BEC Exam–Where Did Those Questions Come From?? Any Similar Experiences??

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  • #184418
    wrj02
    Member

    SO…Monday I found out I failed BEC….not too much of a surprise, but what was more surprising was that I got a 73 (which irks me). The fact that I failed wasn’t a surprise because when I was sitting for the exam, I:

    1) checked to make sure I was taking BEC for the CPA exam. I was getting all sorts of questions that I had never seen in Becker. Granted, I only used becker…and yes, I am aware that sometimes BEC can be a crap shoot. But I was literally guessing on almost half of each testlet, not because I had recognized the information but didn’t know the answer, but because I had never seen it before!

    2) Contemplated walking out because I knew where this was going. Weeks of non-stop studying and now, non-stop guessing. Bonus was I knew all the WC’s, and I feel I am fairly strong in writing, so I think that went well. Still have yet to see a progress report.

    My question is, has anyone else gone through this? I feel like I was fairly prepared, maybe not for a 99, but at least prepared enough to make a 75 or better. I didn’t feel weak in any certain areas as I had in past exams.

    It is busy season after all, so that was my goal to begin with. Because of this I want to sit again in a few weeks, just doing a review of all the chapters similar to how I review a couple weeks before a normal CPA exam.

    Has anyone else had a similar situation and success in the retake?

    FAR 77
    REG 82
    BEC 73, 83
    AUD 59???, 87! DONE!

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 61 total)
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  • #590437
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I think that AICPA is getting a lot trickier with their exams to compensate for all of the high quality study programs out there.

    This will be hard for me to explain without divulging specifics, but I felt the same way as you at first – but changed my mind a few questions in. A lot of the questions I had were certainly nothing like Becker ones. But at the same time, underlying concepts were there, the questions were just totally transposed to where you needed to really know the underlying equation or concept. Honestly, a lot of the questions I had were somehow related to the accounting equation, A = L + SE.

    Either way, I don't believe anyone that says BEC is “easy”, because I found it personally a lot harder than AUD.

    #590438
    JustWant 75
    Member

    I felt the same way taking BEC. I had to check to make sure I was taking the correct exam. I felt like I guessed on majority of them but @5280_CPA_Hopeful is right that the concepts are there you just have to apply it to the questions. I was certain I didn't do good with the MCQ's by the time i got to WC but i made sure to BS my whole way through it and I believe that the WC was what saved me. If you ask me I would say that I felt the least comfortable walking out of BEC than FAR and AUD. It wasn't necessarily hard but the MCQ's were definitely “weird”.

    I would also suggest that you find a strategy for the WC, it is 15% after all and could be that difference between a pass or fail.

    Becker, Ninja Audio + Notes

    FAR: 80 (Aug 2013)
    AUD: 91 (Nov 2013)
    BEC: 79 (Feb 2014)
    REG: 80 (May 2014)

    #590439
    san4596
    Member

    I fear BEC more than any section of the CPA exam. My scores show that BEC was my crutch. I walked out multiple times thinking that I had passed. Just to get slapped with a 74 not once, but twice!

    CPA EXAM: DONE!!!!
    Ethics Course: Passed
    Application Mailed: 3/16/15
    Professional Conduct Exam: 97
    Certification Date: 4/2/15!!!

    #590440
    D
    Participant

    I took BEC on 2/24 and had a similar experience.

    1st testlet was med/hard and I marked about 5, 2nd testlet was HARD… marked about 6-7, 3rd testlet was even harder.. with equations I didn't even see in my Wiley/Yaeger study materials. So I had to guess on at least 7. 🙁

    I was hoping that those really hard ones would be the ones that won't count against me.. and because those were so tough, I ran short on my WC, which in the past I've scored above average on.. whereas this time I scored “Comparable”.

    I ended up with a 72. Sucks.

    **************************
    AUD: 77  (Jan 2016)
    BEC: 80  (May 2016)
    REG: (rematch May 2017)
    FAR: (rematch Apr 2017)
    **************************

    ----------
    AUD - 74, 77! (1/2016)
    BEC - 80! (5/2016)
    REG - tbd (8/2016)
    FAR - tbd

    Study materials: NINJA MCQ/Audio/Notes

    "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!"
    ----------

    #590441
    Determined CPA
    Participant

    You guys are scaring me with BEC. Im taking it the beginning of May and am finding it so difficult. The formulas are out of control. Any tips from anyone who has passed on how to pass the first time? I am using Becker and 10 point combo with wiley test bank. Praying that's enough but the more and more im reading on this site, the more im finding people HATE BEC.

    Also, BEC seems to be the test least discussed on this forum? Is it because everyone is scared of it? We need to stick together and we will all pass in Q2!!!

    A - 75
    B - 78 God is good.
    F - 77 Answered prayers.
    R - 84! Done!!

    Paperwork sent - waiting for license!!
    Still on a cloud and in shock. Through God, all things will happen.

