[Christy]

So, I have completed reading the Becker material for REG, taken a ton of notes and written a ridiculous amount of flash cards. Feel like I have a good once through but definitely no where ready for the test.

Test scheduled for 1/18 and I have a week of vacation left at work I need to take or I lose. So with the week off plan to go back through the material, work a ton of Becker problems, listen to the Ninja Plus videos on weaker topics and hit Ninja MCQs.

Right now I’m stressed out and freaking about being ready for this exam. I want to pass before the changes happen.

Anyone been lost 4 weeks out and been able to pull it together for a pass? What was your strategy?

[Mike J]

Just take a day to review your notes and the MCQ that you got wrong but now understand.

Relax. Do not do any new studying.

I've never been a flashcard fan.

Then the next day do some more MCQ–(1) random group of 20 but with your notes in front of you to get your confidence up; (2) review the ones you had to think about; (3) put the solutions in your own words; (4) incorporate into your notes & rewrite where applicable; (5) repeat steps 1-4 two more times; (6) once your confidence is back, repeat steps 1-4 EXCEPT do not use your notes or any help.

Do that for the next three weeks.

Within a week of the exam, go through the AICPA recently released MCQs. Don't worry if you miss a few, but it will give you some more exposure to questions that you may see on the actual exam.

For the rest of the week, just review your notes and any problems–MCQ or SIMs–that may have given you trouble but you now know how to solve. When reading through your notes, go front to back, then next day go back to front.

When you feel yourself getting nervous, just tell yourself that you did the work. You prepared. And you will be fine. If you REALLY feel bad, just stop what you're doing. Count to 10 slowly and breathe in and out. Yes, even if you feel that way during the exam.

Don't forget to kick ass on test day.

[Delawhere]

This is definitely do-able for you in 4 weeks! I took BEC on November 7th and started studying for REG immediately after (Not joking there, actually got back from the test and started studying). I just took REG on the 10th and passed.

I thought it was impossible but it's really not. I'd say spend more time on tax, both individual (R1/ R2) and corporate/ property (R3/ R4), than on business law. I'd say they are EQUALLY tested on the exam, but for me tax took a little longer to wrap my head around. I had no tax background prior to classes in college many years ago.

Once you feel comfortable with tax, spend about 1-2 weeks on R4-R8. I don't really like flash cards but I made them for this section. Something about writing stuff down helps me remember. I think I made like 100 flash cards for contracts and they were super helpful for the 100+ MCQs becker throws at you.

Go through sims once for each chapter. Make sure you understand why you got things right and wrong. I only did one run through to get familiar with the format, but in my eyes MCQs help you nail down the concepts better. Once you have those down sims will be easier.

I didn't do either of the practice exams, just did MCQs on repeat up until 2 hours before I tested. I somehow ended up with a 76.

You got it!

BEC - TBD
AUD - TBD
REG - TBD
FAR - 76 (10/19/2015)

[A]

I'm considering bumping my REG test date up two weeks to 1/2 so I can have a full eight weeks for FAR. I am a week into Ninja MCQ, ~70% average, currently 1,300 attempts and 950 unseen questions remaining. I can hammer out a couple hundred MCQs a day during the week and significantly more on this upcoming three day weekend (I don't have any traditional holiday obligations beyond making a nice dinner for my SO and I). I plan on re-reading the Roger book at least once and spending a couple hours getting comfortable with researching the tax code.

There are conflictiong opinions on SIM practice, and i only have access to NINJA and a 2013 Wiley test bank. What's the best way to optimize the next two weeks? Add SIMS? Stick to MCQs?

B - 77 (2.27.16)
A - 81 (4.18.16)
R -
F -

Roger Review + Ninja MCQs

[Christy]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate all the words of wisdom from those that have been there and succeeded. The amount of information for these tests leaves me so overwhelmed I forget which way is up. I'm already waking up at 3, 4 am some mornings in a state of fear. I haven't even fully tackled FAR yet! Can't image what that will be like. Yikes.

Just have to keep telling myself this test will not beat me, only I can beat myself.

[mitchvols]

It is doable. I was pretty lost on all four tests four weeks out from it, particularly with FAR. It didn't start to come together until 10 or so days before the exam and I still felt very unprepared when I took it and left thinking I had made about a 50.

Just keep getting your repetitions in and eventually it will come around.

Also, as far as scheduling your exams, I would look at doing two per quarter instead of one. I'd take Audit in March as well. It gives you a shot to pass, and if you fail, you can always retake in April. Two months is enough to prepare for Audit. Your strategy can work, but a fail could completely throw you off.

[Christy]

Thanks Mitch. I have actually kicked around the idea of taking AUD in March as this will be a retake for me. What has stopped me is work as the test dates fall in my company's month end close. Just worry about burning myself out more so than I do now and it carrying over to test day. I'm also a slower than most studier.

[Author]

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