Really need help on AL research problem

  • Creator
    Topic
  • #187526
    hzhao0802
    Member

    Hi guys,

    I am so exhausted on this. I just can not locate the answer. Here is the issue.

    I subscript the 6 month free entry for AL. When I am trying to search, let’s say financial assertions related to year end account balance. I search ” account balance assertion”, a lot of chapters coming out. Since I use “include all words”, so any chapter including this two words shows up like Audit Evidence chapter, External Conformation chapter, Audit procedure in response RMM chapter, etc.

    I mean if you don’t know the answer is in AU-C 315 which is understanding entity and environment… chapter, how could we locate this topic in a short time?

    By the way, I think the “exact word match” search function is kind of useless. I find that normally what the question asks is not the exact wording in the AL. Can someone give me a systematic way to do the research problem please?

    I would really really appreciate.

    FAR - 88
    REG - 88
    AUD - 99
    BEC - 87

Viewing 13 replies - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
  • Author
    Replies
  • #585322

    I pretty much learned this from taking the test on Monday: Make good use of the “Search Within” function. There were a few instances where I was trying to search for a phrase and a word but they were common so it took a while to find. So I searched within again for that specific word and it was easier.

    One thing I will say is that they need to update the AL so that you can search for apostrophes since for example, you can't search for “Management's Responsibility” in the AL and “Management Responsibility” will not yield any results for “Management's.”

    AUD - 08/04/14 - 83
    FAR - 11/29/14 - 80
    REG - 02/26/15 - 89
    BEC - 05/30/15 - 86

    DONE!

    #585323
    hzhao0802
    Member

    Thank you very much.

    But isn't “Search within” function the same as “all word” function? I think they are the same. The two function should show the chapters including these two words no matter how far between each other. For example, it might be that the first sentence has “management” and the last sentence has “responsibility”, the chapter still qualifies and shows up. This kills me.

    FAR - 88
    REG - 88
    AUD - 99
    BEC - 87

    #585324
    Kimboroni
    Member

    “Search within” is great. A regular search looks through the entire AL. But if you've narrowed it down already to a certain database within the AL, or a certain larger section, you can click on that in the left-hand navigation then use “search within” to only search that section. It saves time by not giving you completely irrelevant results.

    AUD 84 (1/9/14-Wiley books/TB + free materials)
    FAR 83 (5/21/14-the above + NINJA 10 Pt Combo Lite)
    REG 84 (7/9/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC/Notes)
    BEC 76 (10/5/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC)

    Disclaimer: My ninja avatar is not meant to imply that I have any affiliation with this site other than being a forum member. That's a pic of a T-shirt that my daughter gave me for my birthday. 🙂

    #585325
    hzhao0802
    Member

    @Kimboroni, Thank you.

    Where is “Search within” function? I can not find it in 6 month trial AL data base.

    FAR - 88
    REG - 88
    AUD - 99
    BEC - 87

    #585326
    Guti
    Participant

    Im also interested in finding out the best way to do a search. I keep reading posts about candidates doing the research portion of the exam in less than 2 minutes, but I have yet to see posts regarding the way to find the answer in less than two minutes. Please guys share your tricks. Do we need to know where all the categories and subcategories are and be very familiar with the research system?

    FAR-84
    AUD-
    REG-
    BEC-

    #585327
    hzhao0802
    Member

    Same here, Gian.

    Last time when I took Reg, I located the research problem at very last second, really in about final 20 seconds. The feeling was terrible. And in my Far and Reg sims, I only used my memory to do them because of the poor search skill. Now I am anxious about the coming Aud exam… Can somebody help?

    FAR - 88
    REG - 88
    AUD - 99
    BEC - 87

    #585328
    Guti
    Participant

    hzhao0802, I have also read many posts that the research question is not worth many points compared to the other simulations, and I have foolishly followed the advice of not care too much about it, but I have my doubts now. I think the AICPA wants us to be able to research an item on practice, so this could be the difference between another 71 and a 75. Where does it say that the research part is not worth much anyway?

    FAR-84
    AUD-
    REG-
    BEC-

    #585329
    Kimboroni
    Member

    Maybe the 6 month trial doesn't have it. If you Google CPA exam sample test, you can find the tutorial and sample test on the AICPA's website, which has AL like you see on the test.

    AUD 84 (1/9/14-Wiley books/TB + free materials)
    FAR 83 (5/21/14-the above + NINJA 10 Pt Combo Lite)
    REG 84 (7/9/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC/Notes)
    BEC 76 (10/5/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC)

    Disclaimer: My ninja avatar is not meant to imply that I have any affiliation with this site other than being a forum member. That's a pic of a T-shirt that my daughter gave me for my birthday. 🙂

    #585330
    hzhao0802
    Member

    Thank you, Kim.

    Is the sample test a full version? Anyway, I will check it out…

    FAR - 88
    REG - 88
    AUD - 99
    BEC - 87

    #585331
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I am frustrated as well.

    I was informed to use Ctrl+F to search within, but real exam dont have that function.

    Usual MCQ answer doesn't give you what words to use to search the AL. Just the right AL number.

    Searching the word “A” gives you thousands of result, the word “A B” gives you none, when you search “A” and ” B” in search within gives you triple the amount I get from simply searching “A”.

    I spotted WTB has several wrong answers that they haven't fixed. It took me some time googling to make sure what I think is correct. Ugh.

    #585332
    hzhao0802
    Member

    Beat_counter,

    I was trying to use Crl+F too in my Reg exam. HAHA. It doesn't work.

    In my opinion, at least we really need to know which section the topic falls if we want to get it quickly. Otherwise, search the topic in whole AL would be a disaster. Now I am planning to memorize some large sections for some key topics.

    FAR - 88
    REG - 88
    AUD - 99
    BEC - 87

    #585333
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    “search within” is your CTRL F

    https://imgur.com/YiTOFiD.jpg

    try to find the main topic using search, then search within for what you're looking for. if you don't find it you might be in the wrong section, go back and try again. you're going to waste a lot of time and effort memorizing AL.

    #585334
    hzhao0802
    Member

    Also, I think research problem is extremely difficult in Audit section compare to Far and Reg. At least, we can search Far topic by big classification, such as Assets, Liability or subsection like Inventory, Cash, etc… Audit sections are way more obscure for me.

    FAR - 88
    REG - 88
    AUD - 99
    BEC - 87

Viewing 13 replies - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
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