[lucky hunter]

I am taking FAR on 5/31 (my first exam) and started studying about a week ago. I am using Wiley CPAexcel. I have been watching the video lectures then going over the MCQ’s for each little lesson. I am not doing so hot on the little quizzes. Like 50%-60% on average Id say. I feel like I am kind of rushing through the material but I am keeping pace with what I need to do to complete the course by the 31st.

Any suggestions?

[Anthony]

Are you not planning on reviewing after you finish with CPAexcel? If not, then that would be a recipe for disaster. Don't even bother taking the exam if you don't review because you'll forgot everything that you first learn from the earlier chapters.

AUD - 82
BEC - 80
FAR - 81
REG - 82

FAR - 74 first attempt

[lucky hunter]

Anthony, the schedule allows me 2-3 days to review after I complete all of the material from when I take the exam.

[Anthony]

Unless your photographic memory or you have a strong FAR background, 2-3 days isn't enough because there just so much material. I would push the exam back until the early Q3.

Completing the course doesn't mean much if you don't full grasp the material.

AUD - 82
BEC - 80
FAR - 81
REG - 82

FAR - 74 first attempt

[lucky hunter]

I honestly feel like I have been learning a lot of the material (yes I struggle on some aspects of it) but I think a lot of my problem is understanding the question and dissecting the information given and figuring out what information you need/don't need.

[Trele6]

Most posters on here would agree they typically have at least a week to review FAR, maybe 10 days.. 2-3 days is very optimistic.

FAR isn't hard, it is just a beast of minutia!

B - 80 Jun16
A - 74 Aug16, 77 Oct16
R - 87 Nov15
F - 79 Apr16
Ethics - 98 Nov16
Licensed in New Mexico Dec16

First go at the CPA! Only using Becker
Reg / Nov 2015 - 87
Far / Apr 2016 - 79
Bec / May 2016 - 80
Aud / Aug 2016

[A1lessio]

Just Keep at it and who knows you may get lucky and pass. It's definitely been done before.

AUD - 86
BEC - 70
FAR - 78
REG - 84

People who subject themselves to the strictest discipline, who give up certain pleasurable things in order to obtain a goal are the happiest of men.

AUD (08/02/2016)

[Tncincy]

@lucky hunter, you might benefit from How to pass in 20 days or 30 days. I forget which one, but Jeff has a write up on what you're talking about. You'll definitely have to go warp speed, but appreciate the encouragement from the others to go on. If you study like it's a tornado warning, you just might pull it off. Hey, good luck, and by all means let the rest of us know how you did.

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader.....time to pass

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[lucky hunter]

@tnicincy thank you for the encouragement. I am 5 days in right now. The mini quizzes aren't going that well but a lot of my mistakes are not quite understanding the question rather than not understanding the material so I am hoping as I take more MCQ's that will improve. But there are a few questions where I have no clue so I have been reading the explanations on how to arrive at the correct answer and that seems to help a bit.

I know to pass will definitely take some luck, well, maybe more than a little at this point but I don't really have anything to lose since this is my first test I am taking and its on the last day of Q2 to take an exam. So with that being said, I am trying to stay positive and push through the material best I can.

[Jdn9201]

To the OP: Keep plugging away – you can do it! If I were you, I would not push back my exam. I thought I'd chime in with my experience so that it would encourage you. I passed FAR 2/29/16 after 20 days (15/16 for getting through the material and 4 days of review). It was my last exam but my first attempt at FAR. I would say as long as you're at 50 (preferably 60%) on quizzes, keep going. 4 days can be enough time to review, but only if you use it wisely. I work full time and reviewed over a Thursday-Sunday. Outside of the practice exams, I did not do a full blown review of everything. I concentrated on topics that gave me the most problems that were big portions of the exam. I also spent one day of my review just going over SIMS, with an emphasis on research SIMS. I'm not sure how the new exam is now (I understand they have added document review), but knowing the AL came in so useful to me on the SIMS, not just the research one. I really wouldn't worry about your scores until your practice exams (I hope you will do at least 1). I took 3 with Roger. My average was 70 and I made an 80 on the actual real exam. I would also say being that it's your first time, be sure and take the AICPA practice exam too. It's only a few questions long but it will let you experience what it's like to use the testing software that you'll use for real on test day. Good luck!

