[sacpa]

Yesterday, I took BEC for the 3rd time. For the first attempt, I took it without much preparation because my NTS was about to expire. So I don’t take that into consideration. I got a 65 in the 2nd attempt. I have taken FAR & AUD 2 times & failed. Same as BEC, I took my first FAR since NTS was about to expire. So in all that’s 5 failures without counting the 2 failures in FAR & BEC 1st attempts without enough preparation.

I am not feeling confident about yesterday’s exam. At this point, I am seriously considering whether I am cut out for this. I have not taken up full time jobs so I can have more time to study. So I am hurting both from not passing the exam & not being able to work full time. Hurting more from not able to pass the exam, being in the this journey on & off for the past 4 years with life coming in the way & procastination also being another reason.

I thought I had prepared well but was blown away with the exam yesterday. Mcqs were mostly were short, vague, twisted & mostly from COSO & IT. I flagged about 10 questions in 1st testlet. Took about 1 hour to complete 1st testlet. The 2nd testlet was easier with almost no questions with calculations. Sims were not hard, except it took lot of time to put the information spread out in the resources, question base & the actual question itself. I felt the challenge was more from focusing just what you need to answer the question. WC topics were all from BEC. By that time, I was feeling hopeless & drawing a blank. I did well in one WC compared to the other two. I was disappointed to the core & felt dreadful yesterday.

I am over it but now considering what should be my next step. I would die if I give up now but don’t know how to proceed either. I have Gleim & will not blame the material. The mcqs & sims are really good. I completed all of the 80 sims & completed about 2000 mcqs. I also did some mcqs in CPAreviewforfree site & questions posted in FB. Yet, I felt I was not able to tackle the exam questions. Maybe test anxiety took over. I don’t have problem understanding the material either. I have A’s in all my Accounting classes in college. I understand that college courses are different from the CPA exam. So now do I continue in this journey? If I continue, which exam do I prepare for? My Gleim will expire on December 1st. I have the extension guaranteed for BEC & FAR. However access to AUD & REG will expire if I do not complete 90% of the material & take the exam by December 1st. To make it worse, FAR has some major changes in revenue recognition starting from 2nd quarter in 2018. So probably I’ll prepare for AUD. Since I am in Tax, I reserved REG for the last. I am posting my long story here in hopes of getting some tips & suggestions to improve my performance in exam & pass them.I

FAR - < than 75, 10/2013, 2/2015
BEC - < than 75, 10/2013
AUD - < than 75, 8/2015, 1/2016

~ Winners fail until they succeed. Losers quit when they fail. - Robert Kiyosaki
~ I survived because the fire inside burned brighter than the fire around me.
~ Something will grow from all you are going through. And it will be YOU.
~ Right now you may not be where you intend to be, but it's where you need to be in order to get where you want to go.

[IwannabeaCPA2017]

I'm already on my 10th Attempt.. I'm in the middle but hopefully I wont need that 7x more.. cuz if I fail FAR this round I def have 2 more scores dropping and will bump me close to 17.. Fingers crossed. @OP this goes to show, if anyone has set their mind right and complete this they will do it. These exams are more discipline then intelligence. I'm not that smart but if I can pass at least 3/4 then I think anyone can do it!! Good luck.

[jenpen]

Here's the thing about the study materials – they can work for everyone if used properly. I've seen plenty of people on here and in a group on Facebook that have passed using Wiley alone. But for me, I always felt completely unprepared when using Wiley and never passed a single exam. I passed REG on the first attempt (the only one) and used strictly Ninja. You would think I would have learned from that experience, but I didn't. Then life happened right after that exam. My husband and I went through a rough patch and separated. I had a big vacation scheduled in the spring to Italy – I had hoped it to be a celebratory trip after passing the CPA, but that wasn't the case. I worked like crazy last fall trying to pass the exams before the changes and I lost REG, but it wasn't meant to be. I took FAR back to back, then AUD, and then BEC – 69, 69, 69, 70. Took busy season off and then hit it again this summer. Gave up reading unless absolutely necessary and relied on the Ninja test bank to guide me – AUD 85, FAR 82. I don't know if it was the changes or just me understanding the material and putting in the effort. But after 5 long attempts, I finally passed AUD! That was the worst one for me. Now I have a light at the end of the tunnel. Had I not passed this summer, I may have given up and just started for the EA exam, but I really want the CPA credentials, even though I don't necessarily need them for my current job. I've worked too hard and overcome too much to give up.

