No Audit Experience, Audit Exam approach advice needed please

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    Topic
  • #1303239
    CPASF1
    Participant

    Can someone please provide me tips on how to study for audit and how long will be sufficient. I took audit in February of this year and received a 53, got disappointed and now i am starting over. Have to take this test first because NTS expires in like 3 months i think. I have never worked in audit and currently work as an accountant 40 hours/week. I have the Roger course and wiley testbank, and NINJA 10 point combo minus the mcq’s cause they expired. THANKS A TON!!! It’s okay to be harsh, I rather hear the truth and just work my way from there.
    oh yah and I have a textbook from college which I will read first for a week before going into the review course material.

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 18 total)
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  • #1303240
    Biff-1955-Tannen
    Participant

    Do Ninja MCQs until you're averaging around 90. Seriously

    Oh and ask questions on here if you're not understanding a question/answer. You will likely get a layman's terms explanation.

    AUD 93 Jan 16
    BEC 83 Feb 16
    FAR 83 Apr 16
    REG 84 May 16

    99% Ninja MCQ only

    #1303248
    Missy
    Participant

    Get the ninja notes and copy them word for word, ten pages a day. When you finish, repeat. This is in addition to mcq, not in lieu of. Copying reinforces memorization and AUD is all memorization.

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

    #1303275
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I read the Ninja book, did about 1200 Ninja mcq, 1 sim, passed with a 90. I did this in about 3.5 weeks in the middle of tax season working 7 days a week. I prob spent about 75 hours altogether. Zero audit experience.

    Audit is one of those exams where conceptual understanding is more beneficial than memorization. If you are fairly motivated and put in 15-20 hours per week for a good 4-6 weeks you'll be good for at least a 75, which is what we are all shooting for. You gotta put that time tho…

    #1303348
    mckan514w
    Participant

    Have to second what @Biff-1955-Tannen said- ask if you have questions- I found the study group on here to be invaluable for AUD more than any other section. ALSO I found looking up my questions in the audit code and actually reading and re-writing the sections to be very helpful. On exam day I was kind of surprised at how many questions came straight from examples provided in the audit code.

    and they ask me why I drink...

    FAR- 61-next time I'll ask for lube instead of a calculator
    REG-75- Never been so happy to see such a low grade
    BEC- 8/11
    AUD- 9/2

    #1303360
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I agree with rawzkee that conceptual understanding is more important for AUD than memorization, so I'd say focus very strongly on understanding what you're learning, not just on being able to recite it. AUD is a strong point for Roger, so your combination of materials sounds like it's a good set to get you through this exam. Try to think things through logically when you're looking at MCQs, and when you get them wrong, try to think through the logic of why they're wrong. An exam like REG, you can't logic your way through it (or at least I can't…), cause tax law is fairly arbitrary – phaseout limits with no clear basis, etc. However, AUD is basically a collection of best practices established after years and years of auditors figuring out what's the best, most logical way to approach the auditing process. That's why the audit opinion doesn't say “your statements are all accurate”; it expresses an unmodified opinion at best, cause auditors have learned they can never know 100%. Yeah, there's some technicalities that you'll have to just memorize, but if you can learn to understand the logical analysis required to answer most of the questions, then you'll be in good shape for the majority of what's required on the exam.

    AUD was my highest score (by quite a bit – my scores overall weren't fancy) and I didn't sit down and memorize loads of information, but I focused on understanding how auditors think (fyi, I've never worked a day as an auditor, and at that time had never worked around auditors either), and how to logically approach things. Learning this thought process has made me able to still answer questions on here that are AUD related 3 years later, cause even though some of the things you'd memorize have changed, the basic logic and thought process haven't. When someone posts an AUD question, I can guess with a pretty high level of accuracy, and have a very solid explanation for it, cause I learned the thought process. (Usually when people post questions they also post “The answer is B, but I thought it was D – why is it B?” so before I give an answer, I know whether I'm giving a correct explanation or not; however, in reading the questions, I'm usually pretty right with my guesses before I get to where they say “answer is B”.)

