's instead of the other wayaround.

[MOAC]

90 days should be more than enough. You should be able to finish the material at least twice.

FAR May 2012 81 (lost credit, didn't sit for other sections.)
FAR 86 Aug 2015
AUD 85 Nov 2015
BEC 84 Dec 2015
REG 78 Mar 2016

Passed ALL sections in first attempt!!

[diegotron]

Thanks everyone. It sounds like the biggest challenge is going to be retaining so much content over the the amount of time. I agree that I think there is a learning cure to taking these things, and that my routine is established, so learning the material shouldn't be the issue. I will try to do progress reviews often while not sacrificing time to understand the content. Thanks again and good luck everyone!

AUD -73, 82
REG - 65, 71, 79
BEC - 83

[Author]

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