[ecg19]

Hi all,

I’m two weeks out from my FAR exam and I still find myself getting incredible anxiety when I go to do SIM problems. On becker and NINJA, I go to open a SIM and even if I know the material, I just seem to have a mini panic attack at the format or the layout and then find myself doubting everything that I know.

Does anyone else experience this? I’m not sure if it relates to the fact I had a bad experience on my REG exam (but still passed, so I shouldn’t have this reaction) or if I’m just a freak haha. What worked for you? I feel like it doesn’t matter how many I do, because they are always so different come exam day.

Military spouse living in Germany

REG 1/13/2016 - 82
AUD 1/15/2016 - 82
FAR 5/24/2016 - 80
BEC 5/27/2016 - 85

CA PETH 6/19/2016- 86 BOO
CA PETH 6/21/2016- 90 AND NOW I AM DONE!

[yy612]

I experienced the same thing. To overcome the fear I mainly focused on writing out journal entries, and I think it worked.
Also some SIMs only looks overwhelming with long sentences, scrolls,charts, tabs, etc. But if you start reading, most of the time what they are asking is very simple. At the end, it will be a question you have probably never seen, so it will still give you a small panic no matter what you have done to prepare. Make sure to have enough time for SIM, and take a deep breath! you will be okay.

REG - PASSED(75)
FAR - PASSED(85)
AUD - PASSED(83)
BEC - PASSED(82)

[Anonymous]

I'd say the best way to overcome this fear is more practice. It's like u may feel uncomfortable talking to a stranger, but if u talk to him everyday u be so fed up and won't give a damn then. lol not quite but the theory applies. Good luck!

[monikernc]

i use the review sims as practice only – try not to let your anxiety block what there is to learn by attempting them and reading through the responses. in fact, i will trigger the response after reading through and without attempting to complete them. i see them not as a test of my knowledge but as an exercise that helps seal my grasp on a topic and demonstrates how one might be presented and graded.
keep in mind that you are also practicing your exam experience so this is also your opportunity to practice a calm approach to them and to manage your anxiety about them. develop a habit of response that is conducive to success. now is your chance to eliminate anxiety as your “practiced” response.
breathe and good luck.

AUD - 93
BEC - 82
FAR - 76
REG - 88

How have you been?
Ninja book and MCQs and the forum, all first try! 2016
Licensed State of Montana April Fool’s Day 2020
State of Colorado June 2020 - AICPA Ethics 93
Experience was the worst part of the journey for me. You?
If you want things to change you have to do something different.

FAR 7/25/15 76!
AUD 10/30/15 93
BEC 2/27/16 82
REG 5/23/16 88!
Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
if you want things to change, you have to do something different

[ecg19]

Thanks for the input!

I think you're right – I just have to breathe and focus on what I DO know. It's just so stressful when you go through Becker and there's like 20 SIMS for each topic, yet on exam day you have only a few across all of the different topics so they could pick anything.

Military spouse living in Germany

REG 1/13/2016 - 82
AUD 1/15/2016 - 82
FAR 5/24/2016 - 80
BEC 5/27/2016 - 85

CA PETH 6/19/2016- 86 BOO
CA PETH 6/21/2016- 90 AND NOW I AM DONE!

[msteezzz]

I have the same anxiety. Too much reading / words / numbers involved, at the end of reading the problems, i feel overwhelmed and confused. Majority of the SIMs I read, I don't understand what's asking of me to do the first time. I had a hard time studying in the beginning. Especially trying to memorize it. But gradually, i started writing them down over n over n over again. Now, I'm starting to remember and understand the problems.

My question on SIMs problem is some areas are required to enter “0” and some needs to be left blanks. Does it affect the scoring????

Thanks 🙂

[CPA2BEE]

This whole process is anxiety-ridden. I get anxious if I stop feeling anxious for some reason…

CA CPA - est. Dec 2016

FAR - 80
AUD - 82
BEC - 80
REG - 85

ETHICS - 90
EXPERIENCE - COMPLETE
Application for California license mailed 8/4/2016

[Anonymous]

I also panic on the SIMS. My biggest suggestion is to manage your time well during the MCQs in order to save as much time for the SIMS as possible. For example, on FAR, I made sure to do each MCQ testlet in 45 minutes or less. Before I started the test, I wrote down when I should be done with each testlet. So I wrote down 3:15, 2:30, 1:45…that way I could look at the clock and make sure I was staying on schedule. Even when I got MCQs that I struggled with, I knew I had to stay on my timeline, so it sometimes just meant I'd have to guess and move on. Even with an hour and 45 minutes for the FAR SIMS, I still didn't feel like I had enough time, though. Then again, even if I had an extra hour on top of that, I still wouldn't have been able to come up with the correct answers! Haha!

[pickanicken]

I think that the actual exam GRADING is very forgiving with the SIMs. They are difficult but I think we probably get more points than we deserve.

REG - 81
BEC - 83
AUD - 86
FAR - 78 (Done!)

[Author]

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