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1. 1. Daniel: I have FAR remaining, but my BEC expires February 12, 2012. Do I have to sit for the exam before that date or do I have to be certified by that date? What about the ethics exam? Does that have to be finished before February 12, 2012?

 

1. 1. Saman: I failed my first exam, FAR, with a 70. I studied for six months with my review course and the Wiley Test Bank. I thought I did pretty well. I really don’t know where I went wrong. They told me I'm weaker in specific transaction events and comparable for the rest of them. Do you know what specific transaction events are? I plan on buying the NINJA Notes for FAR.

 

1. 1. Sonia: I currently have the Wiley 2011 Regulations Exam Review book. Will I be OK to study with this book or should I purchase the 2012 version of Regulations Exam Review?

 

1. 1. Fredrick: BEC is my last exam, which I took recently and got a 68. I'm running out of options, and my audit credit will expire on March 31,2011. Please help!

 

1. 1. Juanita: I took intermediate accounting 2 and passed with a D. It was my last semester in college and at that point a person could graduate with a D in that course. I believe it has changed since 2008. Do you think I would struggle with the CPA exam if my background in this course is weak?

 

1. 1. Yared: I am now asking friends and acquaintances to write to me a character/reference letter for my license, and I am not sure what they should include on the letter. Do you have a sample or template? I would really appreciate your usual support and advice.

 

1. 1. Zehra: I have only passed FAR, and the credit expires May 24, 2012. I don't have much time left to pass the other sections, and I certainly don't want to take FAR again. I want to take all of them in January – February window so that in case I don't pass a section, I can retake in the April – May window. Could you please suggest a game plan on how I should tackle the rest of the sections of the exams?

 

1. 1. Sandra: I have taken REG for the second time and I think I failed again even with putting in a lot of study time. While waiting on my REG score, I have been studying for FAR. I know I need help to pass the exam, but I don’t know what to do. I speak English as a second language, which I have never let stop me, but I feel that I am a failure. I am working from 8:30am to 7:00pm every day and have no choice but to stay with this job. In 2010 I earned my bachelors in accounting, and this year I earned my masters degree. I am finally working on my CPA, and I will never give up, but I need to study smart. How can I study differently and be prepared for the exams?

 

1. 1. Chris: I just finished up my MBA last week, and now I need to conquer the exam. I need to really be done in May/June time frame. I have only passed Regulation so far. What are your study suggestions for me? What should I start with?

 

1. 1. Courtney: I took AUD in November and scored a 67. I took BEC in August and failed with a 71. My NTS for REG expires in early February, and I have scheduled REG for February 4th. I am not sure if I should go through with taking REG in February or retake AUD. Any advice on which test to take? When should I retake AUD?

 

1. 1. Ken: I have to disagree with you on not bothering to do full practice (mock) exams that demonstrate the real exam experience. Yes, I see your point about just focusing your mind on one module at a time and gathering little fact nuggets that build onto each other as you're progressing through the questions. But I believe that you should experience as close as possible the real testing center environment and practice questions in random order from one topic to a completely different topic. Do you agree with anything that I mention here?

 

1. 1. Gary: I have passed 3 parts of the CPA exam and I just found out I failed REG with a 74. I am really upset and just a bit troubled on how to begin again. I know I must have done badly in the sims and was wondering if you knew if I could purchase sims to practice or sims and MCQ questions together. I have online access to Wiley already.

 

1. 1. Anonymous: I have taken BEC twice and failed. The first time I used a review course, and the second time I used the Wiley software. I need some advice on what to do. Should I stick with BEC until I pass or should I switch to a different test and save BEC for the end? I am afraid if I keep failing BEC that I will want to quit taking the test.

 

1. 1. Wini: I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to update you and let you know that I passed FAR with an 86. I took your advice and read the notes through several times. There were a handful of instances on the exam where something I read the night before was key to answering a question. I've so greatly appreciated Another71.com and your commitment to seeing candidates through this exam. Many times throughout this process, when I was tired of studying or need encouragement that my family just couldn't give me, I went to the site and read story after story of other candidates resiliency towards this exam. There are many candidates who find themselves in some really hard conditions to take this exam. I am fortunate to have a great support group of friends and family who saw me through this test.

 

1. 1. Tara: I am waiting for my BEC score. Once I pass BEC, should I take FAR or Audit? I previously took Audit and passed but lost my credit. Should I take it before I forget a lot of the material? I was an auditor for 5 years and left that job a year ago, so I am still pretty familiar with some of the Audit material.

 

1. 1. John: I just found out I failed Audit with a 61. This was my first attempt at taking the CPA exam. I took a CPA review class and was putting in 2 to 3 hours a day of study on most days. I thought I would be fine. Do you think it's possible to recover from a 61 and pass the next time? Or should I accept the fact that maybe I'm not cut out to be a CPA?

 

1. 1. Suzie: I have passed BEC and REG and just found out that I failed AUD. I am waiting on my REG score that I re-took in November. I am not sure where to start. I have even gone to the final reviews with my review course. My BEC drops off April 30th, so I really feel I need to pass before then. Please let me know what you suggest.

 

1. 1. Eric: I just got my score for AUD, and it was horrible. I am using Wiley test bank along with my review course. I am going to retake AUD in January, and then I need to pass FAR before April 9, 2012, or I loose BEC. How much more time should I spend studying for AUD and how should I go about it? Would the NINJA Notes and Flashcards be helpful? If I pass AUD in January, how should I go about studying for FAR during the busy season?

 

1. Kanok: When you say you need at least 6-8 weeks at 20 hours per week to study for AUD, is this for someone who is working in an audit firm? How about someone who has never audited in their life? How many hours do you think that person needs? Also, how many hours of studying are necessary for someone who has never worked in accounting for FAR, BEC and REG? Thank you!