How prepared can you really feel for FAR?

  • Creator
    Topic
  • #1423689
    accountaholicc
    Participant

    The Q2 test change up is what’s really got me messed up and I feel like I’m having a hard time calming myself down enough to concentrate for my test on Saturday. If I don’t pass this quarter, I’d be up against the new, harder format with my credits for REG and BEC on the line. I’d lose my bonus at my firm, and have to take even more time off to study. Blah blah blah, I’m sorry to complain because I know you’re all feeling similar pressure.

    I’ve done this for all of my exams. I freak myself out because there’s no way you can know ALL of the material, but my FAR insecurities feel so much worse. I’ve never really had this much of a problem with test anxiety before, but I’m having panic attacks wrestling with the decision of whether to just cancel my exam on Saturday and take it later in the quarter when I can feel more confident, but HOW CONFIDENT CAN YOU REALLY FEEL? Also canceling would mean trying to find a weekend in the middle of busy season to sit for this thing…which doesn’t sound like a much more appealing option.

    Thanks for listening for my neurotic rantings thus far. Love my little ninja community

    AUD - 78
    BEC - 77
    FAR - 64
    REG - 77
    REG - 77
    BEC - 77
    AUD - 78
    FAR - 64; retake 1/6

    REG- 66, 77
    BEC- 72, 77
    AUD- 55, 78
    FAR- 8/16

    Using Becker self study

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 19 total)
  • Author
    Replies
  • #1423694
    mckan514w
    Participant

    @accountaholicc right there with you wondering the same thing- in fact just got off the prometric site looking at dates to possibly reschedule- AND my original test date is further out than yours. The added pressure of the test change is really beginning to get to me and I keep going back and forth between how prepared is prepared enough and can you be too prepared. Sigh. No real advice to give you just wanted to add to the venting. Good Luck!

    And they ask me why I drink

    BEC 71, 82
    AUD 75
    REG 75
    FAR 61, 69, 83

    and they ask me why I drink...

    FAR- 61-next time I'll ask for lube instead of a calculator
    REG-75- Never been so happy to see such a low grade
    BEC- 8/11
    AUD- 9/2

    #1423739
    Tyler23
    Participant

    I'm 0-2 on FAR with a 68 & 72 so take what I say with a grain of salt I suppose.

    My third retake is tomorrow 1/6. I have no passes like you under my belt so I don't feel the ‘extra pressure' but in my opinion…it's impossible to ever feel 100% confident going into the exams. There will be concepts you know like the back of your hand that will help boost your confidence but there will also be concepts that you might always feel shaky on.

    My first take at FAR (68) I almost pushed back my exam by a week or two because I thought I wasn't confident enough to pass. I don't regret (even though I failed) not pushing it back because I realized I would still feel the same feeling of ‘never being 100% confident' going into these exams.

    Best of Luck!

    AUD - 75
    BEC - 71
    FAR - 84
    REG - 76
    FAR- 68, 72, 84
    AUD- 65, 75
    BEC- 71, 77
    REG- 76
    #1423764
    REG-FTW86
    Participant

    This is how I felt the night before the exam, on my 3rd try, “If I don't know it by now I'm not sure I ever will.” I felt very confident on my 3rd try. When I walked out of the testing center the first phone call I made went like this, “If I didn't pass I don't know what else I can do.” Thankfully I passed. The first time I felt like i'd pass. It was a 77, not even in the 80's. Regardless it was a pass. I rescheduled my 3rd try to give me an extra 2 weeks review time too.

    AUD - 78
    BEC - 77
    FAR - 77
    REG - 80
    "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.  The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."  Thomas A. Edison

    How bad do you want it?

    Regulation For The Win!

