I am studying with the Wiley book and Software for Auditing.  I took sample of 25 questions and did terrible.  Then I read Module 1 and did more questions, got a 67% for ALL 129 questions.  THEN I realized that more in dept reading must be done with the Standards, AU 316, AU 317, AT 101, etc......

Then I retook the same 129 questions and got a 87.  And taking sample questions for module 1 from the software and am doing VERY well. 

Simulations is something that scares me ALOT....  I tried one and did terrible.  And Module 2 - Internal Control is ALOT more material than Planning.

Just wondering what your self study techniques are using Wiley, such as How do you read the material, when do you start questions, when do you try simulations, do you take notes or just highlight?

etc...

I just sent my applications in this last week, I wanted to sit in November but I dont think its going to happen..... So I have about 3-4 months to study for this..

I did my preparation with the Wiley books alone, and it seems that you are tackling it in a similar manner.

I always started by trying every 4th question, checking my scores, and reading the explanations of both the ones I got right and wrong.  I would follow that with reading the corresponding chapter and then going back to the next set of every 4th question.  Once I got through all the questions the first time (divided into 4 parts), I would usually see acceptable (but not ready-to-test) scores.

When I had completed a few of the sections I would go back and do every 10th question for additional review; this way I could cover more chapters in one sitting, which I felt was important since the exam itself is spread out over more than a single chapter at a time; this also helped keep some of the material I reviewed previously fresh in my mind.  I would repeat this process every day, making sure I did 50-100 MC questions in each sitting.  In addition to the book, I would also throw in the AICPA released questions for a good tune-up each of the two weekends before the test.

As far as simulations go, I never did a whole lot of practice on them before the test.  I would just do 4 or 5 total about a week or two before the test date just to make me think about some of the material in a different manner, but I always felt that if I knew the material well enough to answer the MC questions, I should also be able to apply the knowledge to a simulation.  (I did try more simulations in my review for FAR, but it ended up not really adding value to my review time.  The simulation topics that everyone says you have to prepare for were not on my test – even though I made sure I was ready for them.)

I followed the same routine for each test, except for REG which I saved for last and eliminated the "reading the chapters" portion of my review.  (I work in Tax, so I felt I would be OK without that.)

I'm not sure how the software works (i.e., does it take into consideration hard questions vs. easy questions).  But I did not let the fact that I rarely got more than 80-85% of the questions correct get to me.  I found that the questions in the book were typically more diffcult than most of the actual test questions.

Good luck!

-Rich

Which wiley review did you use? the four books or the two volume?

thanks

I used the 4-volume set.

-Rich

Im taking Auditing first, would Regulations be a good test to take 2nd??