Failed AUD twice.. What's wrong with my strategy?

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  • #180395
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I was so sure I was going to get 90s this time around.. But ended up with 63.. What am I doing wrong???

    This is how I study.. I kept doing the Wiley test bank questions.. Kind of randomly selecting the sections.. so yes, not very organized structure.. But I kept doing them over and over and over.. and up to the point of towards exam day.. I did about 10-15 questions (randomly selected thru the practice module) of each section.. and I averaged about 70-80.. and research simulations was always 100%.

    Anyway, do you think I need to change study materials? sometimes I feel like doing questions for AUD section isn’t that great because AUD is focused on pure memorization.. So should i just read the book front to back??? or just read sections that Becker told us to highlight in the video..

    Dont know what to do.. feel so frustrated… like seriously?!?! I was so confident about the exam, and then end up with 63… Like *(&#(&*#%# arghhrh

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 32 total)
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  • #444724
    Vagrant
    Member

    I, too, failed AUD twice. Got a 71 on my first try and then a 74 on my second (yes, a freaking 74). I think I did the same thing as you did and went over the Wiley TestBank questions constantly while scoring on average 85+. The problem with this was that by doing this you start to just “memorize” the answers, even if you generally know the concepts on several select areas, which doesn't seem to be enough for this test. Another problem with Wiley TestBank is that they don't have questions for all situations. After having taken AUD twice, I can guarantee that the actual AUD exam throws questions at you that Wiley TestBank may or may not have covered.

    Becker has a tons more information stuffed into it than most review courses from what I hear, so I'd imagine you would have to dig deep and learn everything.

    FAR - 65,84
    AUD - 71,74,74
    REG - 64
    BEC - 74

    #444863
    Vagrant
    Member

    I, too, failed AUD twice. Got a 71 on my first try and then a 74 on my second (yes, a freaking 74). I think I did the same thing as you did and went over the Wiley TestBank questions constantly while scoring on average 85+. The problem with this was that by doing this you start to just “memorize” the answers, even if you generally know the concepts on several select areas, which doesn't seem to be enough for this test. Another problem with Wiley TestBank is that they don't have questions for all situations. After having taken AUD twice, I can guarantee that the actual AUD exam throws questions at you that Wiley TestBank may or may not have covered.

    Becker has a tons more information stuffed into it than most review courses from what I hear, so I'd imagine you would have to dig deep and learn everything.

    FAR - 65,84
    AUD - 71,74,74
    REG - 64
    BEC - 74

    #444726
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    For me (still on a high from finally passing Audit in round four as of yesterday), I had to buckle down and learn it. I was somehow able to blow through the other materials and get passing scores in six months on the other three, but Audit was not my friend. I think it just took time for me to learn it, and it was time I wasn't giving myself. For every passing score I got a failure in between with audit. I went the ABARFAA route to passing. 🙂

    I can't believe how much I actually learned this time around, but I had felt like I understood enough to take it all the other times. I stopped after the THIRD fail in the 60's, and said wait a second. I then watched every video AGAIN! But this time I really listened for what didn't make sense right off the top of my head. I did all the questions in each section. If I got it right, but learned something from the wrong answers as to WHY it was right/wrong, I would write down what clicked. If I got a wrong answer, I would write out the right answer, or what I would need to know to get it right next time. I have freeking pages and pages and pages of answers. I made myself take the time to write out each wrong answer, and you know what… I started challenging myself to listen better to a section of the video lecture so I wouldn't have to write out so many dang wrong answers! I averaged 85% on most sections, and so I knew my trouble areas were where I wasn't performing that well. Section 4 in Becker was a beast for me, and it accounts for something like 20% of the test. So it wasn't that I didn't know ANYTHING, I didn't know the right things. This helped me break it down to what that unknown x factor was. I honestly didn't know after failing three times!

    I started asking questions about Tracing and Vouching that always tripped me up. I could get right answers, but not for the right reasons, and actually for the opposite reasons! I made myself a sheet of little things I was always going back and forth on, and determined I was going to have a memory sheet I was going to write out on the boards when I got to my terminal. I was amazed that my ‘brain dump' actually made me feel better. It made me feel more confident, and like I knew the materials enough to pass it. It was made by me, and honestly only I knew what I was hitching on. What I don't understand is totally different than what someone else doesn't.

