[futuremdcpa]

Okay so I just finished reading the first half of F5 (Leases), and I understood nothing. I have half of F5 to go, and THEN do the HW which will take a whole day. Then I have F6-F10.

I am not even doing SIM’s, just reading and doing the MCQ’s.. I have 15 days until my exam. I don’t know what to do.. I have passed BEC, REG, and AUD.

I start work a few days after I am supposed to take FAR at a Big 4 firm.. I will not have too much time to study.. I dont know what to do.. I am really feeling very exhausted and honestly feel like calling it quits with FAR.. Its simply TOO much information, and I only have 15 days left…….

Please give me some good feedback on some suggestions..

REG: PASS || BEC: PASS || AUD: PASS || F: SCORE PENDING..

[thistooshallpass]

My best advise (though I have issues following myself) is stop thinking about how you are going to do it and just do it. I know your pain, I feel the same exact way. I thought the fact that I am on my last exam would be great motivation, but instead I just want to scream and cry and quit. I'm beyond sick of studying. But as the exam got closer I have finally buckled down and gotten into full speed ahead mode. My exam is 2 weeks from today…if I took it today I would fail. But I am going to work my *ss off every day until then. You need to do the same – stop worrying about IF you can do it. FAR sucks, and I remember after many sections feeling like I didn't know what I just studied. Keep going and hopefully you can retain enough to pass, you've passed 3 so I think you got it!

AUD 85 (2/12) Using Becker
FAR 81 (5/12)
BEC 79 (7/13)
REG 85 (10/1)

"It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves."

[Jacquelyn]

@Thistooshallpass-

thank you for that advice, albeit directed at someone else. I also thought that being on my last exam would give me serious strength an endurance to get through. However, I am only depleted, cry every time i get a problem wrong, and am really tired of it all.Ive taken on this “i used to care, but don't” attitude now-a-days. I am taking your advice, sucking it up, and getting through this beast. we are all so close…..

@futurecpa- i am also starting an accounting job w a private corporation in 2 weeks. We both need to suck it up and power through! Coffee!!! aderol!! pump up music! Whatever it takes, we can do this!!!!

B 71, 74, 84*
A 74, 72, 69, 74, 87*
R 80* ... lost credit... 82* done forever!!!
F 68, 68, 74, 78*

Yep, I've gotten five 74's! Wah!

[Rukus]

Crying? There's no crying in accounting… lol j/k. Honestly, though, the advice to just do it is the key. Don't get discouraged if you don't understand it the first time just keep moving. A professor in college told us that it takes on average 4 to 12 times seeing something before it is learned. Try to understand what you can while going through that section (you are probably learning more than you think) then move to the next. Rinse. Repeat. Get to your review and it will start to come together. You are sooo close and I envy your position. Quiting? Don't even say it, much less think it. Dig in, and go win.

FAR - 81 (8/31/12)
AUD - 93 (10/19/12)
BEC - 79 (11/27/12)
REG - 92 (2/8/13) DONE! All 1st attempt!

[Anonymous]

I think right about now would be the worst time to “call it quits” haha. You've got it. I never really felt confident about FAR at any one time, even shortly before test day. Just trust in the process. If you are taking a similar route to what guided you to earlier success with the other exams, there's no reason to think it won't again. I wouldn't worry too much about the sims. What are the chances you get one just like a practice one anyway? Also, as you know, it's not like you have to know everything. I feel like 50% of what I studied comprised 5% of what I was tested on so for FAR, more than the others, it's a crapshoot. Worse thing that can happen is you fail once and know what you need to improve on. And people around you will come in or will have yet to complete even one exam so feel good about your situation.

[Jacquelyn]

@tjones- yes, the ‘4 to 12 times' comment of yours fits perfectly with my studying issues. I will do a problem, re-do it, re re re do it, take FAR, fail. Now I am re-studying FAR for the 3rd time, and I am having to re-learn pieces AGAIN. The only area I scored “weak” in was “specific transactions”. Funny, those are the nitty-gritty detailed problems that I never quite had down, and now come round 3, they are what make me want to bust out in tears when I can't firgure them out in MC practice. Thats where the frustrated crying has developed haha. Its been 17 months of hell doing all this, and my REG will expire if I do not pass FAR in November… sweet. FML. I guess I've sort of internalized this stupid exam to be my only measure of success in other areas of life. haha, sounds really crazy person talk, but is kind of the truth after taking and re-taking and re-re taking and re-re-re-re taking exams for 17 months straight.

This time will be it though!

B 71, 74, 84*
A 74, 72, 69, 74, 87*
R 80* ... lost credit... 82* done forever!!!
F 68, 68, 74, 78*

Yep, I've gotten five 74's! Wah!

[Jacquelyn]

@Futuremdcpa-

My advice to you is at least get the GOV/NFP chapters in. The questions that will come your way on FAR in those sections are straight forward, and are easy point builders towards your 75. The info can be learned quickly because it is conceptual, definition, type stuff (at least on my 2 FAR exams, that's what I saw.) I got A LOT of questions in these two areas. Skip F10 if you have no more time. Not saying F10 will not show up, but for time purposes, it is least important over what you have left.

Just food for thought….. however I didn't pass FAR, so take my advice w a grain of salt…. 🙁

B 71, 74, 84*
A 74, 72, 69, 74, 87*
R 80* ... lost credit... 82* done forever!!!
F 68, 68, 74, 78*

Yep, I've gotten five 74's! Wah!

