[excobar]

I do see different post here relating on the best pattern and sequence of taking the exam. Most people say it is most advisable to start with FAR because it is the hardest and you should end the journey in a happy mode with the BEC because it is supposedly the easiest. But in my present predicament i don’t think FAR will be the best way to start.

I work full time, i am also enrolled in an MBA program and just finished the advanced finance and managerial accounting classes in the MBA program. I am also almost done with the CMA program, form all i have heard i tend to understand that these classes and the CMA tend to have a huge overlap with the BEC section of the exam. Since i am fresh out from these classes don’t you think it is best i start with BEC? And i figured its best i start with the sections that i am most familiar with, hopefully i pass them, then i should have enough time for FAR because i should be done with my MBA program then and i can fully focus on it.

Please i also need advice on the process of going about registering and scheduling for the exam. I do hear people mention about paying for every part of the exam while they aren’t ready to sit for all of them within six months.

Any idea on how to transfer scores from one state to another, i learn’t some state wont allow you transfer yours scores if you don’t initially meet the requirements of sitting for the state, while some will allow you only after you have completed the necessary classes and credits required for the state even if you didn’t initially qualify to sit there.

Finally, is Gleim a sufficient study material? and is the test bank a good preparation for what to expect on the exam day.

Sorry for the long post and any typos, i figured its best i asked every necessary questions all at once than throwing it out in bits. Thanks

[Anonymous]

There is no right or wrong answer for the order you take the exams, the only order that counts is the one that you think will work best for you. So absolutely start with BEC and then move onto whatever you want to tackle next.

I started with BEC and will end with FAR for the opposite reason everyone else says to do it first. You only have 18 months to pass the exam, so I decided to go with the hardest one last because if push comes to shove I'd rather lose BEC or AUD before I would REG or even worse FAR. I now have three left with three windows to pass FAR, so there is plenty of motivation to get it done.

As for registering for the exam, nasba.org is a good place to start for information. Hard to say what you specifically need to do for your state, but frankly that is up for you to research if you're really that dedicated to become a CPA.

I know people who have had success with Gleim, it is a legitimate study program. Just keep in mind it is more of a budget-minded “self-study” program as evidenced by a recent thread here.

Best of luck!

[mkrohmer]

I would say it is probably beneficial to start with BEC in your current situation. I think it would be stupid to start anywhere else given that some of the information is fresh in your head, use that to your advantage. I started with BEC because I have a tendency to procrastinate so I figured pass BEC and get the 18 month clock ticking. Also, my roommate in grad school took FAR first, received a 74, and lost all his motivation and confidence. He then took BEC and passed. Seeing this was one of the major reasons I decided start with BEC.

Regarding the payment for testing. Like @BelowScope said, NASBA.org has all the information needed for state requirements and the testing process. Basically you need to get a Notice to Schedule (NTS) first. This allows you to schedule your exam within 6 months. You have to pay for each exam at the time you apply for the NTS. The first application for my NTS took about a month to process so keep that in mind. My second NTS only took 1 day. Im from NY and there is a higher fee for your first section and then every NTS after that has a $75 fee. After I passed BEC I decided to get the NTS for FAR, REG and AUD at the same time so I only needed to pay the $75 fee once. This is a personal decision though, I know people that did the same and weren't ready for the exam within the 6 month window. This caused them to forfeit their exam fee so choose wisely because trying to save $75 caused them to loose the exam fee. Once you get the NTS you will contact Prometric testing centers to schedule the exam. In my area, the testing slots for the beginning and end of the testing windows always fill up fast. I would suggest scheduling the exam in advance to set a deadline for studying.

I'm not sure the process on transferring credits from state to state but NASBA should have that information. Also I cannot give any advice regarding Gliem. Everyone I know have or are using Becker. I know Becker is more expensive, but I would recommend it. While I was studying I felt like I didn't have a full understanding of the concepts or they would throw some tiny detail in the fact pattern and I would get discouraged. Come exam day, the questions on the test were way easier and I walked out feeling really good about the test. I'm studying for FAR now and feel the same way so I hope the program prepares me in a similar way as BEC.

I hope this answered at least some of your questions.

