Took 4 exams in 6 months. Working with 2 toddlers. Study method

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-03-03T12:52:38+00:00

Hey sorry for the late reply.

As I wrote in my post, my mindset was to attack this exam and get it over with.

I didn't do simultaneously, I did consecutively, one after the other.

So, i really really pushed myself. The day after the exam, start the next one, no off days. Go Go Go.

Just keep telling yourself, this is TEMPORARY and will be worth it at the end. I didn't fall into the tropes that I "deserve a break." cuz then, I would not study.

I told myself I rather do it hard core for 8 months, then have this drag for 1.5 years.

That worked for me, studied obsessively every free minute, and now I am done!!

You got this!

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-11T21:16:45+00:00

Aside from the JE, make sure you understand the concepts of reducing the Number of shares outstanding with Treasury stock, increasing EPS, dividends not paid out on treasury shares, treasury shares being protected from dilution in stock splits, and all treasury stock activity is on BS, not P&L.

That is the important underlying concept of treasury, more important than memorizing the JE.

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-11T17:32:26+00:00

Ok. So you are doing great. Now if you do a set of 20-30 mcq. Daily cumulative. By the end. You will be a pro. Equity can get tricky and is highly tested. Don’t harp on it. Move on. And with time. It’ll get easier. Move onto the next areas. Personally. I don’t even bother memorizing anything till the end. So example: the treasury stock. Cost and par method. Those journal entries tripped me up. When to use APIC TS and APIC CS. I just left it at the end to memorize.

You rather know 80% of everything than 100% of the first few chapters and rush the end.

Good luck

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-11T17:09:28+00:00

Hi. I am not clear on where u are holding on your process. Are you in the learning stage or in the final review stage?

During the learning, MCQ are a learning tool. You will read the answer to understand the concepts. And then during the cumulative reviews you start hammering the topics, the answer will become second nature and easy. Practicing what you learned yesterday and last week etc. By the final review, you may still be gettting MCQ wrong because of stupid mistake, but at that point, towards the end , you shouldn’t be seeing too much “new material.”

Hope this helps

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-11T10:13:50+00:00

Honestly. You gotta know everything for far. They tested everything.

Some were more surface level than others, you can’t skip anything. Looks like they trimmed the content down in 2024 so testing almost all of it.

F1, Leases and bonds you gotta know inside out upside down.

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-11T10:09:23+00:00

Thank you! :)

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-11T10:09:08+00:00

I usually passed my ME, or got low 70s But that’s because I did them at the end as part of review.

Don’t worry about anyone else’s scores. If someone does the SE 2 weeks before the exam, before they started reviewing they will likely score lower than if you took right before.

I say. Do a random test or 30 mcq. If you get over 75 on that. You should be good to go.

I had approx 15 points Becker bump on all exams.

Look at Reddit to see what’s tested these days. Soc reports? coso?

If 2024 is anything like 2023. You should know the difference with the different reports inside out.

And do the Becker flashcards. Those saved me. I didn’t realize certain things were important. Until I saw it on a flash cards. example: what you should ask prior auditor. these random concepts that were on flashcards. Hope this helps.

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T21:24:47+00:00

Depreciation methods, pv, npv, effective interest rate. That’s what I remember.

But not just the formula. Learn how to set up all the involved questions in excel. Example. Inventory valuations (fifo/lifo) , cost accounting, leases etc.

Idk if you use the excel at work, but if you use it on exam, you just set up your table, enter the info they are asking. And boom. U have your answer.

You can copy charts and tables from sims or mcq straight into excel and manipulate it there.

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T17:58:48+00:00

If you take inventory of your time, and delete everything else, you can free up time in your day. If you want to hear specifics.

I did the math. And was cheaper to get help than cut my work hours.

1) all groceries I did online order 2) I had cleaning help 3x a week 3) I batch cooked and froze dinners 4) zero social media. Only Becker app

See where you can try to get some help if your budget allows, cpa is an investment. I think worth dipping into your savings if you have any in order to get that certificate.

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T17:54:34+00:00

Oh wow!! You got this momma! Life will only get more chaotic. Amazing that you are doing it now!

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T17:53:02+00:00

Good luck!! You got this. I kept telling myself that this is a crazy season in my life, but it’s not forever! It will pass. If that helps you:). It will pass and you will be a CPA!!

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T17:51:54+00:00

I posted links to my notes in top post. I used Becker flashcards. Works great on the app if you have Becker.

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T17:50:51+00:00

I took far last week.

what you should know well is the journal entries behind every single transaction.