    FAR 57, 62, 77
    BEC 70,77
    AUD 54,78
    REG 66, 62, 7/29

    FAR.BEC.AUD.AUD.BEC.FAR.FAR.REG.REG

    Roger CPA Review / Ninja MCQ Supplement

    Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time - Thomas Edison

    #1423829
    hasy
    Participant

    Hmm.. That's interesting. I guess since I studied for FAR so much that when I went into the test, I felt that I didn't know how much I could restudy for the retake since I did all that I could. I think that's when I had to trust in myself and the process to believe that I could pass. I am a TOTAL believer of NOT doing MCQs the day before because it messes with you. But for my last week with FAR studying, I did questions from EVERY chapter and from Roger, that's a lot. (30*10=300) Then 2 days before the exam, I did a couple of questions from each chapter to jog my memory.

    For today, just commit to light review. Also, realize that there are MORE people taking the test this quarter, so there are ALSO many people who may feel the same as you. Honestly, BEING nervous will only distract you. Believe in yourself.

    AUD - 83
    BEC - 80
    FAR - 83
    REG - 78
    BEC - 80 (Roger + NINJA MCQ + WTB)

    FAR - 72; 83 (Roger + NINJA MCQ)

    AUD - 83 (Roger + NINJA MCQ + WTB)

    REG - 52; 78 (Roger + NINJA MCQ)

    Ethics - 68, 96 (how I dislike you)
    -
    This forum is more addictive than drugs. Still returning after licensure.

    Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved - Helen Keller

    -

    BEC 80 (10/23/15)
    FAR 72 (4/2/15); 83 (7/11/16)
    REG 52 (4/28/15)
    AUD (9/9/16)

    Roger + NINJA MCQ + WTB

    #1423913
    Stilgoin
    Participant

    I caved and pushed mine as far as I could yesterday, but I am self-employed and luckily my husband feels terrible for me and is doing my work this month. lol

    I lose REG 31st. I pushed to the 26th. I thought I should hedge and use all my time available because I need a pass.

    I have never really felt prepared going in, but I am surprisingly calm this time because I know I am doing all I can do. I completely understand your dilemma. I have had so many panic attacks this past year that I went to the doctor to make sure I was healthy. I would be careful about trying to take it while busy at work. I have tried to compartmentalize a few exams and it did not work out at all. I made bad scores and it shredded my confidence.

    Do you feel good about where you are in your studying?

    Stilgoin, CPA

    There are enough critics. Be an encourager

    B | 62, 78
    A | 73, 67, 79
    R | 82
    F | 59, 59, Waiting

    Ethics | 93

    "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."
    ~Winston Churchill

    “In a world full of critics, be an encourager."

    #1424661
    Jdn9201
    Participant

    I don't think you can be 100% ready for any of these exams – especially FAR. I felt prepared to give myself a legitimate shot at passing FAR when I felt like I could be asked any question and at least be able to narrow down a question to the best 2 possible answers. Granted, some topics I felt more confident than that, but the good news is they can't test you over everything because there's not enough time to do so. I think keeping a positive mindset is very underrated in this process. I was fortunate enough to pass FAR on my first attempt, but my advice is don't be so afraid of it. I'm a big believer in self-visualization, and anytime I started to get anxious about it, I'd imagine myself passing. If you put the time and effort into studying and keep a positive attitude about it, all you should have to do on exam day is show up. 🙂

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

    #1424676
    N4
    Participant

    Its hard to feel ready for that exam…its a 100 miles wide but an inch deep. I think what was critical for me conducting a final review was sing beckers final review bc i only had 4 days of final review and it touched on a bit of everything. I barely passed but I think that was my savior.

    AUD - 90
    BEC - 81
    FAR - 76
    REG - 88
    Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.

    FAR DONE -Becker

    REG DONE -Becker, Ninja Audio/Notes

    AUD DONE- Becker

    BEC DONE- Becker

     

    FAR (5/31) PASS (Best birthday gift ever!)

    #1424699
    martimann
    Participant

    I feel you,
    For the other three sections one week prior to exam date I would take a week off from work and just cover EVERYTHING from back to back. Literally leaving nothing out there. I always walked in feeling I had a pretty darn good chance. But for this section there is NO WAY you can cover everything a week before. I stacked easily more than 100 pages of notes while working through the material. I realized that the note taking helped solidify a lot of stuff so I guess it was good. But its just way too much. Some of the topics for this section are covered during an entire semester in college like GOV,NFP's, you got all the topics for advanced acc, acquisitions, etc. No effin way, too much.

