[Oneday]

I’m using Roger CPA and am studying REG at the moment.

Every time I take his MCQ question, I miss the same questions wrong over and over. Sometimes I don’t understand a question due to use of a unfamiliar wording, or sometimes not understanding the entire question. Sometimes question mixes up sections that I haven’t learned (sometimes not covered in his lecture/book!). I thought I had good understanding from his lecture and his review book, but I’m not doing very well!

Yesterday I took a quiz on section 1 (individual taxation) and I looked through the missed problem several times. I got around 60% last night. Today, I got 23% today.. This was probably my 6th time taking quiz on this section.

There are so many specific numbers in that particular section and while people in this forum (and Roger himself) are saying not to memorize them, but understand them, it’s impossible to solve his MCQ questions without knowing those number!! Let alone Business Law section…

Just for your info, my study pattern is like this:

1. Watch Lecture

2. Take note from reading

3. Read through the whole thing carefully

4. Do all of his questions

5. Make a brief Flash card with facts that I should remember

6. Do MCQ again, (I review old sections every few days to refresh my memory)

Even after this, I’m not doing well on his MCQ… And I thought I had good understanding of the material. All of my MCQ score revolve around high 40-60%, and occasional slump like 28% today.. I was also diagnosed with “light” ADD when I was young, but I didn’t (nor can’t) take any medication due to side effects. I do have some focus problem.

I’m not sure what to blame. Am I not doing this right? Is Roger CPA unreliable? Or am I having learning disability?

I need some advice.. I’ve been studying since June 1 and scheduled to take the exam on July 21, but I had to move it to August 21… I’m studying full time. I spend 14 hour every day (of course my focus runs out every few hours) in a library.

What should I do? I’m completely let down after seeing 28% on the MCQ score…

P.S. sorry about the grammar.. I just can’t think straight at the moment..

[vvSPAZvv]

Just so you know, I can relate immensely. I have been studying for FAR since mid-May, approximately 25 hours a week (I work still) and am using Becker self-study.

This will be my first exam. While I am unsure of how RogerCPA is set up or how REG is for that matter, I feel you on the progression-aspect. My study pattern is extremely similar to yours. I watch the lectures, take notes (per Becker) + my own notes, review the provided outlines, did ~90% of the MCQs, and review flashcards.

I am in my “review phase” and feel as if I am getting progressively worse. I was scoring solid 70/80s on my progress tests during my learning phases. However, my review progress exams are getting worse (in the 60s and even some 50s) and I am sitting for my exam Tuesday. I am not rescheduling due to work schedule and just the sole fact that I need to push myself.

My best advice is to keep plugging. Hopefully it gets better for the both of us by the time test day comes!!!

FAR - 76! 10/15; (65) 7/15
BEC - 82! 11/15; (74) 8/15
AUD - 01/16
REG - TBA

[Oneday]

Hi vvSPAZvv

Thanks for the input.. I just feel extremely depressed time to time. It seems like I'm not making any progress with current method..

I see that you're taking your exam in three days.. Good Luck!!! I took FAR exam before this and got 58 :(. From my experience, I really did't do good time management and I only solved 3 TBS of 6… I thought time management would be easy since I've done that all my life, but it didn't work out good for me :(.. TBS was a surprise too.. had to reconcile Statement of Cash Flow… ugh..

If you're like me, be aggressive and set a strict rule on how much time you spend on each question. Don't be greedy on MCQ or you'll be like me.. Had only one hour for TBS…

Anyways good luck!

[Jackobe24]

I absolutely feel your pain…..

I'm studying BEC with becker…..

Felt okay during my study phase….

now I began review this stuffs, feels like I forgot so much stuffs and some stuffs I didn't understand the first time now feels even more confuse on the material….

feel to depressed, frustrated, and just don't know if I can do this.

hopefully I can find the right strategy to re-study and re-learn this stuff….

FAR - 9/8/16 (Hopefully it's my last CPA exam, God bless me!)
REG - 80
BEC - 81
AUD - 69, 81

[Fat Bunny]

I found it helpful to find a study buddy.

Sometimes you just need a hint to understand the entire concept.

