Becker Classes Completed

14 days remaining (adjusted to final test date - saved 9 days over October 2009 estimate)
Mood - Tired
Study Time – 4.0 hours (366.0 total - FAR: 86.0 - BEC: 74.5 - REG: 118.0 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94, REG-97, BEC-93

 I have now completed all the Becker classes for all sections.  Tomorrow I'll do the homework questions.  Friday I may still take off per the normal schedule, but may go on and start my overall review.  It feels good to be so close to finishing up finally.  It is depressing to think of all the crap I've got to get done in the next two weeks though.

FAR-7 Class

28 days remaining
Mood - Decent but Tired
Study Time – 4.0 hours (349.0 total - FAR: 67.0 - BEC: 74.5 - REG: 118.0 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94, REG-97, BEC-93,

I'm sorry for the slow responses to emails and comments the last couple of days.  I usually have access to my email and such during the day but I haven't this week.  I feel naked when I don't have access to my email now days.  Email sure can pile up on you if you aren't watching it.

Tonight's class went better than my initial reading.  Some of the cash flows stuff is still a bit odd, but I recall it being that way even back in college.  I've had too many experiences now to say I expect to do well on the questions tomorrow.  Instead I'll just leave it with "we'll see how I do on them tomorrow."  

It is hard to believe, but I am down to only two more classes to go.  I've got a week of classes and then a couple of weeks of self-study/review and I could be done with this.  I might be able to go back to my nice, quiet, boring life soon.

I realized today I haven't done my Review Post on the Becker BEC course.  I'll try and get that done tomorrow, although I don't plan on it being as full as my AUD or REG (skipping the basic stuff that I put in both of the others).  

I answered several comments that have been left over the past couple of days.  If you left a comment, I responded in the comments under yours.  I also answered a couple of nice emails from various folks.  I got a bit long-winded on some of the answers, but the questions relating to "how much do I need to study" has many parts to it.  I don't know if I got the question answered, but hopefully I got it far enough.

FAR-5 Class and the Vigil for BEC Scores

35 days remaining (aka 29 days)
Mood - Good
Study Time – 4.0 hours (328.0 total - FAR: 46.0 - BEC: 74.5 - REG: 118.0 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94, REG-97, BEC-??

FAR-5 lecture was tonight.  It went better than my reading on my own went for it.  I bet the questions challenge me tomorrow though.  I am not expecting to do as well as I did on the FAR-4 questions, but should do better than I did on last week's class' questions.  The lecture tonight was long and they skipped most of the examples in the material they covered in the last half hour.  

I have not made the time to go and do a progress test yet for FAR.  I can only imagine how much of FAR-1 I've forgotten.  FAR-2 & FAR-3 I was already scoring bad on and will have to re-watch those lectures probably, so they don't worry me as much.  I may just have to get through all the lectures and then do a more in-depth review than I've had to do for the other sections.

BEC scores were released to NASBA and the state boards late this afternoon.  Hopefully Texas will process them tomorrow and I'll have a score bright and early Friday morning.  Of course that won't stop me from obsessively checking 3 times tomorrow even though I know they only update the one time around 3am in Texas.

Good luck to all those going crazy waiting for score releases over the next several days through next week.  May your sleep be restful and your scores 75 or higher!

I was actually a bit surprised.  I hadn't gotten an email or question in comments in a week.  I typically answer any questions left in the comments in the comments section (ie yesterday's comment question).  I can usually give better answers in email (link on right navigation area of blog) depending on the question.

FAR-4 Lecture

37 days remaining
Mood - Better than this weekend at least
Study Time – 4.0 hours (321.5 total - FAR: 39.5 - BEC: 74.5 - REG: 118.0 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94, REG-97, BEC-??

Class went well tonight.  I did fine on all the in-class questions except for the one where I apparently did not RTCDQ.  I'm hopeful that tomorrow's studying will not be as painful as last week's.  This would be good news as it would be one more class I don't have to stress over.

Still no word on the test confirmation.  Also, scores should be released sometime this week and BEC is typically the first section released.  There was alot of hope that it would be today, but that time has come and passed.  Maybe tomorrow the scores will get released to the state with a Thursday posting by Texas.

I need to look at my day count down.  If I take the test on April the 15th that is only 31 more days, not the 37 from my count down.  For consistency I'm keeping the count down as it stands now, especially since I might bump my test out a bit further.

On a side note, Wow!  56 votes on the poll?  I didn't think that many people stumbled across my blog, let alone bothered to look at it.  Not surprising is the heavy Becker votes.  I imagine most stumble across my blog via a search involving Becker. 

FAR-2 Lecture

42 days remaining
Mood - Pooped
Study Time – 4.0 hours (308.0 total - FAR: 26.0 - BEC: 74.5 - REG: 118.0 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94, REG-97, BEC-??

I spent my birthday the way any normal person would like to.....I sat through a 4 hour accounting lecture.  I hate my life right now.  Anyhow, the lecture came and went.  We'll see how I do on the questions tomorrow.  Some of this material started to get a bit confusing.

Still no word on the test confirmation issue.