    AUD - 76
    BEC - 80
    FAR - 73
    REG - 82
    Be all in or get out, there is no half way.
    #1425714
    accountaholicc
    Participant

    Thank you all for your input! Good luck in your own studies and for people who are experiencing significant exam anxiety, I found a really helpful 10 min, exam anxiety meditation video that I though was awesome and wanted to share! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtF0T2fPvbI

    AUD - 78
    BEC - 77
    FAR - 64
    REG - 77
    REG - 77
    BEC - 77
    AUD - 78
    FAR - 64; retake 1/6

    REG- 66, 77
    BEC- 72, 77
    AUD- 55, 78
    FAR- 8/16

    Using Becker self study

    #1425998
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I'm taking FAR today! I'll post on this thread this evening, after I'm back home and it's over. But, let me tell you, retention has been a huge problem for me during my studies for this thing. I am using Roger, and I did all of the MCQ and TBS questions. Every last one. I reviewed all of the hard ones during this past month of study. And yet, despite all the reviewing and re-reviewing, I still don't feel all that prepared. I felt many times like I'd mastered a topic, so I moved on to the next chapter. After 10 chapters or more, I'd forgotten all the small details of 7-10 chapters earlier. FAR has way too much material and that's why so many people have a hard time passing it compared to the other ones. Not that they're easier necessarily but there aren't 500 calculation procedures and journal entries and a million other factoids to memorize. All any of us can do is keep studying and re-take.

    #1426026
    runegoblet3xx
    Participant

    crazyleon – I completely agree with you. Retention has been my biggest setback. I take my test Monday, but despite doing practice exams, progress tests, etc., I master one thing, and then realize there's so much stuff I forgot from the beginning. Especially when there's just SO much information, and so many different little rules and formulas.

    I already plan on re-taking the test at the end of May. I'm going to make a set study schedule and actually keep to it, and make sure I'm constantly reviewing, too, to better retain all that info. I just need to find the right way of studying that works, and allows me to remember it all better.

    I wish you the best of luck, though!!

    AUD - 78
    BEC - 83
    FAR - 79
    REG - 89
    "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."
    #1426455
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @runegoblet3xx – Yup, it's just a matter of finding your own personal formula for studying and remembering the stuff. Everyone does it differently. FAR is *not* an easy test for most of us. There's just way too much stuff to try to cram into your head.
    There was a lot on this latest FAR test that I simply did not spend enough time studying and I found myself guessing on those questions. But…in the event I didn't pass, I know what to expect in the future. Either way, I have never heard anyone say that FAR was easy, or the easiest of the four exams. I must say, it was definitely the *weirdest* exam I have ever taken, or probably will take. With the changes on BEC and AUD though, I could be in for even weirder ones. Best of wishes to you for Monday!!

    #1426742
    A1lessio
    Participant

    I have no idea how I am going to pass FAR. Material I mastered two weeks ago is already forgotten and I need to keep reviewing. My exam is in 12 days and right now I am writing out the becker outlines and re working all the mcqs with a few sims if I have time. The review is definitely a big help. There is no way you can feel 100% ready, but have to be confident that you put in the work.

    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)

    #1606310

    For those who passed far in high scores, want to hear your opinion please 🙂

    #1606352
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I'm feeling the same way for REG guys. Both FAR and REG have incredible amounts of information. Honestly, I've had more problems with the REG material, but I had taken all of the classes required for the FAR exam except govt/nfp.

    I think retaining all of the information is mastered by reviewing different ways – your notes, MCQ, Sims, and numonics. Periodically cycling through all of these materials reinforces different principles and applications. But, it takes FOREVER and u will have absolutely NO LIFE.

    Goodluck everyone and keep pounding away with what works for u.

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 19 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.