REG - 77, 10/18/2014
BEC- 84, 2/26/2015
FAR - 78, 7/16/2015
AUD - 86, 8/27/2015 (Yes!!! I am officially done )

[EDM1204]

I was the same way when using Roger with FAR. I had a similar approach to your study habits except i studied every day, about 40 hrs a week (i don't work) and on saturday I would do a review of what I did all week. Sometimes I would score high on his quizzes and sometimes in the 70s, getting really depressed. I knew I was going to buy supplemental material (NINJA MCQ) and even when I started those I was getting 50s and 60s I really progressed using them until the day of my exam and I would be getting anywhere from the 80s to 90s. My thing to you is DONT RELY on Roger's MCQ's because they are HORRIBLE seriously I can't stand them. If you just use Roger and get it good for you because you must be a GENIUS

AUD - NINJA in Training
BEC - 76
FAR - 78
REG - 81

FAR- Passed first try
AUD- Failed 5 times....
REG- Failed 2 times, Passed 3rd time
BEC- Passed first try

F- 78
A- 70, 69, 74, 70
R- 68, 70
B- 76

[Missy]

Why not add some of the ninja products? Roger is fine, you are fine, but it doesn't mean you're a good match for each other.

Old timer,  A71'er since 2010.

Finance manager/HR manager

 

 

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

[Anonymous]

I'm currently studying for REG (test tomorrow!) and started with Roger. I used it primarily for the text and some of the videos, but found the MCQ test bank just wasn't working for me. I 110% recommend adding the Ninja MCQ as a supplement, which is what I did. There are 5 or 6 major sections in Ninja MCQ, but you can drill down to the individual sections (especially helpful with BLAW) and the explanations are much better.

[Mark]

Agree with MIA. If you qualify to sit then you can pass. You just need to pick the right plan and right weapons.

FAR - 11/11/2014 - 80
BEC - 02/05/2015 - 88
AUD - 04/2015 - 89
REG - 05/2015 89
Active NJ CPA 09/09/2015

[JohnWayneIsGod]

Hi, fyun89. My circumstance may be different than yours, but I was given ADD medicine as a kid and at one point I was taken out of mainstream classes for a couple of years because I had fallen far behind my peers. If I learned one thing from all of that it is that confidence is everything. It is easy for those of us who have struggled with academics or have been labeled as ‘learning disabled’ to lose our confidence and perform poorly because of it. You said that you scored about a 60% last night and then a 23% today. My guess is that those 60 points didn’t come easy and that you expected more from yourself, so when you tried today the pressure, disappointment, etc impacted your performance.

If you met the educational requirements to take the exam, then you can do this. It is just a matter of doing it the way that works for you. My advice is to slow down a bit. You are not the type of person who can get a 60% in Day 1, and then pull above a 60% the very next day. Sure, some people can do that, but you and I are not one of those people. Make sure that you truly understood why you got a 60%, review the problem areas, and then try it again no less than 48 hours later. When you take the next quiz, forget the 60% and remember that you had a strong review and that you are better now than you were before. Go in with confidence. And make sure that you have read and understood each question. Maybe you’ll go over the time limit a bit, but that is not the priority right now. Make sure that you have the confidence that you know how to do that kind of problem at all, and then you can worry about time limits. This may mean that you have to study longer and harder than other candidates, but so be it. What matters is passing the exam.

BTW: I also use Roger, but I’ve been supplementing his materials with Wiley and I’m considering buying some Becker products. Roger is good and all, but he does talk fast and does skim over concepts. He’s great for mnemonics and at teaching concepts, but I feel that he falls short when it comes to covering the finer details.

Sorry for the long post. I hope that I didn’t come off too preachy, but I’ve asked myself if I can do this before as well. You can do this.

FAR - 80

Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.

-John Wayne

[Anonymous]

Seeing the title of this post made me chuckle. I have definitely felt the same way – I think we all have.

[Oneday]

Wow.. thank you guys for encouraging words. I just took two days off to set my mind straight. I'm now back at my local library to get started again. I really hope I can endure this through. All my best wishes to you guys as well. Thank you!

JohnWayneIsGod//

Thank you for sharing your experience. This ADD topic was very difficult for me to share with people other than my family, but I'm glad we're able to share our experiences here. I won't lose confidence :). I hope we all don't!

Jackobe24, coloradorit, MarkNJ, JohnWayneIsGod, CPA1228, mla11692, EDM1204, vvSPAZvv, Fat Bunny

Thank you guys. I hope to see you guys in “I passed the exam” thread soon (if you're still working on it). Thanks!

[FIFOisbetterthanLIFO]

I used Roger (at the time I bought Roger, Wiley MCQs came with) for all 4 exams. I bought the CRAM for FAR and REG. Everything else seemed pretty straight forward – it was just a matter of putting in the time and figuring out how I liked to study. Successful passing grades required me to do ~600 MCQs the week leading up to the exam. Forcing yourself to hit all of the topics again before the exam is crucial. CRAMCRAMCRAM

FAR - Passed (82)
BEC - Passed (76)
AUD - Passed (89)
REG - Passed! (81)
AICPA Ethics

Licensed CPA

[Author]

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