[Anonymous]

So I took FAR on the 23rd and it didn’t go well. The simulations crushed me. With that being said I’m attempting to find a more effective study strategy for round 2 (I’m using Wiley). For round 1, I read the text and then completed all of the multiple choice and simulations for each section. The problem I had was that when I reached the end I had forgotten a lot of the finer points. So here is what I was debating for round 2 of FAR:

1 – read all of the material again, take notes, and budget time at the end to do multiple choice until I hate myself. This is basically the NINJA study strategy

2 – read all of the material again, takes notes, do multiple choice and SIMs as I go through, but building in extras from both the wiley/ninja test banks. This would cement the topics for me.

Does anyone have any advice? I haven’t started studying for round 2 yet, but I don’t want there to be a round 3. Alternate plans are welcome!

[wombataholic]

Option 1 sounds better, but take more notes. Then do mcqs and sims until your eyes bleed. Then do some more, and take notes on each one you get wrong, including writing out the journal entries. Get to the point where you can answer all calculation problems without looking at the choices.

AUD - 91
BEC - 85
FAR - 91
REG - 92

CPA, CFE
Passed all 4 CPA exam sections with Ninja Notes/MCQ/Audio

Licensed CPA
Passed each section on the first try with Ninja Notes/MCQ/Audio

[Anonymous]

Excellent. How much time should I budget for my final review multiple choice binge? I'm trying to re-cover FAR in about 2 months which I'm hoping I can do since I've already been through the material once.

[wombataholic]

Two months is doable for FAR. Just don't cut any corners when you study. Treat this like it's the first time you've gone through the material.

The schedule I set for myself for all 4 sections was set up so that the last 2 weeks were strictly for the MCQ/Sims binge (complete with notes on the ones I got wrong, even if it's a simple note of “RTFQ”). For most sections, I got through the note-taking phase about a week or so early, so the final preparation ended up being about 3 weeks.

AUD - 91
BEC - 85
FAR - 91
REG - 92

CPA, CFE
Passed all 4 CPA exam sections with Ninja Notes/MCQ/Audio

Licensed CPA
Passed each section on the first try with Ninja Notes/MCQ/Audio

[okcpa2015]

I used Wiley CPAExcel Gold for all four sections. I used only CPAExcel for FAR, the other exams I added either the Wiley Test bank or NINJA MCQ. Here was my process to get through CPAExcel. It worked well.

Part 1: My process was to read the lesson (no lectures here), answer the PQs in study mode and then answer the EQs in study mode. That was it for the day.

Part 2: The next day I would take the EQs in exam mode, and if I scored a 90% or above I would move on.

Part 3: If not, I would review what I missed and do the EQs in exam mode (key is to wait a day).

So my study schedule was simply:
Part 1 for a group of lessons
Part 2 for the group of lessons I did for Part 1 the day before
Part 3 if needed.

In addition to weekly review exams of 50 questions.

Review 1: Every lesson I completed that week
Review 2: Everything I've covered so far in CPAExcel

FAR - 91
REG - 88
AUD - 98
BEC - 88

[Anonymous]

@okcpa2015 – for your weekly review do you do 50 total questions or 50 from that week + 50 everything you've covered so far in CPAExcel?

[kyle.brown]

@okcpa2015 I tried your method at first for AUD and found my self getting behind. I ended up having to just go through and read all the material since i was getting behind on the MCQ.

FAR - Passed 4/2016
AUD - Passed 11/2015
REG - ?
BEC - 05/28/2016

[okcpa2015]

@bamoon It took two quizzes, 50 questions a piece. That was typically the only studying I would do on a Sunday.

@kyle.brown, agreed, it is easy to fall behind if you skip a couple study sessions.

I broke it up into pieces everyday. I studied about an hour every morning before getting ready, all lunch hour, and then at least an hour, if not two when, I got home.

I wouldn't say it's the most time efficient way, but I felt very prepared when I got to the exam.

FAR - 91
REG - 88
AUD - 98
BEC - 88

[Author]

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