[playonwards]

This is my first post here so just looking for some feedback or if anyone else felt this way…

I took the AUD exam last Friday. I wasn’t totally dominating Becker’s final exams or progress tests but I was pulling a 75-85% on just about everything. I felt like I had a good understanding of all the material, weren’t any topics I had ignored.

Then I sit down to my exam and start doing the questions in the first testlet. I was blown away by the difficulty. The questions were all paragraphs in length, and the answers were at least 2 lines. Very few straight-forward questions. I literally had ZERO one-line questions with one-word answers. It took me about 45 minutes just to get through the first testlet and I must have marked 10 questions. What was most disappointing to me was that about 25% of my questions were topics that Becker did not emphasize or even mention sometimes.

I was pretty discouraged after the first testlet and wondering if I just got a fluky, comparatively difficult exam or what was going on. I regrouped and made it through the other 2 testlets okay but not unscathed. SIMS were SIMS, hard to tell either way. Didn’t see the type of thing that you can just look up in the AL like others have posted though. Was more scenario specific type of stuff, so I can’t sit here and say I know I nailed 100% on any of them or anything.

So what I’m saying to those studying here is don’t underestimate this exam! I passed FAR with a 92 while working full time by using only Becker. I studied for FAR for a month and a half and took it in late July. Studied for over a month for Audit (about 100-120 hours total) and left that exam frustrated with Becker and hoping I was a good guesser that day.

FAR- 92 (7/25/2014)
AUD- 93 (8/30/2014)
REG- 93 (10/10/2014)
BEC- 91 (11/10/2014)

Using Becker self-study only. Working full-time.

[RIST]

My first post was made after taking my second exam too. I'm done now but I still remember it! I was so distraught after taking it, but in the end I beat the CPA exam with an 89 AVG even though I was quite miserable while waiting for 2 of the scores.

If you made a 92 on FAR, logically you passed.

Realize that the exam is curved even though the AICPA vociferously denies it (or they don't know what a curve is because what they do is the very definition of a curve, just not the standard college style curve). If YOU had trouble, everyone else did.

Don't panic, at least you don't have two month long waits like me. Just a week for your score!

[Justdoit2014]

@playonwards

I had a very similar experience too. The questions were so wordy and and the kind of stuff I never saw in either Roger, WTB or GTB (although SIMS were similar to GTB).

I had two research questions but they were quite difficult to get, nothing straight forward.

I used to do research questions in less than 2 mins in test banks, however those in the exam, took me a good 10 to 15 mins each.

I was to averaging around 85% in GTB and WTB, and for simulation test in GTB, I scored 92 and 88 in WTB.

After the exam I dont know where I stand, I am hoping for a 75. I gave FAR in May and I got an 80.

Audit is definitely more tricky and i too am hoping that I am a good guesser.

One week to go and then we will find out.

All the best!

FAR - 80 (Roger + Wiley TB) May 2014
AUD - 82 (Roger + Gleim TB + Wiley TB) August 2014
REG - 79 (Gleim + Gleim TB) November 2014
BEC - 85 (Gleim + Gleim TB) January 2015

[playonwards]

Thanks for the responses guys, always nice to hear someone else's experience. I studied my butt off for Audit and didn't enjoy a minute of it. The material is much dryer than anything in FAR or REG. Praying for a passing score but not expecting it.

Just thought it was worth pointing out that Becker's final exams are not always easier than the real exam. I got around an 80 on both of the Becker final exams and won't be surprised if my first MC testlet dragged me down to where I couldn't recoup enough points with the “easier” questions. Granted I don't have my score yet…. Only a week away.

Just a beware to those studying Audit, if you have the time/resources, supplement your Becker review course with some other material. Like I said there were a lot of holes in the Becker stuff. A friend of mine just took Audit and agreed that maybe 5-8 questions per testlet were not covered/emphasized by Becker. That's a lot of points!

FAR- 92 (7/25/2014)
AUD- 93 (8/30/2014)
REG- 93 (10/10/2014)
BEC- 91 (11/10/2014)

Using Becker self-study only. Working full-time.

[Anonymous]

I was so frustrated during my audit exam that I wanted to just walk out of the testing center without finishing. I wouldn't panic over your score just yet. I think it's just a stressful test.

Also, I didn't supplement my Becker materials with anything else.

[Anonymous]

After audit I wasn't sure if I passed or failed. I was moody and irritable for a few days afterwards causing many arguments between my wife and I. When scores were released and I told her I got a 95 she wanted to smack me. Moral of the story, you never know with this exam. Don't let it stress you out.