    #590442
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I believe it was during a BEC exam that I first decided that there should be 5 MCQ choices instead of 4. There should be an E. That option would be the most honest, and usually, the best answer to the question. The answer choices would be similar to these:

    What?

    I've never seen this @#$% before in my life.

    Are you freaking kidding me?

    Where do you people get this crap?

    The are all right, but my crystal ball is broken so I can't read your minds.

    FML!

    Seriously?

    This is the CPA exam, right?

    I studied for BEC! Where did this REG question come from?

    Why do you people hate me so much?

    I have $3 in my checking account.

    I hated BEC! I know that BEC stands for Business and Economic Concepts, but I think B!@#%'s Ever Changing is much more accurate. I took it 6 times and passed it twice. Every test was completely different. The only thing they had in common was that whatever I felt I was weak on or didn't study, was going to be heavily tested. That was a given! But once I understood why the formula's were used, and didn't just memorize the formula itself, it all fell together into a nice little 82 and then finally an 85. I didn't have to take it as many times as some of the others, but I absolutely hated the material. I even made an xtranormal video and posted it on youtube.

    CAUTION: Do not watch this if you are offended by foul language, because I pretty much said what I was feeling at the time. This was also made just few weeks before I found out that I was sick, so I wasn't feeling well and didn't know what was wrong. I just assumed it was the exam that had changed me from being “a b!@#$” to “THE B!@#$”.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyx2lngGMN4

    #590443
    Determined CPA
    Participant

    @Kricket – you are not helping! LOL

    haha LOVE that video!!!

    A - 75
    B - 78 God is good.
    F - 77 Answered prayers.
    R - 84! Done!!

    Paperwork sent - waiting for license!!
    Still on a cloud and in shock. Through God, all things will happen.

    #590444
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @DeterminedCPA – I don't mean to scare anyone. If I could pass it twice, then I know y'all can do it once! But after watching the video, you kind of understand my mindset with this exam! LOL

    #590445
    Not a Quitter
    Participant

    Honestly, I have had this happen to me on every exam except for the last REG exam I took. I would get questions that obviously belonged in another exam. I always assumed they were pretest questions but it still irritated me!

    FAR- 85 I'm DONE!
    BEC- 75
    REG- 60,60,75
    AUD- 74,74,83

    CPAExcel used for BEC, AUD, REG
    Exam Matrix used for FAR plus NINJA Blitz, cpareviewforfree and a little CPAExcel

    #590446
    Determined CPA
    Participant

    @ NotaQuitter – what was your technique to passing? did you pass on the first try?

    A - 75
    B - 78 God is good.
    F - 77 Answered prayers.
    R - 84! Done!!

    Paperwork sent - waiting for license!!
    Still on a cloud and in shock. Through God, all things will happen.

    #590448
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Yeah, BEC is a fun one. I definitely got two questions STRAIGHT OUT of FAR and AUD. Thank god that test is so “short”, otherwise they would bombard us with tons more unrelated random info.

    @Determined – Formulas are key on this exam, along with knowing the IT terminology. I think Becker and 10 point combo is MORE than enough for this exam – I only used Becker and the NINJA Audio. My biggest study takeaways? Know the formulas, but know them by doing them – it's a lot easier to memorize formulas when you've had to work and rework chapters 2 and 3 over and over again. It sucks, but it really cements them into your mind.

    LISTEN TO THE AUDIO! I honestly got 3 questions on the exam, word for word out of audio. BEC is a weird exam, but you can definitely pass it with the tools you have.

    #590449
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @Kricket HAHAHAHA that video is EXACTLY what I was saying before the exam. ESPECIALLY the variance and price elasticity part. LOVE it.

    #590450
    Determined CPA
    Participant

    Thank you 5280!!

    A - 75
    B - 78 God is good.
    F - 77 Answered prayers.
    R - 84! Done!!

    Paperwork sent - waiting for license!!
    Still on a cloud and in shock. Through God, all things will happen.

    #590451
    Not a Quitter
    Participant

    @Determined CPA Honestly, I think i just got lucky with BEC. I've used CPAExcel for all three of my exam thus far. I'm not sure I can give you good advice considering the scores I got on subsequent exams! But seriously, I think it's very important to know your learning style as to not waste too much time and then just be comfortable with every topic. Good luck.

    FAR- 85 I'm DONE!
    BEC- 75
    REG- 60,60,75
    AUD- 74,74,83

    CPAExcel used for BEC, AUD, REG
    Exam Matrix used for FAR plus NINJA Blitz, cpareviewforfree and a little CPAExcel

    #590452
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    BEC was tough. My best advice is to know EVERYTHING. I left that exam frustrated because I felt like only 10% of the material was tested, all of it inconsequential topics.

    I finished the exam with 19 seconds to spare and made an 80. I was expecting to fail.

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