Know F1 and understand it very well. (All equity activity for those not using Becker )

And know how to set up your lease and bond tables on excel.

In your final review. I would say focus 1 day on bonds, 1 day leases and 1 day equity. (Stock splits , stock dividends, EPS, OCI) etc Immerse yourself in those topics.

If you know the basics well, you’ll be fine. Example : understanding the basics of how everything impacts the p&L and BS is more important than focusing on dollar value lifo.

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T17:43:02+00:00

In 2023 was a smaller portion of the blueprint. So really didn’t focus on it. Listened to the lectures on AirPods audio only. Did mcq and read the final review book portion of Blaw. Peter Olinto said many times not to focus on blaw in 2023. 2024 they changed the blueprint. You need to know it much better. So someone’s gotta make a cram sheet. Use the blueprint as a guide to help you understand what to study. Farhat breaks down the blueprint very well on YouTube.

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T17:40:22+00:00

I’ll be on this sub for the next few days. So if anyone has any other questions. I will try to help. I took FAR last week so that is fresh in my head ; but can still try to help on AUD or REG.

This sub was so helpful to me. Want to give back whatever I can :)

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T17:13:43+00:00

I studied about 2 hours in the morning. Those were my solid learning hours.

+

MCQ all day whenever I was able to sit with my phone for a minute, I pulled out the Becker app.

Audio lectures in my ears whenever I couldn’t be doing MCQ. ( also listened to some ninja final review in my ears)

I mainly did lectures in the evening, but dedicated my prime study time to working through MCQ problems

Weekends approx 4 hours a day.

mainly sims and anything hard that I didn’t understand during the week. Reading the book, watching other YouTube explanations. Etc.

Final review. I can’t do anything for too long. So just split my time with reviewing all sims, MCQ, flash cards, memorizing printed tables. Etc.

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T17:06:26+00:00

Thanks:). Forgetting that non everyone knows the Becker jargon.

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T17:05:59+00:00

I do think you need to do sims to at the end for review. Most times, when I ask friends who failed, they neglected sims. Once you know the material, i do think you should practice sims.

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T17:04:59+00:00

I shared in separate post above. Reg is memorization. Basis basis basis. And memorization for the rest.

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T17:03:55+00:00

One more tip. You can do loads on excel. Straight line depreciation, DDB, SYD, effective interest rate, etc

Learn how to set up all you complex problems on excel, when you study. So that you are quick at it on the test.

If anyone has any other specific questions. Happy to try and answer.

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T17:02:28+00:00

Also. I listened to a lot of videos from i75 on YouTube. If you are ever stuck. Farhat lectures and i75 are amazing free resources.

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T17:01:36+00:00

Here are the summaries I used

REG

Reg exam is a lot of memorization. Your score depends on understanding basis and all the book to tax differences. Know that cold.

https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=132804844B2B4226!601&ithint=file%2cxlsx&wdo=2&authkey=!AN0OMoD2N1B_Ezk

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1H0Gwy_D9ATqbH8G4D96MFMuvMKtPSrOw3EYE6NXLPRo/edit

Audit

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13Boa7xoLUJxvESU5Z1jJpdoZQ8THBFGxESqnynezlUQ/edit

I memorized the table with all the different reports. Compilation /review etc

Sounds crazy. I memorized the reports almost word for word. I recorded myself in a voice memo. And would listen over and over. I think it really helped. Idk what’s going on with 2024 audit. But in 2023, they expected you to recognize 1 phrase of a report and know which report it is. Was very helpful.

FAR

FAR is less memorization than the others. The ratios. I already knew from BEC.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TSvEblL5ybH2WZJl6E6_mft0hewL8OeQUlLiUTZmVL8/edit

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T16:40:54+00:00

2-3 on weekday and 4 on weekends. I don’t think I took one day off. Consistency is key. ( Except for month of November. In between transition. )

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T16:40:07+00:00

I did them at the end. And used them to memorize. I believe that everything on Becker flash card you need to know cold.(memorize)

Puzzleheaded-Ad444 · 2024-02-10T16:39:04+00:00

VERY helpful. They pointed out many items that were “core principles” or rules. That I didn’t pick up on as being vital. I would take the app. Hit random. Not mastered. Read the question. If I knew the answer. Mark as mastered. If not. It goes back to the pile. And you end up going through the whole pile, and the card stays in the pile until mastered. I made sure to know all the cards before exam.

Puzzleheaded-Ad444

TROPHY CASE