[sar_rah]

This one goes out to the fellow slow test takers!

So my first exam was far and my PLAN was to spend 45 on each testlet and then leave 1:45 for the sim. I ended up only have 1:10 for the SIMS, which I thought I bombed, but not even due to the time struggle. I could’ve sat there forever and I still would’ve had no idea what I was doing…but I somehow passed!

BEC was an absolute NIGHTMARE for me on time. The first testlet I finished with time to spare (like 3 minutes…) but even so, that usually never happens. Then testlets 2 and 3 happened that majorly tripped me up. I originally wanted to have 45 minutes to write my memos. Well, I got to MCQ #16 on testlet 3 and saw that I had only 45 minutes left from that point. I almost bawled out crying right there. I rushed through the rest of my questions too nervous to even think, and the slammed down some gibrish for my memos, with only 22 minutes to write all 3. They were awful. BUT somehow I passed, and with an 86 at that!

For audit, I feel like the questions don’t take as long for the most part, but with test anxiety, I’m not sure if that will hold true for the real thing. I know on the Becker FAR practice test I finished 45 minutes early, so I shouldn’t use that at a gauge. I’ve head a lot about people leaving a lot of time for SIMS on audit so they can use the AL to search for sims. Has anyone who considers themselves a “slow” test taker ran into a time crunch on audit, not being able to the AL for their sims? Or perhaps anyone have a positive story how all the others were a crunch but audit was fine on timing?

I get bad test anxiety. So I’m just trying to configure a game plan. I walked out of BEC and had a panic attack, so I’m not trying to do that again.

THANK YOU!

AUD: 98
REG: 91
BEC: 86
FAR: 83

DONE DONE DONE and DONE all on the first try! It IS possible, just keep on studying!

[sar_rah]

Bump

AUD: 98
REG: 91
BEC: 86
FAR: 83

DONE DONE DONE and DONE all on the first try! It IS possible, just keep on studying!

[tuanxn]

For audit I entered the TBS with about 2 hours left. I took my time and used the AL to check my answers. Left with about 30 minutes left on the timer because I couldn't hold my pee any longer lol.

I think audit takes a little less time for everyone since it isn't very math intensive. Most of the MCQ will have you narrowing down the answers down to 2 possible choices and it'll really depend on what is the BEST answer is. What I noticed helped a lot for me was to go over all the answer choices instead of just selecting what I thought was correct and moving on. If more than one answer seemed right, or worse, 3 seemed right and one wrong; then I probably read the question wrong (careful of those NOT and LEAST questions).

Good news is that Becker's TBS mimics the real exam's TBS pretty well. Since you already took FAR, I don't think you should have too much trouble with AUD. Good luck!

Oops, forgot to mention. For FAR and REG, I used all my time. I'm sitting for BEC soon and I expect to use all the time on that exam too.

[monikernc]

i am a very slow test taker and anxiety got me in aud. remember to breathe while reading the questions. keep an eye on the clock. try to answer the question while you are on it rather than flag to go back. answer all questions even if you feel have to guess. with aud you want to leave time for the sims. in spite of my trouble i had 2 hours left to do sims and i needed every second of it. what helped me prepare was taking a ninja mcq practice exam before real exam. then in final review i started doing 30 and 50 mcq sessions for time to get my speed up. i was also very familiar with the standards so i knew which ones i wanted for the sims but the toggling back and forth between AL and question eats time.
prepare. breathe. pace yourself. you will do fine. always positive self-talk.

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

[acctaks]

AUD sims are a breeze. You just have to find the answers in the codification. I'm a very slow test taker and didn't have any issues finishing AUD or REG.

F-Pass
A-Pass
R-Pass
B-Pass

I'm a CPA!

[monikernc]

i think the sims are hard because there are 7 of them and i am tired when they start and the toggling back and forth can be very tedious for the ones that require a lot of answers.
so as you transition the exam from mcq to sims sit up straight and take a few moments to collect yourself. then just stay in the game as you go through them with an eye on the clock.
read the instructions very carefully and be sure to complete the task as instructed.
review journal entries relevant to an audit in preparation for the exam.

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

[sar_rah]

Okay sounds good so far. Please, anyone else contribute how you felt on time during audit!

AUD: 98
REG: 91
BEC: 86
FAR: 83

DONE DONE DONE and DONE all on the first try! It IS possible, just keep on studying!

[sar_rah]

Okay sounds good so far. Please, anyone else contribute how you felt on time during audit!

AUD: 98
REG: 91
BEC: 86
FAR: 83

DONE DONE DONE and DONE all on the first try! It IS possible, just keep on studying!

[lswang]

I ran out of time (barely) on both FAR and BEC- FAR I filled in about half of a simulation with educated guesses, and BEC I wanted to leave 45 min for the WC but ended up with about 25 minutes. AUD I left the test center with an hour and 45 minutes left on the clock.

FAR | 81 - July 21 15
REG | 66 - Oct 1 15 | 87 - Jan 7 16
AUD | 90 - Oct 29 15
BEC | 86 - Nov 25 15

[sar_rah]

In case anyone else comes across this and is wondering the same:

MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME ON AUDIT! wow. I finished MCQ's within 2 hours and had 2 hours for the sims without having to feel rushed at all. Coming from a test taker who kinda ran out of time on far and TOTALLY ran out of BEC to the point that I walked out in tears.

AUD: 98
REG: 91
BEC: 86
FAR: 83

DONE DONE DONE and DONE all on the first try! It IS possible, just keep on studying!

[Jdn9201]

Some of y'all may hate me lol but I haven't had a problem with time on any of the exams so far. I've passed BEC and REG, waiting on AUD, and will be taking FAR in April or May. I've always been a fast test taker, but I finished BEC and REG with over an hour remaining. I finished AUD with 1:40 remaining. I spent 20 min checking my SIMS again, and hit submit with an hr and 20 remaining. People are different, but I have a bad habit of second guessing myself out of right answers the more I think about them. Looking back to college, I've found that if I go too slowly while taking an exam, it allows test anxiety to creep in. I think too that while reading questions over is important, at a certain point I either know it or I don't. Staring at the question isn't going to make me know something that I don't. Also, I do not flag questions because I find that if I read the question twice or three times, I save time rather than going back to it at the end of a testlet. I'm surprised I finished AUD with as much spare time as I did, because I had to force myself to slow down, especially with the MCQ's because I knew from practice that the wording is very particular.

BEC - 88 8/29/15
REG - 82 11/14/15
AUD - 83 1/8/16
FAR - 80 2/29/16

[Claudia408]

if you get transaction cycles or FAR related questions in audit, you will need more time bc you can't look that stuff up in the AL. it's important to just read the MCQ carefully and stay within your budgeted time in case you do get transaction cycles or FAR sims.

BEC 65, 71, 75
AUD 62, 70, 78
REG 67, 66, 65, 66, 64
FAR 68, 64, 73

BEC - 75 (3x)
AUD - 78 (3x)
REG - 67, 66, Aug 1
FAR - 54, Sept 8

[Author]

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