raychie21
offlineMember
I have taken and passed BEC and REG....took AUD on Oct 1st and now patiently waiting for that score....studying for FAR which is scheduled for Nov 30th. I am having a miserable time staying focused and concentrating. What I study goes in one ear and out the other...not retaining any of the information. HELP!?!?! Does anyone have any suggestions! I have been going at this since June 8th...and want to be done so bad before Christmas!
CapitalGains
offlineMember
Like Jaks said, if you feel yourself getting burnt out, take a day or two (or more) off. Even if this disrupts your schedule it is worth it because you'll (hopefully) come back rejuvenated. Go out, have a couple of drinks, do something fun, etc. Whatever you do don't look at your materials. What's the point in studying if everything is going in one ear and out the other? Hint: there isn't one.
Jeff - another71.com
onlineadmin
raychie21 - are you taking good notes while you study?
raychie21
offlineMember
I am using Becker...as I watch the lectures I make the "mark-ups" that the instructors tell you to make. I really don't make any additional notes - at least I have not had to in the past. Been trying to make flashcards of some different "important" topics as I work through each chapter. Should be on chapter 5 and 6 this week, but am still struggling through chapter 3!
Jeff - another71.com
onlineadmin
Justa75 - describe your studying process with the videos please...
Jeff - another71.com
onlineadmin
Are you taking notes?
Keep in mind that the MCQs are an integral part of the "learning" process. You should watch the videos and do the assigned MCQs on the sheet and READ every answer - right and wrong. Takes notes.
THEN - start working some 20 MCQ testlets over the subject - you should be scoring in the 80's.
Read my book...it will help you...
Jeff - another71.com
onlineadmin
I mean that if you want to test your proficiency over the subject matter - you can't base it on the initial "minimum" MCQs that Yaeger assigns...watch the vids...work the questions...then test yourself.
My personal philosophy is that note-taking in an integral part of studying. I also hated it, but I found that I was "actively" learning and it made the time pass faster.
It's a non-negotiable in my book, but others will disagree.
Jeff - another71.com
onlineadmin
Give Club 75 a try...plenty of fellow Yaeger-ites there.
RyanK
offlineMember
raychie21:
I'm in your exact situation. Passed BEC & REG, took AUD Oct. 2nd, have FAR scheduled Nov. 24th, and do NOT want to study!!! I find thinking about the ends justify the means, so thinking about passing always motivates me to hammer through a chapter. Make a clear study schedule and stick to it, if you do take time off every time you don't want to study FAR you'll never get it done.
I use Gleim, which works extremely well for me, which is split into 20 units. Studying 1 per day, and doing ~110 MCQ's per chapter has worked very well. Luckily my bosses allow me to study at work, and since we're mainly a tax firm there's not much going on this time of year... this has also been a big motivator. But I'm a day behind on my schedule and just starting study unit 1... we'll see if I can stay on schedule, which I was only able to do for Aud, I fell about a week behind on the other two.
CPAWannaBe
offlineMember
Raychie21 and RyanK,
I feel your pain!! I have completed the first chapter in my Becker FAR review. It is brutal. I am soooooooooo not interested in financial reporting. At least this is your last section, Lucky Dogs.
My exam is scheduled for January 5, so I am trying to give myself plenty of time to study since I felt like I needed another week or two before I took REG. It just makes me want to procrastinate even more though.
Imagine when we get to Chapter 7... UGH! It will all be worth it in the end.
Also, as a treat to myself for finishing up a topic's MCQs, I allow myself an "Another71" break ~ where I find others on the forum with the same struggles. Reading this forum has helped me stay motivated!!
MsMadam
offlineMember
justa75- I am using Yaeger to study for FAR right now, you have to take Notes while the lectures are going on. They talk about to much information that is not in the book, you will not remember the first video when you get to the last video. I am watching the video and taking notes in word using a split screen method. It is faster for me to type then handwrite. I am on module 11 and I already have 15 pages of notes.
Toddie00
offlineMember
Hello Everyone,
I passed FAR the first time I took it :) in late August. My study plan was not the end of the world but it was not fun either.....
I used Becker software and would study from 7 - 10 every night (yes even Friday) and on the weekends would study MAYBE 2 - 3 hours in total, so approximately 20 hrs a week. This was not hard at all, THANK YOU DVR. Sometimes I studied until 11 if I need to catch up. I gave myself 8 weeks for a 9 chpt book. The week before the exam, I used as studying one chpt per day. Also, after every 3 chpt I would review the three so they stayed fresh since it is so much information. I did approximately 1 1/2 chpts a week, which consisted of, watching the lecture, reading the chpt, then doing the M/C, the reading the chpt again. During the last week (9 days), I would review each chpt (one per day) and then do the review questions Becker had....
