[TBH]

With a simply click, finally I got the score of AUD – 90, that’s a huge relief for me and my family since I have tried this for three times.

When I look back to June 2009, my senior partner discussed with me for my career in one of the Big Four in China. He mentioned if I want to be a partner in these two years, I have to get a CPA. What? I worked in Turnaround area and I thought I have enough qualifications, and I don’t need register to any CPA board for my practices. I was a year 2 senior manager at that time, and I am the department head and in charge of the half China turnaround business.

However my wife encouraged me to go for it, since she knew I am good at testing. In my firm’s policy, any CPA counts, so I looked around which one could be useful and easy taking. I had no ambitions to get a Chinese CPA in fact, I heard that if you are over 30, you will not be able to pass. Correct me if you have different story. Then I decided to go for an AICPA, it seems easy, just four exams, and flexible, I can test almost any time.

A real nightmare begins. I had to apply for the tests, evaluate my education, and get a visa to the US. It almost took my half year. Then I booked AUD and FAR tests in Hawaii to give it a try. My thought was if I lose both of them, I quit, otherwise, I will take this serious.

My wife, my son and I flied to Hawaii in May 2010, before that I bought one set of used Becker material online, and prepared a little. I passed FAR with 75, it was very lucky, and failed AUD with 64, it was very fair. The only concern was my family spent USD 10,000 in Hawaii which my wife thought the US a heaven of shopping.

I had to take this seriously, so I booked AUD, BEC, and REG in San Francisco. I read Becker carefully, watched the video, practised the questions, I thought I was prepared well. We flied to SFO in Nov 2010, and tested almost an entire week. The results drove me crazy ironically; I passed BEC with 85, REG with 76, but failed AUD again with 71. What’s the hell going on? I believed I spent enough time on AUD, and I can’t believe I failed it twice. I was attending the best university in China, and I had two master degrees, including one MBA degree in the US, and I never failed one test before. But I failed AUD twice!

My wife told me that’s it, forget it. But I thought it’s just a right start, I have to hunt down AUD since I was so angry, just because my family spent USD 20,000 in SFO and Las Vegas during the second trip, which made my heart bloody. It supposed not to be two vacations, we spent too much but get nothing back, I can’t afford this since I need to tell my client to be capital wise in the future. I have to do a turnaround for myself.

I booked AUD test in Guam for the third time, this time my wife and my son must stay in China, since I didn’t want another luxury vacation. I found this site and prepared my AUD by cpareviewforfree site and Wiley test bank. I strongly recommend Wiley test bank for AUD, since I just received my score-90, which offset the shortfall of the prior two tests. This long Chinese journey to AICPA ends with 24 months and three trips to the US. It cost me USD 40,000 for this certificate. Seems something wrong here, yeah I almost forgot to mention, although my wife and my son didn’t travel to Guam, I found by myself it’s really a heaven of shopping, no sale tax, so I spent USD 10,000 there. LOL.

I think as a 35 years old Chinese candidate, I can make it, you guys can make without any questions. Good luck to you all. Thanks for the another71 and cpareviewforfree. I think it’s the time to discuss with my senior partner about my promotion. Will let you all know…

[Anonymous]

Hi TBH, I am a Chinese too living in America ^.^

Based on what I have heard, Chinese CPA is extremely difficult to pass, it is like a less than 20% passing rate or something.

I can understand how much it cost and how much effort it is to do American CPA from China, but it is good u finally passed and thank you so much for giving us courage!

Btw, can I ask you something, since I will be going back to China after September, just in case if I didn't pass any of my last two exams in Aug, I am thinking of trying to do the exam in Guam while in China. Do you know how much it cost for the hotel & airline tickets, and what the exam fees are in Guam?

If possible, can u give some details on what and where I could go after arriving in the Guam airport please?

Thank you very much!

[Ontothenextone]

Haha, I wouldn't say the certificate cost you $40,000. Sounds like a lot of that was money for fun.

Congratulations though! That really makes me appreciate my 10 minute drive to the testing center. Great job putting in all the extra effort.

BEC - 83
REG - 86
AUD - 75
FAR - 86

[Herbieherb]

Lol you.sure took exam in some nice places. If didn't pass audit, was Orlando or NYC next :)?

NEW YORK- DONE

[sasa]

Congrats TBH! What a story! Thanks for sharing. Wish you all the best! But I have one question, in order to actually get the US CPA license, you will have to have experience, how are you going to do that? or China will acknowledge the credit for passing US CPA exam and have you licensed in China? I am thinking if US CPA license is portable to China. Thanks again!

California Candidate
AUD 5/27/11 86
BEC 4/20/11 79
REG 8/28/10 81

[Anonymous]

@sasa: Most AICPA in China won't have a license, they just need a certificate of the name CPA to be written on their resume.

Becuz u can't never sign an audit or anything in China with the AICPA designation anyways, so just a name will already mean a lot when applying for a job in China.

