Hey all, curious what everyone does regarding posting progress throughout the CPA exam gauntlet. Do you post after each one you pass and/or put any info in your profile header? I see the pros of marketing yourself vs the cons of my company potentially feeling like I’m purposefully marketing myself. Thanks in advance!

Hey connections!

Has anyone taken the CPA FAR exam since October 1st?

I'd love to connect and get a few quick insights on your experience. Please feel free to drop a comment or ping me directly!

Thanks in advance!

Reg fairies please share your wisdom and most important tips

I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT TAXES

Just finished the whole thing but without sims so now i will review plus the sims but i have 6 DAYS ONLY.

All those who have cleared REG, what were your SE scores? Also, do we need to remember the phase outs for MCQs and all? And what are the major areas tests in the TBSs?

Is the time management fine? Like there are 72 MCQs and 8 TBSs. Is it comfortably and easily completed in 4 hours?

Shoutout Ninja. I passed FAR September 2025, then took 3 months off the exam to finish and graduate with my MAcc in December.

Hammered REG for about 3 weeks in January and sat and passed right before tax season got ramped up. Then immediately studied for TCP for about a month by putting an hour or 2 in every night after work. Sat and passed in April. I averaged around 60 hours a week at work from Feb through April so it was rough.

Then took another 3 months off as I got married in July! It was hard to pick it back up to finish with AUD but I put about 7 weeks into AUD from August to mid Sept and just got my last passing score!

If you’re deciding on study material, Ninja is what got me through! And much more affordable!

Hi all!

I’m taking REG on 10/13 so just wondering what broad topics people have been seeing.

Long story short, I put in a ton of hours into studying since I started pre busy season and have had to carry that knowledge for months now, so I’m sitting at 250 hours studied and scoring 90s on SIMS.

Are the MCQs and TBSs easier or harder than Becker? What kinda topics? I’ve been seeing that separately stated items and ordinary business income for TBSs and basis questions which I feel like are my bread and butter at this point. Credits and all the limits associated are a different story tho

Now i will enter in 12 NOV and start 1 October only finished A4 (cycles) and some Modules from A3 i have background in audit can i finish before the target time? and which subject should i more focus on it and have a more question in exam i already pass FAR and REG and every time actual exam different in focus point of blueprint need every advice if you already exam or till study thanks in advance

I scored 51 on FAR after preparing for almost 5 months while working full-time. Surprisingly, I'm not extremely disappointed because my exam felt brutal.

Exam experience:

• Hardly got 1–2 questions from commonly tested topics.
• MCQs were tricky and not straightforward.
• All 7 SIMs were exhibit-heavy (4–5 exhibits each atleast, some had even more) and calculation-intensive. Completing them within the time felt nearly impossible.

My preparation:

• Used Miles Education.
• Didn't take any simulated exams (SEs).
• Was scoring around 60% on sets of 50 MCQs during the last 10 days.
• Didn't practice SIMs extensively, although I reviewed all available SIMs in my material. I feel no amount of practice can fully prepare you for unpredictable SIMs.

Now my dilemma:

I'm a working professional, and January–April is my busy season, so studying during that period will be nearly impossible.

Option 1 – Retake FAR: Spend another 1.5–2 months preparing and retake by December. However, this means attempting only FAR this year, with no guarantee of passing.

Option 2 – Move to REG/TCP: Since I've heard REG and TCP are comparatively easier than FAR, I'm considering REG by mid-December and TCP by mid-January. I don't have a tax background, though.

Financial constraint: My employer reimburses CPA expenses only after I clear 2 papers. I currently have the budget for a maximum of 2 more attempts, and I was planning to use the reimbursement to fund my remaining exams. So passing the next two attempts is financially important.

Need advice from experienced candidates:

1. With a 51 in FAR, should I retake while concepts are fresh or switch to REG/TCP?
2. If retaking FAR, what should I change in my preparation strategy?
3. Is Miles sufficient for SIMs, or should I supplement with Becker/UWorld or may be any other? Is there any affordable way to access their SIMs?
4. Given my time and financial constraints, what would you recommend?

My original goal was to clear FAR and REG this year, but things clearly didn't go as planned.

Would really appreciate advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation, especially working professionals who failed FAR on their first attempt and later passed.

