Bridget is a weekly Club 75 Blogger as she documents her journey through the CPA Exam. She has been a member of Club 75 since December 2010.
This is by far my heaviest week for my test prep. Planning to log over 40 hours for the week and working full time leaves little time for anything else and everything else is a mess.
I started my CRAM course on Monday night and clipped along at a great pace until I hit the tax modules, and it looks like I will be getting very little sleep Friday night, or any night this week. My plan mandates me to finish my CRAM course and to complete the questions required by my course (again) by Sunday night. This schedule will leave me with a full two weeks for review.
I made it through all the material last attempt, but did not leave enough time for review, and I panicked. By forcing myself to adhere to a very heavy schedule this week, and reviewing up to my test date, I hope I can raise my confidence level and walk into the test center without so much nausea.
I also hope that I will NOT be seated next to a test taker who clears her throat after every question. Those headphones the test center provided didn't drown out the noise, and made it difficult for me to calculate AMT. I kept thinking all the UU-HUMMING should be adjusted and forgot what the actual adjustments were.
Next week, I plan to rewrite my notes, AGAIN. This time I plan to use my notes to also write up some flashcards to use the week after next. I already have several notebooks full of notes that were put together sporadically throughout all my fragmented study attempts.
So if I am going to rewrite notes one more time, and this time complete the module notes within a week, I think I need to change things up a bit to keep my mind engaged. It tends to wander aimlessly.
I also hope to get into the Wiley test bank next week, although I still have misgivings. Oh well, back to trying to cram all those pesky details into some portion of my brain that will let the information be recalled upon demand.
I sat next to a person who burped and farted during the entire test. I made sure to give them a look when they stood up and exited the test room and I was shocked when I saw it was a woman! Also, took a test this past summer and the air conditioning broke at the test center. Feeling the sweat drip down the back of my legs didn't really help my concentration!
Bridget, I've found putting in ear plugs in addition to the headphones helps a lot. They always look the ear plugs over real good at Prometric (like how are you going to cheat with ear plugs??), but I've never had a problem being able to take them in. Kim
Bridget - hate those noisy test takers. I got a keyboard pounder when I took my first test - someone who must have had to type a 3 hour essay - non stop loud typing - I could not focus on anything. Can't wear those giant headphones and they don't help anyway. Bring a pair of foam earplugs to the test. They really do help drown out the distractions. I wear them while I study a few days before the test to get used to them and it triggers my brain to focus when I put them on at the testing center. Good luck, I'll do FAR for the 3rd and hopefully final time on 11/22/11 and then I will be 100%finished. My approach this time is to do non stop MCQs. I have covered 500+ in Wiley test bank and have 10 days to study full time (had to take upaid time off work, hoping that will pay off with a passing score).