[Ben]

What a week. Stayed up late Monday to find out I made a 74 on BEC. Water heater stopped working Tuesday afternoon. Woke up sick Thursday and got sicker as the day went. And took FAR Friday afternoon, high on cough medicine and snotting all over myself. Yeah, FML. Apologies to anyone else in the testing center that might be reading this.

Siver lining: FAR wasn’t that bad. Counter-point: It was easy enough I probably made a 74 on it.

The deats: The MCQ were ridiculously easy. Using Ninja MCQ, I had seen everything this exam had to offer. #ThanksJeff. I believe there were ~10 that were tricky and it was due to vague wording or having to pay attention to dates. First testlet was medium as per always, second testlet I think was more difficult, but nothing terrible. Again, literally…wait, figuratively? No. Literally nothing was presented in a way I hadn’t seen on Ninja.

There was a lot of Govt/NFP, and bonds. There was not a lot of IFRS, which was nice because I got murdered by IFRS last time. Also bad because I was prepared for IFRS this time. I know none of us get the same exam, just thought it was interesting.

The sims: I’ve read all of your horror stories from the past quarter. I was prepared for the worst. I was met with a very easy research questions, 4 involved/lengthy but not-difficult simulations, and 2 that were tricky but not impossible.

The last one… the only one thing I can say about it, is that its like it was written in a foreign country and then translated badly. No it wasn’t a foreign transaction type sim. Have you ever bought something from china or india and the instruction book is REALLY badly translated into English? Thats how both the instructions and the available material seemed. I knew what it wanted out of me, but I had a LOT of trouble figuring out how to make 1+2=3 with what it gave me. I wish I could go on, but non-disclosures and all. I did the best I could but I KNOW that one is a partial credit at best.

The best sim advice I can give is 2 things:

A: On the lengthy ones, just treat every little document or event as a single problem. Solve it, then go to the next. Its like eating an elephant.

B: Be prepared to think outside the box. The one I had so much trouble with took a lot of mental gymnastics to get what they gave me turned into what they wanted, and I guess I’ll never even know if I did it right unless I make a 99. Be prepared for schedules or worksheets you may not often see in your studies.

And now I’m off to go cram for BEC in a week. And no, my water heater still isn’t working. And yes, cold showers when your sick is just as miserable as it sounds!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the review, I have FAR coming up on 9/8 and studying for it hasn't been so bad. It's easier to study for than REG for me in my opinion. I just scheduled to re-take REG on 9/10 so I will be studying FAR up until exam day and then the following 1.5 days I will squeeze in REG and cram for a super-review.

I'm pretty confident with FAR, it's pretty straight forward. I see financial statements and GAAP to be very mechanical in nature so it's easy to make sense of the material. REG sucks though…very arbitrary and memorization of randomness that doesn't necessarily make sense.

These are my last 2 sections and I've already taken REG in the past…I really don't want this exam to extend past Q3!

Anyway, hope you get things taken care of and good luck with your studies.

[molly007]

Thanks for sharing. I am taking FAR on 9/9 and hopefully that will be my last exam. I have been studying a lot and most of it is going ok. I need to focus on govt/np because I don't know it. I work in a private company and have for many years so many items in FAR are familiar but govt and NP is a foreign language for me. I really want this to be over. I found out Monday I passed BEC which will help push me to keep pushing the next 14 days.

I am glad to hear you thought it was ok. Everyone else seems to think it was horrible if not impossible. I have been using Gleim and have for the other three that I passed. I am hopeful it gets me ready for this one too.

[SallyCPA]

Any tips on the simulations? which chapters to focus on?

[Ben]

I couldn't give any more tips without giving too much away I'm afraid. I might could say that my sims were pretty much straight up financial reporting. Knowing what goes where (and why) on which statements.

[Anonymous]

Are they still asking lots on Govt/NPO? Looking at the content outlines, it looks like they've cut back on those topics just a tad – although the AICPA is famous for breaking their own rules.
I'm retaking FAR probably in January/February, after taking REG. In my first FAR attempt, I actually did well on the Govt/NPO last time around – which was encouraging because those were the only sections that I didn't get a “WEAKER” on my score report. And, I knew nothing about either of those topics, barely touched on them in school many years ago so had to learn them from ground zero, luckly had a really good textbook (not Roger!!!)

@Ben looks like you've really been thru the salt mines and the land mines….I admire your tenacity. I think you made a good choice with Ninja. I'm wondering now how many people pass using only Ninja and not any of the standard review courses….I think I should've done that originally but will be getting Ninja before doing my re-takes.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like it could go either way… Good luck.

[Ben]

This particular exam was smothered in Gov/NFP in the MCQ. I was surprised by the amount of them.

I think the Ninja products give you enough material to pass any of them, especially with the addition of the PLUS videos. For FAR, the Ninja Book is HUGE and there's something like 12 hours of videos I think.