FAR Class 1, The Beginning of the Hopeful End

47 days remaining
Mood - Tired
Study Time – 4.0 hours (285.0 total - FAR: 4.0 - BEC: 74.5 - REG: 118.0 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94, REG-97, BEC-??

I think the FAR classes and test are going to be as bad as I feared.  This is going to be a long month and a half.  The good news is I've finished the first of nine classes for this section.  I need to think out how I want to study for this section and find a way to keep to a good schedule.  Since I didn't read the material before class I feel like I am already behind.

I also got to speak with others that got their REG scores.  Someone else got a 97 like I did and others varied from passing to barely passing to not passing. 

BEC-5 Class

61 days remaining
Mood - Very Tired
Study Time – 4.5 hours (251.5 total - BEC - 45.0 - REG: 118.0 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94, REG-??

 It was a very long class tonight at almost 4.5 hours.  The material was a mix of basic theory and calculations that I'll need to look at very closely.  I've got a week and a day to get it all down and be ready for the test.  I hate this point in the class.  I have a ton of studying to do while being tired of the material and ready for it to be over.

Easy Class

63 days remaining
Mood - Good
Study Time – 3.5 hours (244.5 total - BEC - 38.0 - REG: 118.0 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94, REG-??

Tonight's class was extremely simple for me to the point of boredom.  It was amusing the things the instructor said that were grossly outdated or (from a computer person's perspective) just plain silly (borderline wrong).  If the questions are as easy as the class questions that section is basically done.  If the questions are like what is in the supplemental material I downloaded it is going to be painful though.  Why any accountant would need to know anything at all about some of those topics is beyond me.

BEC-3 Class

68 days remaining
Mood - Tired and down
Study Time – 4.0 hours (229.0 total - BEC - 22.5 - REG: 118.0 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94, REG-??


It was a long lecture tonight.  There was a ton of material covered and a ton of material skipped.  There is a good chunk of the stuff I am fairly familiar with since I do it at work.  It is the other stuff that is going to be tedious.  I've had a bit of a headache all day and it really kicked off about 2 hours into the lecture.  I may actually be getting sick as I am feeling worse now that I am home.  I am thinking of taking a day off next week to study.  I've got a lot of material to get through, I'm feeling the burn-out set in, and I'm a bit pooped.


I am hoping that Monday's lecture on IT stuff goes well for me.  I am a computer person on my own and hoping I can skate by without too much work on the IT stuff.

BEC-2 Class

70 days remaining
Mood - Better
Study Time – 3.5 hours (222.0 total - BEC - 15.5 - REG: 118.0 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94, REG-??

The class wasn't as bad as reading it myself.  The instructor summarized the material well in the lecture and skipped over a ton of it.  I feel a lot better about it than I did this weekend reading it.  We'll see how I do on the questions tomorrow.  Class did get out a bit over half an hour early tonight, so I'm hoping to get some extra sleep.

BEC-1 Class

74 days remaining
Mood - Good
Study Time – 4.0 hours (212.0 total - BEC - 5.5 - REG: 118.0 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94, REG-??

I didn't do the BEC-1 questions yesterday like I had planned.  I was plain pooped and took an evening to kick back and relax.

It was good to hear from others in my class that they had many of the same issues I had on the REG exam.  I cannot explain why we all take comfort in our collectively shared misery, but it really does help to be around others that are going through this as well. 

The BEC-1 lecture was pretty simple and straight forward.  I did fine on the MC questions in-class.  I'll see how I do tomorrow on the questions.  The lecture was not as boring as reading the material made it out to be.  I did read the material after sitting through a 3 hour test, so I don't suppose I should be relying on my judgment that day.

I've gotten several emails in the past week from people reading this blog.  I am surprised that anyone is or has actually read anything I have to say.  I'm always glad to give pointers where I can (without running afoul of disclosure issues of course).  I started this blog so I could track my time and mood throughout the process and to have at the end of the process a detailed record of how I did things.  I find it a bit comforting knowing that others are going through the same issues I am and that I might be able to help or reduce those issues for others.  If you have questions feel free to email me.  

Also, in my links section to the right is a link to www.another71.com.  It is a great resource for those working through the CPA exam.  I have found the collective suffering we are all going through to be calming.  There are a ton of really smart people there using all sorts of different study materials.  Everyone there is extremely patient and helpful with so many things related to this exam.

Last REG Calss Done

83 days remaining
Mood – Tired
Study Time – 4.0 hours (194.5 total - REG: 106.0 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94,

I'm now done with the REG classes.  I'm feeling good on the content but unconfident in the tax.  It isn't that I don't know the tax stuff, it is just that I am worried that I'll over-read or under-read the question.  I've got a couple of busy days ahead of me for my final prep.

So what am I going to do over the next few days?  I really should have a plan moreso than I do at this point.  Just thinking about a general schedule: 

Tuesday:  REG-7 questions and simulation (3 hours)

Wednesday:  2 progress tests (100-ish questions each) (3-ish hours)

Thursday:  additional AICPA released simulations and progress test (2-3 hours)

Friday:  Final Exam #1 (2.5-3 hours)

Saturday:  Final Exam #2 (2.5-3 hours)

Sunday:  skim read and/or flashcards (2 hours)

That gives me another 15-20 hours of study time for this section taking me up to 120-ish hours for REG total. 

