[Anonymous]

So I’ve officially taken all four exams and received a 74 on both FAR and REG. I start work at a big 4 in two weeks and I have no idea how to go about studying and working at the same time. I also don’t know which to retake first, given the new tax laws. Do you think it’s possible to re-take both before year end? I am using Becker – I’ve done all the lectures, MCQ, and SIMS. Should I study all over again or try to review? Should I think about purchasing other materials since Becker might not be working best for me? I am so lost, please help 🙁

[Anonymous]

Can't comment on timing…I would think you have a few months until it gets busy. I would recommend trying to get FAR done. Most people do have jobs and study so it's not impossible….(who needs sleep? LOL). I would highly recommend supplementing with Ninja MCQ-it should do a really good job flushing out things you don't know….

[Recked]

I would attempt to resit for both in Q4.
I would assume its not the study material. When did you sit for both exams? How far out are you from the last time you studied for them?
It looks like you most recently sat for FAR so I'd try to take 6-7 weeks to brush up on that, sit by say late October, and then schedule REG for as close to Dec 10th as you can.
Hit the ground running on REG as soon as you finish FAR retake.
Do you have your score report? What areas are stronger vs weaker? That will help you focus your re-study.

[Anonymous]

I most recently sat for REG (July)- I sat for FAR in April 2018. Does anyone know when REG changes and you're examined over the new tax laws?

[Anonymous]

REG changes to the new tax laws in January 2019. Definitely try to sit for REG in 2018 since you've already taken it once on the old tax laws.

[White_18]

I can’t really speak to timing, but I had the same issue with Becker when trying to pass FAR. I received back to back 73’s and wasn’t really sure what to do next. I purchased Roger to see if that would help, and sure enough, I passed my next attempt with an 81. I passed all other sections using Becker, but I feel that the Roger review course allowed me to better narrow my focus on the areas that I needed to improve upon. Hope this helps and good luck!

[Iceman]

If you are like me, working in the field will help you as much or more than studying. In your head, just apply everything you do to the concepts on the exams and apply everything you learn from studying to what you do at work. Once you DO it and understand what it is you are doing, then it becomes part of you. You are then actually ready to teach, and passing the exam just becomes a matter of applying your ingrained experience and knowledge to the questions on the screen.

[JJX]

@Cpa_struggle
Just want to let you know, taking the CPA exams not only needs to study hard, but also some lucks. Most important, believing on what you think is right and what you need to overcome. I got some 73 and 74 during my exams, felt disparate. But I know after crying, I will wake up the next morning and study.
As for study and working together, you can learn to balance. I studied 2-3 hours after work and 5-8 hours during weekend, but not everyday can follow the plan. You will need CPA license after 3 years of working experience. And at that time, it will be even harder to go back to study mode.
So you are so close to pass, study another 2-3 runs, you can pass in the next window. Becker is enough.
Don't think too much about the time, take the one you are most familiar first. Don't rush, just pass them!

[cpa1234]

a 74 definitely means you're almost there. When I got a 74 on audit everyone told me I am basically starting fresh cause on my next exam I'm starting at 0 trying to get 75, not at 74 trying to get 1 more point. But I ignored their negative thoughts and pulled through. I think if you do a really good review of both again, you could easily take both before the end of the year. I worked full time while studying for Reg and Audit. I tried to do an hour a day, plus 8/9 on weekends. Study everywhere you go! I was waiting for an online order pickup at Walmart and I pulled out my notes. My family was taking too long to be ready to go out for dinner one night, so I studied in the car until they got in. I even listened to lectures in a horrible traffic jam once cause we were stand still for basically an hour. You already put in the time and studied enough to take the exams in the first place. Put together a good review for yourself of topics you thought were heavily tested and schedule them both before Q4 ends. I found the same topics heavily tested on my first try to be heavily tested on the second try. But if there was one really odd question I had no clue how to do and I didn't see anything else about it in other testlets, it was probably something I could forget.

[MarylandPoke]

If you got a 74, you're close. I work in a top 15 national firm and not Big 4, so i can't comment on their workload, but Q4 is always a good time for us to try to sit. We are out doing interim testing for our big year end clients, but we're still working normal hours at that point leaving plenty of time in the evening and weekends to study.

You've got two credits already. 18 months goes by quickly, especially since most of us cannot sit during Q1 and half of Q2 due to audit season. If you sit out Q42018, realistically, you won't get to sit again until Q22019 That's already 6 months of your window gone. Additionally, any material that you're still retaining now is going to get washed out by the Big 4 busy season and you'll have to study that much harder again to get back to where you are now.

[jules1268]

Agree with MarylandPoke. Q1 in a Big 4 is mind numbing. I averaged 80 hours a week in Audit and no way could I study on top of that. Take REG in 2018 for sure as you don't want to be confused with new tax laws on top of what you already studied. I highly suggest taking both tests before Q1 while you are still in study mode. 18 months go by fast. I took too much time between my first 2 tests and these last 2, I lose REG on Nov 30 so have to sit for FAR by then. Get my BEC score next week and HOPE I passed because trying to squeeze in a retest is going to be very difficult. All that to say you don't want to be against a time crunch.

[Mike J]

@cpaq1234 re Thinking you had a zero is negativity.

This isn't negative thinking, but rather making sure you don't get overconfident. Yes, getting a 74 means that conceptually you're close to passing.

However, and I cannot stress this enough for others who haven't passed yet–dont put yourself in the same position of barely passing or failing. Your final score is not a raw score. The testmakers obviously felt like you didn't know enough of a critical issue even though you would've passed otherwise. There's also a certain amount of people they sort of pre-decided that they want to pass. Yep, passing can be up to the whims of the testmakers.

So their advice (and mine) is don't make it so easy for them.

[Anonymous]

I'm definitely treating these retests as though I made a 50. I'm starting from scratch study-wise, since what I was doing before obviously wasn't working for me lol. I'm just wondering if I can power through taking both by Dec. 10. How many weeks would you spend on each? Right now I'm thinking 7 for FAR (which I took all the way back in April, so I'm basically starting from scratch) and 5 for REG, which I took in July. That's 5 weeks material 2 weeks review for FAR and 4 weeks material 1 week review for REG. 20-25 hrs per week of study on top of work with no time off from now until Dec. 10th :')

[Author]

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