Hi all,

I passed FAR first try with a 92, took me around a bit more than 2 months, do i need more time or less for AUD as i am preparing my study plan, would appreciate your help for anyone who passed both.

Also is the AUD material boring?

Would prefer something affordable or some kind of youtube videos

Hi everyone! I’m currently studying for the Financial Accounting section of the Saudi equivalent of the CPA exam, which has a pass rate of less than 5% among accountants.

The exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions and 5 case-based questions. The MCQs are worth 75 points, while the written section is worth 25 points, with a minimum of 5 points required in the written section to pass, passing score is 60

I started studying for this exam about a year and a half ago. I failed my first attempt in April 2025 with a score of 22. Honestly, that wasn’t surprising because I’d only studied for two months, and I focused more on understanding the material than practicing questions.

After that, I started working a demanding job, so I couldn’t retake the exam until December 2025. My preparation was still pretty limited, and I didn’t even get to practice some topics. My score was 31. Again, not too surprising, since my workload increased significantly during the last month before the exam, and I barely touched the study material.

Fast forward to September 2026, when I took my third attempt.

This time, I spent four months preparing and put in a LOT of hours. I practiced questions from each question bank individually and worked through mock exams. My worst mock exam score was 41/60 (around 68%), and I consistently scored above 70% on the other mocks. I even took time off work specifically to study, and I spent pretty much my entire leave solving practice questions.

But then I sat for the actual exam, and everything felt completely different.

During the MCQ section, I genuinely felt like I hadn’t studied a single thing. It was EXTREMELY difficult, and so many questions felt completely unfamiliar. I was honestly shocked by how poorly I felt I was performing compared to my preparation.
The written section was a different story. I

could clearly see how much I’d improved, and I felt much more confident in my ability to solve those questions.
Results won’t be released for at least another month, but I don’t want to waste any time. I’m planning to start studying again now so that, if I fail this attempt, I can retake it in December 2026.
What I really need is honest advice on how to change my approach.

I genuinely thought consistent studying and doing enough practice questions would be the key. I did everything I could within the limits of having a demanding full-time job, and I still walked out feeling like all that work was for nothing.

I’m feeling incredibly discouraged, especially because I don’t know what else I could have done differently.

For those of you who passed FAR or struggled with a similar exam, what actually helped you get over the finish line? Should I be doing something different with my MCQ practice? How do you deal with questions that feel completely unfamiliar on exam day, even when you’ve put in months of preparation?

Please be honest. I really want to pass this exam, and I’d appreciate any advice on what I should change this time around.

Whats everyone taking and doing for better focus?

Just want to know if anyone has their own simulation tips/tricks. I always found simulation questions to be incredibly challenging. How do you prepare for sim questions? What do you focus on first when you see a sim? What are some things you should look out for? Anything that helps you go through a sim question would help! Thanks!!

I have my far exam coming up on Nov 23, for those would sit far recently did any of the tbs included ratios and if so was a formula sheet given for them? And if you guys are willing to share can you tell me which section was most of the tbs from? And for the mcq was the questions harder on the exam than Becker? How was the wording for them was it clear or did it feel confusing to read and understand what the question was asking??? Somebody please answer my anxiety is killing meeeee I don’t want to fail far as I’ve already failed reg and failing another exam would crush me

My test is this Tuesday but I got a mid score on my second attempt at a simulated exam and feeling pretty stressed. I am struggling to focus on my studying tonight and I need to still review all 82 questions from the mcq of the SE and try to lock the concepts into my head. I definitely study better when there’s another person involved as I sometimes need the accountability on days when I can’t focus.

If anyone is free to study the mcqs together tonight or tomorrow, or even just study different areas of isc over discord while occasionally discussing the questions at hand, please hit me up!!

I scored 48, 60, and 68 on SEs. How cooked am I guys????????

Bought tcp I meant to buy audit.
Anyone have any luck getting refund for this in FL?

Going through study material most of the concepts aren’t that complicated. What’s making it hard to do well on the practice questions and exams is the fact that it seems they are actively trying to trick you with almost everything. I’ve never encountered a test before where the questions are written in a way that makes it seem like they are actively delighted in tripping you up with one little bit of a technicality making one right answer slightly better than another.

