Which exams give too little time? Which exams give too much time?

  • Creator
    Topic
  • #822006
    .
    Participant

    What has been your experience so far? Have you ever left a simulation blank?

    FAR- 88- 6/16- (Ninja Avg. 74%)
    REG- 89- 7/16- (Ninja Avg. 77%)
    AUD- 95- 8/16- (Ninja Avg. 81%)
    BEC- 82- 9/16- (Ninja Avg. 75%)
    [Wiley CPAExcel + Ninja MCQ]

    Finally licensed.

    FAR - June 2016 - 88
    REG - July 2016 - 89
    AUD - Aug 2016 - review phase currently
    BEC - Sep 2016 -

    Wiley CPA Excel & Ninja MCQ

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 18 total)
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  • #822036
    reallytired
    Participant

    I think it differs for everyone. I have only taken FAR and had about 10 minutes left when I finished, but my friend took it the day before me and had an hour left! I would recommend setting a timeline of when you absolutely have to move on from each testlet.

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

    B 10/29/16
    A 10/1/16
    R 9/2/16
    F 7/26/16

    #822057
    SaveBandit
    Participant

    The 3 hour tests seem more difficult to manage than AUD or FAR. I was really concerned about time for REG because while they give you 12 fewer MC they only knock off 1 SIM, when it seems like they should shed 2-3. That being said, I was able to manage my time well enough to finish having answered the SIMS to the best of my ability within the time allotted, so it ended up being fine. I was the most rushed on BEC, but I have anal tendencies when it comes to writing.

    I did not need the whole 4 hours for either FAR and AUD.

    AUD - 94
    BEC - 86
    FAR - 85
    REG - 90
    If you pray enough, you can turn yourself into a cat person.

    4 for 4

    FAR 85
    AUD 94
    BEC 86
    REG 90

    #822063
    monikernc
    Participant

    i took far then aud and used every moment of time without breaks. i was worried about time for BEC and practiced pace as i studied. let time run out while double checking WCs – i felt rushed for WCs but deliberately spent most of my time on mcqs because they are currently 85% of score.
    REG i set a 30 minute per mcq testlet pace and stuck to it for the most part. had a little under 90 mins for sims and i got through them but worked very quickly to finish with about 7 mins left to review all. hit submit with about 90 seconds left on clock. i was done. 3 hours was plenty of time for both but no breaks for me and working fast throughout. handheld calculator for reg really helped. i felt time was wasted with online calcuator during bec especially. ask for one for quicker calcs.

    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

    #822066
    .
    Participant

    I've taken FAR, REG, and AUD so far. I totally ran out of time on FAR and left one simulation blank. I had about 80 minutes for the simulations. The bathroom break didn't help matters. I did try to go quickly through the multiple choice questions by not flagging or going back to check my answers. Had trouble finding the answer to the research question, ended up spending over 15 minutes on that one.

    After the FAR experience, I tried even harder to zoom through the REG MCQs. Probably shouldn't have done that since I finished REG with over 30 minutes to spare. Spent those 30 minutes checking my answers in the AL. Found the research question in 3 minutes.

    I had tons of time on AUD. Had nearly 2 1/2 hours for the simulations.

    Not sure how BEC will be for me. I'm not good at writing quickly. Lack in creativity/ideas. Not good at bullshitting my way through papers.

    FAR- 88- 6/16- (Ninja Avg. 74%)
    REG- 89- 7/16- (Ninja Avg. 77%)
    AUD- 95- 8/16- (Ninja Avg. 81%)
    BEC- 82- 9/16- (Ninja Avg. 75%)
    [Wiley CPAExcel + Ninja MCQ]

    Finally licensed.

    FAR - June 2016 - 88
    REG - July 2016 - 89
    AUD - Aug 2016 - review phase currently
    BEC - Sep 2016 -

    Wiley CPA Excel & Ninja MCQ

    #822075
    jbergmann1
    Participant

    They all give too much time.

    TX CPA

    Passed all 4 parts of the CPA exam!
    License application in progress

    #822090
    atabiaka
    Participant

    I took BEC, Aud, Far and now preparing for REG. I had just exact time i needed for BEC, I left 1,5 early on Audit, and i ran out of time on FAR. Couldn't find answer for the research question. So i agree with those who say it is really depends on the exam taker.

    #822099
    Pete
    Participant

    None of them give enough time to finish. Surprised people actually close their test before the timer runs out. Why on earth wouldn't you use that time to research questions on the SIMS? Even if you can't find them, what's the harm in continuing to look for the remainder of the time?

    B=84 This exam was such a b**** that I thought I failed-don't know how these things work
    A=76 Slacker I am, I'll happily take it
    R=81 I LOVE taxes
    F=80 I don't wanna get banned for an expletive I'm thinking with "yea" proceeding it

    #822117
    atabiaka
    Participant

    Ratfus, I don't think anyone left the exam having extra time and not finished research question. I left Audit cause all was done and there was no reason to stay. However, on FAR I spent a lot of time on research question and end up running out of time and still not answered the question.