    So, I don't have a specific formula, like “watch 2.33 hours of lectures for every 4.67 hours of MCQs” or anything like that, but I have an approach to all studying – a frame of mind – which I personally found very helpful and hopefully is helpful for others, too.

    #1303449
    CPASF1
    Participant

    Thanks everyone! Can someone please give me a link to where I can find the audit code?

    #1303482
    mckan514w
    Participant

    Here ya go CPASF1- there may be a better site but I used what was on the AICPA website- you have to use the search function- however the added bonus of that is finding your research question on exam day will be a snap 🙂

    https://www.aicpa.org/Research/Standards/AuditAttest/Pages/audit%20and%20attest%20standards.aspx

    and they ask me why I drink...

    FAR- 61-next time I'll ask for lube instead of a calculator
    REG-75- Never been so happy to see such a low grade
    BEC- 8/11
    AUD- 9/2

    #1303486
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I used Wiley's books, which included the auditing standards, but at a glance this looks like it lists links to them: https://www.aicpa.org/research/standards/auditattest/pages/clarifiedsas.aspx

    ETA: Two posts at almost the same time. 🙂 mckan's link has a search function; mine doesn't. But, from what mckan said, sounds like the link that mckan posted you have to search and can't just click. So, if you want to search, use mckan's link; if you want to read, use mine. And if you want an easy-to-use resource for searching and reading, hopefully an auditor will post that actually uses this stuff on a daily basis. 🙂

    #1304029
    CPASF1
    Participant

    Thanks so much @mckan514w and @lilla @Biff-1955-Tannen @mla11692 @rawzkee

    #1304031
    CPASF1
    Participant

    also, when you guys used the audit code, did you just read through the entire code, or was there a specific method u used?

    #1304142
    CPASF1
    Participant

    also, what were your approaches for the sims? I have consistently been reviewing J/E's from the FAR book, anything else?

    #1304167
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @CPASF1 you have to have a good command of what you call the “audit code” i.e. “GAAS.” You need to familiarize yourself with the SAS, SSAE, SSARS, code of professional conduct, et al. The auditing section will ask MCQs about the standards and you will have a research question where you will have to search the standards and give a code section.

    You don't necessarily need to master and memorize the auditing standards but you need to be very familiar with and be able to navigate them in an efficient manner.

    #1304226
    Sticky Nicky
    Participant

    if u use Roger he has a good mnemonic for the 10 GAAS standards TIPPICANOE

    Training & proficiency
    Independence
    Professional due care
    Planning and Supervising
    Internal control
    Corroborative Evidence
    Accordance w GAAP
    No new principles (consistent)
    Omitted disclosure-none!
    Express opinion

    First 3 are general, next 3 are fieldwork, final 4 are reporting

    #1304296
    monikernc
    Participant

    i printed the home page of the standards and referred to them as i studied. knowing what standards exist and how to find things fast will help you during sims.
    understand the difference between review, attest and audit. always know if question is for issuer v nonissuer. read a few to be familiar with format and the difference between numbered and A sections.
    review PCAOB5 for issuers.
    if you get stuck on a concept always read the standard for it to grasp it better. a lot of this is not intuitive and is correct only because the standard says it is.
    know the format and content of reports, especially the modified and how to find them. remember audits happen in phases and knowing what phase you are in tells you what tasks to perform.
    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

    #1304328
    ultrarunner
    Participant

    I didn't have audit experience when I studied and took AUDIT. Now I am working in audit, so I know what you mean. However, I don't see any big difference if you work in audit or not. Of course, it helps if you work in audit but not necessarily. I did intense CRAM before the exam by using my Roger. I actually memorized all mnemonics. SIMs were very challenging though. But as long as you know the concepts, it won't be that bad. Audit was the exam I thought I would fail for sure but I didn't. Good luck!

    FAR 72,67,79 (Roger+Wiley test bank)11/15
    AUD 80 (Roger)10/15
    BEC 80 (Roger)4/16
    REG 63,78 (Roger+Ninja MCQs)5/16

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 18 total)
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