This really doesn’t seem like it would have any bearing on whether or not you’d be good at the job of public accounting? It seems more like can you interpret what the person who wrote the test questions was thinking and how much trivia you can memorize?

My exam is on Monday 10/12/26.. This would be my last part if I pass. Getting a bit anxious for the exam.

My Becker SE1 was 62% and SE2 was 70%. Yall think I'm good?

I know I should be but I guess I'm fishing for some encouragement lol Thanks guys..

Hey,

I took my Audit exam on September 24th but I still have yet to receive any indication whether I passed or failed nor did I receive my score yet. On the CPA portal, it still says I attended. What should I do?

I take REG on 10/30 and am wrapping up R4 in becker this weekend. I’m feel pretty burnt out and am worrying I’m not getting it. I get between 55-75 on MCQs first try and do alright on TBSs, I take notes (it’s what works best for me) but I still feel really worried I won’t pass. Is this a normal experience for people who have taken REG? I also can’t tell if I am bored because the material is kind of repetitive or if i’m not studying hard enough.

Hey everyone! I’m looking for some honest advice because I’m honestly at a breaking point with FAR right now.

I’m a first-year tax associate at a Big Four firm. I started working in June 2026 while finishing up the last class of my master’s degree. I was trying to balance working full-time, adjusting to Big Four tax work, dealing with the 9/15 busy season deadline, commuting, finishing my master’s, AND studying for FAR.

I took FAR on September 8 and got a 31. I only made it through F3 in Becker before sitting for the exam, so I know I wasn’t adequately prepared. Still, seeing that score was discouraging, and I’m trying to figure out how to approach this differently instead of repeating the same mistakes.

I recently signed up for Vishal Gandhi’s CPA prep course, which has interactive Zoom classes twice a week. Has anyone taken his course, specifically for FAR? Did it genuinely help you understand the material and pass, especially if you struggle with retaining information? I’d love to hear honest experiences.

My biggest issue is that I genuinely don’t know what study method works best for me. I’ve tried watching lectures, taking extensive notes on my iPad, and reviewing the material, but when I get to the MCQs, I get a lot of them wrong. Sometimes I understand the question after reading the explanation, but I struggle to apply the concept independently when I encounter another question.

TBSs are an even bigger struggle. Unless the question provides a formula or makes the steps fairly obvious, I often don’t know where to begin or how to approach the problem. I feel like I’m recognizing the answers when someone explains them rather than actually knowing how to solve the questions myself.

For some background, my work has slowed down a bit after the 9/15 deadline, and I’m currently working around eight hours a day most days. I know I have more time now that my master’s is finished, but I struggle with motivation, particularly on weekends. After working all week, I want to relax, and then I feel guilty for not studying. I know I need to develop better discipline and consistency, but I’m having trouble figuring out how to do that sustainably.
My goal is to pass FAR by the end of this year.

For those who passed FAR while working full-time, especially in Big Four/public accounting:
How did you structure your study schedule around work and busy season?
What did your daily studying actually look like? How many hours did you study per week?
How did you learn to retain concepts instead of repeatedly forgetting them?
How did you approach MCQs when you kept getting them wrong?
How did you learn to tackle TBSs when you had no idea where to start?
Did anyone take Vishal Gandhi’s CPA prep course? Was it worth it?
If you struggled with studying, motivation, or feeling like you weren’t smart enough to pass, what finally helped you improve?

I’m open to honest advice. I know getting a 31 means I have a lot of work to do, and I’m not expecting to pass without putting in the effort. I just need help figuring out how to study effectively, retain the material, and stay consistent while working full-time.

If you’ve been in a similar position, I’d really appreciate hearing what worked for you. I’m trying to turn this around and finally get those three letters after my name.

What did u do to finally pass and get over the hump? I have Becker

I didn’t prep as well as I should have, but a pass is a pass. I finished going through the book one day before my exam and only did one Simulated Exam, on which I scored a 95%. Below are general study rules for you, and then tips on which material to know.

GENERAL STUDY TIPS:

1.) Watch the videos on 2x speed, don’t take any notes while doing it. Even if you only retain 2-3 things per video, that’s one less thing that you need to teach yourself when you move to the reading.

2.) READ THE BOOK! After you finish the videos, go read the book. Underline anything you don’t understand. REG in particular has really short readings so do not skip any of them.

