[Anonymous]

Hello, very excited to join this forum. I have been surfing over different threads and already picked up lot of great information. So cheers to that. I was wondering what is the best possible strategy for my situation:

I am 29, I took my sweet time with my BBA in Accounting. I just graduated in Dec 2014 and was working a low paying Staff Accountant job before graduating for less than a year. After graduating I decided to quit my job and apply for better positions, and of course I am not getting any legit ones as of yet. I went to 3 interviews already and did not get any offer. I still am getting more interviews but I feel discouraged at the moment plus I know I want my CPA sooner or later. So I figured screw applying and just go for my CPA. It can only help right? I have 4 classes left to be CPA eligible in Texas so I plan on knocking those 4 classes in the summer and apply to sit for CPA early August. I hear it takes a month to get approved so let’s say my first exam (FAR) in October. Can one take a test any day in October?! Now since I will not be working, would this be do-able? My full time job will be studying. I have no wife/kids/dinosaurs, etc. Then do AUD in January, follow it by REG and BEC in April.

So basically 2.5 months studying full time for FAR, 2.5 months for AUD, 2.5 months for REG and BEC.

How does this sound?

[Anonymous]

My apologies let me restate about the frustration..it was not about the 3 jobs. It was mostly about this one job I wanted in Florida(not related to accounting) and I was so close to getting it and I did not. It was a very personal reason. But yeah fresh graduates are def high in demand, no doubt about it. I have finance and real estate experience if accounting does not work out right after CPA. I just know I don't want to be in Texas, so I will just apply in Florida through the year. That is what I should do while I study for CPA I suppose.

[Anonymous]

Keep in mind that if you start sit ting in Texas (and even pass a few parts) then try to move to Florida, well, your progress may not transfer. Additionally you should think about resciprocity. How similar are TX and FL requirements? Maybe you spend this time working your ass off to get out of TX then focus on CPA based on those state rules (wherever you end up).

We all have given you some good sound advice however you do seem to have your mind made up. I will just say that we have taken at least one section, many of us are your age (I'm 31), and almost all of us work. We're not here to tell you what to do but you came looking for advice and you've gotten responses from a great audience. Your plan is fine, just saying it'd be good to weigh the options that have been presented to you.

[Martin]

Studying full time for 6 months would be the equivalent of studying while working for 12 months. So for someone to finish all 4 parts of the CPA exam in 4 months would the equivalent of the full timer doing it after 8 months. I have not seen that many people here completing all 4 parts of the exam in 8 months. What I see is many fighting to not lose a credit after 18 months since they passed their first part. I would say the average student finishes all 4 parts in 18 to 21 months. And then there is a huge % who start and never finish and of course, they are not here. There are many variables specially if you just finished college. I think your time frame sounds about right based on your situation (new grad).

Through God all things can happen!

“You never fail until you stop trying.”
― Albert Einstein
When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people;as I grow older, I admire kind people.
“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”

FAR= 72-84
Audit= 73-82
BEC= 74-75
Reg=77

[mw798]

“I would say the average student finishes all 4 parts in 18 to 21 months.”

In most states you start to lose credit after 18 months because it's expected that the average candidate finishes all four parts in under 18 months. The average is probably closer to 12 months for someone working full time. That said, everyone I know personally who have passed the exam have done it in under 12 months working full time. I did it in 6 months working full time, but I wouldn't recommend that. Keep in mind if you have no job, you can easily study 40 hours a week and still have you weekends free and with no distraction or stress from a full time job, the average candidate could realistically complete all 4 parts in 4 months.

[Martin]

mw798, I assume the readers of my post would take into consideration that the clock starts ticking after you passed your first part. Assuming it took you 3 months to pass your first part, your average will be 18 plus 3 for a total of 21 months hence 18 to 21 months average. Although I have seen a lot of people very close to losing credits. People that work in public accounting usually finish,but a lot of accountants in private start the process,but they never finish.

Through God all things can happen!

“You never fail until you stop trying.”
― Albert Einstein
When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people;as I grow older, I admire kind people.
“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”

FAR= 72-84
Audit= 73-82
BEC= 74-75
Reg=77

[mw798]

See this thread:

https://www.another71.com/cpa-exam-forum/topic/on-average-how-long-it-takes-to-pass-all-sections

Most popular answer was 6 months with no response over 9 months.

[mla1169]

In all states you lose credit after 18 months but I think Martin is referring to people who don't have their first pass until a few months in. IMHO if you can't pass all 4 in 6 months if the exam is your only obligation, you're doing something wrong. I'm just not buying the notion that a gap in employment is better for a resume than appearing to job hop.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[mla1169]

It took me exactly 12 months while working full time, taking night classes in grad school and as a mother of 2. I've got no beef with people who take longer but if you've got nothing else you're obligated to do, I can't see it taking longer than 2 testing windows.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[mw798]

Right, if your only job is studying for the exam there is no reason why you can't do it in 4 to 6 months. Don't get me wrong, the CPA isn't an easy exam, but if your full time job is studying for it then there should be no issue in passing in that time frame unless you are slacking off.

[Martin]

mla1169, thanks for the clarification.

mw798. only 12 people answered in that thread and that is 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001% of the population. I presume you did not like Audit sampling.

Through God all things can happen!

“You never fail until you stop trying.”
― Albert Einstein
When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people;as I grow older, I admire kind people.
“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”

FAR= 72-84
Audit= 73-82
BEC= 74-75
Reg=77

[mw798]

Yes 12 people responded, but that was at least out there on the forum. Where are you getting your 18-21 month average?

[mla1169]

But I will say my sample size is much larger having been here for nearly 5 years and I've seen plenty of people finish in 8 months, far greater than the number of people who need every last day of the 18 months or worse end up losing a section.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Martin]

mla1169, and you assume this website is what % of the real population of CPA candidates?

Through God all things can happen!

“You never fail until you stop trying.”
― Albert Einstein
When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people;as I grow older, I admire kind people.
“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”

FAR= 72-84
Audit= 73-82
BEC= 74-75
Reg=77

[Martin]

Guys, Im just being logical here. The % of Accountants who are not CPAs compare to the accountant who have the certification is like 5 to 1 here in South Fl, and I would think is the same all over the country. I might be wrong about my assumptions, but if this exam could be done in 8 months, I would think we would have a lot more CPAs. Just think of the benefits if you want to stay in Accounting. Ok bye, I have to study.

Through God all things can happen!

“You never fail until you stop trying.”
― Albert Einstein
When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people;as I grow older, I admire kind people.
“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”

FAR= 72-84
Audit= 73-82
BEC= 74-75
Reg=77

[mla1169]

If I had to guess, I'd say about 1% pass in one testing window (I've seen a handful do all 4 in < one month), maybe 10% in two windows, 25% in three windows, 25% in 4 windows, 20% in 5, 14% take the full 18 mos and 5% go over and lose credits.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Author]

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