[Abby]

I need some input. I have a NTS for REG that expires April 8th. I have the test scheduled for February 28th but I know I won’t pass as I haven’t finished all the material in Becker. I can pay the $35 and move my test to April 8th but the problem with that is I don’t know if I will have enough time outside of working 55+ hours a week to study sufficiently to pass. And if I fail, I wouldn’t be eligible to sit for the exam again until July!! Should I go ahead and attempt the exam the 28th of the month (taking it seriously and trying my best) or should I somehow force myself to study after getting home at 730 pm week nights in order to take the exam right at the end of tax season?! I’m just upset I let valuable time in November and December slip away and now I will have to pay the $208 plus $75 to apply for a new NTS!!

[CH89]

If I was in your situation, I would probably pay the $35 and reschedule. Not getting through all the material and two weeks out from your exam, in my opinion, is not a good spot to be in. I'm sure if you put the work in, you could pass on the 28th. What is your current schedule with regards to studying now? Do you have time in the morning? Do you study after work, and on the weekends? Either way, you are going to have to put in the effort and prioritize this if you are trying to pass these exams.

[Recked]

I would take it by March 10th so you can get a new NTS for May or June post tax season.
No point in letting another quarter slip by. Try and study as much as you can between now and the test, then after the exam focus on work and finishing off tax season.

[Abby]

CH89, I went ahead and rescheduled for March 8th, I couldn't get a spot on the 9th. Right now, I try to study after work and on the weekends but right now I haven't done much of either. I do answer some multiple choice questions on breaks at work. I do have time in the morning if I could get up earlier. I am currently married with no kids. I just have to be ready to leave for work by 7:30 am. I work 8 am – 7 pm weeknights and 8 am – noon or later on Saturdays. I am sure I will work more as tax season lingers on. My problem with studying after work is that I get home around 7:30 pm then either make or eat dinner and by that time I am just exhausted and want to relax before bed. I know I have not fully committed to this exam yet but I just cant make myself get up early to study and I am bad about studying at night also. I am more of a night owl though. I know I need to stop making excuses and just do it.

Recked,thanks so much for your reply! I did go ahead and schedule for March 8th. I will try to study as much as possible then pass or fail take the rest of tax season off and pick back up studying April 21st. I think my problem with studying and taking so long to pass is I get bogged down in the details and feel like if I don't master a hard topic then I have to keep working on it until I master it. That is why I haven't gotten past the 3rd chapter in Becker and there are 5 more to go! I have skipped around some so I am not completely behind. How do you know if you have a good enough grasp on a topic before you move on?

[CH89]

I can definitely relate to feeling exhausted after work to study, it can be difficult, but I think once you can get a routine going it becomes the norm. This might sound silly, but I find it works for me, I have a post it on my wall where I study asking “Why do I want to become a CPA?” followed by a list of a few reasons. I find this helps motivate me to keep pushing.

I usually use the little quizzes or MCQ at the end of each section to kind of gauge how well I am grasping the information. I find that when I start hammering out MCQs when I really see where my weak areas are, and try to build up from that then.

[kakooakki]

I would take it by March 10th and not waste the other Q chance

[Recked]

So I was/am not a morning person really, but I found by the end of the night my mind was way too fried to even attempt to study, so I switched my plans to study in the morning when I was fresh.
Maybe its due to age, or maybe that just worked better for me.
I would try and get up and hour or 2 early to study before work. Make sure you get the benefit of your fresh healthy mind, not your employer.
After work just eat, relax and go to bed early, so you can get up early.
_
Current study recommendation. Do not read the book. Cram all the videos as fast as your can.
Get a base knowledge of BLAW from watching the videos but focus your MCQs on doing the tax questions.
You can pass REG without knowing BLAW, but you'll never pass without knowing tax.
It sounds like you work in tax so this should mostly be a refresher for you.
Cram videos, then target 100 MCQs a day as a base minimum. You've got 3 weeks to make it happen. Cut corners.

[FutureCPA123]

I am married & currently pregnant (currently 34 weeks, it'll be my first child). I took REG January 13th while about 29 weeks pregnant and passed with an 80. My schedule is similar to yours, I have to leave by 7:30 to get to work & I am just exhausted by the end of the work day. I work in tax, but I am no longer in public accounting so I don't work too much overtime right now. The best advice I can give is to force yourself to wake up around 4 or 4:30 in the morning and study before work. I also study on my lunch break & listen to audio notes to & from work. It is absolutely awful, but I concentrate more in the morning. It's hard for me to go home & cover new lectures/material after using my brain all day. So I use mornings strictly for learning new material and sometimes once I get home I do about 30 minutes of multiple choice from Wiley test bank to consistently study & relearn as I go. I hope this helps. I am taking BEC on March 6th, I just want to be 50% done before my baby gets here, lol.

[kakooakki]

@heather impressive, Good luck!

[dcrowdy]

Good luck! I finally passed REG this quarter and it is fueling my drive to get through two more this quarter and a final one by early May 🙂

[Author]

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