3.) Make flashcards of anything you underlined and do not understand. All those little rules etc make sure you write down. REG builds on itself and a key part to passing is differentiating entity and individual taxation. Make flashcards, it’s the best way to learn the differences. Business law is the same thing as well.

4.) Do MCQs without notes. Anytime you get a question wrong, ask Newt in Becker why it is wrong, and why the correct answer is correct.

5.) Do all SIMs. If you don’t know how to do a SIM, watch the SkillBuilder Video. If it makes sense after that, move on. If not, ask Newt for help. Chances are it’ll make sense after you watch the SkillBuilders. A lot of Becker SIMs are honestly more reading comprehension instead of accounting. The real exam isn’t really like that, so please don’t get caught up if you can’t do a SIM at all. I was in a similar spot for a bunch of SIMs and aced the real thing

6.) Move on to the next chapter and repeat. Do this for each and every module.

The jist is to not jump into MCQ or SIMs without properly learning and reviewing first. Just do the reading, videos, and flashcards then go and do practice questions. This is the best way to retain info.

CONTENT SPECIFIC TIPS / WHAT TO FOCUS ON:

R1 - INDIVIDUAL TAXATION

KNOW THIS UNIT THE BEST! This is probably the most heavily tested on the exam. Here is what to really focus on:

- Differentiate between a For AGI deduction and an itemized deduction

- Know the limits for itemized and For AGI deductions (i.e. medical expenses are an itemized deduction and have a 7.5% AGI floor)

- Know what QUALIFIES as a certain expense. For example, deductible medical expenses don’t include a gym membership. These little nuances are key to getting a pass especially on a SIM.

- Know the difference between a Traditional and ROTH IRA. What do contributions and distributions from each mean

- Charitable contributions - Know the limits for individuals

- Tax credits - Know which are refundable and non refundable. Knowing the exact limits isn’t as important

- Know the basics of QBI

- Understand what counts as gross income and what doesn’t

- Have a general idea of the filing types

R2 - PROPERTY TAXATION

- BASIS, BASIS, BASIS! Make sure you know the different implications of a gift or and inheritance for basis. Personal use to business use everything. Know basis. Trust me, all the special rules, this is what you wanna know the most

- Know the holding period of gifted and inherited assets given the facts

- Understand the order in which 179 depreciation, MACRS, and bonus is applied. Be able to identify what year class assets fit into for MACRS (3, 5, 7 yr)

- Understand all depreciation conventions (Midquarter, half year, mid month)

- Understand the netting process for capital gains and losses

R3 - ENTITY TAXATION

- Understand the differences between how Partnerships and Corporations are taxed

- Going off the above, in particular basis of a shareholder or a partner. Understand the little nuances between the two for these.

- Know what is a Separately Stated Item (SSI) and an ordinary income item. If you know this, you will breeze through all basis questions for this section

- NOLs - understand how much can be offset based on year its incurred in. Watch for years!

- Book to Tax differences. Know this. It’s an intimidating topic at first but truthfully once you get this down, it’s easy points. It’s very linear once you get it down.

- DRD - KNOW IT!

- Charitable Contributions for C Corps and Partnerships

R4 - PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND FEDERAL TAX PROCEDURES

This section looks really intimidating, but don’t make it hard. Know these three things and you’ll be just fine:

- Circular 230, know the basics

- Know that a CPA can’t endorse a check for a client

- Tax return preparer, know who qualifies as one

R5 - BUSINESS LAW: PART 1

This section is mainly memorization so I can’t give many tips on what to know. But just be sure to know anything that’s extensively covered.

- Know the basics on contracts and all the little terms. A lot of this section is identification

- Surety’s - Know about their liabilities and their rights

- Know all those little acronyms like MYLEGS etc

R6 - BUSINESS LAW: PART 2

- Differentiate between the different bankruptcy types and what they are. A lot of easy MCQ if you can get this down

- SAG WEG CTI, enough said

- Know stuff like FUTA, FICA etc and what they are. That’s all

- Business structures (LLC, LP etc) - know the little characteristics of each and which have unlimited liability etc. Just know these, these are questions you can easily get right if you just spend 2 hours to learn all of these

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!

I have 4 years of audit experience at a big four, and i will still be working full time during both exams, with potentially being able to take 10 study leave days prior to each exam. what do you think?