I wish they would offer a physical book though. I know it would weigh 17 pounds, but I don't always like using an e-reader or reading on my computer screen.

[Wannafree]

“china or india and the instruction book is REALLY badly translated into English ” Wuhuuuu ,home run for me then.I am from India.:-) will pass this time as last testlet is written in my native English.

WannaB

[Wannafree]

@Ben I don't want you to violate anything but in one of the post Jeff had said mentioning chapter is okay ,it was in response to someone's question.Personally I don't believe mentioning chapter for SIM has any benefits as one has to read everything for MCQ ,you never know what small question come from which corner.I have seen if MCQ is easy then SIM will be from difficult chapters e,g. Consolidation and IFRS. You have mentioned NInja similar MCQ ,that's huge relief for me as I have done Ninja Mock test multiple times.But one thing is clear from your post,SIMs are doable .Have you taken FAR in Q2 ? It seems you did well.

WannaB

[AndrewE]

If history repeats its self, which it usually does taking FAR in Q3 proves to give a better chance of passing just by looking at the rates. Even though I try not to get too caught up in them, your synopsis of the test is very helpful. Taking FAR in 2 weeks, trying to make it my last.

BEC – 77
AUD – 70, 75
REG – 73, 81
FAR – 9/10

AUD - NINJA in Training
BEC - NINJA in Training
FAR - NINJA in Training
REG - NINJA in Training

- e

[Ben]

@wannabfree lol I hope you know I meant no offense! We are all Ninjas here, regardless of where we're from!

I took FAR in Q1 and took BEC in Q2, and now FAR in Q3. I prefer the new exams to the old. There is a lot more purpose to what you're doing, versus just memorizing something and spitting it back out on exam day.

If it is safe to mention chapters, I will say that you need to make sure you cover Contingencies, Investments and Consolidations.

[Anonymous]

Every exam is different, and I am convinced your exam's content is preset when you register to take it (your access code is linked to an exam that will come up no matter when you sit). The first set of MCQ is standard, then there is an option of either a medium or difficult (both easily coded with a loop). Then the sims are preassigned.

My thinking is if a lot of people are seeing similar sims in one subject area, that means there are other sims that are probably going to show up on yours.

The sample size on this forum is too small (almost 9000 people take each section each quarter). I bet most people don't even know this site exists, or dont care for it.

If you know the content on the MCQ, you know the Sims. It's simple. Do you have to be able to make connections and truly undersstand the content instead of simply memorizing simple mnemonics? YES…but that's the point.

[maverick87]

I would say study Gov/np and bonds as the blueprint says to. Study those journal entries too. My exam went Med-Difficult. SIMS were all over the board. Some topics were not tested at all which was expected because there is so much information and only so many questions to ask. Lets just say the blueprint shows what is heavily tested. I felt like I rushed through the sims but for the most part I felt like I put educated answers. I'd say I scored anywhere from a 70-79. Q3 stats look like the pass rates are higher so maybe I will beat the curve.

Licensed CPA January 2018

[Wannafree]

@Ben , no offence taken,but I can't assemble a any table or chair reading those manuals either .LOL.It was hilarious for me.
Your exam experience helped and I can feel better.Currently focused on Govt/NFP/Bond/Lease/Liabilities/Contingencies/Investments/Consolidation .Don't know if left out something.LOL

WannaB

[MattLorenz]

Took FAR last Friday the 25th. I blanked when I first started the MC, but once I composed myself, the MC wasn't bad. I didn't try to game it and figure out if my 2nd module of MC was more difficult than the first like I did with REG, but if I think back, I would say there were more involved questions similar to what the AICPA released as “difficult” questions from their 2nd quarter tests. When I was reviewing the questions the AICPA released, I was honestly surprised at the level of difficulty they give the “difficult” rating to meaning I would consider them easy questions. It's more or less having to use a T account to figure out that answer would be considered difficult as one example. Also, the exam tested gov't and NFP in the MC and not sims for me.

In terms of the simulations, I thought the REG simulations were tougher but I am disappointed in myself for not managing my time better. Had 1 hour and 39 mins for 6 simulations, finished them all and at least briefly reviewed all of them. Had time to do a more in-depth review of an equity simulation along with 2 others that were more involved. I would say Becker prepared me for 95% of the content I saw on the exam, and if I wouldn't have had the time management slip-up, I'd probably be feeling really good about FAR but that time aspect is keeping me hoping it doesn't cost me. I don't think I bombed anything between the MC or simulations, just a few little points here or there that I've realized after that fact such as an account name or 1 adjustment in a sim with multiple.

Anyone else ever feel the way I am feeling after the exam? People tell me I'm worrying too much about a couple points here or there, and we all know the saying “if you feel like you failed, you probably passed” but that didn't necessarily apply for FAR and I passed REG easily without feeling that way as well.

REG: 87

FAR: 85

AUD: 85

BEC: 89

[Author]

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