[barelystayingsane]

I’ve gotten a couple requests for my study strategy, so I figured I’d post one thread. I solely used Becker for FAR, REG, and BEC. I supplemented with Ninja Notes and WTB for AUD, since I am a tax guy and didn’t “get” audit right away. Keep in mind that I am notorious for overstudying, and I was not working at the time I was studying. I’ll post my study plan for BEC and AUD (6 modules each) and FAR (10 modules) and you can interpolate for REG (8 modules).

BEC and AUD (6 modules)

Day 1: Cover the first half of B1 (I first read the book for a specific module. Then I watched the lecture for that module. Then I went back and tried to memorize what I had highlighted in the lectures. Then I did the MCQs for that module, taking notes on what I got wrong. Then I started on the next module.)

Day 2: Pretty much the same as Day 1, except covering the second half of B1.

Day 3: Go back over the entirety of B1 and drill the highlighted information into my head once again. Also, do any “Optional MCQs” Becker had for that chapter, as well as the sims (I didn’t bother with the WC for BEC).

Days 4-6: Same as Days 1-3 for B2

Days 7-9: Same as Days 1-3 for B3

Day 10: Go back over B1.Drill the information in my head again. Do 50 MCQs on B1.

Day 11: Go back over B2. Drill the information in my head again. Do 50 MCQs on B2.

Day 12: Go back over B3. Drill the information in my head again. Do 50 MCQs on B3.

Days 13-15: Cover B4.

Days 16-18: Cover B5.

Days 19-21: Cover B6.

Days 22-24: Same as Days 10-12 for B4-B6.

Days 25-30: Cover a chapter a day again. Write notes. Do 50 MCQs a day based on the chapter covered.

Days 31-36: Cover a chapter a day again. Do 50 MCQs a day based on the chapter covered.

Days 37-38: Take a breather and do one Becker Final Exam a day.

Day 39 (day before the exam): Review handwritten notes.

FAR (10 modules)

Days 1-3: F1

Days 4-6: F2

Days 7-9: F3

Days 10-12: F4

Days 13-16: Cover F1-F4, doing a chapter a day (like BEC and AUD’s Days 10-12 above).

Days 17-19: F5

Days 20-22: F6

Days 23-25: F7

Days 26-32: Cover F1-F7

Days 33-35: F8

Days 36-38: F9

Days 39-41: F10

Days 42-44: Cover F8-F10

Days 45-54: Cover a chapter a day again (F1-F10). Write notes. Do 50 MCQs a day based on the chapter covered.

Days 55-64: Cover a chapter a day again. Do 50 MCQs a day based on the chapter covered.

Days 65-66: Becker Final Exams

Day 67 (day before the exam): Review handwritten notes.

I followed the same strategy for REG, but I covered the first four chapters (the tax chapters) before going back to review. Then I moved on the business law chapters. If I’m calculating correctly, REG would take 51 days following this strategy.

[tough_kitty]

Wow. Sounds like A LOT of work!!!! Probably twice as much in comparison to what I did but it does reflect in your scores! Respect! 🙂 Well done. I can't wait to be done with audit….

Oh, and thank you for sharing 🙂 I was curious.

FAR: 81 (May 2013)
BEC: 81 (July 2013)
REG: 83 (August 2013)
AUD: 82 (November 2013)
California CPA since 1/30/14

[tough_kitty]

Wow. Sounds like A LOT of work!!!! Probably twice as much in comparison to what I did but it does reflect in your scores! Respect! 🙂 Well done. I can't wait to be done with audit….

Oh, and thank you for sharing 🙂 I was curious.

FAR: 81 (May 2013)
BEC: 81 (July 2013)
REG: 83 (August 2013)
AUD: 82 (November 2013)
California CPA since 1/30/14

[SlyCoug]

Great job on your scores. We are neck and neck for our overall average (though I thought AUD was brutal, so I am just hoping to pass at this point). It seems our study methods were pretty similar; I too have used only Becker and it has been more than sufficient for me.

Hope you aced AUD, I'll be watching to see you post in a few weeks when the score release occurs.

REG (7/1/13) 94
FAR (8/2/13) 98
BEC (8/23/13) 97
AUD (10/4/13) 99

Ethics (1/14/14) 100

I'm free!!

[SlyCoug]

Great job on your scores. We are neck and neck for our overall average (though I thought AUD was brutal, so I am just hoping to pass at this point). It seems our study methods were pretty similar; I too have used only Becker and it has been more than sufficient for me.

Hope you aced AUD, I'll be watching to see you post in a few weeks when the score release occurs.

REG (7/1/13) 94
FAR (8/2/13) 98
BEC (8/23/13) 97
AUD (10/4/13) 99

Ethics (1/14/14) 100

I'm free!!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the breakdown. It means a lot. I'm in the crunch now so I can't leave a long message. God Bless!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the breakdown. It means a lot. I'm in the crunch now so I can't leave a long message. God Bless!

[Guti]

For FAR, you followed the same strategy of dividing one chapter into two correct?

FAR-84
AUD-
REG-
BEC-

[Guti]

For FAR, you followed the same strategy of dividing one chapter into two correct?

FAR-84
AUD-
REG-
BEC-

[Anonymous]

I enjoyed reading your strategy and plan to use parts of it for my FAR exam in November. Great job in your scores Barely an SlyCoug!

[Anonymous]

I enjoyed reading your strategy and plan to use parts of it for my FAR exam in November. Great job in your scores Barely an SlyCoug!

[mmorf]

Thanks for taking the time to post this, I needed to switch my studying schedule around and my timing just happens to fall in the same frame as your BEC outline. How many study hours did you average per day?

[mmorf]

Thanks for taking the time to post this, I needed to switch my studying schedule around and my timing just happens to fall in the same frame as your BEC outline. How many study hours did you average per day?

[barelystayingsane]

@mmorf kinda depended on the day…obviously the days where I was just reviewing didn't take as long. Probably four hours. The days where I was initially watching the lectures and learning the material took five to six hours.

[barelystayingsane]

@mmorf kinda depended on the day…obviously the days where I was just reviewing didn't take as long. Probably four hours. The days where I was initially watching the lectures and learning the material took five to six hours.

[mmorf]

@barely Thanks!

PS: I'm rooting for you for the EWS award! 🙂

[Author]

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