Sarah is a NINJA CPA Blogger.

One phrase sums up my audit retake score…the SIMS killed me. I got a 74 on my retake and was shocked.

I really felt like I had passed it, even felt like the SIMS weren’t two bad, but I just received my score breakdown from NASBA and I scored comparable or stronger on every section of the MCQs but weaker on the SIMS…they killed me apparently.

I was looking for a passing score on that retake to help push me through my FAR exam on 8/26. Instead, I felt defeated and was left wondering if this whole CPA thing was really for me.

After 5 days of sulking, not much studying, and a review of my study tactics, I sucked it up and put my FAR studying back on track.

The truth is there’s no way I’ll be ready to sit for FAR on the 26th but my NTS expires so I’m going into the exam with the plan to try to remember as much as I can of what I see. When I get back to my car, I’m going to try to write it down. I’m not sure how or what I will use it for but I will have it and figure out the rest along the way.

I’ve already made my retake plan for FAR and AUD so I feel somewhat at ease knowing that this is just a test run. I’m going to go in there and answer the ones I know and guess on the rest. I’ll only be halfway through the material by the time I take FAR so my plan is just to continue studying and sit for the retake in early October.

I’ve got a vacation planned in mid-October, my first one since starting this CPA journey so I’m hoping it will help push me to complete FAR and get it behind me.

When I return from that trip, I will start my AUD retake where I focus much more of my time on the SIMS. While preparing for my last AUD retake, I hammered the Wiley MCQs, doing 300 a day. Apparently that worked but the little focus time I spent on the SIMS did not.

This time I plan to continue my 300 MCQs/day but will also add several SIMS to my studying each day and try to devote several hours on the weekends to JUST SIMS.

My plan to finish before the end of year is now derailed but that’s ok. I am still on track to have 3 of 4 finished by years end and then will spend the new year tackling REG. It’s a doable plan and will actually give me a few weeks off around my trip and after thanksgiving through December when I know it will be crazier than usual.

Good luck to everyone who’s sitting for an exam or pushing through the material. I’m living by the motto “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out” until I get through this journey!

Sarah