FAR Lesson Learned: Less Videos, More MCQs

05 May 2014

NINJA CPA Review

Patti is a NINJA CPA Blogger.

Hiya NINJAs!

After a loooooooooong and tiresome tax season, I’m back!

When I last wrote, I had just taken FAR for the first time. Let’s just say I didn’t pass. Heck, to be completely honest, I did worse than I thought I was going to.

I think I spent too much time watching the video lessons (I don’t think they are for me) and not enough time reading the book and practicing MCQs. On the bright side, when I got my letter from NASBA telling how I did on the different sections, they said I rocked Governmental.

Could it be all the governmental jobs I had gone on during my first few months in public accounting? Probably.

After the cry fest I had when I learned my score (who am I kidding, I would’ve cried regardless of the score-that test was brutal) I signed right back up to take it again.

I will NOT let this thing defeat me.

I’m scheduled for my rematch on May 27 – 4 days before I go on my delayed honeymoon to St. Lucia. I want to be able to enjoy my time in the sun without FAR sitting on my shoulders.

I gave myself about a week and a half to try to recover from my first tax season (wow was it brutal), and now I’m excited to start working towards conquering FAR. I know the areas I need to work on. I have a better idea of how to study, of how I learn. And I’m pretty geeked to try the new NINJA MCQ platform.

I feel like the simulations from the other test bank I was using didn’t prepare me for the simulations on the actual test. And I’m 99.95% positive that those SIMs are what brought my score down.

Time to brush off my book, start practicing MCQs & SIMs, and break my flashcards back out.

Time to prepare for my second battle with this beast!

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2 comments

Sherri 10 years ago

Good luck to you, I am doing this late in life. I took FAR in 2012 and got a 74, I should have jumped right back on it but I didn't. I don't need a license, but it's pretty sad to be the only one in my little CPA firm without a license :)

J 10 years ago

You need to take notes when watching the videos and try to understand the concept. Then do some practice MCQs and apply what you learned in the videos in order to answer them.