In addition, the Chinese CPA (CICPA) is extremely hard to pass with a less than 20% passing rate each year, so the 2nd best accounting designation in China right now would be the American CPA (AICPA).

[TBH]

Thanks All, sorry for late response since I had a busy weekend.

To CPA_Rookie, considering all test places Chinese can use, Guam should be the best since there is 2 hour time lag, that's very important for your passing the tests. It will cost you USD 800 from Hong Kong to Guam bi-triply, and the Hotel will cost you USD 200 per day, but it's pretty good hotel. Actually it's a tiny island, and you can rent a car and drive around easily and the roads are named by numbers. I strongly suggest you pass all exams in the US before you back.

Thanks Ontothenextone, you will make it.

To Herbieherb, actually we were planning the next trip to New York for meeting friends there in the summer, but since I passed all tests, my wife changed her mind for vacation in Japan to support their recovering.

Thanks Sasa, actually as CPA_Rookie said, we will not be able to use the AICPA license in China, I just need it for my promotion. However I assume many our US clients will appreciate I have one.

I have to admit it's a lot of fun to take AICPA tests, and I feel a little dispressed after all tests, now I am encouraging my son taking tests in Piano, and he will become five years old in this Oct. LOL

[Terence_Mai]

To TBH, hi, I'm Chinese locate in Guangzhou. Just now I passed all the section and confuse about the license applying. I haven't got auditor experience and I am a accounting manager in a NYSE listed company. The way lead to license is ony Guam for my case, isn't it ? Does it worth to transfer score from Maine to Guam in order to call myself AICPA to anyone else? After that, I should further invest 10000RMB or so each year for CPE. I just can't accept that I have pass all the sections without awarding any certificate but only full pass report, don't you ? Thank you for the response.

Far 81 08/17/2010
Aud 81 08/18/2010
Reg 77 05/27/2011
Bec 78 05/26/2011

[TBH]

Hi Terence, actually we don't need a license, do we? We just need a certificate of AICPA since we don't sign audit report in China, right? I just need this certificate for my promotion, it's our firm's stupid policy, in fact this certificate means a little to me. I guess you have received a congratulation letter from your board, you may follow its instructions.

[sasa]

@TBH passing the exam won't automatically qualify you for AICPA license (CPA certificate is the same as CPA license). You would need to have qualified experience too. Other than working in the US, I have no idea if there is another way to get the experience outside of US.

California Candidate
AUD 5/27/11 86
BEC 4/20/11 79
REG 8/28/10 81

[TBH]

Thanks Sasa, I agree what you said. I guess you can't sign an audit report in NY with a CA license, am I right? Same here, first, I don't need sign an audit report since I am in turnaround area, second, in China, people need a Chinese CPA license for practising.

What I did is tell the firm I qualified the AICPA, but without a license for practising. As one of Big Four, it's pretty normal in China. I am not sure that after I receive the congratulation letter, what I need to do further? asking for a certificate from the board, I guess I need to consult my HR for this.

[Anonymous]

AICPA is much easier than Chinese CPA. At least you cannot just take 2 months to pass 2 sections as what I did.I have a friend, who has been in PWC for few years as a manager. But right now still feeling frustrated for Chinese CPA exam. only 10% pass rate. AICPA is a really simple exam compared with Chinese CPA test, which is not so practical, because my friend, who is preparing that test, showed the FAR problem on the guidebook to me, honestly speaking I totally had no idea at all even though I already passed FAR under AICPA exam.

[sasa]

@cathyzq It maybe a dumb question. Are the Chinese CPA test in Chinese only or in English as well?

California Candidate
AUD 5/27/11 86
BEC 4/20/11 79
REG 8/28/10 81

[TBH]

Hi Sasa, based on my knowledge, it's just in Chinese. However if you are an AICPA for 5 years, they think you are equivalent to a CICPA, not need testing.

BTW, I can get a license of AICPA according to our HR, and my firm will cover the costs of tests, license and CPE, etc. The HR people strongly suggested me to do so, since they are counting the number AICPAs, CICPA, HKICPA, ACCA, ACA…seems it means something to Big Four

[Anonymous]

@sasa, this is a Chinese-Oriented exam. but most of them are translated from the textbooks of other countries. So some terms and explanations are really hard to understand. I have one friend, who took 2 years to pass the CICPA without job. Right now she already been a partner of a private accounting firm.She just been 30 years older. And also in China, another popular certificate is AICA-certified by British, which is much more simpler than CICPA, only costing you $10,000 to pass 9 courses(possible not)-this information from my friend, but I could not be sure.

[Anonymous]

@TBH: Are there any Buses/Taxi that can take u to the CPA testing center after u get off the airport in Guam?

Also wow, really? If u r an AICPA for 5 yrs, it is equivalent of a CICPA in China? Is that really true? Does it apply in mainland China or just Hong Kong?

What about other accounting designations? Like Canadian CA/CGA, Australian CPA, and British AICA, are those as popular as the AICPA in China?

Thanks =)

[Author]

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