[Gimme_a_75]

Long story short…I’ve passed FAR, have BEC scheduled for 12/8. My employer is paying for and encouraging this. However, since taking FAR, we have announced a merger and I and my co-workers have been putting in 14+ hours a day at work with a 45-minute drive to and from work daily, 6 days a week. I’m exhausted and have only managed to make it through 1/2 the review material for BEC. The material is just not sticking, especially the COSO stuff and the formulas. I’ve got AUD scheduled for February. I honestly do not think I will pass BEC if I take it on Friday. Merger work is supposed to wrap up early January. Dilemma and where I need advice: Do I just go take the test on Friday knowing it’s a fail or do I reschedule BEC in late January and push AUD into March? My coworkers who are in the same boat are just as conflicted as I am. Suggestions?

[Recked]

What do you stand to lose? EWS is already off the table with a 76 in FAR, so you lose $300 and the ability to say I passed all 4 on the first shot.
What do you stand to gain? You get to see how heavily IT is tested on BEC, and you get exposure to the BEC SIMS and memos.
I say the exposure and experience is worth the $300.

Disclaimer, I am sitting for AUD with only 3 weeks of study time because a seat opened at my prometric before the window closes. The $300 is immaterial to me and I think its worth it to see the SIMS. It's a win/win in my book. I would love to pass all 4 on the first shot but I'm not so confident on FAR to begin with, and at the end of the day my ego doesn't need the boost. 4 tries or 20, a CPA is still a CPA. Roll the dice.
Give it a shot. If you are concerned with your coworkers or boss's expectations tell them you postponed to Jan, and just take it again after score release.
Take the day off for a doctors appt.

[Anonymous]

In my opinion – it's always better to give it your best shot and fail. The reason I say this, is because if you move it, you won't study until the test gets closer. Trust me when I say this – pushing tests to different windows is a bad idea. 18 months seems like a long time, but you only have 6 testing windows to pass 3 exams. It goes by quick. If you end up failing AUD and/or REG once or twice, you are up against a deadline! If you are okay with the money, i'd try your best this go around and then schedule it again for mid Jan. This will give you enough time to study for AUD before the end of Feb.

[Gimme_a_75]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm not concerned with the money. I'd only be out money if I reschedule or if I fail and have to retake since my employer pays for one time for each section.

I'm just gonna go for it and pray for my own version of a hail mary pass. Maybe I'll get lucky and have the areas where I'm strongest and/or have real-world experience heavy on the test. I like the idea of squeezing in a retake in January and still having time to get AUD knocked out in the same test window.

[Recked]

If you have a 45 minute drive I would suggest some audio materials.
That's an hour and a half a day you could be getting some type of studying in.
Even if you can't really focus on the audio, you might just pick something up that could mean the difference between a 74 vs a 75.

[Ivy]

There are reasons the first time pass rate is higher than the second, and the third time pass rate is less than 5% per AICPA published data.

From my experience, I knew I was not ready when took FAR the first time in May (luck did not come!). Took 10 days out of AUD study time in Sep for second try (bad move), got one exactly the same SIM but not able to do it because time ran out.(a lot things went wrong, it happens!).

I took FAR again last month. The test package was special prepared, no matter which subject for the third time I believe. The SIM are all curve balls, one even does not make much sense, feel like outside the strike zone. It was on a completely different lever.

I would say try the luck for the subject you have work experience of. The only study I had for REG was listening the lecture on the way to work (not very effective). Happens I had work experience on two of the weird SIM subjects. Managed pass it with a weak MCQ and strong SIM in May.

If it is not about ego and money, it will be the chance (good or bad) you are taking and or giving up.
For me, get this over with in the planed time frame is more important. So I am OK with all this second or third try misery.

[Gimme_a_75]

Just wanted to say thanks to each of you for your advice. I sat for the exam this morning and am glad I did. Of course, I don't know I passed, but I felt much better leaving the test center for this one than I did for FAR.

[Anonymous]

I think you made the right choice, as others have said when you only have 18 months to pass them all you might as well sit for it and see what happens, either way you know you're moving on to Audit for now.

[Tncincy]

@Gimme_a_75
Best of luck to you. It took courage to go anyway. I am sure you studied even harder since your initial post. Keep those fingers crossed for the rest of us.

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[Author]

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