    I did the brain dump at the terminal, and also when I would get a question that I wasn't sure on, but had that nagging feeling that I knew it somewhere, I would mark my best choice, write down the nagging at me part, and move on. Many times a few questions later I would come across something that would remind me of what I needed to remember for the other question I had written down previously. This let my mind shut off a bit, and stop running those nagging questions in the back ground so I was able to focus on the question at hand. I think this REALLY helped me. I didn't feel nearly as drained as any other test I had taken. To go from a high score of 69 to 90… let's just say I've checked it again a few times today just to make sure! :0) Good luck!

    #444864
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    For me (still on a high from finally passing Audit in round four as of yesterday), I had to buckle down and learn it. I was somehow able to blow through the other materials and get passing scores in six months on the other three, but Audit was not my friend. I think it just took time for me to learn it, and it was time I wasn't giving myself. For every passing score I got a failure in between with audit. I went the ABARFAA route to passing. 🙂

    I can't believe how much I actually learned this time around, but I had felt like I understood enough to take it all the other times. I stopped after the THIRD fail in the 60's, and said wait a second. I then watched every video AGAIN! But this time I really listened for what didn't make sense right off the top of my head. I did all the questions in each section. If I got it right, but learned something from the wrong answers as to WHY it was right/wrong, I would write down what clicked. If I got a wrong answer, I would write out the right answer, or what I would need to know to get it right next time. I have freeking pages and pages and pages of answers. I made myself take the time to write out each wrong answer, and you know what… I started challenging myself to listen better to a section of the video lecture so I wouldn't have to write out so many dang wrong answers! I averaged 85% on most sections, and so I knew my trouble areas were where I wasn't performing that well. Section 4 in Becker was a beast for me, and it accounts for something like 20% of the test. So it wasn't that I didn't know ANYTHING, I didn't know the right things. This helped me break it down to what that unknown x factor was. I honestly didn't know after failing three times!

    I started asking questions about Tracing and Vouching that always tripped me up. I could get right answers, but not for the right reasons, and actually for the opposite reasons! I made myself a sheet of little things I was always going back and forth on, and determined I was going to have a memory sheet I was going to write out on the boards when I got to my terminal. I was amazed that my ‘brain dump' actually made me feel better. It made me feel more confident, and like I knew the materials enough to pass it. It was made by me, and honestly only I knew what I was hitching on. What I don't understand is totally different than what someone else doesn't.

    I did the brain dump at the terminal, and also when I would get a question that I wasn't sure on, but had that nagging feeling that I knew it somewhere, I would mark my best choice, write down the nagging at me part, and move on. Many times a few questions later I would come across something that would remind me of what I needed to remember for the other question I had written down previously. This let my mind shut off a bit, and stop running those nagging questions in the back ground so I was able to focus on the question at hand. I think this REALLY helped me. I didn't feel nearly as drained as any other test I had taken. To go from a high score of 69 to 90… let's just say I've checked it again a few times today just to make sure! :0) Good luck!

    #444728
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @Vagrant I agree.. I kept doing the questions over and over and over and all over the place… to the point.. i just did about 10-15 a section.. and almost always scored real good…

    As of now, I'm rewriting the becker text book with the parts that Olinto? or was it Gearty? told us to highlight.. and then I'm going to take those notes and read them over and and over on my train ride to work everyday… I might even take the book with me and just read it every single day..

    I wrote out my study schedule plan… and estimate I can put about 45-50 hours a week into this (NOT factoring how exhausted I would be doing this on a continuous basis for 25 days)… Maybe it'll be at least a good 40 hours though …I'm working fulltime too… so I hope I wont be so exhausted each day that I crash when I get home..

    #444866
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @Vagrant I agree.. I kept doing the questions over and over and over and all over the place… to the point.. i just did about 10-15 a section.. and almost always scored real good…

    As of now, I'm rewriting the becker text book with the parts that Olinto? or was it Gearty? told us to highlight.. and then I'm going to take those notes and read them over and and over on my train ride to work everyday… I might even take the book with me and just read it every single day..

