[Anonymous]

I just ordered Becker CPA review and I am getting my applications sent in to schedule the CPA exam. What is the best plan on scheduling the exams? How many months apart should I schedule them? I am going to start studying after tax season, I also work 40 hours a week, but I am going to take off a day a week to study and the week before the exam to study. I also have 2 kids. I also plan on staying after work an hour a day before getting the kids from daycare. Can I pass this? I was planning on scheduling the first exam in July, but I don’t know how far to space them out. Also what is the best order to take the exams.

ANY TIPS. Im kind of freaking out, if you can’t tell from my post.

[JakeO]

I am like you OP, just now really getting into studying for the exam. How far apart you take them depends on the type of person you are. I have always been a “last minute” studier when taking any tests throughout school (including college and graduate school). Obviously, with the amount of information on the CPA and how detailed some of it can be, you cannot simply study the day before. I know the NINJA study guide suggest around 4-6 weeks of studying with 20 hours per week for pretty much every part of the exam. I am following this guideline and I start testing in April and plan to take all four parts, at least once, over the next two windows.

As far as which order to take them in…You will find many people suggest taking FAR or REG first, since they have the most material and give people a lot of trouble. However, which test you prefer is based on your knowledge of the areas. If I were you, I would plan on taking REG first, since you work with taxes. This way, you get a part out of the way and the next three will not seem as daunting.

Whatever you do, just make sure you are really dedicating yourself to this exam. If you don't, or fool yourself into thinking you've studied enough, then you'll end up with a bunch of 71's and end up throwing a lot more time (years even) down the drain with excessive retakes when if you would have just studied properly the first time you might have passed.

Good luck!!

AUD-Failed (Waiting for Score)
BEC-PASSED (First try)
REG-Failed (Retake February 2013)
FAR-Failed (Retake January 2013)

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much. What dates are you taking it. I was thinking Early July and then Late August for the first 2 parts

[Witchkizzle]

There is another school of thought. Some people like to get their harder ones out of the way first. For me (I also work in tax), I saved REG for last and it payed off big time. When you have spent so much time and energy on these tests and you start hitting that “wall” towards the end, it might be nice for you to have one you are somewhat familiar with as your last one.

Another reason this is beneficial to some people is the 18 month rule. Since you have to pass them all within 18 months of finding out your first passing score, it might be better to go after your hardest one first. That way if you don't pass that one, your clock has not started yet. If you pass REG first and then struggle with FAR, AUD or BEC, you could exhaust your 18 month time frame on one of those and have to retake REG.

It is going to end up being up to you though. Good Luck!!

Texas CPA
Licensed 03/12

[heatmiser]

@cpa_goal

You can do this!

My strategy for taking the exams was to take one at the beginning of a exam window, and another at the end of it (take 2 tests in 1 window).

This strategy is good for allowing you take 2 exams in one window (thus finishing faster if you pass), but you must be prepared to work hard for those 1-2 months you are studing per Exam. I mean, it has to be an every day thing (watch lectures only once IMO, if using Becker).

My study method went like this:

1 – Watch Lecture 1

2 – Do all lthe homework of 4-5 Days

3 – Do a mini quiz

4 – Repeat steps 1-2 until you have completed all Videos, HW, and one mini-quiz (~30 MC questions) for that Exam

5 – Take/review a 100 MC question quiz

6 – Take/review another 100 MC question quiz

7 – Review the areas (you will be able to tell due to your mini-quizzes and 100 MC quizzes) that need help

8 – Take/review Practice Exams

9 – Finally, just keep taking like 50 MC question quizzes per each Lecture for that exam until you take the exam.

If you are dedicated and just follow these steps (harder than they sound, but doable), you will pass the Exam in ~6 or 7 months.

2011 CPA Exam Graduate

[Anonymous]

Did you apply for all exams at once? Example, say I apply for 3 exams at once. I take FAR and AUD, but I fail AUD, can I retake the exam as long as I am in my 6 month window without re applying?

[Minimorty]

No, you need a new NTS if you fail a section.

[heatmiser]

I only ever registered for 2 exams at once anyway. I didn't like the feeling of having to complete all 4 parts in 6 months (I ended up taking the summer off, so I was glad I went this route)

2011 CPA Exam Graduate

[Witchkizzle]

Realize that everyone is different and all study habits/needs are not equal. You can not take a one size fits all approach to these.

I don't know what the best advice is going to be, but I think it might sound something like “be dedicated, study hard when you are studying, understand more than memorize”. Anything else as, far as what actual steps to take, have to come from your own needs.

I only ever took 2 exams in one window one time. That was because I had to retake AUD, so I restudied specific topics I did poorly on and retook it and then had my regularly scheduled exam in that same window.

I took longer than 6-7 months to finish, but my study needs are different. I prefer not to tie my self down for one long period of time and only studied 5 weeks at a time for an exam and scheduled my exams about 2 months apart. I would take an exam, wait and find out my score and schedule my next one in 5 weeks. My average week of studying was 10 hours a week. I never finished all of the lectures and never finished all of the MCQ's ( I used becker self study alone).

Like I said, I failed AUD once. I got a 71 and put about 10 hours total into my restudy and passed.

Im only saying this to tell you, you just have to feel comfortable with what you are doing. Heatmiser passed all of his on the first try, if I'm not mistaken. I passed 3 of 4 on the first try and the one I failed I passed on my first re-take. Our methods are obviously very different, but we both achieved the same goal.

Texas CPA
Licensed 03/12

[Anonymous]

So you have to re-pay the application fee every time you fail. I knew I would have to re-pay the exam fee.

[Author]

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