[jeff]

I will be giving away an iPad 3 Thursday to someone in the forum. Here are the details:

Who: 1 Randomly-selected winner.

You don’t have to be a current candidate to enter – Alums are welcome too!

The selection will be recorded through a screencast.

Note – the winner will be double-checked to make sure they don’t have more than one forum account posting in the giveaway thread, so no shenanigans.

What: iPad 3 – $499 model (winner will have the option to pay for any upgrades/features they want added)

Why: iPads are awesome (I have an iPad 2 … hope I win!) 😉

How:

1. “Like” another71 on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/another71)

2. In this thread, post a CPA Exam or Accounting Career tip (or both) that you think would benefit a College Senior or recent graduate. If you work for a Big 4 or Regional Accounting Firm, interview tips or anything making the process easier would be great.

That’s it … Good Luck!

***

New Prizes Added!

– 5 Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University Memberships (Online)

– 5 Complete NINJA Audios

– 5 Complete NINJA Notes

– 1 30 Minute Muay Thai training session at Del Mar Beach (CA) in September (you have to get to Del Mar though) 🙂

Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS) | Another71 | NINJA CPA | NINJA CMA | NINJA CPE

[meira_s]

use the ninja reviews!

[hacka75]

College, exam, job advice – 1. Perform an inventory of your life. 2. List wasteful things in it. 3. Cut 20% of the waste & add it to the time you spend on one of the above. From an accountants POV.

FAR 8/26/2011 - 77
AUD 11/17/11 - 87
REG 4/30/12 - 82
BEC 8/13/12 - 80!!

Pro Golfer/ Fisher who spends 50 hrs a week accounting for things

[Anonymous]

Work hard. Join Another 71.com, become a NINJA. Use more than 1 review source. Have confidence. Do as many MC's as you can. Everything else has to take a back seat. You will succeed.

[Jeanie]

Career tip – from someone in their mid 40's. Push through and sit for and pass the exam now. Trying to go back twenty plus years later adds significantly to the challenge.

Show up for your interview having prepared well – you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

A
B 4/9/11 62
F 8/14/10 55 08/06/11 43
R 10/14/10 35 05/14/11 58 5/4/13 ???

[TX Hoodlette]

NEVER give up on your goals. The CPA exam is hard, but it can be done! You'll meet some CPA's who passed it on their first try, and then you'll meet others that had to take it so many times it's hard to keep count!

School is important, but not as important as using your mind and being logical in everything you do. Take the knowledge you have gained in school, and never stop improving from there. There will always be something new to conquer.

[joeyb14]

Never, ever give up if I can do it anyone can!!!

[Anonymous]

Start studying and taking the exam while you are still in school. I think in most states you can start sitting 180 days before graduating (check with your state to be certain)… so start studying 200-220 days before graduation and sit for your first test as soon as you become eligible.

If you're able to manage your time between studying for class and the exam, you'll get a huge jump toward certification!

[IMissHavingALife]

My most important tip is NEVER EVER EVER give up. I took the exam 18 times over 9 years, and I mailed my application for my license and permit to practice yesterday. It was an amazing feeling. It still doesn't feel real sometimes.

Second, it is impossible to really know how you did when you walk out. The last two times I took the exam I was SURE I had failed horribly both times, and I passed both of them – one of them with an 80! So if you walk out of an exam feeling completely defeated, try to shake it off and go relax for an evening, because you never know!

And finally, I know it is easier said than done, but don't get discouraged. If you put in the time and effort, you WILL pass. Don't let a test beat you! I am proud to say I didn't! And that phone call on the night I got my last score from the managing partner of my firm to tell me congratulations and that he was proud of me was better than I could have ever imagined 🙂

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!

AUD - 81, expires 4/30/12
REG - 83
FAR - 64, 63, 72, 80
BEC - 60, 71, 70, 70, took again on 4/20/2012...76 and DONE!!! With 10 days to spare 🙂

[Anonymous]

MCQs have been the biggest help. Not for profit/governmental accounting was tested heavily on FAR, should spend ample time to understand it since it isn't taught much in school.

PwC liked my excitement to be a part of the firm during the recruiting process. If you want a job with the big 4, make it obvious.

FAR 5/18 (waiting for score)

BEC 5/31

REG 7/6

AUD 10/31

[Anonymous]

Exam Tips:

1. Take the exam as soon as possible; putting it off will only make it harder to find the motivation to start studying.

2. Use forums such as this one when you start feeling discouraged or lack motivation; talking to others going through the same thing really helps!

3. Don't be afraid to reschedule your exam if you don't feel you are 100% prepared; this can cause you to fail the exam and become discouraged to keep trying.

4. Use a variety of test banks and study materials; sometimes it helps to see things explained a different way

5. Most importantly…. RELAX!

[Third times a charm]

1. When planning your exams, Plan to sit as many times as possible to increase your changes of passing before your previous exams expire. I think Its best to try to do two exams in one window. Just not REG and FAR together becausee it is easy to confuse the tax rules and with GAAP or IFRS. I would recommend you take them as far apart as possible actually. The more times you take the exam the quicker the process will be over.

2. Confidence is key. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the magnitude of information you are expected to know. Even though you still have weak areas going into your exam DO NOT LET IT PSYCH YOU OUT. Just Repeat as many times as you need to “I AM GOING TO PASS THIS EXAM.” They can't test you on everything and a positive attitude can go a long way.

3. Take a zanex on score release day.

[Anonymous]

Exam Tip: Don't rush through your studying. I used the Wiley guides and on my first try at BEC, I rushed my way through the book. Take your time reading so you can really get to know the material.

[Yolanda]

My advice for the CPA exam would be to make your own notecards and study them over and over. Follow the NINJA plan!

My career advice would be: learn the CPA material, don't just store it in short term memory. Actually learn it. It will help you in your career when you do an audit and you are asked to send out a positive or negative confirmation, or some other type of example. 🙂

BEC - 64, 58, 68
AUD - 55 - Retake 2013
FAR - 55
REG - JAN 2013
Ethics exam - required in my state (IL) DEC 2012

[Anonymous]

Exam Tips:

1. Take the exam as soon as possible; putting it off will only make it harder to find the motivation to start studying.

2. Use forums such as this one when you start feeling discouraged or lack motivation; talking to others going through the same thing really helps!

3. Don't be afraid to reschedule your exam if you don't feel you are 100% prepared; this can cause you to fail the exam and become discouraged to keep trying.

4. Use a variety of test banks and study materials; sometimes it helps to see things explained a different way

5. Most importantly…. RELAX!

[Third times a charm]

1. When planning your exams, Plan to sit as many times as possible to increase your changes of passing before your previous exams expire. I think Its best to try to do two exams in one window. Just not REG and FAR together becausee it is easy to confuse the tax rules and with GAAP or IFRS. I would recommend you take them as far apart as possible actually. The more times you take the exam the quicker the process will be over.

2. Confidence is key. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the magnitude of information you are expected to know. Even though you still have weak areas going into your exam DO NOT LET IT PSYCH YOU OUT. Just Repeat as many times as you need to “I AM GOING TO PASS THIS EXAM.” They can't test you on everything and a positive attitude can go a long way.

3. Take a zanex on score release day.

[Author]

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