[swimgirl2005]

Hi Everyone,

I have been trying to take the CPA exam since May of 2013. After failing both audit and reg the summer after I graduated, I gave up and told myself I needed a “mental break.” I started working in September and started my CPA journey again in May 2014. I took Audit and failed with a 73. I retook Audit in July and just found out I failed with a 73. I was too ashamed to tell my coworkers and now I am starting to feel discouraged with 4 exams left to take and it seems I still haven’t found a study schedule that is effective. Does anyone have any advice. As of right now, here is my plan:

BEC: 8/28/14

REG: 73, Redo 10/11/14

FAR: 11/26/14

AUD: 71, 73, 73, Redo 1/05/15

To make matters worse, I live in another state from my parents…they aren’t even calling me anymore because they are so disappointed. Exact quote, “we are in disbelief that you have not been able to pass a single exam. Are you even trying?”

I honestly haven’t been able to sleep, eat or concentrate (which I know is only making matters worse…but I can’t get out of this slump). I am so upset with myself for not being able to pass an exam. All of my other CPA candidate friends passed on their first try and are about to become CPAs. I CANT EVEN PASS ONE EXAM.

I have been using Becker’s self-study materials. What I did for my last exam was:

1. watch the video lecture

2. read the chapter

3. do the MCQ until I knew the answer to each question

4. Try to get 2 sections done a week (repeating above)

I could really use some advice and encouragement so that I can achieve my goal of becoming a CPA. 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁

B: 8/28/14
A:71,73,73 RETAKE 1/5/15
R: 10/11/14
F: 11/26/14

[M.O.D.]

Those ADD drugs are really powerful amphetamines. Thomas Edison used to drink cocaine laced wine (sold in stores at the time), claiming it helped him think.

I personally am against drug use, even caffeine.

BA Mathematics, UC Berkeley
Certificates in CPA and EA preparation, College of San Mateo
CMA I 420, II 470
FAR 91, AUD Feb 2015 (Gleim self-study)

[NYCaccountant]

Ritalin won't make you smarter, it will def help you pay attention though. Normally people take stimulates to allow them to study for greater amounts of time, but they are def not smarter as a result of the drugs, they are just able to study longer.

@Gian you make a very good comparison with steroids. That's basically what's going on. Steroids by themselves don't make you a better base ball player, but they increase your endurance in the weight room, hence, you become stronger faster.

FAR - 93
REG - 87
BEC - 84!!!!
AUD - 99!!!!!! CPA exam complete.

[Anonymous]

IS THE PCAOB GOING TO REQUIRE MANDATORY DRUG TESTS DURING AUDITS OF ISSUERS?!

@Gian, and you're right. It's comical to see the amount of abuse during midterm and finals week at most universities. Can't imagine what the abuse is like at institutions where the pressure to succeed is amplified.

[mla1169]

The thing about ritalin (and why it should only be taken under a doctor's care) is that the dosing is pretty specific and needs a slow and gradual increase to keep an eye on life threatening side effects. What you DON'T want to do is try your buddy's 20mg if you hsve no idea what 5 mg will do to you, I took adderall for diagnosed ADD but whoa, when my dose hit a certain point it made my heart race. But I know plenty of people who need double that dose to even feel it.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Guti]

NYCaccountant, but unlike gifted athletes on steroids, these students do not get mandatory drug testing.

_Nick_, finals week must be like an open pharmacy.

FAR-84
AUD-
REG-
BEC-

[Anonymous]

Gian, they could've arrested thousands of students

[Guti]

I never believed my brother until I visited him at MIT. I’m not exaggerating here either. Around two weeks before finals, you would see students at the library studying from 7:00 am to 1:00AM next day. They would sleep for 5 hours and do the same the next day for two weeks. They didn’t use Ritalin though; they were more into Modafinil as it supposedly makes you think better. I was under the impression that gifted students did not have to study much, but I was very wrong.

FAR-84
AUD-
REG-
BEC-

[WantCPA30]

@swimgirl2005 – I been on a similar journey as you with the CPA exam.