[playonwards]

@ BillfromAccounting

I hope this is one of those “thought I failed but ended up acing it” type of exams. Just can't get over the difficulty I had with the MC questions. Also one of my SIMS was frustrating. Had to read the instructions about 5 times and still couldn't decide if they wanted the numbers entered as positives or negatives under the circumstances. I either entered all the numbers backwards or correctly.

FAR- 92 (7/25/2014)
AUD- 93 (8/30/2014)
REG- 93 (10/10/2014)
BEC- 91 (11/10/2014)

Using Becker self-study only. Working full-time.

[Anonymous]

I took AUD Sunday and thought it was awful. I was relieved to read your post and see I am not alone.

I never left any of the other parts feeling like I did well and still passed. However, I am really worried about AUD bc I struggled on the first testlet, which has never happened. On FAR, REG, & BEC I went straight through the first testlet and then the next two were extremely difficult.

I felt as if the exam covered very little of the material I focused on and a lot of material I had not even seen. I used Becker and studied A LOT, so if I failed (99% sure I did), I would not even know what else to do to prepare.

[playonwards]

@Cstogner18

Seems like we had the exact same experience. I was so convinced that my testlets would be easy/hard/hard that the first one really threw me off.

I was also confident that I had studied enough, if not over-studied, using Becker. I wouldn't have the slightest idea of what else to study for next time. That's probably the most frustrating part of this… the thought of re-studying something that I thought I had essentially mastered.

FAR- 92 (7/25/2014)
AUD- 93 (8/30/2014)
REG- 93 (10/10/2014)
BEC- 91 (11/10/2014)

Using Becker self-study only. Working full-time.

[Justdoit2014]

Guys

I guess we are all in the same boat each one of us had a similar experience even after we felt that we know enough based on the practice exams and material.

AICPA always come up with something new and shocking.

I have been so miserable since I gave my exams and I had really put in a lot of effort almost close to the hours I had put in FAR. I don't know what I could have done better.

The anxiety is killing me but we have to wait.

I really hope all of us get through!

FAR - 80 (Roger + Wiley TB) May 2014
AUD - 82 (Roger + Gleim TB + Wiley TB) August 2014
REG - 79 (Gleim + Gleim TB) November 2014
BEC - 85 (Gleim + Gleim TB) January 2015

[Anonymous]

@playonwards

That's exactly how I feel. I'm just hoping for a miracle.

[Anonymous]

I took the exam on Saturday (8/30) and my experience was not at all what you describe. The first testlet was very easy, with very short questions and short answers (only flagged three). The second and third testlets were a little more difficult, but the questions and answers were also pretty short. I don't remember any paragraph type questions.

[playonwards]

@ ep1019

Sounds like you lucked out! You got the type of exam I was expecting to get. Sounds like the AICPA isn't exactly consistent with their testing method. I've heard stories of people finishing the exam in 2 or 3 hours. There's absolutely no way I could imagine someone finishing the exam I saw that quickly. I'd vouch that it was easily harder than my FAR exam, aside from a few simple Sims. What materials did you use to study?

FAR- 92 (7/25/2014)
AUD- 93 (8/30/2014)
REG- 93 (10/10/2014)
BEC- 91 (11/10/2014)

Using Becker self-study only. Working full-time.

[Anonymous]

@playonwards

I used Gleim and studied in the span of about three months about 100 hours total. This was my first section. Pretty much everything on the exam I had seen on Gleim. And yeah I was surprised at the questions, seemed pretty basic compared to what I was seeing on the review. The sims were a bit more difficult and would say that I got about 80-85 percent correct of then. I'll post my score here on the 9th, hopefully it's good.

[playonwards]

God I hate waiting for this score. Especially after hearing experiences like ep1019's who seemed to have cruised through the exam. Makes me think that my shot at passing is next to nothing because it would seem I did comparatively much worse than most here who have posted in this thread and the Audit Exam Experience thread.

Really interesting how posters either feel that they dominated this exam or were guessing to save their life on every other question. That would make sense if we had studied different amounts but it seems that we all studied pretty thoroughly.

FAR- 92 (7/25/2014)
AUD- 93 (8/30/2014)
REG- 93 (10/10/2014)
BEC- 91 (11/10/2014)

Using Becker self-study only. Working full-time.

[Anonymous]

@ adam8199

Loved the story. I've also been a grump since my exam….This will be the only time I'm hoping for a smack as long as I pass.

[Author]

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