[futuremdcpa]

I am honestly sooo exhausted.. I didn't do anything today except read 28 pages on Bonds, and not really understand too much.. I am on a time crunch… Im supposed to finish the next 5 chapters in 5 days.. Im already behind, and now im even more behind.. There is no way I can do all this.. FAR is honestly killing me inside.. I complained about every exam, but still managed to finish everything… with this.. not even half way. I read it, but nothing is really sticking..

REG: PASS || BEC: PASS || AUD: PASS || F: SCORE PENDING..

[mmcgrad1]

I think the key thing to do when you feel overwhelmed is to take a day off and try to calm yourself and relax your brain. Two weeks is still a lot of time if you study effectively. You just need to gather yourself back together, look at your test date, plan out the required studying needed in total and per day, and then attack.

Once you are within a month of testing, the cost of rescheduling is the same until you are less than 5 days from testing. I would suggest you hold off considering moving back your test date until 6 days before the exam. If you still feel unprepared, then push the exam back. However, don't let yourself slack because you are pushing the exam back or you'll be in the same situation when the new test date looms near.

NIU CPA Review Correspondence is awesome!

I passed all four sections on the first attempt

[goodluck2everyone2]

you again? damn man

here's my bit of advice…spend less time on these forums and more time hammering out MCQs. Seriously, creating a dozen threads on how scary FAR is is counter productive

cool story bro

[gettingthere]

I'm sure that there are times that rescheduling is beneficial, but I have to say that I never actually felt prepared for the exams, never felt good while I was taking them, and always thought I failed. That's not to say that I didn't do the work. I studied as best as I could, but there were always at least a couple stones left unturned. It's totally possible that I have a poor gauge on my preparedness and performance, but I bet that there are quite a few others who didn't feel fully prepared and ended up passing.

My advice: Try to relax, do the best that you can with the time that you have left, and, most importantly, realize that the absolute worse thing that can happen is that you get a little extra practice taking FAR. The worst case scenario sucks, but it certainly isn't the end of the world.

AUD-April 2012-CPAExcel only-86
BEC-April 2012-CPAExcel w/ additional practice questions from Becker-91
REG-May 2012-Becker primarily w/ practice questions from CPAExcel-78
FAR-July 2012-CPAExcel primarily w/ Becker supplements-81

[futuremdcpa]

Its really bad.. everyday I feel angrier and angrier.. I think I got so frustrated I almost busted my laptop screen.

Example: F6-Accounting for Income Taxes.. Q's worked: 17… #correct – 7.. 41%.. how long did it take to work those 17? over an hr.

Its like this for almost all the homework's.. and I have 4 more chapters to go for the end of this week.. I am so stressed out.. I honestly think I am going to fail this exam.. and I will never understand it.. no matter what..

FAR has completely ruined any confidence I have….I can't even sleep.. all day I try and do a chapter … and it just makes me angrier and angrier.. if only I had an extra week or two before I started work I would do these questions 1000 times.

REG: PASS || BEC: PASS || AUD: PASS || F: SCORE PENDING..

[mmcgrad1]

After reading your last post I recommend you reschedule. It appears to me that your studying has been made ineffective by stress. You're angry and tired and doing poorly as a result.

If you honestly think the additional week may help, then maybe you can talk to work and see if you can reschedule your start for 1 week later if that will help. Explain to them you're trying to pass the last part of the CPA exam and you believe you need another week to make sure you pass. However, based on your current attitude toward the exam, I doubt that week will help. I understand how frustrating FAR can be. I delayed my exam multiple times. With that said, you will never pass it with the current attitude you have.

*When I say attitude I don't mean it to be rude. I'm actually talking about your anger and feeling of not being able to pass the exam.*

NIU CPA Review Correspondence is awesome!

I passed all four sections on the first attempt

[Anonymous]

My advice would be to get really good at the main topics (i.e. governmental, not-for-profit, and know your journal entries!!). I took FAR and passed on my first try with an 81. I also didn't even complete my review course (I'm using CPAexcel). I did about 75% of the lessons and just spent the last week taking practice exams because they are a really good review of everything. The topics on FAR were never my strong point as I was lucky to get B's when I took the corresponding classes in college. Practice the journal entries and really nail down governmental. And always remember, it's not the end of the world if you fail. You are SO CLOSE!!! Don't give up. The exam might surprise you anyway. I thought BEC was twice as hard as my FAR exam, and I thought studying for BEC was a breeze compared to FAR. You never know what can happen… Just keep thinking about attaching CPA to your name in a short while 🙂

[ihatestudying]

I barely started my study regimen and I already have no confidence in passing far. I feel defeated already. I can't even get myself to keep doing mcq's since I get every one wrong. I really hope in 2 months I feel much much different

AUD - 2/27/12 - 76
REG - 5/31/12 - 78
BEC - 8/31/12 - 77
FAR - 12/6/12 - 76

[homerun07]

my advice to you is: study as hard as you can and see how far you get and how you feel about the exam maybe 2-3 days before the exam date.. if you feel like you're not ready yet, reschedule the exam to a later date.

i understand that you'll be very busy working with your new job but there is always time if you make it!!

wake up 1.5 hours before normal and get that studying time in, instead of going out to lunch on breaks– pack your own lunch and get 30 minutes of studying at your desk– study 2 hours before going to bed. (you get my drift)

good luck and don't give up! you're so close to the finish line 🙂

[Author]

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