CPA Exam: How did you pass FAR?

I used Becker. Honestly, FAR is so content heavy, it's one of those exams where you're basically attempting to learn (and retain) everything. The measure of your success on that exam is about how much do you know. That being said, FAR is the one exam where I really stress that people do things "by the book." How I studied: 1) Read the chapter, 2) Worked the questions in that chapter, 3) Re-read sections for questions I got wrong, 4) Re-worked questions, 5) Moved on to the next chapter, 6) Repeat. My one goal when studying was to get closer and closer to taking a practice exam. Taking practice exams is your end goal. Once you can go through a whole practice exam, you can start targeting your weak areas, and spending little to no time on areas that you have down like the back of your hand. Multiple practice exams are better. Also, leave enough time for final review, ideally two weeks. The final review is the most important part (the time where you do the practice exams and re-study things).

Stick with Roger, you won't be disappointed.  I'm a convert from other review courses and I can honestly say that it is well worth your time.  Unfortunately, there is no easy way to pass the CPA exam, just time and hard work.  If you stick with it, Roger will definitely make it worth your while.  Best of luck!

I, too, use Roger, and I found the MC to be very helpful. I also find the videos to be extremely helpful. His explanations and lessons are very to-the-point. As far as organization- his lecture books are organized in a great way to keep tabs on what you need to work on. I use flash cards and usually label them by the chapter number from his book. That worked for me!   http://Rogercpareview.com

Great job being organized! That and dedication are the first step to success. I am using Roger CPA Review as well. Both the AICPA and Roger stress the importance of practicing actual problems and being comfortable with exam conditions (so you don't run out of time). Speaking from experience, I can't stress enough how crucial it is to not skimp on MCQs and understand not only why the answer is right, but why the other answers are wrong. A summary page of mnemonics is very helpful for final review as well.

Do ALL the MCQ and TBS in the book and also on the software.  Roger CPA Review (the one you are using) recommends doing the homework at least twice. I do the assigned MCQ (at the end of the chapter) twice, then review any that I missed both times.  Once I have finished the lectures and the assigned homework (including the TBS) I then spend a couple of days writing notes from the book, and reading his lecture notes again.  The last few days before the exam, I save for software quizzes.  Don't forget to add in TBS in each of the quizzes   I do sets of 40, with 2 TBS each.  The reason I do this it to get myself used to the feel of the actual test.  If you do a few more you will become comfortable with the timing while testing.

I used http://www.rogercpareview.com, too in order to pass FAR. His lectures really helped me understand the material. The way he teaches keep me engaged. I reviewed daily. I used my phone app to answer MCQ's. I took many practice exams and practiced simulations. It was a very difficult exam for me. I started with it first, because I knew it would be my hardest exam. I suggest that a person focuses on their weak areas during review. Also, spend ample time on Governmental/Non-Profit, because there are many questions on those topics. Hope this helps and good luck!

It was my first exam and i must say FAR is tough. FAR is not too complicated, it's just a HUGE amount of information to remember. I think that if you did good on  MCQ you have a really good shot at passing. I usedhttp://www.becker.comand http://prepsmarter.com  both review courses are nice. I did N no of MCQs, because both tool follow brain based learning so I did enough practice on my weak points.I always create a study plan and follow it.  

I used CPA Excel.  I recognized by then (my third exam, I think) that if I gave myself more than about 6 weeks to prepare, I would waste the initial weeks because I couldn't remember that far back.  So I prepared and took the exam in 7 weeks.To get into the nitty gritty, on Saturday I would take a full practice exam.  I would take Sunday off.  Monday - Thursday, I would spend 1-3 hours per night, primarily doing practice questions and only really getting into the text if I got a problem wrong more than once and obviously didn't understand the material.  Fridays I would study if I couldn't avoid it, but I did try to have a date with my wife or some family time with the kids. I should also mention that I tailored my coursework for the CPA exam.  For FAR, one particular class really stands out- it was basically a history of U.S. GAAP and how current policies evolved.  It was by far the most influential part of my preparation.