The point of my very long and rambling post is this – if you want it, you'll get it. It may take a long time, but just make sure you study in a method that is effective for you. And most of the time, that's going to be different than what works for others. I don't really take notes much because I never review them. I may write down something if I really want/need to remember it, but that's about it. I barely read and watch even fewer videos. I only use those if I need to clarify my understanding on a certain concept. I have Wiley and use that to backup my Ninja, but for me, Ninja test bank is key. I feel prepared when I go to the exam and don't really get surprised by the questions if I've done enough there. I listen to the audio in the car just to help memorize some things. The only simulations I typically do before the exam are the practice ones on the AICPA website. That helps calm my nerves and realize that the SIMs aren't terribly scary. As long as I know the concepts, the SIMS are completely doable. Oh, and I've started praying before exams. Baby Christian, here, but it's helpful and really calms me.

Good luck! Just don't give up. You can do this, even though it may take longer than expected. Just keep pushing through and the perseverance will pay off.

AUD - 56 - 68 - 61 - 9/8/16
REG - 75
FAR - 7/15/16
BEC - TBD

Wiley CPAexcel and NINJA 10 Point Combo

[ellejay]

Pick one section and just keep hammering it out til you pass. Passing one section can get you the motivation to keep going with the rest. Good luck, you can do this!! You aren't the only one who has failed many many times. It happens to the best of us.

[sacpa]

@crazyleon: I didn't understand who the ‘us' were.

@Iwannabeacpa2017: I hope you pass the last two with just one attempt. Good Luck! I can't sleep with the feeling that I quit. It would haunt me for the rest of my life. So here goes! All set for another round & hopefully things will turn around.

@ellejay: I have moved on to AUD since BEC results will come only around 12/17. I don't want to sit idle till then & lose momemtum. Further my Gleim access expires on December 1st. Got an extension till 12/10. I am also reviewing BEC since I don't want to forget the concepts if I need to take it in January. Depending on BEC score, I will take BEC or FAR.

@Jennifer: Good for you!Congratulations on passing FAR & AUD! I made a list of the things I need to change. I am going to switch things a bit & see how it goes.

FAR - < than 75, 10/2013, 2/2015
BEC - < than 75, 10/2013
AUD - < than 75, 8/2015, 1/2016

~ Winners fail until they succeed. Losers quit when they fail. - Robert Kiyosaki
~ I survived because the fire inside burned brighter than the fire around me.
~ Something will grow from all you are going through. And it will be YOU.
~ Right now you may not be where you intend to be, but it's where you need to be in order to get where you want to go.

[sacpa]

@mtalylo24: Congrats on passing! Post your story or the link to it. What grit! Just can't imagine what you have been through!

FAR - < than 75, 10/2013, 2/2015
BEC - < than 75, 10/2013
AUD - < than 75, 8/2015, 1/2016

~ Winners fail until they succeed. Losers quit when they fail. - Robert Kiyosaki
~ I survived because the fire inside burned brighter than the fire around me.
~ Something will grow from all you are going through. And it will be YOU.
~ Right now you may not be where you intend to be, but it's where you need to be in order to get where you want to go.

[sacpa]

@crazyleon: I didn't understand who you meant by'us', hence the question.