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

[lucky hunter]

Thank you for the encouragement! I am using Wiley CPA and there are 256 lessons for FAR and I have done 74 of them in 5 days so far. It has taken me just over 24 hours of study time to do them. I am skipping the sims right now and trying to get ahead in the lessons to finish a few days early to allow me more time to focus on the sims and overall review. Good thing is I get an extra day off for Memorial Day before the exam so that will be nice.

[Anonymous]

I agree. Take it in Q2, don't reschedule. What's the worst that can happen? You don't pass, you get some testing experience, and you take it again in Q3? In my experience, I gave myself a month for FAR and did not review before the exam. I was learning new material up until the morning of the exam. For Wiley, the later lessons regarding how to account for specific transactions (merges, leases, pensions, etc) layer on top of the early lessons on the account types from the balance sheet and revenue. My advice is to go light on the non-profit and government accounting…I took my exam in the afternoon, and just looked at the main bold points for those chapters in the morning since those questions are less calculation based.

One thing that I did which really helped me pass my exams was I prepared a cheat sheet for the waiting room at Prometric. There were parts where I wasn't as strong, but I identified them with about a week to go and just put a some notes on a Word document and kept adding on as I found things I wasn't as solid on. This can be anything from a definition, to a journal entry, to an acronym, to something that you flat out forget. I took the sheet with me to the waiting room and memorized it before they called my name. Then you go through the process where you take a picture/they search you and during that time, I was just focusing on remembering what was on that one page. As soon as I sat down, I wrote that page down just as I had memorized it on one of the laminated cards…You get 5-10 minutes to read the instructions, so it didn't cut into my test time. I wouldn't have passed FAR or REG without that memorized card from the waiting area.

[sweazy]

No you are not doomed. Even if you started from scratch today, 21 days of studying at 10 hours per day is 210 hours, which should be more than enough for any exam.

AUD: 87 (85*, 87)
FAR: 79 (74, 74, 79)
BEC: 78 (77*, 78)
REG: 82 (67, 65, 82)

BEC: 77
AUD: 67, 85, 87
FAR: 74, 74, 79
REG: ___

[Trele6]

Based on passing rates for FAR, about 6 out of 10 people are doomed each quarter.

B - 80 Jun16
A - 74 Aug16, 77 Oct16
R - 87 Nov15
F - 79 Apr16
Ethics - 98 Nov16
Licensed in New Mexico Dec16

First go at the CPA! Only using Becker
Reg / Nov 2015 - 87
Far / Apr 2016 - 79
Bec / May 2016 - 80
Aud / Aug 2016

[Tscape16]

It depends. If you're going to study eight hours a day, you might be able to make it happen. If you're going to do 3-4 hours, probably not. FAR usually takes 140-160 hours to get a passing score. Remember, these aren't tests of intelligence, they are tests of obedience. You put in the time, you'll pass.

AUD - 92
BEC - 86
FAR - 90
REG - 82

Licensed CPA since 2015.

FAR - 90 ✔
BEC - 86 ✔
REG - 82 ✔
AUD - 92 ✔
ETHICS - Passed

*Licensed CPA

[Anonymous]

Hi OP!
I've seen it been done before and you technically have 504 hours (21 days) left till your exam day! Of course all this time won't be dedicated to FAR but my point is that if you spend half of that time studying, that's 252 hours.. again this is assuming you know the material well. My friend studied really really hard for a month and passed! He said he would suffer a month than drag it out for several. Good luck!!

[Author]

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