[Anonymous]

Hi,

I’m very discouraged and frustrated that I can’t pass REG. I just took it recently and found out my results… 62. It hasn’t been my first time taking it either -I’ve taken it 7 times already and have been in the 62 – 66 range. I’ve used Becker, NIU review, Ninja notes, Wiley test bank and done the multiple choice questions. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong and how to change my approach or if it’ll even work. I feel like it’s impossible to even break the 70 point barrier. I’m so frustrated that I don’t even know if it’s worth it anymore. My employer is soon enough going to lose faith in me and question my competency on why i haven’t passed. Can anyone give me some practical advice on what to do? I feel so lost any encouragement would be helpful.

[Anonymous]

Do you have paid-time-off at work? Take a couple weeks off to focus. Take breaks in-between studying (how I finished the complete series of The Tudors). I find that I also learn by writing. Write down everything. Skip parts that you are very confident about and focus on parts that are more difficult for you.

Stay in there. If you haven't passed any yet, maybe move on to another, more relatively easier/shorter section, such as AUD or BEC. A pass could give you a boost of confidence.

[jcan9703]

Hi Can't pass,

I was using Wiley while working a full time job and failed Reg with a 59. I was working at a small firm and during tax season, where we were working 90 hour weeks. The rest of the time we were working 60 hr work weeks. I knew there was no way i could pass while working here so I quit! Now I'm passing the exams and doing well! I just graduated in 2013 so I'm young and this was still possible for me to do (no kids, no wife lol). I'm also getting it over with much faster than I would have had I been working. I started in July and I hope to be done in November.

That being said, if thats an option for you, I would definitely recommend it. I only use Becker. I watch a lecture section, read the section, and then do the multiple choice (the key is one subsection at a time). I spend mon-fri going through two chapters, sat I go to the live class as a review of what I just spent the week working on, and then sunday i may do a couple progress tests. I give myself a day to review each chapter the week before i take my exam and then i take the practice tests in the two days before I take the real thing. During my review, I write down anything i got wrong (why I got it wrong). So far this strategy has worked for me.

I know not everyone has the luxury of doing this full time so my advice may not be the best for you. I just know that I had to get it done and over with. Its been hanging over my head and I just want to start living my life again! Good luck and don't give up!

AUD - 89 07/02/14 (Becker practice exam: 74, 83)
REG - 92 08/18/14 (Becker practice exam: 75, 84)
BEC - 83 10/03/14 (Becker practice exam: 83, 70)
FAR - 91 11/24/14 (Becker practice exams: 64, 77)
*also utilized Becker Final Review after seeing practice scores for FAR*

[mla1169]

Did you write notes and then go back and REWRITE your notes? Sometimes its not so much what you're using but the mechanics of how you're using it. Forcing myself to copy the Ninja notes word for word three times was what got me from a 71 in AUD to an 84.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

REG was also my nemesis.

Honestly, I went from a 61 to an 80 doing something very simple: Writing the questions down.

I went through the Wiley Test Bank, and for every single question, right or wrong, I wrote down the concept behind the question in my own words, and, more importantly, why the right answer was right and why the other three answers were wrong. I filled a whole notebook with this. But that's it. That's all I changed. It was horribly tedious and it took discipline to complete, but I found that I understood the concepts so much more when I forced myself to write it down in my own words.

I put in a lot of hours studying for that exam and failed five times. I know the level of frustration you must be feeling. But you CAN overcome it. Good luck.

[ScarletKnightCPA]

Make sure that you completely understand the tax portion of the exam. Do the Wiley Test Bank Tax questions over and over again until you have it (and not just memorized the answers). You should be consistently getting 90%.

Far: 76 (Wiley Test Bank)
Aud: 77 (Wiley Test Bank)
Reg: 61, 76 (Wiley book, Wiley Test Bank)
Bec: 86 (Wiley Test Bank)

MBA in progress

[Anonymous]

Do you understand the concepts behind the questions whatsoever? If I were to randomly ask you any question from a test bank, can you just answer it in your own words? If not, why not?

