Use this thread to post anything to do with your BEC test during the current period. When are you sitting? When did you sit? How did it go? Were you prepared? Was the test easier or harder than you thought? Waiting for your scores? Received your scores? Post it all here.

sitting for BEC in April...this will be my first test. not really sure what to expect. i've been putting some time in so if i fail i can just blame my review course! right? j/k

I'm sitting for BEC at the end of April. I hope I'll be ready!!! I'm glad there's not simulations on this one (this will be my first).

Good luck, street. How has the studying been going so far? Let me know if I can help!

From my review:

Q -

A manufacturing firm wants to obtain a short-term loan and has approached several lending institutions. All of the potential lenders are offering the same nominal interest rate, but the terms of the loans vary. Which of the following combinations of loan terms will be the most attractive for the borrowing firm?

A. Simple interest, no compensating balance

B. Discount interest, no compensating balance.

The correct anser is A. How to determine A or B is my question? Help! THanks!

With discount interest, the interest is deducted in advance in the original payment to the debtor. Since the debtor doesn't actually receive the full amount of the loan, the effective rate is higher than with a simple interest loan.

Thanks Andrew!

Sat for BEC in the Jan Feb window and received my score of 68, my previous score was 63 so I am inching up. I rescheduled for a May retake. My question is, when you look on the back of the score report their are five main topics but in the study material their are many. Does any one know what multiple topics fall under Planning and Measurement and under Financial Management. I thought with this knowledge I can focus in a bit closer.

It's definitely good to see improvement. You're getting there!

Hopefully this info will help you.

Planning and Measurement (22-28%)
A. Planning and budgeting
1. Planning techniques, including strategic and operational planning
2. Forecasting and projection techniques
3. Budgeting and budget variance analysis
B. Performance measures
1. Organizational performance measures, including financial and nonfinancial scorecards
2. Benchmarking, including quality control principles, best practices, and benchmarking techniques
C. Cost measurement
1. Cost measurement concepts (standard, joint product, and by-product costing)
2. Accumulating and assigning costs (job order, process, and activity-based costing)
3. Factors affecting production costs

Financial Management (17-23%)
A. Financial modeling, including factors such as financial indexes, taxes and opportunity costs, and models such as economic value added, cash flow, net present value, discounted payback, and internal rate of return
1. Objectives
2. Techniques
3. Limitations
B. Strategies for short-term and long-term financing options, including cost of capital and derivatives
C. Financial statement and business implications of liquid asset management
1. Management of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and inventories.
2. Characteristics and financial statement and business implications of loan rates (fixed vs. variable) and loan covenants

Thanks I truly appreciate that breakdown. I am trying to stay positive with this testing process. I realize everyone has different levels of skills so when I read some blogs regarding individuals passing on the first or second time I question my abilities, but I realize that I am going to be 40 here soon and with a family I have to be realistic on the obstacles I will have to over come including adjusting for the changes too come on the 2011 testing.