Passing Straighterline Accounting I and II

[bllyshrs]

As of March 2010, the following will save you a lot of frustration.

BEFORE taking each Straighterline Chapter Quiz, go to their online student learning center. http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/00...uiz_a.html

FIRST take the online multiple choice quiz that corresponds to the SL chapter and answer EVERY question. Next, PRINT OUT your online quiz results. If you have done this part correctly then a green check mark will appear next to the correct answer and a complete explanation for why the answer is correct will appear in bold, just below the answer. When you go to take the Straighterline chapter quiz, you will see the benefit of following this instruction.

In preperation for the (4) multi-chapter exams, have the book handy and be ready to utilize the GLOSSARY at the back of the book. Why the GLOSSARY? When a multiple choice question asks which answer is correct, 8 times out of 10, you can save yourself a lot of aggravation by heading straight to the glossary and looking up the definition of a particular term. If you were too cheap to buy the book, then utilize the online student learning center chapter glossary. You will have to go back and forth between chapters to find all of the glossary terms, but the end result should still be the same.

Utilizing these tips will prepare you to pass both Acct I and Acct II.

Buy the book that covers both Acct I and Acct II used (ISBN # 9780072996531) I paid $8.00 for one.

Geezer, this is great material. I just started Acct I and will be taking Acct II immediately afterwards. I have also read other posts about this straighterline set of courses elsewhere on instacert, and similar advise is given, with some other great websites such as principlesofaccounting.com, and accountingcoach.com.

Here is my question:
I have heard conflicting information on this, so I'm curious whether the graded quizes and/or exams are timed or not? If so, this could greatly change my overall strategy.

Also, I am looking to ace this course, not just pass. Again the advise you give along with others is great. You seem to have a lot of experience with straighterline, and in my situation, I have both very little time (i need to get this course done quickly) but I have all the time in the world (I am unemployed an am working this degree program to get me back into the job market). So I can spend 12-15 hours a day on this if need be (though I don't want to burnout) as I have nothing better to do. While i can pour the raw time into studying, this website/forum and group of people are all about working smarter and harder, not just harder. Any additional advise to ace the course?

[skyfall123]

Here is my question:
I have heard conflicting information on this, so I'm curious whether the graded quizes and/or exams are timed or not? If so, this could greatly change my overall strategy.

What SL now does (as of a month ago) is give you a 5 hour time limit on completing the exams. I seriously doubt you would ever need more than 2 hours.

Also, I am looking to ace this course, not just pass. Again the advise you give along with others is great. You seem to have a lot of experience with straighterline, and in my situation, I have both very little time (i need to get this course done quickly) but I have all the time in the world (I am unemployed an am working this degree program to get me back into the job market). So I can spend 12-15 hours a day on this if need be (though I don't want to burnout) as I have nothing better to do. While i can pour the raw time into studying, this website/forum and group of people are all about working smarter and harder, not just harder. Any additional advise to ace the course?

The tips I provided will put you in a position to pass (if you follow what was written above). In order to get an A or B, you will need to spend extra time on the 4 main (combined) exams. Part of the reason I provided the tips was to give the course taker enough mental relief to be able to pace yourself in case you wanted to go the extra mile and get the A or B. Totally doable. Plan on spending a couple of hours or more on the comprehensive exams. 60% of answers are relatively easy, 20% are hard, 20% are the ones that will require the extra hour. Many questions are book specific, so you either need the book, are able to make use of the book's online resources provided, or are able to be extremely resourceful.

IMPORTANT (The purpose of starting this thread unlike other generic SL threads, was not to introduce a gazzilion additional resources outside of the SL book and online resources. It was to say, OK within the framework of the course and suggested book, and using the suggested book or the SL course material and the suggested book's online companion resources, here is a surefire way to pass the course.)

You can do it!!!

[bllyshrs]

Good advice, thanks Geezer! Like you said, 5 hours is plenty of time. Most of the exams I took when I went to a brick and mortar school were about 90min-2hrs, and there were no books or resources to utilize once the clock started ticking. You still have to know the material, but it sounds like I will just have to put some serious attention and time into the four exams. Hopefully I can have one knocked out tonight. Thanks again!

[bllyshrs]

The tips I provided will put you in a position to pass (if you follow what was written above). In order to get an A or B, you will need to spend extra time on the 4 main (combined) exams. Part of the reason I provided the tips was to give the course taker enough mental relief to be able to pace yourself in case you wanted to go the extra mile and get the A or B. Totally doable.

So my laptop hard drive melted down on Friday, and I spent the weekend dealing with hard drive recovery and forking over precious cash to the local Mac tech. In any case, I am back up and running today and per Geezer's suggestions, just wrapped up the first three practice quizzes and Exam 1. perfect scores on all three quizzes but I missed one question on the Exam to net me 145pts. I hate to be a test snob, but I can't believe that I got that close and missed one. Can you look up what you missed on a test? I reviewed each answer twice; once while doing the test and once again before I hit submit. When I go back to the Exam, it gives me a warning about being a timed exam and I don't want to reset my results. I am seriously questioning what i could have possibly missed. If i were an outsider looking in, i would probably advise me to forget about it and move on and accept the grades, but not knowing is driving me crazy. banghead

[bllyshrs]

just took exam 2. I wanted to get it over with last night but it got late, and boy am I glad I waited. Brutal. The trick questions were in full effect. There was a question about discount loss, which was only in the Appendix of the chapter 8 reading (I guess you have to read the appendix too, go figure). In addition, it required that you have some understanding of sales and trade discounts, which are in Ch 5, which if you have been following the straighterline course guide, you wouldn't have read yet. Good thing this is open book. Test took me over two hours to complete vs. about 50 min for test 1 (and I scored higher on test 1).

As Geezer mentions, a book is critical for this. Most questions, even when they are being sneaky, are pretty much out of the book. Even when you think you know the answer, the book might have a slightly different example of the same concept that they will quiz you on; if you have the book and look up every term in the glossary and/or index, you will be set.

I still ended up with 140/150 on this exam, so as mentioned before, an A is possible (we'll wait to see on that until I am done with this course, but it looks likely now), but you have to put in the work. If passing is all that matters to you, the above feedback from Geezer and others will get you a pass for sure.

Was aiming for test 3 tonight, but after the bloodbath that i just went through, it might have to wait till tomorrow.

[perriquit]

I got A's on both SL Accounting classes. Not easy A's at all but I got them. Do you know what questions you might have missed? I have the content fresh I might be able to help you.

[bllyshrs]

I got A's on both SL Accounting classes. Not easy A's at all but I got them. Do you know what questions you might have missed? I have the content fresh I might be able to help you.

Not sure if I can post actual exam questions to the forum, but I sent you a private message.

[caden07]

I just started this and ordered my book from Amazon. Please help with providing any tips on getting an A in this course with questions and/or specifics. My personal email is l05a@yahoo.com. I've already failed an accounting class online thru UMUC; it was very difficult and involved lots of assignments, but still a D wasn't a passing grade so again I do need some assistance with this class.

Thank you in advance for any guidance.

v/r
Rosie

[rickyjo]

*bump*

Would the moderators be opposed to me uploading and/or linking to a combined PDF of the end result of all 48 practice exams for accounting I mentioned by geezer (the ones he suggests you print out) with answers delineated? I suspect not...but I have to ask because the resource is invaluable and takes some time to compile.

If not would there be any issue with distributing it privately via PM when requested by individuals?

Thanks for your attention.

[IgnazSemmelweis]

What a timely bump. Great info from Geezer here. If you want to PM the pdf to me, I'll take it.