I started working full time at Big 4 right after college and dedicated myself to work as soon as I got there. I started my journey taking the CPA exams in 2008. I been trying to pass the exams ever since. I believe my mistake is that I don't give myself enough time to study because I get very close from 68-71 when I took REG and BEC in the past twice each time same scores. AUD I just took thinking that my college courses helped but I was not successful and got a horrible score. This has been a horrible rollercoaster where at moments I want to give up. But I will not give up and now more than ever I'm going to continue the exams because in the past I would let failing discourage me and I will take a break from the exams this time it will not happen! Today I received my REG score and again a 68. I'm going to move forward and continue studying for FAR.

Good Luck! We can do this!

[Anonymous]

I wasn't judging. I'm sorry if I sounded that way. I don't judge. Not my place. Not my shoes to fill. I've actually been on Adderall for a couple of years now. If you need Adderall or Ritalin (which didn't do me any good), all it does is level the playing field. I don't have a clue how it would work in someone that doesn't need it.

[Anonymous]

Kricket,

I find that it results in mood swings for me as well as restlessness late at night. Not good.

[Anonymous]

WantCPA30, are you still working in Big 4?

[WantCPA30]

@DebitInkCreditCash yes I am. I'm currently debating if I should take an offer I received for higher pay and a senior position. But I dont know why this decision is harder than I thought.

[RogueSuit]

Please don't give up swimgirl! I have yet to pass an exam, I am re-taking BEC on Thurs., so I understand where you are coming from. No matter what happens, we have to remember that this is OUR journey, silly as it sounds, it's true. I have never met two CPAs who got through these beast-like exams the same way. I may not have advice on how to pass but I do have advice on dealing with external influences. Be sure, more than ever, to surround yourself with positive and supportive people. There is nothing worse than sharing your frustrations and disappointment with people who “don't get it” or try to minimize your experience. Reward yourself after you sit for an exam, no matter how you feel after walking out. We really don't have much “free-time” with all of this studying, so we need to grab those rewards when we can. As for co-workers, there are no rules that say that we have to share with them our exam progress. Unless it's our bosses or admin who does scheduling, it's nobody's business. You can always sit on a Sat., that way you don't have to tell anyone. I am sorry that your parents may not be able to provide support for you BUT you have an online family that is there for you and cares. I could never talk about any of this stuff to anyone until I found this community. Let's face it, no one understands what we're going through unless they've been in our shoes. 🙂 You ARE smart enough to pass these exams; the scores you've received thus far show you're “getting it”. Lastly, we have to remember, we are actually sitting for the CPA Exam. There are soooo many people who don't even want to try and sit for the exam because they are scared. Or I know people who took one section, failed, and never wanted to try again. The fact that we, and others here who are retaking sections, keep showing up to these exams says something about our character, we are not quitters. We are in this together swimgirl, we got your back! 😉

[Future Ninja]

don't give up. did you supplement your main review course? Try NINJA mcq and ninja notes. It helps.

AUD - 79 (expired) retaking July 28,2016
FAR - 76 expiring July 31, 2016
BEC - 85
REG - 74,74,74,74,59,70,

[jferguson0000]

Getting a score over 70 is so close to passing. I think that you are there, you just maybe didn't get enough sleep or something like that. I also think that when you work full time, have kids, or have any sort of a life outside the exam it is going to take longer for the information to settle into your memory. And so what if it does? This way you're building up some grit in the meantime.

FAR took me three times which equated to hundreds of hours studying, thousands and thousands of questions. And I am now studying for REG for the third time and I am at hundreds of hours of studying for it too, nearly everyday since April. Obviously my study hours aren't all super productive, which is only because I am juggling so many thinks at once. So, the only answer is keep going and eventually I will have logged enough hours to out weight the inefficiency.

AUD - 81(5/29/13)
BEC - 76(10/13/13)
FAR - 70(4/1/13), 68(7/2/13), 81(2/28/14)
REG - 65(5/30/14), 73(8/31/14), 83(10/8/14) DONE!!!

[Author]

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