I’m nervous. I was doing great practicing MCQs online by doing 20 random questions at a time. I was getting on average 95% correct. So I started working on MCQs that I had gotten wrong previously, since the system keeps track. I was still doing pretty well. But then I worked the 40 question practice exam in the Wiley book. These were the 2011 released AICPA questions. They started out easy but then got harder and harder, and then I got to the last one which was on process costing and I couldn’t figure it out. I got very close, but had one part of the calculation wrong. I ended up with 73% correct on that sample and now I’m worried.
I know after previous exams, I said next time I would spend less time working MCQs that I already knew just so I can keep getting high scores on practice exams, and spend more time memorizing and studying my weak areas. Taking MCQs online is so satisfying though, and memorizing is so hard for me. And it’s worked so far. But today I’m going to focus on areas that I struggle with, make notes and maybe more note cards. This weekend is heavy studying and then I have next Friday off of work which is the day before the exam. I’ve done that the last 3 times and it’s worked well.
The other scary part which I mentioned before is the writing section. I just don’t know how to study for that except to do the samples and try to remember those concepts well enough to write about them. I’m just going to concentrate on learning everything that I possibly can and then wing it. I do want to have a format in mind, like opening and closing generic sentences, but I’m not going to try to memorize any concepts from the samples.
My life outside of the CPA is getting messy. My house is neglected, I need clothes for work, I need to see people, I need to work out more and eat better, I have projects at work that need extra attention and time, I want to watch some TV. But like I tell people, “when I’m sitting in the exam center taking the exam, I’m NOT going to be saying, ‘this is so easy, I wish I had spent more time cleaning house!'” So life has to wait a little longer.