And the night before I stopped at 7 pm, relaxed enjoyed myself up at 6 am to make a good breakfast, take the exam at 8 am and halfway through it, I got a migrain and I told myself, I worked to hard to not pass this exam. Worked through the migrain and walked out knowing I passed, I got an 84....
Very possible and FAR "the monster" is not as bad as it sounds
OnePointAway
offlineMember
Toddie00,
I noticed you failed AUD and then passed it the 2nd time. What changes did you make? What study materials did you use each time?
Toddie00
offlineMember
I studied harder, lol
Actually all through my CPA exams I have only used BECKER. I think Becker is harder to study and the questions are harder, which make you more prepared for the exam...
I took Aud in Aug 2008, then started studying for Reg, once I got my score for Aud (my wife got a 97), I dropped and rescheduled REG and studied hard for 2 1/2 weeks and then re-took it.
In VA, when they mail you your score, they give you the break-down of how well you did if you fail. I looked at it and I was suprised because I was in the upper half for sims, and most MC sections I was in the mid to high 80's, then I looked at my IT Auditing (is that chpt 5 of Becker - not sure) and it just said less than 10% correct. Which I know you cannot just average them, but if you bump that score a little I would have passed.
I studied each chapter for a few days each and then re-took and was just fine. IT aud rarely showed up on my exam.
I worked for PwC and always traveled, so I literally locked myself in my hotel room every night and studied while my co-workers went out and had a great time. I let myself have fun one night because we were in New Orleans, across the street from a Casino. I studied so hard and that was my second I ever took (BEC was first) and was glad I failed it because the second time I studied so hard and for each section going forward (REG & FAR) I kept that study pattern. Because it sucks to take it a second time, so I always tell myself, what if I go watch tv for an hour or a night and not study, is that the difference between passing or failing...
Toddie00
offlineMember
My typical study plan for all sections were anywhere between 6 - 8 weeks before the exam and I would study one chapter a week and then leave myself one week to review the chpts before the exam (one day per chpt so FAR was 10 days prior). The night before I would LIGHTLY review for about an hour but that was it.
On a weekly basis, I would study from 7 pm - 10 or 11 pm. Monday through Friday and on the weekends study about 2 - 4 hours in total (usually in the morning on Saturday, so I could enjoy the rest of the weekend).
I would do the following:
A. Watch the lectures
B. Read the chpt
C. Do the M/C questions
D. Read the chpt again
E. During my last week of review, read each chpt again and do the questions again
F. Then if I had time do the simulations, which I usually did not
REG was the only outlier where I studied where I could because I took it in Feb in the middle of busy season and studied between the hours of 10pm - 2 am Mon - Friday.
My best motivation was that I WAS PAYING for the exams, not PwC. They paid for the first round, which I signed up for, did not study and did not go. The second time around, I paid and was actually dedicated because I did not want to pay again...
OnePointAway
offlineMember
Toddie00,
Did you memorize the auditor reports (ie standard report, review report, etc)?
therb
offlineMember
So I am retaking FAR in a week and a half. The first time I studied, I used the Becker regular course and listened to all lectures, would retrace and read the chapter I just listened to, and take serious notes. I broke it up by individual subjects within each chapter, and would take the MCQ's for that section after taking notes. I left myself with a solid week to do the final exams, and although I got a 74, I should have passed with flying colors - I just managed my time terribly and bombed the sims (scored stronger on MCQ's though).
Now I'm restudying with the Becker final review, which is SOOOO clutch. I first took the test in August, and for anyone that just needs refreshing like I did, I highly recommend the final review. Especially for FAR considering the depth of information contained in the big book. I fully plan on slaughtering this test next week... a big ol' boot mark directly across the forehead of FAR.
However, I definitely agree with Jeff - whatever the material, taking notes is an imperative chore necessary to pass.
Toddie00
offlineMember
OnePointAway -
I took AUD back in Oct of 2008 and I did memorize the reports and if I remember correctly had a few MCQ's AND both simulations were about the reports, so I got extremely fortunate I knew them....
Now with the new type of simulations, you might get one or two tabs about reports
raychie21
offlineMember
It seems the concensous of the group if to take notes - now my next dilemia...I don't really know how to take notes. I always end up writing too much (over kill) or not enough. Does anyone have any suggestions or guidance on how to takes effective notes, instead of rewriting the entire book?
Growing more and more frustrated each day I study!!!
J Squared
offlineMember
@raychie21
I don't think note taking is an exact science, it's unique to the person taking the notes. What you should do is take enough notes that you feel comfortable with so when you come back to it you will remember what it is your trying to say. Don't worry about how long it takes you to right the notes, because it's helping you retain the info as you write the notes.
If you feel it's taking to much of your time try paraphrasing the notes and put the page number in the book next to them, just in case you need to go back to the book for a quick read.
Hope this helps
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