Is it normal to feel lost a week before FAR?

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    Topic
  • #190112
    OnMyWay732
    Participant

    Hey guys,

    I have FAR on Saturday morning. Is it normal (for those who have taken and passed) to feel compeltely lost and feel like I am just going to do horrible? My nerves are at a high right now.

    Thanks in advance

    AUD - July 2014 - 76
    REG - August 2014 - 82
    FAR - November 2014 - 78
    BEC - January 2015 - 81

    DONE!!!!

    Used Becker online. Who needs a text when you can burn your eyes out staring at the screen for months on end?

    "Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you're hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 31 total)
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  • #618752
    Lion_of_the_Rock
    Participant

    I was generally pissed off for about 2 weeks prior to my FAR exam. I spent a month going through the review book and when I finished I basically had forgot everything I read. My notes really sucked and I never looked at them. I did NINJA MCQ for about 3 weeks as review and never got above 68% trending. When I first started I was around 30%. With 2 weeks to go I just complained, moaned, and basically said screw it. A few days prior to the exam I stopped doing MCQ and just watched lectures I thought would be key.

    Then I passed with a 75.

    Still don't know how I did it and probably couldn't do it again, but like they say, you have to shoot to score.

    And yes, it's normal. 85% of those going in to test are nervous. My advice is just focus on each individual question, stay present, and if you don't know, just guess and move on. You might get lucky like I did.

    BEC - 78
    AUD - 75
    REG - 74, 79
    FAR - 75

    You have to buy a ticket to win the raffle.

    #618753
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I'm in the same boat. I'm taking FAR in Thursday and I feel lost.

    I'm getting 80s-90s on the Becker MCQ, but I still feel like I don't know so much stuff. I'm weak in things like hedge accounting, and I feel like I don't remember so many minute details. Did you know that a stock split after closing of the year but before the FS are issued are taken into account for EPS? That for IFRS you need three BS and two of the other statements, and for SEC you need two BS and three of the others? That you present EPS for discontinued and extraordinary? That the statement of owners equity is a primary statement under IFRS, but for GAAP it can be in the notes?

    How am I supposed to remember all the little details?!

    #618754
    OnMyWay732
    Participant

    Yea, some of those I still don't think Becker touched on. I'm hoping that the majority of the test will be what we expect to be the big parts and focus our time on. Bonds, Leases, Pensions. Yea, they suck, btu I'm beating that in to my head and hoping they don't ask me questions like what section of a statement of cash flow certain items go in. I might still know the answer, but I'm focusing more on other items. Wish I had 2 more weeks.

    Thanks for the pep talk

    AUD - July 2014 - 76
    REG - August 2014 - 82
    FAR - November 2014 - 78
    BEC - January 2015 - 81

    DONE!!!!

    Used Becker online. Who needs a text when you can burn your eyes out staring at the screen for months on end?

    "Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you're hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"

    #618755
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @aaa — You have to remember it because this test is insanely tough, and for good reason. You're going about your CPA journey the right way by swinging at the big beast first. Grind. It. Out.

    #618756
    M.O.D.
    Member

    “That for IFRS you need three BS and two of the other statements, and for SEC you need two BS and three of the others? “

    What does this mean? BS is balance sheet?

    This is news to me.

    BA Mathematics, UC Berkeley
    Certificates in CPA and EA preparation, College of San Mateo
    CMA I 420, II 470
    FAR 91, AUD Feb 2015 (Gleim self-study)

    #618757
    IACPALA
    Member

    I would take a few minutes and ask yourself why you feel like you do. If it is due to certain topics, make note of them and review the material again. If you have been doing primarily MCQs, mix it up a little. Reread the sections that you feel you are weak in and do some sims that cover your weak areas. I often find that the presentation of the sims can help in understanding the topic since it might be asked in a way you haven't previously seen. Plus, it can't hurt to just spend some time browsing the AL.

    When I studied for FAR, the biggest anxiety I had was not remembering the not-so-recent material I had studied. The way I minimized that was to do a 30 question progress test focusing on my weaknesses and then a 30 question progress test covering all 10 modules. I would just keep alternating between the two.

    BEC 80
    FAR 83
    REG 75
    AUD 77

    #618758
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I'm taking it at the end of the month, and yes, I feel lost as well. I need to pick it up, get done with this exam, and finally get my life back.

    #618759
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I've got my second run at FAR on Friday…right there with you!

    #618760

    I wouldn't quite call what I felt lost. Usually right before my review (of every exam) I end up scoring low and having a slight panic attack about it. Each time my score has risen steeply along with my final review because that's when everything comes together. It's too late to do too much about it now anyway. I would just focus on your heavily weighted weaknesses until you get them. Then memorize the rest and give it a go!

    MBA,CMA,CPA, CFF?, ABV?

    #618761
    hadamski19
    Member

    Yep I am right there with you! I take FAR Saturday and I am completely lost and have no motivation to study because I just get frustrated! Governmental accounting is giving me THE hardest time! I am solid in NFP, but government is just not my thing!! Hoping I know enough to get me through it!

    #618762
    juuustin
    Member

    I actually feel surprisingly at ease. My trending on NINJA is only 72%, but I just took the Becker Practice Exam #1 and did pretty well (72.2% on MCQ, about 90% on Sims). I completely forgot about the corridor accounting for amortization of unrecognized pension gains which cost me like 3 questions.

    MD Candidate: 10/1/14

    FAR - 87 (11/23/14)
    REG - 87 (1/30/15)
    BEC - 89 (4/19/15)
    AUD - 98 (5/30/15)

    Ethics - 100

    Experience - In Progress!

    #618763
    mb0363
    Member

    Yes!!! WAY too much information to keep it all straight.

    I am too scared to take Beckers final exams. i feel like they would hurt my confidence. I'm currently doing the mcq a second time, but i would definitely describe my feelings toward this exam as scared.

    BEC - PASS
    AUDIT - PASS
    REG - PASS
    FAR - PASS

    #618764
    Determined CPA
    Participant

    I hate bonds. I wish they didn't exist at all in this world. And leases – they can go too. And you know what, not a huge fan of pensions, hate amortization schedules, not a fan of governmental accounting and could do without NFP's!

    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.

    #618765
    Determined CPA
    Participant

    mb0363 – im the same way but I just think of the tests as a progress test…don't focus too much on the score, just try and learn from what you got wrong or guessed correctly.

    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.

    #618766
    mb0363
    Member

    @determinedCPA you're right!… I should do them. the extra practice definitely wont hurt. Plus it'll be nice to see all the information in one testlet rather than chapter by chapter. (its so much easier to answer questions in the chapters because u know exactly what they're referring to)

    I've increased my mcq scores for the chapter homework by at least 10% so far. I went from mid to high 60s to mid to high 70s. Don't know what everyone else scores but to me… this seems good?

    BEC - PASS
    AUDIT - PASS
    REG - PASS
    FAR - PASS

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 31 total)
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