[Nail]

Hi everyone. I am just really worried and wanted to ask with you guys. I am 26 year old ( oct, 1992 born). Am i too late for cpa? And if i clear by the end of this year, hopefully. Will i get a job in a public accounting? (probably Big 4). Am i too old for CPA? I wish i could turn few years back. Just needed some frank advice. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I went back to college at 31, graduated at 34, and if I pass AUD in August I'll be 36 by the time I pass the CPA. I interned at a small CPA firm my last semester in college and got hired on full time after I graduated. They hired me on full time because they said they liked the fact that I was older and more responsible – so there is always 2 sides to every situation.

All the younger people I made friends with in college that went big 4 do nothing but complain about the hours during busy season and how hard it is to find time to study for the CPA. I do work extra hours during busy season, have a wife and 2 small kids, but I've never felt pressured to work the insane hours they talk about in the big 4 environment and I have always had adequate time to study.

Of my friends who are my age and CPA's that went the big 4 route right out of college in their early 20's, none of them still work in big 4 except one. He is on the partner track, but he has had to move several times.

My point is – the big 4 isn't the end all, be all of the accounting world. There are plenty of other opportunities to advance and get to where you want to be in life without ever working at the big 4.

[Anonymous]

33 and just passed my final exam. Better late than never!

[ultrarunner]

I am a Gen X and join a big4 very soon. I had a few friends who were retired engineers and passed the CPA exams. Another friend of mine used to have a high tech sales job before he became CPA. Accounting is one of the jobs that people are choosing as a second or later career. They are all smart people though. If you don't think that you are smart enough to do this, then, don't do it. Age is not relevant.

FAR 72,67,79 (Roger+Wiley test bank)11/15
AUD 80 (Roger)10/15
BEC 80 (Roger)4/16
REG 63,78 (Roger+Ninja MCQs)5/16

[Nail]

Thanks guys for your motivated replies. I think i should focus on preparing for exams rather than thinking all this. I have just this question out of curiosity @ultrarunner @zach that what's the normal age of a student when he clears cpa like, if i am a graduate and i did master's and got credit of 150 hours and go for cpa. Then what should be my age range??

[Anonymous]

I think the usual track is to study for the CPA exam right after school, get into the BIG 4 right away but you will find that a lot of people here are in their late 20s and older…I was 35 when I decided i wanted to become a CPA. Granted I am not planning on going into public accounting at this point, but I finished my educational requirements at 38 and finished my CPA exam a little shy of 40…..26 isn't too old for ANYTHING! much less the CPA journey…. By the way no one asks you how old you are when you interview, it's illegal…

[Nate]

There are plenty of firms besides Big 4 firms that would love to hire someone like you. In my honest opinion, the Big 4 firms are terrible, they don't do their job well, they overcharge, and they refuse to do anything but their norm even if it's unreasonable and proving to not work well. They are beyond stuck in their ways and they're finally starting to hurt because of it, look at KPMG. When I was in my masters class, I did a study on fraud discovered by the FBI, and found that pretty much all companies convicted of fraud by the FBI received unmodified opinions from their Big 4 firms. I don't really see the use in Big 4 besides the public feels safer seeing financial statements audited by a Big 4 company. Do yourself a favor, look outside the Big 4, unless if your absolute dream is to be a CFO of a big company or something, then Big 4 will be important. But I work for a small firm, get to see my wife a lot and volunteer at the Church, don't ever have to travel, and I'm paid well especially for the small town that I live in. I wouldn't want to trade my work for anything else, especially an associate or senior associate position in a Big 4 firm. And believe it or not, I used to be like you, it took me 6 years to graduate undergraduate because I couldn't afford school without working and I worked full time for a Fortune 500 company in the accounting department, and when I got my masters I was a few years older than everyone else, and the big firms didn't even consider me. When I got feedback the message I heard was that they weren't comfortable with my age and previous work experience (I was 25), which is ironic cause their biggest complaints are employee turnover. But that truly was one of the best things that ever happened to me, I wouldn't enjoy life as much as I do now in a Big 4.

[Mona S.]

I'm 34 with zero accounting experience and will be switching career to accounting after I pass AUD and BEC. I have no interest in working in a Big4 after my CPA journey. I'm a single mom to a 3 years old and I know for sure I will not be able to cope with the stress and long hours that come with working in a big 4. You are not too old for a CPA and you don't have to work in a big 4 to become a successful accountant. I say GO FOR IT.

[Nail]

Thanks a lot friends. Your messages are very positive. Really appreciate it. All of d replies are truly amazing.!

[Author]

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