[ChloeCA]

Hi all,

I graduated with an undergrad degree in political science having never taken one single accounting class before, then while working full time after college I went back to a community college to take all the additional classes to qualify to sit for CPA exam, all together 49 credit units total.
I really want to try and pass the CPA exam. I qualify to sit in California.

I decided to stopped working and totally focus on the exam. It’s much much more time consuming and difficult than I thought. I took BEC and failed, I recently took it again and waiting for score.
I’m really questioning myself if I can do this. I have the biggest weakness with math word problems and much better with writing. I feel like I’m spending 3, 4 times as much on studying too, hundreds of hours :(. After 6 months for just 1 section, I’m questioning if I should continue with my study.

I’ve taken and passed Series 7 before which was difficult for me as I’ve never taken finance courses. It took me two times but I passed it. I’ve also taken and pass my Payroll Professional (CPP) certification. I work in payroll – which is a niche field and really want to expand my knowledge to taxes or auditing and have a better chance in the work place.

Should I continue?

[Anonymous]

Chloe – you need to ask yourself a few questions (see below). But – you said you quit working and usually when someone does that, they have a very good reason for it. Hopefully your good reason is that you plan to study for and pass the CPA exam very soon, because as a Californian myself, I know how hard it is to collect unemployment unless you are laid off or fired from a job thru no fault of your own. Here are the questions:

1. Do you need the CPA for your career path?
2. Do you want the CPA, or is it something you are just sort of feeling out to see if it's right for you?
3. Is the CPA going to enable you to go farther in life/career or are you doing it for personal fulfillment?

I don't know if you have a review course or what your studying is consisting of but if you don't have a review course, you need to get onto one.

I won't tell you my life's story or bore you with my own CPA exam experience thus far. But – thumbnail version of that – I have been at this now for 13 months. I got my second
bachelor's in accounting/business in 2015 and for about a year, I focused on getting work experience and didn't start studying until July '16. I've taken 3 sections so far and have
passed none of them. Have I doubted myself and my abilities to get thru it? YES. Have I ever considered giving up? No. Why? Because I'm too far into the process to stop.
I've paid too much money and spent too much time to not finish. I'll do it…or die trying. How long it takes is not an issue, because I know that the AICPA allows for as many
failures as necessary without penalty. The best of wishes to you.

P.S. I hope you start working again soon because lapses in employment never look good on the resume – unless you
were in the process of passing the CPA exam. Taking a year off and passing all 4 parts would probably not hurt you as much as if you didn't finish that process within a year.

[Madhav]

I am also not a traditional accounting student. I took enough credit to be eligible to sit for CPA exam. Luckily i am not that bad with math problems still i am struggling to pass. I passed two and hoping to be done before 6 months. I think Accounting during college definitely was for me as i enjoyed very much but i am having hard time passing CPA though. I think you will do it but i have to say that you have to enjoy while studying as CPA is not easy process. Just thinking about passing some time makes it even more difficult. GOOD LUCK ON YOUR JOURNEY.

[Allsheneededwassome]

I really needed to read this today. I failed FAR after two attempts. I was a straight A student but it wasn't because I was naturally smart. I had to work very hard for my it. I passed BEC and REG on first try and have failed FAR twice now 66 & 69). I want to quit because it shouldn't be this difficult but it is. I'm going to try again. I have two little kids at home and a supportive husband and it's going to impact all day of us (the time I'm spending away from them). But I have to do it. I can't walk away from it now or I will forever regret it.

[wonggreg]

The future you that is relaxing in the Bahamas is begging you to continue with the CPA.

[ChloeCA]

crazyleon,

Thanks for your input. You raised really good questions and these are ones I asked myself too.
I did stop working to study the CPA. It's something that's been on my mind and I've been working towards it since the day I went back to community college. At that time, I felt like it was gonna take forever to fulfill the CPA requirement but then here we are.

It was a difficult decision to leave my job, but I couldn't see myself doing what I was doing the next 30 years of my career. I wanted to expand my knowledge for all the reasons you've said, personal fulfillment and career path. I've done tax consulting for payroll and worked with the IRS as well as many state tax jurisdictions and found that I like this field. I've never worked in accounting though.

I originally had plan to take a year off, study to pass the exam. I've taken time off just to study and definitely don't feel good that it's taken me a long time. It's super frustrating. During the test I even felt like just quitting and walk out but told myself I have to finish the test at the very least. I'm not someone who gives up easily either and at times felt like I thrive on failure. Even with my other exams I've failed and came back study and try harder and then passed them.

Yes, I use Becker review. I have to say I now know more than I ever did before I started. I mean as awful as it is, from a knowledge perspective I do enjoy learning not all but alot of this stuff.

I would never have been able to stop working and study this had it not been for my supportive partner though. I feel extremely lucky in that he supports me in whatever I want to do and just wants me to do what makes me happy. He earns a good income and is able to keep a roof over our heads while I do this bc California is expensive. But I also don't want to shoulder him with this responsibility for too long. I am looking for work again now too.

I admire your perseverance and I wish you the best. I think you're going to do great!

[ChloeCA]

Madhav,

Wow, that is great! What did you get your degree in can I ask?
I graduated magnum cum laude and this exam makes me question my intelligence.
I do enjoy learning, this is one of the reasons why I push myself hard to go this route, it's not ez. Not that anything worth it was gonna be ez, but I keep wondering if I'm capable of passing this bc I don't want to waste more time on it. I don't know how I can measure myself if I'm capable…

Allsheneededwassome – you've passed 2! I think you're totally going to pass the last two. Keep going! I wish I was in your shoes to boost my confidence.

[ChloeCA]

wonggreg,

LOL, I need a bigger reason to stay in. Maybe my reason is gonna be same as before – that is I simply hate hate hate failing.
I have worked for a while and have been able to afford to travel to a few cool places in the world, Europe, Asia, exotic islands in Hawaii and others.
Some days, I even ask do I want to continue the CPA suffering or go find a position like what I was doing before that paid well and continue with travel again.
Even now my bae is planning a trip to Hawaii and I keep asking him to cut back on the number of days bc I don't want to go play and fall out of my routine.
It's hard to come back and dive in to study materials after going on trips.

Who turns down vacations right? I feel like punishing myself and don't wanna reward myself with anything bc I'm not passing/reaching my goal.

[Wanna_B_TXCPA2014]

I think the key to this exam journey is learning to relax, finding your comfort zone with the material, and keeping a level head on test day. In reflecting on my CPA journey in which I failed every test taken from Oct 2013 to April 2016. Then passing AUD BEC and FAR in succession from Apr- Nov 2016. I did those 3 things. I think I am now struggling with REG b/c I am not giving it the proper respect. At first I thought the key was good ol fashion rote memorization, nope got a 60, second attempt thought that again 66, third attempt took the approach I did to finally pass FAR after 6 attempts taking more notes, working more SIMS parenthetically writing my own summaries of the things I didnt understand was rewarded with a wait for it….73

Bottom line these tests are hard. Some people have a knack for tests and breeze through, so people get lucky and get THE exam geared toward their strengths, and then there are those people who have to fight for every stinkin inch. Unfortunately Im in the last category, but I am no longer ashamed or angry, b/c on the hidden bell curve thats our collective test performance thats just how it is.
I relax don't beat yourself up or have to much self doubt, just open yourself up to the fact you may have to be a little more flexible with the date you finish.

[Author]

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