    #822123
    Pete
    Participant

    Still, even if i thought the question was correct, I would stay and double check my answers for the remainder of the time. For far, I finished 10 minutes before the timer ran out, but I went through the SIMS a second time, checking my work and looking at the literature a second time.

    I wasn't referring to leaving before the exam was done, I was referring to when you had all the answers already finished and had extra time. What the worst case scenario, you waste some time going through the answers a few times, just my thought though.

    B=84 This exam was such a b**** that I thought I failed-don't know how these things work
    A=76 Slacker I am, I'll happily take it
    R=81 I LOVE taxes
    F=80 I don't wanna get banned for an expletive I'm thinking with "yea" proceeding it

    #822138
    hasy
    Participant

    Arbitrary.

    FAR, not enough time.

    BEC, maybe not enough time bc WCs take time.

    AUD, prob over, since there's no calculations.

    REG, I can't gauge this since I sped through my test and knowingly failed.

    AUD - 83
    BEC - 80
    FAR - 83
    REG - 78
    BEC - 80 (Roger + NINJA MCQ + WTB)

    FAR - 72; 83 (Roger + NINJA MCQ)

    AUD - 83 (Roger + NINJA MCQ + WTB)

    REG - 52; 78 (Roger + NINJA MCQ)

    Ethics - 68, 96 (how I dislike you)
    -
    This forum is more addictive than drugs. Still returning after licensure.

    Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved - Helen Keller

    -

    BEC 80 (10/23/15)
    FAR 72 (4/2/15); 83 (7/11/16)
    REG 52 (4/28/15)
    AUD (9/9/16)

    Roger + NINJA MCQ + WTB

    #822168
    .
    Participant

    AICPA must have realized that people run out of time more often on FAR than the other sections. Notice how in 2017 FAR will have less MCQs than AUD & REG.

    CPA Review

    FAR- 88- 6/16- (Ninja Avg. 74%)
    REG- 89- 7/16- (Ninja Avg. 77%)
    AUD- 95- 8/16- (Ninja Avg. 81%)
    BEC- 82- 9/16- (Ninja Avg. 75%)
    [Wiley CPAExcel + Ninja MCQ]

    Finally licensed.

    FAR - June 2016 - 88
    REG - July 2016 - 89
    AUD - Aug 2016 - review phase currently
    BEC - Sep 2016 -

    Wiley CPA Excel & Ninja MCQ

    #822244
    Bear-Bear
    Participant

    I finished with a LOT of time left for FAR and REG (over an hour). But BEC took me until the last fifteen minutes or so…it was the #*$% WCs. I zoomed through the MCQs in just over an hour.

    FAR - PASS
    BEC - PASS
    REG - PASS
    AUD - PASS

    Done and licensed!

    #822301
    So FAR So Good
    Participant

    Just my opinion:

    AUD – WAY too much time. I feel like it should be a 3 hour test given that it is 90+% conceptual. I think I was done with all three MCQ testlets in just over an hour and then wrapped up my Sims in an hour, leaving me with somewhere between 1:30-2 hours left. Don't get me wrong, I still came out of it thinking that I failed, but this test is very much a “you know it or you don't” sort of test.

    FAR – I personally finished with an hour left, but that's because I rocked the Sims and got through them all in about 45 minutes. However, I can completely understand why this part would take folks longer if they didn't luck out on SIMS like I did, so I feel that four hours is very fair.

    I haven't taken REG or BEC yet, but as I'm about halfway through with REG, I'm feeling like this will be the one section where I could see the potential need for more time. I understand that there is 1 less SIM and 18 less MCQ, but based on what I've seen so far, I'm not sure that warrants taking away an entire hour. Maybe 3:30 would be a little more fair.

    AUD - 91
    BEC - 85
    FAR - 91
    REG - 86
    .

    F - 91 (6/5/2016)
    A - 7/30/2016
    R - 10/8/2016
    B - 12/10/2016

    #822496
    Just3Letters
    Participant

    “Too much time” hahahaha

    AUD - 89
    BEC - 80
    FAR - 81
    REG - 81
    I hope my friends remember my name.

    FAR- 81
    REG- 81
    BEC- Aug 22, 2016
    AUD- TBD

    #822499
    Valar Dohaeris
    Participant

    @circadian, I'm surprised to see that they're replacing 10 MCQs with 4 Sims on BEC. That's not an equitable trade-off in my opinion. I feel like 1 Sim = 4-5 MCQs. Reading the instructions alone on a Sim takes so dang long. The new BEC is going to be a nasty test.

    AUD - 81
    BEC - 83
    FAR - 83
    REG - 84
    CPA

    Finance Manager

    Experienced in Big 4 audit, regional audit, and technical accounting consulting

    BEC - 85
    AUD - 81
    REG - 84
    FAR - 7/24/16

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