Hello everyone.  I have a few important questions and would appreciate any thoughts.  I'm using the basic Becker review self study and passed REG with 78 in April '09.  I just received my FAR & Aud which i didn't pass.  I got 64 & 65 respectively.  I plan to take BEC in Oct '09. 

I kinda knew I did bad in FAR because I didn't even finish the 1st simulation and left the 2nd simulation blank.  Very bad time management and that may be the reason I didn't pass.  As for Audit I dont have a clue yet, as I breezed through everything and finished early.

My credit for REG ends in October 2010 and I would like to ask the more experienced cpa test takers on how fast they recommend to retake a failed section and if i have enough time to not lose this credit.  Also should i focus on weaker areas more or do an overal review again?  Thank you very much.

This is what the great posters told me before they finished and moved on.

If you know the materials, and do well on the mcqs and communications, you can screw up the sims and still pass.  I’ve done it, so I know.  The key is to get 95% on the mcqs and do good communications – that’s roughly 80 points.  Do what you can on the sims and research tabs, but never rely on them to give you more than 6 points.  Always bank on getting killer simulations.

You have to devote the time and effort Becker outlines or it doesn't work.  You are given enough information to pass, not ace the test.  That’s not much wiggle room.  So if you don't know Becker materials (and I mean know them), then you will not pass.   

Can you pass all 4 in 18 months?  Absolutely. 

1.              Take 2 tests every window (depending on your commitments and life issues).  The stats on passing 1 per window are higher if you take 2 exams as apposed to 1. 

2.              It’s my philosophy to never sit for an exam unless I'm prepared.  I never play Russian Roulette - where folks keep taking and retaking these exams hoping to hit the 'lucky exam' in a window.  I don't think its good for your confidence, moral, or wallet to do this.  Stop, analyze your study habits and map out your strategy/schedule.   

Maximize the time you spent on it and retake those failed tests in the next window.  And peel back the layers of the onion – I always hit the wall, and then I rise another level every week I put into final review.  If you are scoring less than 85% on Becker's multiple choice - stop and analyze what you are doing wrong!  Fix it and your score will increase dramatically - it sucks, but it works. 

If you walk out of a test thinking you passed, good chances are you missed the nuances/tricks and failed. 

I've seen people do retakes, end up scoring well on their week areas and failing on the previous strong areas.  When you study for a retake, start on chapter 1 and do it all over again. 

Get an NTS for the 2 tests you will take next window only.  Register with the BOA and have your selection waiting on standby for when the scores are released in wave 2.  If you pass both tests, fill out the next 2 tests and move on.  If you fail, select the failed exam to retake in the next window plus the one you are studying for during the closed month. 

Hope this helps.

minicre wrote: My advice: Please do not spend TOO much time re-checking your answers on the MCQ. Your first answers are usually the right ones, and time management on this test (especially for REG and FARE are almost as important as the test itself). If you know an answer, fill it in and move on... and don't ever look at that question again! Only for the highlighted ones should you go back to. And try to keep those to a minimum. For an example, if you come to a question in which you seriously just dont know! Your brain has no idea. Just guess and move on. Don't go back unless you have A LOT of time left at the end of a testlet. Like i said before, this is a test where your points just add up. Lets just say you take 10 mins and you do in fact get the MCQ that you didn't know at all... Fine you got 1 point or 1.5 or whatever... But you just lost 10 minutes of your simulation in which you could have got maybe 2 or 3 points in that time. Now think about that example for the overall test.

I completly agree about changing MCQ answers. Unless you are positive that one is wrong/right (like another question helped remind you of something) your first guess is almost always the better option. I have a bad history of kicking myself on tests for changing things that were right so now I only let myself change a max of one or two problems before I close it and move on. I have learned this from classes and practice problems that I marked for review after changing... BTW Gliem MCQs are really good and very similar to the real thing (if not the same on a few...)

minicre wrote: All I do know is that you have a 25% chance to guess 1 or 2 mcq right in 1 minute, as apposed to spending 20 mins on those same 2 questions to get maybe 2 or 3 points from... instead of 20 minutes to write an entire essay that can net you 10 points or so. Do the math! :)

Totally agree.  Its all a game to maximize points.

Map out your time for each exam.  Read posts regarding time for each section.  You have xx minutes per testlet, remaining time/2= simulation minutes.  Never exceed the time allotted for that portion of the test.  I write down the times I have to close each section on my scratch paper, top right corner.