Monday, December 21, 2009

AUD Score Finally Here!

I checked to see if the scores were released this morning and they were.  I did not score like I thought I did.  I was expecting a 72-78.  My jaw hit the floor when I saw the score.  I got a 94!  Wow!  I scored stronger than other passing people in all but one area, which I got an average in.  I did stronger in the MC and Simulations than other passing tests and average in the written.

I'll do a write-up of my review of the Becker AUD class/materials once I settle down and can type straight.

5 comments:

  1. great job; you're on your way.... the best thing of all is that each section will help you on the other sections in one way or another.....

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  2. Thanks. I have found a little bit of overlap already in my REG studies. I recall several points in the AUD class the facilitator mentioning items from the FAR class as well.

    The passing score is motivating as well.

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  3. I just sat for the first time and passed FAR with an 85. I had the same experience as you thinking I was at best in low 70s because I left 75% of sims blank. If you ace the MCQ and writing, you will do well (especially if you actually do the sims ... lol). I'm using Becker for audit now. It sounded like you used Becker - is this true? Obviously, you have good things to say about Becker for Audit?

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  4. I'm glad to hear you did well on FAR (using Becker?). That is my biggest worry section (classes in March). I did indeed use Becker for my AUD. I did a huge write-up of my thoughts on Becker AUD (see Dec 22, 2009 blog post). The short version is the Becker AUD materials were a direct hit compared to my actual exam. I did the MC questions over and over and over until my eyes bled and that was great prep.

    Funny you mention ace'ing the written. In AUD that was the portion I struggled with most. In my actual exam I was so far ahead on time I actually spent something like 30-45 minutes on each written part. That was more on each written than the rest of the two simulations combined. In my score analysis I scored just average on my written and above average on everything else.

    Good luck and let me know if there is more I can help with.

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  5. Yes, I used Becker and like you found their material to be an accurate representation of the exam. I believe I will go as far as to say that there wasn't a single question that wasn't covered by their material (how does that happen with pre-test questions?).

    I took my time with the MCQ (too much time, really) and felt when I had finished the first three testlets that I had scored perfectly. I was actually thinking at that point that the exam is overrated and why does everyone think it is so hard. Then, I hit the sims and was quickly cut down to size.

    In my sims, I didn't see any topics that were unfamiliar, although they did pick topics that were the last ones you would hope they would select. The issue for me, and this was especially true in the first sim, was the body of information I had to digest to answer the questions. I guess now that I think it through that this might be one area where the Becker sims didn't adequately prepare me. Most of their sims were fairly simple insofar as delivery of the question was concerned.

    As I said in the first post, I literally left 75% of the sims completely blank. I was convinced that at very best I would just squeak by with a 75 but honestly thought I would hit around 70. When I got an 85 I was estatic which also proved to me that the exam is fairly weighted. I have no doubt that I took the hardest version of the exam available, so their grading metrics (e.g., scale) was fair.

    I'm very glad to hear that Becker audit is also comprehensive. I had heard on another board this may not be the case. I, like you, am an older candidate (35), and can also relate to the time gap since being in school. It's encouraging to hear how easy it was for you.

    I'm finding in Audit that the material is easier than Financial, but there is just so much information (especially when you are cramming it in like I'm doing ... before tax season kicks in) that the challenge is digesting the volume of information in a timely manner. My study approach is to listen to the lecture (cds) and memorize in the book as I listen. Then I work mcq and sims to fine tune the concepts. I retain info by mental review periodically until test time. I'll take a 6 day break before my test on Feb 1 to comprehensively review all of the information and rework all of the problems. I may even work a practice test this time although I didn't do it for FAR. I feel if I had done so I would have done even better with FAR because I would have been more prepared from the time management stand point.

    Okay, done. Sorry for such a long post!

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