FAR - < than 75, 10/2013, 2/2015
BEC - < than 75, 10/2013
AUD - < than 75, 8/2015, 1/2016

~ Winners fail until they succeed. Losers quit when they fail. - Robert Kiyosaki
~ I survived because the fire inside burned brighter than the fire around me.
~ Something will grow from all you are going through. And it will be YOU.
~ Right now you may not be where you intend to be, but it's where you need to be in order to get where you want to go.

[Anonymous]

I, you, it, them, us, we, they….all at the not-so-tender mercies of the AICPA. They've got us, coming and going. 🙂

[Abdulmajid]

I just would share my scores for BEC so far :
33, 24, 65, 65

Then I moved to Audit :
46, 58

Now I went back to study BEC again

🙂

Be optimistic and remember this my favorite qoute
“ If it’s important to you, you will find a way. If it’s not, you will find an excuse”

[sacpa]

@ Abdulmaj Id: Oh my! But what a jump to a score of 65! That's what I got in my last BEC attempt. But this time, I think if I had just stayed calm, I could have done better. Now thinking back, the exam was not that bad. I had prepared better than last time. I should have just done some homework about knowing the current time limit for disclaimers & for each testlet. One sim was actually a comprehension question. All I had to do was read the loooong question base & find the answers. But since I was running short of time, I just could not focus. I was freaking out with just 1.5 hours to complete 2 sims & 3 WCs. What a mess! That could have been an easy pass with the questions I got. But of all the questions I can remember, I seem to have got only one wrong. All the wild guesses I took from the keywords in the question turned out right mostly. So maybe there's some hope. I am ready, however it turns out.

Anyway, let's stay on track. When are you taking BEC? Which review course are you using? Thanks for posting your scores to make me feel better. Not everyone would do that. You are so good at heart, my friend! And I love your quote. I keep lot of motivational quotes & videos in my laptop to boost my attitude.

FAR - < than 75, 10/2013, 2/2015
BEC - < than 75, 10/2013
AUD - < than 75, 8/2015, 1/2016

~ Winners fail until they succeed. Losers quit when they fail. - Robert Kiyosaki
~ I survived because the fire inside burned brighter than the fire around me.
~ Something will grow from all you are going through. And it will be YOU.
~ Right now you may not be where you intend to be, but it's where you need to be in order to get where you want to go.

[Anonymous]

@Abdul – great job on coming up 40 points on BEC. BEC is wicked these days. I think too many people were passing it, as the pass rate on it was
always in the high 50's and that's why they made it harder. The old version had about 85% weighting on the multiple choice questions and many people are
great at guessing on multiple choice. I haven't seen the latest stats about the pass rates, but I'm sure they are lower now that BEC has SIMs.
The SIMs I got were brutal. I don't think I got even half correct on any of them! But, I will admit, I did not have time to study many SIM practice questions.
My NTS was expiring and I just had to take it even though I was not ready. Keep on being persistent…I haven't passed any either but I'm still going.

@sacpa – “They could have been an easy pass with the questions I got”. That's how I felt with both FAR and AUD, and to some extent BEC. The main trap I fell into was
studying all the difficult stuff repeatedly. I was very well prepared for the hard topics of FAR and AUD but guess what? I got almost no questions on those.
I missed tons of easy questions because I paid no attention to the easy stuff while studying. Lesson learned!

[sacpa]

@crazyleon: What I meant was that the exam questions were tricky, but not hard. With a more calm attitude, I could have done better. I think I did the 2nd testlet better than the 1st one since I flagged only three. After doing the rest & I went back & figured out the answers. If only I had calmed down during the 1st testlet itself. I covered all the material. I prepared equally well for all topics. My preparation was definitely better than last time. If I missed easy questions, it was because I freaked out & not due to lack of preparation.

Regarding the old exam, I don't think anyone could have passed by guessing all the answers. Regarding recent stats, someone posted in FB that the scores are actually higher with the new exam. Go figure!

