[Getting a CPA]

How do you stay motivated? And how do you pick yourself up and move forward?

And specifically, what is your amended study strategy? Anything less than a 75 is a 0, but you can’t possibly repeat the same schedule, can you?

BTW – the title to this thread is meant to be absolute, positive reinforcement – like “The Biggest Loser”.

Fall 7 times – get up 8 🙂

Thanks!

[MintsRGood]

@Last Chance Have you considered that FAR is just your section from hell? We all have one! How do you know that you won't go “one and done” with BEC and REG? How do you know that you won't nail audit next time? A 71 is very close so it's not like you don't have what it takes! How are you studying? How many hours are you putting in? How are your practice MCQS/SIMS going? Are your study sessions focused? Be honest with yourself and evaluate your prep before throwing in the towel completely.

My point is that if you quit the entire process simply because you are struggling with FAR, you are selling yourself short!!!! Think about why you are pursuing this and what it means to you. You can do this!

My threshold/tolerance for quitting is zero, which is why I haven't given up yet!!! I'm simply too stubborn. I've worked too hard and put in too much time to just walk away at this point without the cash and prizes! I don't want to feel 3 inches tall when people ask me at weddings/baby showers/cocktail parties etc. “You work public accounting, right? Are you a CPA?” and have to feel like shit when I say “no”. At least now I can confidently reply, “I have one section of the exam to go, I'm almost there!”. I can tell my niece and nephew (11 & 9) when they get older without any BS why it's important to work hard to accomplish a goal, to see a task through to the end, and that your goals may be challenging but it's better to swing and miss than to never get off the bench. That's why I won't quit.

I read the following quote at the Navy Seal Museum over the summer on vacation and immediately it struck a chord with me, “The cowards never start and the weak die along the way!”.

We are NOT cowards and we are NOT weak, so let's get to work and get this done!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REG: 75 DONE 🙂
AUD: 61, 71, 68, 92 DONE 🙂
BEC: 76 DONE 🙂
FAR: 72, 74, 79 DONE 🙂
Licensed Michigan CPA 🙂
-Some people dream of success...others wake up and work hard for it!!!
-The cowards never start and the weak die along the way!
-You better work, b***h!
-Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.-JFK

[jaclyne29]

i had thought that FAR was going to be my killer section after passing BEC & REG on the first try. I ended up passing FAR on my third try but my real killer section was AUD which took me 5 times. However, after now repassing BEC and working on REG there was never really a chance of me giving up on AUD. Now I just want to pass REG on 11/23 and finally get my life back!

AUD 59,69,71,73 76
BEC 79(LC), 80
FAR 71,59,78 (expires 1/31/14)
REG 77(LC), 88!!!

DONE 12/6/13

[jaclyne29]

i had thought that FAR was going to be my killer section after passing BEC & REG on the first try. I ended up passing FAR on my third try but my real killer section was AUD which took me 5 times. However, after now repassing BEC and working on REG there was never really a chance of me giving up on AUD. Now I just want to pass REG on 11/23 and finally get my life back!

AUD 59,69,71,73 76
BEC 79(LC), 80
FAR 71,59,78 (expires 1/31/14)
REG 77(LC), 88!!!

DONE 12/6/13

[Last Chance CPA]

@MintsRGood – I have followed your journey with AUD, so I know how motivated you are…

My situation is just a bit different. I already have a great job. I make six figs (not that $$ is an indicator of work success) in a consulting role, and I enjoy what I do.

I don't have that burning desire to be a CPA like I should anymore.

Also, I have a baby on the way, and a new life in San Diego to look forward to…

I also travel for work, so imagine working all day just to come back to a hotel at night to study for 3-4 hours.

As I said, I will give it MY 100%….FAR x3.

3 Fails and I am out. I won't even come on this site after that…like a boxer and his ring – lol.

As far as my study habits. I do 3-4 hours 3 nights a week. Then another 4-5 each weekend day. I will end up putting in about 80+ hours this time around for FAR. I am supplementing CPAExcel with Wiley TB. I am hammering out the MCQs/SIMS. I carefully study each question, make my pick, and review the answer/explanation in WTB until “I get it”….this is the best I can do…I am exhausted from this CPA journey – 1+ years and no section done 🙁

FAR - 76
AUD - 75
BEC - 75
REG - 76

Now I need some experience!!! And some networking...

[Last Chance CPA]

@MintsRGood – I have followed your journey with AUD, so I know how motivated you are…

My situation is just a bit different. I already have a great job. I make six figs (not that $$ is an indicator of work success) in a consulting role, and I enjoy what I do.

I don't have that burning desire to be a CPA like I should anymore.

Also, I have a baby on the way, and a new life in San Diego to look forward to…

I also travel for work, so imagine working all day just to come back to a hotel at night to study for 3-4 hours.

As I said, I will give it MY 100%….FAR x3.

