[Ran16]

I’m currently studying for BEC and will test on Dec. 10th. I would like some opinions on trying to pass (not just waste time and take), BEC, AUD, and REG before the new version on April 1st. After testing on Dec. 10th I’ll have 12 weeks left for the other 2 exams. First, do you think taking the exams by actually March 4th (my last day to test because of work) is possible? Second, how should I allocate the 12 weeks? 6 weeks to both AUD and REG, 5 weeks to AUD and 7 to REG, or something else? I work in industry so feel BEC will probably be the easiest material for me. Other than that I don’t feel strongly about AUD or REG. I tend to lose focus after 3 hours of studying and can usually get in 30 mins during lunch before getting interrupted. So, with 3.5 hours of studying a day what do you suggest?

[hasy]

I personally would do REG first. Get that out of the way… because technically you have more time to study for it right? Personally, I usually need about a week (maybe two) after an exam to recoup. But if you can get right in, start studying for REG after 12/10. Then when you take second week of Jan, you have more than enough time for AUD. I don't recommend more than 4-5 weeks for AUD.

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved - Helen Keller

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BEC 80 (10/23/15)
FAR 72 (4/2/15); 83 (7/11/16)
REG 52 (4/28/15)
AUD (9/9/16)

Roger + NINJA MCQ + WTB

[ZombieMouse]

I'd recommend four for AUD and eight for REG. AUD is the longer exam but it covers much less material. It's more conceptual in nature and involves a lot less math, which made it easier for me, although I realize that is highly subjective. FWIW, I studied for AUD for about four weeks and felt that was sufficient. I studied for REG for four months (while waiting on my State Board to review my application… it took forever!) and still felt like there was so much more I could have learned.

[Jason]

@ZombieMouse

Four weeks with AUD while working full time?

If so, that cray.

Filled with uncertainty, the treacherous journey has begun.

FAR: 02/06/16
AUD: 05/21/16
BEC: TBD
REG: TBD

[ZombieMouse]

@Jason, yes, but to be fair the job I was working at the time was in private industry and had a good life-work balance. Personally, I found AUD a lot easier to study for than REG because AUD involves mastering conceptual frameworks whereas REG is all arbitrary rules and memorization. Just my opinion, of course. I understand a lot of people come here looking for advice and support, but it's really hard to tell someone else what to study, not to mention how and how long to study. It all depends on individual learning style and strengths/weaknesses.

[Anonymous]

I also studied about – actually less than – 4 weeks for AUD while working. The job at the time was one that was closed every-other Wednesday, so full-time one week and about 35 hours the next (I was hourly, so I worked longer on the open days in weeks that we were closed Wednesday…). But, I also kept a lot more study-life balance than most people, so I'd say my study-time was about equivalent to someone with a more typical accounting work schedule studying full-time. Everyone needs a different amount of study, so I'd probably recommend a 7/5 split to the OP (with 7 being for REG), but in all honesty it didn't even quite take me 4 for AUD.

For the OP, I would do REG next after BEC, because REG and BEC are the ones with the most changes. So, if you take BEC, plunge right into REG, then by the time you take REG, you'll have scores back for BEC and know whether you should proceed to AUD or re-study BEC instead.

[jcbcpa]

Ran16, first of all, yes, it is definitely possible to get BEC, REG, and AUD completed by March 4th. You just have to want it really bad! As others have said, I would suggest taking REG next. REG is the one that will be most impacted by the changes. Plus, REG has more material than AUD (even though AUD is a longer exam, which has always confused me).

I’d say you probably need more study time for REG than AUD. I’d recommend maybe about 7 weeks for REG and 5 weeks for AUD (I knocked out REG and AUD in about 4 weeks, although I definitely could have used another week or two for REG. For AUD, I felt ready).

I’m not sure how quickly your testing centers fill up, but maybe you could delay scheduling REG until you spend a couple weeks studying for it so you can get a gauge of how you’re moving along? Then, you could decide how much time you need to study for it in order to have a good shot at passing. You may feel confident with REG and feel you can get it done in 6 weeks, which would leave you 6 more weeks for either restudying BEC or studying AUD. However, you may find you’re struggling and need an extra week or two for REG.

Once you take REG, you should have your BEC score back, so you can determine whether you should retake it. Personally, if you find out you failed BEC, I’d probably reschedule BEC and take another shot at it before the exam changes (Yes, I failed FAR and waited until I had passed all the other sections before retaking, but my situation was different).

One last note, you say that you can probably get about 3.5 hours of studying every day. Does this include the weekends? I think 3.5 hours Monday-Friday is adequate (that’s probably close to what I averaged on the weekdays), but on the weekends, I’d suggest aiming for at least 6-7 hours on Saturday and Sunday. Ideally, you should aim for at least 30 hours of study time each week. I know this is difficult when working full time, but how bad do you want it?!

Good luck!

AUD - 85 (8/30/2015)
FAR - 73 (10/13/2015), 85 (2/29/2016) (AND DONE!)
BEC - 83 (11/04/2015)
REG - 81 (11/30/2015)

[Ran16]

Thank you for all the replies. I was unsure if I should allocate more time to REG and it seems I should. I think I'll go with the 7/5 week split and take REG first. Ideally I'd like to pass all 3 but if I have to retest for BEC and only pass 2 of the 3 I would still be happy. @jcbcpa the 3.5 hours a day was meant for the weekends too It would put me right under 25 hours a week. I'll see how the first full week goes and loo at adding extra 3.5study sessions on the weekends if I feel like I'm behind in the material.

[jcbcpa]

I think the 7/5 split for REG and AUD is a good idea; however, once you get to AUD, don’t underestimate it, especially if you’ve never worked in Auditing. It has historically had the lowest pass rate, which I think is due in part to people underestimating it. Because I work in Audit, I didn’t think it was bad, but others have claimed it’s the hardest exam. Auditing is a process, and it’s not as math-intensive, so the multiple choice questions go a lot faster than the other sections.

You may find 3.5 hours of studying per day, including the weekends, is enough, but if at all possible, I’d definitely try to squeeze in a few more hours during the weekends. Of course, that may be enough time for you (I only studied for REG and AUD 4 weeks each for approximately 30-40 hours per week and passed both on the first try). It all depends.

I'm rooting for you. Hopefully, you can get three sections knocked out by April. FAR is a beast of an exam (and that was before the exam changes), so it would be great for you to only have that one to focus on when the changes are here.

AUD - 85 (8/30/2015)
FAR - 73 (10/13/2015), 85 (2/29/2016) (AND DONE!)
BEC - 83 (11/04/2015)
REG - 81 (11/30/2015)

[Author]

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