[M.O.D.]

Hello,

I am going back to school to study accounting and business from scratch.

I just finished 1 year of Accounting classes. I have enough units to sit for the exam, but I also want to start an MBA program (finance concentration)

I also want to study for a certificate in international taxation (probably 1 yr of courses).

My question is: should I postpone these programs and study for the CPA exam now, teach myself the things I need to pass, or take the degree/certificate classes and then study.

I am worried I will forget the Intermediate accounting I already took, after 1-2 years of the MBA program.

On the other hand the MBA will help me with the BEC exam, and the tax certificate with the REG.

What do experienced people say?

Time and money are not a problem for me. This is a career change.

Thank you.

BA Mathematics, UC Berkeley
Certificates in CPA and EA preparation, College of San Mateo
CMA I 420, II 470
FAR 91, AUD Feb 2015 (Gleim self-study)

[Anonymous]

Don't worry about what you learned about Intermediate accounting or other accounting classes.

You'll need a review course to study for the CPA. Depending on how you learn best, choose the right one.

[M.O.D.]

Thank you for the reply. This is what is confusing to me:

Most literature recommends certain (University-level) preparatory courses. I would think that logically, one should take as many courses as possible, then one would be as prepared as possible, and then a review program (or a book), would be all that was needed.

Yet others, just take the minimum amount of courses required by the boards, then study the “review”. To me it is difficult to review something I never learned to start with.

Let's say someone sits for the exam after an undergraduate degree. Yet someone else sits after an undergraduate degree and a graduate degree. Both can pass, but I would think the extra education (in accounting and business) would make the study less difficult or traumatic…

BA Mathematics, UC Berkeley
Certificates in CPA and EA preparation, College of San Mateo
CMA I 420, II 470
FAR 91, AUD Feb 2015 (Gleim self-study)

[See Pee A]

Learning most material for the first time through the review courses might not work out so well. They are called “review” courses for a reason, they do not “teach” the material. Becker, as an example, goes through and highlights many topics and areas so you have the fundamentals of many different topics down, but it does not sit you down and teach you things from square one. You are welcome to thumb through someone's old copy of the books and see how they work for a week or two, but I have doubts. Of course, with enough dedication and working very VERY diligently, I am sure even without all the accounting background you could teach yourself and pass.. BUT, the 18 month window would be more difficult since you wouldn't be able to review in 2-6 weeks like most people for a section. Unless you are in a hurry to pass for some reason, postpone the exam until you've finished your accounting coursework (at least a few more), and then go for it.

BEC 86 (08/30/11)
FAR 84 (10/13/11)
REG 88 (11/08/11)
AUD 86 (11/29/11)

Exam prep - Becker self-study

[jelly]

What other accounting classes have you taken previously? It sounds odd that you qualify to sit after 1 year of accounting classes, but I just don't have enough information.

It all really depends, for instance, how challenging were your undergrad accounting classes/curriculum/program and professors, as well as other non-accounting courses or areas that you majored in. Some people find that they've gotten more time to study accounting more in depth while taking grad-level classes, as well as just more chances to become a better student, so studying for the exam is not as difficult. There are also those with different academic backgrounds who probably don't find the exam all that difficult.

You might just fair fine with passing all 4 parts without needing more in-depth accounting courses at the graduate level, b/c the test is designed for students with an undergrad degree in accounting, albeit with slightly more courses than before. But definitely use some kind of review course.

Couldn't pass again!

[M.O.D.]

I have an undergraduate degree in math, and 20 years of business experience. I have the accounting units after 1 additional year of intermediate and tax accounting, and they count my math classes as business units…

https://collegeofsanmateo.edu/accounting/cpa_prep.asp

Thank you SeePeeA for your answer. Here is another question.

The BEC exam recommends the following coursework:

Macroeconomics,

Microeconomics

Managerial Accounting,

Cost accounting

Finance

Accounting Information Systems

Is this accurate? I have only taken one of these courses so far, and I do want to take them all (will be required for the MBA program).

My plan is then to wait until I finish taking these courses, then study for all the CPA exam sections, rather than take the courses while studying for the other sections. I might run out of time (18 months) if I pass FAR, then wait to take BEC until after the coursework…

I had a professor tell me that many people just “teach themselves” the BEC material. I did very well in intermediate accounting. In fact, I want to write a book on it because I don't think it is taught well — no T accounts. Likewise with tax accounting, no T- acct whatsoever. But if I T-acct all the problems I score in the 90s.

BA Mathematics, UC Berkeley
Certificates in CPA and EA preparation, College of San Mateo
CMA I 420, II 470
FAR 91, AUD Feb 2015 (Gleim self-study)

[jelly]

Interesting; my school did not allow math classes to be counted as business classes anymore b/c they could no longer defend it against the state education board when students applied to take the exam.

The BEC description sounds right – a random mish-mash of topics all thrown together on the exam. Cost accounting is very heavy on analysis and the econ is very conceptual.

Couldn't pass again!

[M.O.D.]

It is up to the CA state board of CPAs to decide the classes they consider “business”. Math and Computer Science are on the list, and I confirmed with them on the phone.

I am not sure of their logic, but it seems political, as if they want more technical majors to be CPAs.

Unfortunately, it does not really help me, as I still have to know real business theory to pass BEC, which to me means taking the business courses.

BA Mathematics, UC Berkeley
Certificates in CPA and EA preparation, College of San Mateo
CMA I 420, II 470
FAR 91, AUD Feb 2015 (Gleim self-study)

[Anonymous]

Do not expect the university coursework to help you with the CPA exam – with one exception – if you take CPA prep classes for credit. THEN Maybe that will help.

You can get straight A's on your university coursework and still fail the CPA.

Treat the CPA differently than your coursework.

[round1]

MOD, I think taking Cost Acctg, Finance, should be enough for BEC. The IT stuff is so random that I can't see how AIS could be helpful. And macro-/micro classes are way too much for BEC. I think Becker does a good job in preparing for this test for the IT and macroeconomics parts. I swear that some micro-/macroeconomics MCQs have the wrong answers selected as the right ones. So taking an economics class might actually hurt you. Go with the flow and just give the Review Course some quality time:))). BEC should be an easy exam after all. FAR and REG scared me much more.

DONE!

[bighitter56]

Don't expect CPA exam studying to be significantly easier or less time consuming because you took a few more accounting classes. I found a lot of the material to be unique to the CPA Exam.

For instance, you could likely take and pass BEC right now with a review book since you have taken Managerial accounting and a couple finance classes. Also, I am in the process of studying for Auditing right now and the CPA Exam simply goes into much further detail than my undergraduate auditing course did, so taking the class isn't helping my studying much.

BEC- 86
AUD- 96
REG- 83
FAR- soon hopefully

Using Wiley CPA Review Books and 2012 Wiley Online Test Bank
MBA in Finance & Strategy

[M.O.D.]

Thank you for all the viewpoints. I agree that the CPA exam (the review material anyway) does not always match the academic coursework. I was studying for the FAR using Gleim, and noticed this. Sometimes Gleim covers more material, in greater depth, sometimes the academic textbooks do so.

Personally I enjoy the academic approach, with the long explanations, discussions, historical background. I guess that is why I am interested in additional courses, rather than jumping directly into CPA exam study.

BA Mathematics, UC Berkeley
Certificates in CPA and EA preparation, College of San Mateo
CMA I 420, II 470
FAR 91, AUD Feb 2015 (Gleim self-study)

[Author]

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