FAR - < than 75, 10/2013, 2/2015
BEC - < than 75, 10/2013
AUD - < than 75, 8/2015, 1/2016

~ Winners fail until they succeed. Losers quit when they fail. - Robert Kiyosaki
~ I survived because the fire inside burned brighter than the fire around me.
~ Something will grow from all you are going through. And it will be YOU.
~ Right now you may not be where you intend to be, but it's where you need to be in order to get where you want to go.

[Anonymous]

No, nobody guesses on all of the questions, but many people on here have admitted that they guessed on a lot of BEC and passed. Come on, if 85% of the score is based on MCQ and you're someone who likes MCQ, and then you can bullsh*t your way through the 3 written communications, well…easy 75. I probably would've passed BEC if I'd taken it a year ago.

That's nice that you were so well prepared. But yes, if you're a walking bag of nerves, that will slow you down. I wouldn't say that I was ever nervous while taking any of the three that I've thus far taken. And I think that was some of my problem. I should have been more nervous. My significant other asked me, as I was walking out the door to go take FAR, “Are you nervous?” I said “Nope”, and he said “That's a problem. You're probably not prepared!” He was right… I also postponed the exam twice and that was another thing that worked against me. Anyway. Good luck on your future attempts.

[sacpa]

I know some people who tried guessing mcqs & rewriting the same thing over & over in WCs without any success. If you don't know the answer, then even an ‘easy' question becomes hard. Striking a balance between being confident & respect for the exam is key.

Thanks & wish you the same!

FAR - < than 75, 10/2013, 2/2015
BEC - < than 75, 10/2013
AUD - < than 75, 8/2015, 1/2016

~ Winners fail until they succeed. Losers quit when they fail. - Robert Kiyosaki
~ I survived because the fire inside burned brighter than the fire around me.
~ Something will grow from all you are going through. And it will be YOU.
~ Right now you may not be where you intend to be, but it's where you need to be in order to get where you want to go.

[Wannafree]

@saCpa , I am sure you got lot of suggestions here are mine.I consider myself “Guru” of BEC and still failed 2 attempts.It was so embarrassing for me to fail in BEC (72,73).In third attempt I was thinking if I can't pass BEC , should I even attempt REG ? At that point I started visiting this forum and in next attempt passed BEC with 80 and then Next REG then in next window AUD. After that FAR came and I am really stuck but somehow constantly ask myself what is wrong this time and fine tuning it.
Moral of the story :Regardless of your college days talent you have to find out what works for cpa exam and then follow that methodology to all sections.It's not difficult if you know what works.I have just found out (most likely )what works for FAR so hopefully I will pass in Q4.

[sacpa]

Thanks, Wannafree. Yes, I realize that. I am trying to see what I need to do/change to prepare for the exam. Obviously, whatever I did has not worked out. During exams, I find that I am familiar with the topic but have not mastered it so well to see the twist in the question, find the information & answer the question in the limited time. I think I need to increase the reviewing time which would increase my speed to a considerable extent. Also, for the same reason I need to do more of cumulative reviews regularly as I move to the next topic. So when it's time to take the exam, I have the opportunity to have seen that material number of times & mastered them. In addition, when a transaction happens, knowing the big picture will be of tremendous help. Practicing JEs a lot is one solution.

You had mentioned that after visiting this site, you have started passing. How did it help? Did you ask for help for a particular challenge? Or did you gather tips by just reading others' posts? As I start my next attempt, I want to focus on what needs priority instead of just aimlessly covering the material. In short, I want to study smart and hard not just hard.

FAR - < than 75, 10/2013, 2/2015
BEC - < than 75, 10/2013
AUD - < than 75, 8/2015, 1/2016

~ Winners fail until they succeed. Losers quit when they fail. - Robert Kiyosaki
~ I survived because the fire inside burned brighter than the fire around me.
~ Something will grow from all you are going through. And it will be YOU.
~ Right now you may not be where you intend to be, but it's where you need to be in order to get where you want to go.

[Author]

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