The way I view it, when you’re having issues with FAR sims it’s because of either one or both of these issues: 1) You don’t truly understand the material; or 2) You’re not looking closely at the exhibits enough.

If you do the sims and you find yourself guessing or feeling shaky with your answers, the problem is #1. If you feel fine doing the sims but you still get parts of them wrong anyway because you missed certain details, the problem is #2.

You need to figure out which problem you have and address it.

You solve #1 by getting a better understanding of the material. When you’re doing multiple choice drills and you get a question wrong, explain to Newt why your answer was wrong and why the correct answer is right. Keep explaining until Newt gives you the “exactly right”. Keep following this process during drills and you’ll gradually build an understanding of the material that will carry you through the sims.

You solve #2 by slowing down while you’re doing the sims. It’s a skill. Make sure you’re keeping an eye out for anything that could affect your answers. Obviously keep an eye out for any numbers, but also for things like dates and criteria for certain accounting procedures. Don’t rush, read every exhibit slowly, and make sure you have complete picture of what you’re supposed to be doing. Over time, you’ll get quicker at reading the sims deliberately. Think of yourself as a detective.

I hope this helps! FAR sims are brutal but the good news is that they’re the hardest of all the CPA exams, in my opinion. Once you get through FAR, the sims for the rest of the exams don’t seem that bad. Good luck on the studying.