daliacpa wrote: I'm using college prep books from October 2008 and (to clarify some business law issues) Becker 2007 book. Does anyone think I should supplement my materials with more current materials?

The biggest mistake that I and many others have made is not to use the most current materials.  After I failed FAR on my first attempt, I threw all of my old books away, including Becker.  I started with current reviews and books.

bryris wrote: pass_cpa: Here is what I do: (when I get my Reg score after I take it, I'll let you know if it worked). 1. I read the knowledge transfer outline, answering the books questions between each subunit. I can usually tell from reading Gleim what will likely be tested and what is too detailed. Gleim does like to throw a bunch of extra stuff in there. If I don't understand what is being said, I'll do a Google search of tax material, look it up in my textbooks, etc. 2. I will then do several study sessions with the software. I will on average do at least 4 (I set them to 24 questions, since that is the testlet size on the real exam). So, I've done about 96 questions at this point on average. If I am not scoring in in the 80's, I keep going. Also, every question I miss, I read why I missed it and learn from it, and I have a 1 subject binder that I write the explanations in "in my own words". IOW, I figure out the concept, then write it out in plain english in my binder. 3. Then I take a practice exam. Now, since I have answered many questions at this point, there is a memorization "curve" regarding the real test. There is no way around this. There are some 2,200 questions in the REG database, but you will still recognize some and know the answer. But, I figure as long as I know why the answer is right, the memory curve will likely be analgous to the real curve in the test and the scores should coincide. 4. I then do the book simulation and the simuation online (Sim Wizard). 5. Then I do a cumulative TEST from the first SU to the one I just finished to keep the data fresh. Correct any problems with that. 6. Then move on to the next SU, rinse and repeat. 7. I planned my time in such a way that all material has been gone over in this fashion about 2-3 weeks before the exam. Then I spend the remaining time hitting the rough spots (tax credits, exemption requirements, things that are strictly memory). But, YMMV. There are no guarantees and this may not work. But I can assure myself that by the time I sit for the exam, I will have invested at least twice the time of my competitors, bordering on 300+ hours. Gleim has been doing this for over 35 years. I am also a laid off professional pilot and am quite familiar with their aviation materials. Gleim does what they do very well. But Jerry is not wrong, either. We all absorb things in different ways. The end result is that we understand and can use the information. Whatever road leads to that place is a good road.

Be careful though, byris, I spent a LOT of time in FAR studying for things I thought would be important just because of how extensive the study materials were, and most of those things were hardly tested. 

TryingCPA wrote: ok, so just got home from taking REG.  It ended up not being what I expected.  There was so much information I spent lots of time studying not on there at all.  For those of you using Yaeger, there was a lot of material on the exam not covered at all, so go through the entire Wiley book.  I ran out of time on the second simulation.  Both of the simulations were time consuming and not straightforward.  Not feeling real good about this one.

Tryingcpa,

I passed BEC. I appeared for FAR on 7/2 using Yaeger Homestudy. I will be appearing for REG next, do you have suggestions/tips for using Yaeger Homestudy for REG? I am not from here so I am not familiar with tax laws. Is 2-3 months a reasonable time frame to set a date for REG? What are you using for AUD?

Thanks for your help!  

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Thank you & good luck!!
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