    I wrote out my study schedule plan… and estimate I can put about 45-50 hours a week into this (NOT factoring how exhausted I would be doing this on a continuous basis for 25 days)… Maybe it'll be at least a good 40 hours though …I'm working fulltime too… so I hope I wont be so exhausted each day that I crash when I get home..

    #444730
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @dfollett Thank you so much for your input… I've read so much of other people's strategies… all it really comes down to it is… the writing down part.. I think that's what I'm not doing…

    I guess I'm somewhat lazy, and feel like I can read it and remember it, as long as I read it over and over again.. But obviously it ain't working for this exam… while it works for other things I do…

    So I will start to just rewrite everything….. and stick post it notes all over my room like how micheal scofield did in prison break.. (if anybody watches that show…)

    #444868
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @dfollett Thank you so much for your input… I've read so much of other people's strategies… all it really comes down to it is… the writing down part.. I think that's what I'm not doing…

    I guess I'm somewhat lazy, and feel like I can read it and remember it, as long as I read it over and over again.. But obviously it ain't working for this exam… while it works for other things I do…

    So I will start to just rewrite everything….. and stick post it notes all over my room like how micheal scofield did in prison break.. (if anybody watches that show…)

    #444732
    Legit44
    Member

    On Audit I got a 70-71-93

    I used Becker for all 3 and for the last one I got a 93 on all I changed was I added Ninja notes and wiley test bank. I suggest you go through Becker, make sure you go through the questions twice and sims twice. Then spend last two weeks on ninja notes, reading 5 plus times and writing over once along with daily wiley questions.

    #444870
    Legit44
    Member

    On Audit I got a 70-71-93

    I used Becker for all 3 and for the last one I got a 93 on all I changed was I added Ninja notes and wiley test bank. I suggest you go through Becker, make sure you go through the questions twice and sims twice. Then spend last two weeks on ninja notes, reading 5 plus times and writing over once along with daily wiley questions.

    #444734
    jdwalton19
    Member

    To combat memorization of the WTB MCQs, ensure when you are answering the question, that you are able to not just identify the correct answer, but why that answer is correct, and why the wrong answers are incorrect. Sometimes, if I am alone, I will lecture the question out loud as if I am teaching the concept to someone else. This really helps cement in the concepts. I know it sounds stupid, but it really works for me. The exam may not test you on the exact information the question is asking, but may test you on the incorrect information that you are possible skipping over.

    If you burn through the entire WTB 3-4 times for each section (like I do), the above stategy help immensely.

    FAR - MAY - 84
    AUD - AUG - 88
    REG - AUG - 92
    BEC - Dec - 82

    KY Licensed!

    Yaeger

    #444872
    jdwalton19
    Member

    To combat memorization of the WTB MCQs, ensure when you are answering the question, that you are able to not just identify the correct answer, but why that answer is correct, and why the wrong answers are incorrect. Sometimes, if I am alone, I will lecture the question out loud as if I am teaching the concept to someone else. This really helps cement in the concepts. I know it sounds stupid, but it really works for me. The exam may not test you on the exact information the question is asking, but may test you on the incorrect information that you are possible skipping over.

    If you burn through the entire WTB 3-4 times for each section (like I do), the above stategy help immensely.

    FAR - MAY - 84
    AUD - AUG - 88
    REG - AUG - 92
    BEC - Dec - 82

    KY Licensed!

    Yaeger

    #444736
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @Legit44 @jdwalton19 Thank you both! Many candidates all say writing.. Guess I will put my finger muscles to work and write a ton of notes

    I've been carrying the book and reading it on my train ride to work too.. so let's see how I do.. planning to schedule again for early October.

    #444874
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @Legit44 @jdwalton19 Thank you both! Many candidates all say writing.. Guess I will put my finger muscles to work and write a ton of notes

    I've been carrying the book and reading it on my train ride to work too.. so let's see how I do.. planning to schedule again for early October.

    #444738
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I'll attest to the writing and rewriting part. You just have to understand it, that involves some memorization but you should be able to talk yourself into alot of answers by just eliminating the dumb answers bc you understand the topic.

    I did minimal questions until i wrote and re wrote my notes and reading them a few times, and then with with like 3 weeks left i was just MCQ machine.

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