Failed FAR twice — finally figured out what actually works for me

by Chris D. 7 views3 replies
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Chris D.OP
May 27, 2026

So I just passed FAR on my third attempt with an 82 and I honestly can't believe it. The first two times I went in feeling reasonably prepared but completely fell apart on the government accounting section. I was using a major review course everyone recommends but something about the way they explained fund accounting just never clicked for me.

What finally made the difference was supplementing with an AICPA practice test from their official question bank and actually timing myself section by section. I'd been doing untimed practice forever and had no idea how badly I was managing my pacing — I was spending almost 4 minutes per MCQ in some simulations. Once I started treating every practice session like the real thing, my scores jumped from the low 60s to consistently hitting 75+ in about six weeks.

My study guide for the last stretch was pretty simple: two hours of new material in the morning, one hour of targeted review on weak areas, and at least one timed practice block per day. Government and nonprofit together took probably 40 hours of focused work. Anyone else struggling with FAR — what's been your biggest sticking point?

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Chloe W.
May 28, 2026
This is encouraging to read. I'm sitting FAR in six weeks and I've been averaging around 68-70 on my practice exams, which terrifies me. Can I ask — when you say the AICPA practice test, do you mean the sample tests on their website or did you buy the full question bank through a review provider? I want to make sure I'm using the most realistic stuff possible before my date. Also how much did you drill written communication?
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Megan P.
May 28, 2026
Written communication is honestly way less scary than people make it sound. Just use clear topic sentences and don't leave it blank — partial credit is real. Budget maybe 15 minutes total across all of them and move on. You've got this.
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lisa.prep
May 28, 2026
Congrats on the 82! FAR destroyed me the first time too. The government section is genuinely brutal if your review course glosses over it. I ended up making a one-page cheat sheet for the different fund types and their measurement focuses — modified accrual vs. full accrual gets confusing fast when you're tired. Timing yourself is huge advice that I wish someone had told me earlier. I was the same way, totally comfortable untimed and then panicking on test day.

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