3 Fails and I am out. I won't even come on this site after that…like a boxer and his ring – lol.

As far as my study habits. I do 3-4 hours 3 nights a week. Then another 4-5 each weekend day. I will end up putting in about 80+ hours this time around for FAR. I am supplementing CPAExcel with Wiley TB. I am hammering out the MCQs/SIMS. I carefully study each question, make my pick, and review the answer/explanation in WTB until “I get it”….this is the best I can do…I am exhausted from this CPA journey – 1+ years and no section done 🙁

FAR - 76
AUD - 75
BEC - 75
REG - 76

Now I need some experience!!! And some networking...

[Last Chance CPA]

Bump!

I passed FAR with a 76….phew! And that's kept my CPA journey going. I was flying home from MD to CA from a business trip when my wife told me the good news. I have only passed 1 out of 5 but that pass feels sooooo damn good.

We can fail multiple times BUT must keep going 🙂

I think Hillary Clinton and JFK both failed the bar exam multiple times, and they both did fine in life. Sorry I don't have any CPA references!

FAR - 76
AUD - 75
BEC - 75
REG - 76

Now I need some experience!!! And some networking...

[Last Chance CPA]

Bump!

I passed FAR with a 76….phew! And that's kept my CPA journey going. I was flying home from MD to CA from a business trip when my wife told me the good news. I have only passed 1 out of 5 but that pass feels sooooo damn good.

We can fail multiple times BUT must keep going 🙂

I think Hillary Clinton and JFK both failed the bar exam multiple times, and they both did fine in life. Sorry I don't have any CPA references!

FAR - 76
AUD - 75
BEC - 75
REG - 76

Now I need some experience!!! And some networking...

[samdiegoCPA]

@LastChanceCPA Where at in SD?

AUD: 84
REG: 84
BEC: 79
FAR: 83

[samdiegoCPA]

@LastChanceCPA Where at in SD?

AUD: 84
REG: 84
BEC: 79
FAR: 83

[Helpless]

@LastChance CPA: What's your main motivation/goal in getting CPA since you already have a good consulting job? Is getting CPA gonna be beneficial for consultant or are you switching career to accounting? Any advice for getting into consulting industry esp. for fresh grad? Thanks 🙂

[Helpless]

@LastChance CPA: What's your main motivation/goal in getting CPA since you already have a good consulting job? Is getting CPA gonna be beneficial for consultant or are you switching career to accounting? Any advice for getting into consulting industry esp. for fresh grad? Thanks 🙂

[FutureCPA]

As we approach score release date I wanted to bump this thread.

I am really having a hard time with Audit. After I got my last score (73), I did the mistake of counting how many times I have taken audit (I know, it’s crazy that I stopped counting) but worst I did the math on how much money I have spent and I am so discouraged. I am not quitting but I am so discouraged.

I wanted to encourage the people that have taken the exam several times and felt like quitting. Some of us have taken a part more than 6 times and have not quit. So for our sake, you can’t quit.

I need to pass before busy season.

[the marathon continues]

@FutureCPA, I'm right here with you, failed AUD last two times. Seriously isn't as easy as some ppl make it out to be. Having a hard time figuring out why I'm scoring so low even though I finished the ninja mcqs and becker software

[krstnam]

6x for FAR. 4x for AUD. I’ve now passed BEC twice. Next up is REG. I passed once already with little study. I’m not taking chances this time, ive committed to 85 hours of study.

In Spring I changed jobs, still accounting but an area that the CPA designation wouldn’t matter. I thought there was a good possibility that I wouldn’t be able to pass FAR and a good opportunity came up . I found out I passed FAR mid-April, no regrets on changing jobs tho. I love it so far!

I don’t want to jinx it but I may get my life back this summer!!!

[46inchvert]

I was 6/15 on these test. I took 4 test before I passed my first one (FAR, REG, REG, BEC). Then I finally figured out how to study and passed BEC and REG back in 2015, then I had a death in the family that affected me greatly. I tried to continue on but wasn't mentally ready to finish the test. I ended up going into a more operational role at work and stopped studying. After a couple of years off from the CPA exams, I had an epiphany while holding my 1 year old daughter. I realized that I wanted to provide my daughter with the best life and knew at that point what I had to do. So I went to approach my wife about it the next day and before I could get a word out of my mouth she presented me with some surprising news that she was pregnant with our second child. That was a message from God (fate, Mother Nature, or whatever you believe) to get my butt in gear and study! Fastforward 9 months, 4 test passed, I'm a CPA, and I'm holding my son. So for the moral of the story, never give up. Don't just do this for yourself, do this for your family/future family. Every time I felt like I couldn't continue, I would look at the baby monitor and that was my motivation (I generally studied late at night after the wife and kid went to bed). You all can do this and I hope this story helps.

[Author]

Replies