One More REG Class to Go

87 days remaining
Mood –  Ok
Study Time – 4.0 hours (183.0 total - REG: 94.5 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94, 

Another exhausting day of work and class.  On the bright side I'm done to one more REG class to go.  I was hoping to take tomorrow off from work.  Instead of that glorious plan I'll be going to work so we can move a couple hundred boxes of stuff from the office to the warehouse.  Maybe Friday....   Anyhow, the material is going well.  Like always we'll have to see where I end up after tomorrow's questions.  The even bigger test will be if I haven't managed to forget all the tax stuff again by this weekend as I start working on my final studying for REG.

Another Class

89 days remaining
Mood –  Pooped
Study Time – 4.0 hours (177.0 total - REG: 88.5 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94, 

I am posting this a day off since I was too tired to post last night after class.  I made it through the long day and class.  I'm down to 2 weeks before the exam and I'm feeling pretty good about the whole thing overall.  I'm not where I need to be yet, but I'm getting there.

Halfway Through REG

93 days remaining
Mood – Tired
Study Time – 4.0 hours (163.0 total - REG: 74.5 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94, 

Another class down.  The class lectures are done with tax topics and moving onto ethics and law.  Hopefully I'll do as good on the questions tomorrow as I did on Tuesday.  I think I'm going to try and take a day off work next week to rest a bit (and still put in my study time).  I'm pretty pooped to the point I can feel it effecting me.  

Almost Halfway

95 days remaining
Mood – Good
Study Time – 4.0 hours (156.0 total - REG: 67.5 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94, 

Another long week has begun and another 4 hour tax lecture is done.  We actually got out about 20 minutes early for this lecture, but mentally I am still pooped.  The material sunk in well.  I knew and understood the questions easily.  I should do great on the MC questions tomorrow.  I got in the 80s% range when I did these questions on Sunday so I should be over 90% tomorrow.  

3 weeks from today I'll be taking the REG test.  It is going to be here before I know it.

2 of 7 REG Classes Done

100 days remaining
Mood – Good
Study Time – 4.0 hours (143.0 total - REG: 54.5 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94,

Another day gone; another class done.  The lecture was short by about 15 minutes (tax lectures are shorter than the business law ones).  This means I was home by 10:20, which was a good change.  I felt good about the material to the point of boredom.  There were none of the homework questions I wasn't confident in.  Hopefully that will carry over to the homework tomorrow.

REG Class Begins

102 days remaining
Mood – Tired
Study Time – 4.0 hours (135.5 total - REG: 47.0 - AUD: 89.5)
Scores:  AUD-94,

The first class began tonight.  The lecture was the exact same from the 2009 materials (same shirt/tie on the lecturer).  This class has double the number of people that my AUD class did.  There are enough people in the class that it is actually crowded.  I'm pooped after this long day but am glad to get going again.  The sooner this gets going the sooner it will be over.  Tomorrow I get to go through the questions.

AUD Class Completed

163 days remaining
Mood – Tired
Study Time – 4.0 hours (57.5 total)
Sections Taken/Passed:  none/none

I finished the final in class lecture tonight.  I did good on the in class questions tonight, so I feel good about the 5th class material.  I'll find out tomorrow when I rework those questions.  The hard part of self-study now begins.  I've got 11 days to get ready for the my first go at the AUD test.  For now, I am pretty pooped and ready for a shower and good nights sleep.

Four Down, One to Go

165 days remaining
Mood –head swimming

Study Time – 4.0 hours (50.0 total)
Sections Taken/Passed:  none/none

I made it through the 4th class tonight.  Like the last class, I missed several of the in-class questions.  This section is like the AUD-3 class in that I'm just going to have to get through the questions several times before I begin to feel comfortable with it.  This is the first class where I didn't get through the questions once before class.  I really don't like it, but the computer issues this past weekend took up too much time.  The material was pretty detailed and counts towards a good chunk of the overall AUD test.  We'll see how I do tomorrow on my first pass through the questions.  If I were a betting man, I'd say 75%-80%, but I'm hoping to do better.

On the computer side of things, my machine has been running for almost 29 hours now without locking up or freezing.  I need to do some trial and error to pin down if it is a memory issue or an issue with a memory slot on the motherboard.  I could do this tomorrow, but it would distract from my studying.  I am hoping to get some more computer-fix time in on Friday, but I've got it stable enough now to make it through to my AUD test.

On a next class note, I got a copy of the REG book and the first 3 lecture discs for that section.  I'm hoping to start working through that material in December to get a head start on the January class.  I really need to be pretty far ahead in that class if I have any chance at taking the REG section in the seven day window between the last REG class (Jan 27) and the first BEC class (Feb 3).

I got more information from others taking the class.  They are saying if I've got the AUD stuff down that the BEC class should be much easier.  This makes me feel good.  I've basically got 2 sections I feel good about and 2 I think I'll have to worry about.