Yes, you can brute force memorize your way through these tests.. but after 7 times taking it, shouldn't you be able to essentially explain any concept on the spot?

In essence, my advice is being able to teach the content to someone means you actually know it.

[In God I trust]

Sorry to hear about your experience.

I had Yeager and really appreciate the fact that I could talk to him about questions I was having problems with. Here’s what I did for Reg. By the way, I passed it on the 2nd try.

1. Watched the lecture

2. Did the assigned homework

3. Did 30 questions on Wiley TB.

4. If I did not understand a concept I did not move forward till I understood it. (REG was my 1st exam so I had all the time to waste with it. In addition, I was determined that another failure was not an option.)

5. As I progressed in my studying (moved from one chapter to chapter to another), I made sure I did some form of review of the chapters that I have completed. E.g. if Module 3 is the new module, I will do 30 questions from Module 1&2 before starting to study module 3. As I progressed to module 4, I will do 30 questions of module 1, 2, &3 before starting module 4. This kept the materials fresh.

6. Saturday mornings I will read all notes that I have written.

7. When I was done readying the materials, I started working on timing. I practiced 80 MCQ and 7 SIMS and tracked the time it took me to complete it.

8. I also spent time on the questions I was always getting wrong. I read the material and if I still did not understand it I called Yeager.

9. It was painful. Took lots of hours. I had my moments….crying and feeling sorry for myself but another failure was not an option so I prayed….A LOT and threw myself at the material.

The most important advice is what you do while taking the exam.

1. Try your very best not to be discouraged while taking the exam.

2. Remember to do “memory dump”

3. If a question looks Intimidating, flag and work on the others. Return to it after you have solved the other questions in the testlet.

4. Before the exam make sure you allocate time for each testlet. During the exam keep to that allocation.

5. For the simulation, I always scan through all the SIMS. I solve the easiest 1st and leave enough time for the difficult ones.

6. For the difficult one, I did not guess. Based on what I know about the topic, I create my formula and solve it the best way I can.

Wish you all the best! Make sure you know the material. Don’t rush yourself. Some people study for a month and pass, some study for months. We are all different. Do what works best for you. Whatever gets you to understanding the material.

[In God I trust]

One last note, consider changing your profile name to “CAN PASS”. Stop calling failure on yourself. Think positive, encourage yourself. YOU CAN PASS!

[Tncincy]

You can pass……defeat is in the mind and in the timing.

I failed far twice dismally, and reg. I stopped to evaluate my plan and realized that it was not the study materials, well yeah it was I bought cpaexel for the renewal feature but it's too tedious, I then bought yeager for far and all the ninja products. My problem was not giving myself enough time to study. I would count out 6 weeks, goof around about 2 of the 6 and go into hustle mode at the 4th week and expected to pass. Well, you know what happened. So I am doing what someone else posted, I am starting with Reg because it is my strength. I was very discouraged with far. So make sure you are giving yourself enough time to study before you take the test. Some people grasp the materials faster than others, and some need a little more discipline, and others just need a new mind set.

I am using the wiley book and testbank with the ninja products and putting in the proper amount of study time minus the procrastination.

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader.....time to pass

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[ijustwant76]

@cantpass75, do you have all the mnemonics memorized??

[Uhartsoccer21]

You haven't found a successful way to study yet. My advice is to set solid two months aside, and make a solid study plan. Move on to another test and forget about REG. Either your not retaining the info. or your retaining and not understanding the info. but you need both. My first test I failed AUD and moved on, leaving it for last so I could restudy for it as if it were my first time and that strategy has worked pretty good so far.

A - 89 10/23/2014
R - 90 2/27/2014
F - 75 5/25/2014
B - 83 8/28/2014

[Author]

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