[CPAIN2K17]

So, for AUD, my first exam I didn’t take any notes when reading the study text. I would read it then do the MCQ for all the lessons( I study with Wiley CPAExcel by the way), without ever writing things down. Whenever I did my review, I did write down the answers to MCQs I answered wrong and I re-wrote the Wiley flash cards.

Then, when studying for BEC and FAR I decided I would take notes while reading the study text. This took me FOREVER, maybe I was writing too much but I think it at least doubled the time it took me to get through the study text. And, seeing as my score for AUD was much better than my BEC (and probably FAR) score, I don’t think it really benefited me?

Do you any of you just read the text without taking notes? Has that been effective? I am studying for REG now and I know I could get through the material so much faster if I didn’t take notes, but I wanted to see if anyone had any thought on this.

Wiley CPAExcel + Ninja MCQ & Notes

 

AUD - 97 (1/24/17)

BEC - 84 (3/10/17)

FAR - 94 (5/31/17)

REG - 88 (8/16/17)

[rlarivee01]

I haven't taken any notes so far. Except all the Ninja Plus lectures for FAR which I have in a Word document. But I think I've looked at that file one time since finishing it.

I also haven't passed a single exam yet, despite various attempts over the past few years. So maybe it's the notes?

Last attempt that a score has been released for was a 72 on BEC, and I did try hard for that one. Just need to put more time in. I get pretty close without notes.

I keep telling myself I'm going to take notes on the MCQ I consistently get wrong, which is probably the solution to 72.

[maxb]

i took notes at first but didnt find that it helped that much. i wouldnt go back and look at my notes, so i stopped. in the time it took to write notes, i would just reread any parts i wasnt sure about. i passed all four parts without taking notes.

[.]

I took a little bit of notes but it's just too damn time consuming. Better to only write down journal entries, certain formulas, and maybe to organize something that is confusing. Keep your notes bare bones and not too detailed.

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

[CPAIN2K17]

Thank you guys for your input, I appreciate it! Sounds like detailed notes are pretty optional, and I think my time is better allocated elsewhere.

Wiley CPAExcel + Ninja MCQ & Notes

 

AUD - 97 (1/24/17)

BEC - 84 (3/10/17)

FAR - 94 (5/31/17)

REG - 88 (8/16/17)

[Jdn9201]

Everyone is different but I found taking notes slowed me down too much. I was a huge note taker in college but the only time I took notes was for my problem topics in FAR. That's where I think taking notes helped me because it forced my brain to slow down and learn the information. Otherwise I didn't take notes during any of the sections

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

[CPA8675309]

I have only taken notes for the things I've really struggled to remember and understand (with the intention of 1. writing it down especially in my own words should help me remember better and 2. it would be an easy, quick reference for me if needed). Taking notes on everything seems too time consuming to me with not much payback. Without looking, I'd say I took a few pages of notes for both BEC (mostly on formulas, maybe IT terms (?), and COSO) and FAR and nothing for AUD. However, some people say writing notes made the difference for them after previous failures.

Edit: I'll add that I save note-taking until the end after the initial review when I'm working through MCQs. I don't need to slow down that initial review process. Sometimes it seems to take forever to get through as it is. As I said above it's for what I struggle to remember and/or understand which usually becomes more apparent the closer to my test date.

AUD - 77
BEC - 85
FAR - 84
REG - 85

I'm done!!

[bhunt815]

I took many more notes while doing MCQ's than while reading the actual text. For the few chapters that i did take the time to outline and take through notes, I felt like I had a much more in-depth understanding of the material. But it was too time consuming to outline the whole book.

AUD - 79
BEC - 81
FAR - 84
REG - 78

Becker Self Study supplemented with Ninja MCQ's for BEC and REG.

Licensed CPA in Louisiana.

FAR 04/11/2016 - 84
AUD 05/12/2016 - 79
BEC 07/06/2016 - 81
REG 08/29/2016

[Anonymous]

I found that I took notes sparingly for BEC, more so for AUD, during my review phase, and I have been pretty diligent about REG notes as I go, mostly because there a lot of hard to remember details in tax, but I try to just get the most important things down on the page and I create my own flashcards as I go…I agree that note taking is very time consuming but somehow it just helps to keep me focused. I do refer to my flashcards a lot and re-reading notes while reviewing does help.

[LCros]

I take notes, but I do it in a format that is similar to a quiz format. Also, I use speech recognition, so that I am reading the material and making quiz/notes at the same time.

Audit Passed

FAR Passed

Reg Passed

BEC Passed

[Anonymous]

I took notes for everything. Passed each one basically first time around. (other than the FAR exam that the NTS was expiring, and I was less than halfway through Becker – I took it for grins and giggles)

[nib]

hi
what is speech recognition . please let me know .

[nib]

is it back -front format with question is baack and answer in front .

[LCros]

@bin:

Speech Recognition is where you talk and the spreadsheet application actually does the typing for you. I use Google Docs, it has less mistakes for the applications that I have tried.

For me, it cut down on the time it took for hand written notes and as stated previously, I set up my notes like a quiz, so afterward I am reading the notes and quizzing my self with the answers on the back of the page. It is similar to making flash cards.

Audit Passed

FAR Passed

Reg Passed

BEC Passed

[jgod]

I take zero notes. That's how I went through college. Even at work I take very few notes.

I've learned that note taking doesn't really do anything for me except kill my hand.

Other people say that note taking is essential to their study routine.

Do whatever works best for you.

Two more.

AUD- 99 (6/8/16)
REG- TBD
FAR- TBD
BEC- TBD

[.]

I mean note-taking makes sense when taking a college course because the lecture often includes stuff that is not in the book. And the professor will emphasize what they are likely going to test on. Normally when taking a college class you also don't have as many practice problems to work on as the CPA review courses provide. I found that doing MCQs and Sims was a much better use of my time than note-taking. I have a really crappy memory too.

The CPA review courses aren't normal studying. They are cram/crash courses. Crap load of material in a short amount of time. Taking down detailed notes for that amount of material is just too much. Basically end up rewriting the whole textbook. You are just looking to pass and not trying to get an A or to actually learn the material well, lol.

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

[Author]

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