Studying for FAR before an AUD exam – scheduling problem, please help!

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  • #203333
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Basically, my school releases transcripts crazy late so even though I feel like I could be ready to take AUD next week, I am still waiting for permission to sign up and test centers are filling up fast.

    So, the only way I can come up with to not waste two weeks is to study for a few (2 or 3) sections of FAR leading up to my AUD exam, and then switch to reviewing for AUD exclusively the week before the exam. Is this a horrible idea? Has anyone done anything like this?

    Thanks so much in advance for your help!

    (for context, I have already studied about 70 hours for AUD and I’ll have all of next week plus the week before AUD to study just for AUD)

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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  • #784353
    musiccitycpa
    Participant

    I think this is not a good idea. Why so worried about those two weeks? I would just take the 2 weeks to nail down everything you could for AUD. I think switching over then switching back will make you not as sharp on AUD, and honestly, you will probably forget the FAR stuff you got through those weeks. Just don't rush and take the extra time to do hundreds of AUD questions.

    In my opinion, overload of MCQs probably helps more in AUD than any of the other sections. Just my thoughts.

    AUD- 77
    BEC- 84
    FAR- 69, Sep 16
    REG- 71,61,88

    #784354
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Thanks for the advice. I just really want to take FAR before the test window closes on September 10th, and I know I won't be prepared if I have to wait to start studying until the second week of August.

    Honestly at this point I've read everything three times and done the MCQ's twice. I don't know if I can stand just doing AUD MCQs for another month 🙁

    #784355
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Plus the CPA exam changes have the pressure on to wrap everything up by April so I'm trying to get this done fast.

    #784356
    musiccitycpa
    Participant

    I gotcha. Yeah, if you're trying to get FAR into this testing window, that might be your best bet. If you do decide to go to FAR for a couple weeks, I would keep doing practice for AUD just to keep yourself sharp.

    One of the hardest parts about the CPA exam is sadly the whole scheduling nature of the thing.

    AUD- 77
    BEC- 84
    FAR- 69, Sep 16
    REG- 71,61,88

    #784357
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Yeah scheduling has been a beast 🙁 I plan on rereading absolutely everything for AUD again after studying for FAR so hopefully I'll be okay. Seriously thanks for replying I've been panicking all day haha

    #784358
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Given that FAR knowledge is so useful for AUD, I don't see any problem with this at all. There are people (mostly international candidates who have to fly to the US to take exams) that take all the exams within a week and do OK, so it can be done. I wouldn't recommend that course of action unless there's a good reason to, but to study a bit for FAR when you're well-prepped for AUD is fine and may even prove beneficial. I would suggest focusing your FAR study on areas that may be particularly beneficial for AUD. Given that AUD is about auditing financial statements, that would mean areas of FAR that more specifically relate to financial statements and financial reporting. It's been too long since I took FAR for me to remember specific topics that would or wouldn't relate, but I'd say things like specific lease calculations probably would be a low priority in the pre-AUD study time.

    As long as you keep your AUD knowledge fresh, and do a good review prior to the exam, you should be good. I might be in the minority here, but I think the biggest key to AUD is having a solid conceptual understanding, which for me meant having read the book and understood it. So, if you've read it 3x already and plan to read it a 4th before the exam, you should be golden! (FWIW, I got a 92 IIRC on AUD, so my concepts-based approach did work for me!)

    #784359
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Thanks Lilla, that makes me feel a lot better! I wouldn't be doing otherwise but I really think this is the only way I can do two exams in this testing window. I'm planning to review for forty hours a week for two weeks again before my AUD exam and if that isn't enough then I guess it is what it is haha.

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