Neux2135, I realize a lot of people have posted with their input, and many believe chances of succeeding are remote.They aren’t wrong, but that also doesn’t mean you can’t be the exception.
I came so close to passing all 4 parts on my first try in just under 4 months. I started studying for AUD in early August (cannot remember exact date), took AUD on August 30th, and took my last part, REG, on November 30th. I passed AUD, BEC, and REG. Missed the mark on FAR by 2 measly points!!
But I still got 3 parts done in a relatively short period of time, and afterwards, I took the month of December off to give myself a break and then drilled FAR for 2 months for my second attempt and crushed it.
This was all done while working full time and commuting 2 hours every day for work (I work in government as an auditor, so my hours were not 60-70 hours plus, but by the time my commute hours were factored in, it was a 50 hour workweek (and I am a very visual person so listening to CPA lectures on my way to work would not have worked for me). On top of that, I was in charge of some audits on my own, which left me braindead at the end of the day, which made studying even more difficult.
So, the fact that you aren’t working will definitely help. Of course, you do have your one class, which depending on the difficulty, could hamper your progress. But unless the class is ridiculously hard, it shouldn’t be nearly as time consuming as actually working.
Concerning your study session, I’m not sure what the time span of your class is, but I do have a suggestion. Do not underestimate the time it will take for FAR. FAR is the beast for a reason. Becker has 10 chapters for FAR (and every chapter is detailed), 8 chapters for REG, and 6 chapters for BEC and AUD.
You’ve given yourself 16 days solely for FAR, 10 days for AUD, and then 11 days to review both. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend reviewing and sitting for two sections back to back. I think you should stick with FAR, take FAR, and then proceed to AUD. Also, I would suggest adding more time for FAR, at least one more week. You’ll need it!
AUD can be done relatively quickly since it’s only 6 chapters and more conceptual. Personally, this section was my easiest section to study, but I’m an auditor, so that helped me. I studied for probably about 4 weeks, but I think I could have pushed it faster if I needed to. Some people really struggle with this section. But you’ll find the material and the homework assignments go by much faster, since it’s mostly conceptual (the SIMS may have some FAR concepts, but in my experience, it’s mostly knowing how to audit). I think this section is a wildcard. If you can understand the process of auditing, then you can fly through this section very quickly.
BEC is also only 6 chapters. I crammed this section in a little less than 3 weeks, was a bit stressed about it, but pulled out a pass. The first 3 chapters are very slow, but the remaining chapters go by faster (except I really struggled with Chapter 4 on Information Technology, but that may be a strong suit for you).
REG is 8 chapters, with the first 4 chapters being taxation and the remaining chapters being ethics/business law. I’d say the first 5 chapters are the most important and will give you the most bang for your buck. Becker will even tell you to focus more on taxation (Chapters 1-4 are approximately 60-70% of the exam, Chapter 5 on ethics is approximately 10-15% of the exam, and Chapters 6-8 are approximately 20% of the exam). I passed this section in just under 4 weeks.
Personally, without knowing your schedule for the class you are taking, or other circumstances in your life, this would be my suggestion for your plan to conquer the CPA exam before late August:
June 1 – June 26 – Study and take FAR
June 27 – July 10 – Study and take AUD
July 11 – July 24 – Study and take BEC
July 25 – August 12 – Study and take REG
This gives you 26 days for FAR, 14 days for AUD, 14 days for BEC, and 19 days for REG. This will be very, very tough, and you’ll have to be very disciplined. But I think it can be done (and others have done it).
By the way, one other thing: you say your job starts late August; however, you’ve only given yourself through August 12? That’s barely mid August. So, if you could push out your studying for another week or longer, say August 19th or longer, then do it. Every day counts. In that case, I would allocate most of these extra days for FAR (trust me, FAR is the beast).
And, hey, even if you get only 1-3 parts passed, then you’ll be closer to having your CPA designation and gain some experience with these exams. If you don’t pass any, try not to get too discouraged. On the positive side, your 18 month clock won’t be running, and you’ll at least gain some experience. Good luck!
AUD - 85 (8/30/2015)
FAR - 73 (10/13/2015), 85 (2/29/2016) (AND DONE!)
BEC - 83 (11/04/2015)
REG - 81 (11/30/2015)
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