Hi, everyone! Today, I am going to speak about getting ready to take the BEC exam. I have not taken the BEC exam yet, but these are some new tips which seem to be working very well for me and I would like to share them with you. Since the BEC part is unfamiliar and somewhat new to me, I am using different study techniques than I have on the other parts of the CPA exam.
The main change I’ve made is reading the book out loud to myself after each online lecture.
To my surprise, repeating what I just learned about in the online lecture helps me comprehend new concepts, theories, and computations in an efficient way. I read both the lecture part and the questions and answers. Since BEC involves many concepts and theories, and this is new material for me, having a good way to make it stick is very helpful.
Another thing I try to do is go back through and explain new key concepts in my own words after reading about them.
This helps me remember them more easily and I feel like I understand them better as well. It seems especially helpful in BEC because the exam has a written part. The more talking about this information is practiced, the easier it will be to recall this information on the exam and writing it down.
Lastly, I would highly recommend taking notes in your own notebook.
I personally take notes whenever I have a wrong answer in the practice questions. As I go further, sometimes I happen to make the same mistakes and using a notebook helps me keep track of the difficult parts. When I go back over my notebook, it is easy to see where my weaknesses are. Whenever I have a few extra minutes, I review the parts that I’m having trouble with throughout the day since I have my notes on hand wherever I go.
Everyone has a different way of studying CPA material.
I feel that a lot of the process is just finding what techniques work for you. I have not tried taking the BEC exam yet but I am understanding the material much better than when I started my BEC studies. I think a lot of this is due to the study techniques that I’m using. I hope anyone else that is looking for new ways to prepare for BEC can try these and that they work for you too!
–J. Frazier, Guest Blogger for Roger CPA Review