[Drew]

Hi All,

I’ve always lurked this forum, which I love, but i finally feel the need to type/vent/something. My brief story goes like this…FAR twice in 2017, 71 both times then Audit once – 85, BEC once – 83 and I just got home from my third attempt at FAR and well…just like a lot of candidates, demoralized. Not even close, the hardest of the 3 attempts by far, it felt like a completely different test. Like Audit and BEC were fair representations of what I studied, but this third attempt on this exam was the FAR cu de gras. I know there are examples of people thinking they bombed and passed, but if I passed I will find a hill to roll down and laugh. I did over 3,000 MCQs, some sims, I wrote stuff down, flashcards, videos…anything I could think of. I run an accounting department going through year-end so maybe my brain needs a break.

With that said, I will get through it, I have 2018. Reg for the first time in March. I will read your stories for motivation and I admire all those who commit to this thing.

Cheers.

AUD - 85
BEC - 83
FAR - 75
REG - 85

Savage

[Drew]

P.S. I have to find a hill.

AUD - 85
BEC - 83
FAR - 75
REG - 85

Savage

[MikeDin Dallas]

Congrats Drew, I don't know what to think to be honest. On Wiley test banks i score between 60% and 84% on MCQ's and Sims. On Ninja it can range between 60% to 65%. Hard to gauge where i am in terms of readiness.

Mike

[Drew]

Thanks Mike! All I can say is studying the other three parts are much more “enjoyable” to me, due to the nature of FAR. Each module on Wiley (btw I also use Wiley and Ninja) can take forever to get through. When people say the CPA exam is a test of discipline; it really hits home with FAR. FAR became a way of life lol and I barely got through. It sure is rewarding though and totally worth it! Have you taken any yet?

AUD - 85
BEC - 83
FAR - 75
REG - 85

Savage

[MikeDin Dallas]

No, i have not. I take FAR this upcoming Saturday. I'm not sure how i feel about it. I hope i pass the first time, but i see many people on here who had to take it multiple times, so I'm sure i'll be in the same boat.

Mike

[Pam]

I'm retaking FAR 3/9 (65 in Q3 17)… this is the LAST one I need (Reg expires 4/20 so I have allowed myself another hail mary if needed but OMG, I don't want to need it)
I'm on the re-writing notes phase (I work backwards with the retakes b/c I try to just MCQ to death and get frustrated b/c I can't remember so rewriting first helps, me).
I have some questions
1. is Partnership Accounting included in 2018? Other 71 forums say no but the 2018 notes still include it
2. How would you gauge the new revenue guidance? I'm a revenue accountant so this is natural to me.
3. I've never used blueprints before, how should I go about using them as a resource?

[J King]

1. Even Roger has Partnership included in the material, while Gleim apparently doesn't have it (could be wrong on this one), I don't even remember encountering a Partnership-related question when I took FAR. So, shrugs~

2. I am thinking it could possibly get tested as a SIM, which leads to..

3. Basically, there are 4 kinds of skill
– Remembering and Understanding are pretty much MCQs
– Application and Analysis could be MCQs and/or SIMs
– Evaluation (for AUD) is SIM, I believe

FAR - 65 (Planned rematch on Apr/May 2018 'cuz CalBOA is turtle slow)
AUD - 2/10/18 (Roger MCQ/TBS, 5 weeks prep) - Pending...
REG - TBD
BEC - TBD

Joshua 1:9

[Anonymous]

@Drew-congratulations! Your post has given me hope. Inevitably, the closer we get to score release (not until March 8th), the more I feel like I failed….

[Anonymous]

No partnership related topics in Becker.

[Pam]

OK, I'm skipping it for now, I submitted a question to @Jeff…

I like the idea of doing the SIMS since it seems if you grasp those that in turn you would grasp the MCQ – which I find doesn't go the other way around (for me at least, I never really “kill it” on SIMS).
I'm finishing up my re-write tonight and then SIMS fo' life… or until the morning of 3/9

[Drew]

@Pam for FAR I barely went through partnership…as in I reviewed a few flash cards here and there due to some conflicting reports of it being on FAR. That was probably a small waste of time. It's certainly going to be on REG though (flow-through)! For FAR I focused heavily on Gov't & NPO (easy points) and tried my best to grasp major concepts everywhere else.

As for the new revenue recognition, I would study it and fully grasp the basics!

🙂 thanks @anyatver

AUD - 85
BEC - 83
FAR - 75
REG - 85

Savage

[jr2018]

the MCQ's were not too bad but did not do one of the sim questions on the last testlet as I ran out of time. Praying that I passed FAR.

[PTBP2018]

Thanks for sharing all of your experiences. It does help to know that other people are out there…going through the same thing. This can be a very lonely journey.

I took FAR for the second time on Monday. I am hoping that this is the last time that I will have walked out of the Prometric center (though the people at my testing center are wonderful! I have gotten to know them well!). It has been tough trying to get through year-end while studying. With working crazy hours, I did the best I could. Pass or fail, I feel proud that I was able to give 100% to my family, my job, and school. I am tired. That is an understatement. I just got my first grey hair, and I will wear it as a badge of honor! Lol!

Overall, I felt good about the multiple choice questions. For me, the Sims are always the hardest part. Monday was no different. Like others on this forum, I felt worse and worse as time ticked away. The time constraint is my biggest obstacle because I want to be thorough, but there is no time for that. If I had a little more time on the Sims, I know I could have turned in an exam that I felt good about.

By the end of the exam, I felt completely defeated. I went back to my car and sat in silence for about 35 minutes. It makes me crazy because FAR closely aligns with my job. I love my job, and I am really good at it! Why do these Sims make me feel so unsure of myself?

Oh well. I am not the only one going through this. We are all in this together, and we will all get through it! Until March 8…good luck to all of you!! I am rooting for your success!!!

AUD - 80
BEC - 84
FAR - 83
REG - 75

 

"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." --Dale Carnegie

[PTBP2018]

PS @Drew – Congrats! You did it! We all want to BE you! Well done! I hope that the celebration is sweet!!!! You earned it and you deserve to enjoy the glory!!! 🙂

AUD - 80
BEC - 84
FAR - 83
REG - 75

 

"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." --Dale Carnegie

[Drew]

Thanks @yackemo17 ! Hang in there, I just took REG today and although I only had 4 weeks to study and likely didn't pass I felt encouraged. The only time I've ever felt the feeling you felt is after FAR (devastation!). Conquer that sucker and your confidence will skyrocket.

Have a nice weekend!

AUD - 85
BEC - 83
FAR - 75
REG - 85

Savage

[Kimberly]

@Drew – When this post popped back up a few weeks ago it gave me hope. I never felt as defeated as I did walking out of my last FAR retake (and that was after two times of feeling okay and scoring sub-par). But I saw that it could happen, feeling defeated and passing, and by the grace of all good things, I did pass FAR finally despite my feeling so badly. It can happen. Congrats to you!

I also threw in a REG try this week, because I needed to see where I stood with it and didn't want to waste the window since I had three weeks to try to study. I feel similarly to you; I knew I wasn't 100% prepared, but I wanted to give it a go anyway. Best of luck and I guess we'll both see soon enough.

BEC - Passed

AUD - Passed

FAR - Passed

REG - Passed

BEC/AUD - Wiley + Ninja / FAR - Surgent / REG - Wiley/Surgent

[Author]

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