Now, what I want to show you is what the actual questions look like.
Here, for example, is a multiple choice.
Now, remember, multiple choice, you got 90 for audit, 90 for FAR, 72 and 72 for REG and
BEC.
At the top of the page, I know it's difficult to see, but you'll see there a countdown clock...4,
3:59, 3:58 and your heart�s going buh-buh-buh-buh-buh...then you'll see it has a calculator, which I�ll
talk about that in a moment and then a question with 4 different choices.
Now, at the bottom of the page, this is new and exciting, at the bottom, you'll see there
it says that you can mark 1, and only has here listed 1 through 5, but it will actually
go 1 through 24 or 1 through 30.
Now, you can flag it and come back to it if you want.
You can also, as you answer the question and you mark the answer, it'll come in as a gray
item.
So, number one is gray.
So, that�s saying that you actually marked an answer for that one.
The other really cool thing is, let's say you're now finished with this area, you want
to go back and review the ones you flagged.
If you put your cursor or your mouse right over the number, the question pops up at the
bottom, which is excellent.
So, instead of having to waste time and open it up in the window for that one question,
you just put your cursor over it so you can go back and say, �Oh, there's that question.
I got 2 questions left.
Which ones do I want to do first?� So, I want you to realize that that text will pop
up there, which makes that multiple choice really nice as far as again saving you a little
bit of time.
As far as the simulation problems, now, remembering, 6 for REG, 7 for audit and BEC.
You�ll notice here again, a countdown clock, and you'll see here...I'm sorry...what�d
I say...6...you have 6 for REG and 7 for audit and FAR...there we go.
So, you'll notice here a 1065 tax return, and you�ll notice those orange items there.
They want you to actually type in a dollar amount there.
So, you actually have to type in the dollar amount.
Also, what's nice, at the bottom, you�ll notice here in this one problem, there's 4
little tabs at the bottom.
What's nice is, when you put your cursor over the simulation tab, it'll tell you what it
relates to.
Maybe it's on audit risk, maybe it's on corporate tax or partnerships.
So, again that's one of the nice changes for 2011.
As far as other parts of the simulation, you'll see here where you...let's say there's a question
on accounting changes.
So, you click on the box, as you click on the box, let�s say, under description and
then another box opens up, a text box.
You then pick which item you want, you click on that.
What'll happen is, it will then say OK and you put it into the box.
So, instead of having to actually fit it like you did with the numbers on the previous screen,
here it'll actually give you different choices.
So, again those are some of the nice things.
As far as you�re TBS, task based research question, the research question that is for
audit, FAR and REG only.
Now, in the past it�s been maybe 1 or 2 points.
Now, it becomes its own simlet.
What does that mean?
It means it might be worth 6 or 7 points.
I'm thinking 5 to 6, but let's say 6 points.
So, this is 6 points.
Now, what are they asking you to do?
They�re asking you to go through and format where it came from.
Is it in audit standards?
Is it in SSARS?
Is it a PCOB?
Is it Sarbanes-Oxley?
Is it IFRS?
Is it US GAAP?
Is it an accounting standard code?
What is it?
Now, they also tell you how to format it.
Now, I know this looks overwhelming, but on the software that I will give you in my course,
we will have a chance to practice again and again and again to make sure that you're comfortable
with the research part, but with the research part, you have that drop down tab where it
will give you different choices, then you go up to the authoritative literature on the
top left, you click on that, and it opens up the table of contents.
You then do a search and one of the things that you can do is you can search the text.
You can also search within the text.
So, when you push that button, it'll allow you to search, for example, within the text.
We'll see here, you type in a word, presumptive, and then it'll look for that.
Then you can type within and every time that word comes in, or that phrase comes in, then
it'll show you where it is.
So, again, it's not quite as overwhelming as it seems, but that is called the research.
As far as written communication, and as I mentioned, this is currently in audit, FAR,
in REG, boom, moving over to BEC only.
With the written communication, this is, again, don't freak out.
I think it's a pretty easy 10 points.
Basically, what they're looking for, and if you look at the reminder, it says your response
will be graded for both technical content and writing skills.
Technical content will be evaluated for information that is helpful to the intended reader and
clearly relevant to the issue.
So, they�re really grading you on relevance.
Is it relevant?
And you�re writing skills.
Is it clear, concise, complete, use of Standard English, appropriateness for the reader, it
has a beginning, a middle and an end.
Now, one of the nice things that they're changing is, currently, there's no spell check.
Now, when type it in, if it's not spelled right, you get that red squiggly like in Word,
then you right click and it gives you choices.
Like if I misspelled �misspelled,� it'll show you how to do it.
Now, the thing that's missing with Word is when you type and your grammar ain�t so
good you get that green squiggly.
That�s what they�re grading you on, so they�re not going to give you that, but
they want a beginning, middle and end.
So, realize that if this moves to BEC, this essay is now on cost accounting, or economics,
or financial management, or corporate governments, or one of those other areas.
You don't have to be an expert.
You just have to read the question and basically copy and paste in a sense, write in your own
words a beginning, a middle and an end.
And you want to make sure that it's written correctly, it's relevant, it's on topic and
it flows.
That's what they're really looking for.
Now, the other change too is to the calculator.
One of the nice things is, it�ll now have a tape because I know that most of us would
start to enter numbers and we forget which numbers we entered and so forth.
So, you have a running tape there.
You can even save that tape in memory.
So, that's one of the nice things.
That's a big change that will really help people out.
The calculator has multiplication, division, addition, subtraction, square root.
There's no present value key.
What does that mean?
It means that they will give you the present value factors, you just need to know...you
know they�ll give you a present value table, you have to know which one to use.
Is it a present value of an ordinary annuity, annuity due now, a lump sum, future value
and so forth?
So, there's no present value key, however they'll give you the factors.
You just need to know what to do with them.
That's my job...to make sure that I teach it to you.
So, you�re understanding the material.