[bronze5988]

Has anyone taken an exam feeling only 5o % ready just because you want to see what the exam is like and then know how to study for it better the second time around?
Did you consider this to be helpful or more like a waste of time/money?

[PNS2CLT]

It's a total waste of time and money. The AICPA offers sample tests and the lion's share of questions within respective review program (Ninja, Becker, etc.) are AICPA-released questions. Put simply… you don't need to take the exam to know what it's going to be like. Also note that each exam experience is unique — your live “practice” BEC exam could be heavy on variance analysis but your “actual” exam may not ever address it.

[Ana]

I do think it's helpful if you can afford it and your clock isn't ticking. However, I wouldn't take an exam without having reviewed the material at all bc then it'll look completely foreign and you won't be able to compare it to the study mcq.

[M123]

100% agree – no way. It's cruel and unusual self-punishment.

First exam I had no idea what to expect as I had done several certs before. Thought this would be “on par”. No.

If you expect the time limit to be demanding, expect it to be harder than most college exams (ALL in my case), and practice with those thing in mind with either MCQ sessions or mock exams – you will get the feel in a “safe” way.

[Missy]

I can guarantee you that what you see the second time will be nothing like the first time.

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

[shawn in VA]

Missy-

I don't know about that. I had to take BEC more that once and I got some recycled questions. Meaning they were IDENTICAL to the ones I got in my prior exam. Not many, I would say no more than 3 MCQs.

[jenpen]

If you've attempted to study for it and the NTS is getting ready to expire, then go for it. If you can push it out until you've had time to properly study and review, then definitely do that. Like ours have said, it would be a waste of time and money if you pay for an NTS just to try it. You can take the sample exam on the AICPA website and get that for free. But if you're gonna lose the money anyway, then meh, go ahead and take it.

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

Wiley CPAexcel and NINJA 10 Point Combo

[Missy]

Yeah there will be recycled questions but they're hardly the bulk of the exam and you'll never know if they're weighted the same in different quarters. May have been pre-test questions the first time and very low point value the second time.

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

[PNS2CLT]

shawn in VA,
I'm sure a few questions make an appearance across multiple testlets but as a generalization her statement is true. Also keep in mind that even though a question might be replicated, its answer choices might not be. For example, if 40% of test takers select “B” and 40%, “D”, the question may be in a difficult testlet — but if answer choice “D” is removed and 70% answer “B”, it might be in a medium difficultly testlet.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't necessarily go into an exam with the expectation of having to take it again. But if your NTS was expiring or you want to squeeze it in at the end of the quarter, then I'd say go for it. Every exam is a learning experience, even if your questions are different the next time.

[Anonymous]

That's a waste of $345 dollars…I think that if you are up against the clock and reasonably prepared, then maybe….But to do it having not really studied? That's a no go for me.

[Tim]

Seems like a complete waste of time and money. You won't even get feedback about which ones you got right or wrong. You're way better off just doing practice tests in whatever review material you have and doing the AICPA sample test. The exam really shouldn't be a big surprise. There's ample resources to get a good idea of what it will be like without actually taking it.

[CPA2BEE]

Awful idea. Waste of time and money, and probably will kill your confidence because you will think it is more daunting than it really is if you don't know anything. You can see if you are prepared based off of your study materials and AICPA practice exams – the real exams are not far off from those materials.

FAR - 80
AUD - 82
BEC - 80
REG - 85

ETHICS - 90
EXPERIENCE - COMPLETE
Application for California license mailed 8/4/2016

[cpApex Predator]

For selfish reasons, yes it is a very good idea. The lower the overall average score, the heavier the weighting. I think a whole bunch of people should just try it out without studying.

[Author]

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