BEC - 83 (1/23/15)
FAR - 80 (4/3/15)
REG - 88 (5/14/15)
AUD - 81 (7/3/15)

[Anonymous]

FAR is a beast but AUD has the lowest passing rate and by default should be considered the most difficult.

It totally makes sense for you to start with BEC. After that, determine which will be your hardest and go with that.

[Anonymous]

I think AUD's low passing rate is misleading. I don't think it's the hardest but it is the most conceptual with a strong emphasis on language. As such people who are English as a Second Language (ESL) really struggle with Audit because of all the language tricks they pull on the exam. Many of the questions will completely change based on a single word (particularly issuer vs. non-issuer) and there's a lot of “All of the following are correct except for” style questions.

AUD was my lowest score of the 3 I've taken but I blame that on poor study habits more than being difficult. Once you nail the concepts it's not too bad. But I started into AUD immediately after finishing FAR with no breaks. I was so burnt out from spending 6+ hours a day on FAR and I had just started a new job that I didn't give AUD as much time. Thankfully I have a good grasp of Auditing and got the pass though. That gave me the motivation to hit BEC and, now, REG really hard.

Anyway, to the original point. I can see both sides equally well. My thinking was that I wanted to pass FAR first to prove I could do it. If I couldn't pass FAR, things would be very different right now. And as I said, at the time I wasn't working so I was able to sit for 6+ hours a day and just hammer concepts and MCQ until my head started to bleed.

Final note: Don't go in with the idea that BEC is the “easy” exam. It's actually rather tricky in some areas. Particularly if you struggle with Cost Accounting and / or Finance. I went in thinking “ho hum, this is the easy one and I'll pass no problem.” When I started reviewing I completely changed my tune. The reason I did so well on it was because I realized early on that it's not the “easy” exam it appears to be at first glance and gave the subject serious time and effort to master the material.

[10keyLeah]

Each of the exams is difficult in its own way. FAR, I think, is more difficult simply because of the volume of material. REG was difficult for me because I had no tax experience. Someone with tax experience may find REG “easier”. Do whatever you feel is right for you.

There are some overlapping areas within FAR and AUDIT, AUDIT and BEC. I was glad that I took FAR before AUD. I don't think the order of the others really mattered. I took FAR first because I thought if I could pass it or come close to passing, then I should be able to pass all of the others. I think the truth is that if you can pass one, then you have the ability to pass the others if you just put in the time and effort.

There is no need to pay for all four parts of the exam at once. Many people that do that end up not being able to take all four exams before their time limit on scheduling runs out. I would suggest paying for one exam at a time.

What State are you in, and what State do you want to transfer to? You can also call the State Board to find out.

Whether you are using GLEIM, or Becker, or Ninja, or any other study materials, you will need to put in the effort to pass. Most cover the same topics, but it comes down to how you learn the best. Have you already purchased Gleim? If not, I recommend that you find examples of their materials and teaching style and compare it to others to see which one you like.

Ninja Combo, Yaeger, Wiley -- Licensed CPA, May 2015

[hunter32]

I agree with the previous comments. I started with BEC because people said, “start with one of the shorter easier ones to build your confidence” Which is funny because none of these are easy at all.

I really truly absolutely hated BEC, but that's because it was the topics I struggled with in college.

I think the lowest pass rate to AUD is a little skewed because I feel like a lot of people think it's supposed to be the easiest. I found FAR to be the most draining.

I would just pick one that you feel like you could grasp based on your own experience, because you'll discover your best study habits and fine tune them along the way which will help later on with the others that you might view as more challenging.

BEC - 80 (Becker)
AUD - 92 (Becker+NINJA MCQ)
FAR - 87 (Becker+NINJA MCQ)
REG - 90 (Becker+NINJA MCQ and Audio)

[Anonymous]

100% agreed on not applying and paying for all 4 pieces at once. The money savings is not worth it. I know a lot of people try really hard to complete all 4 exams in 2 test windows but, for me, that would have been a brutal and unrealistic timeline.

[y_u_no_pass]

I applied for all four exams at first so I would have to take them all within 6 months. Unfortunately my father passed away. Someone on here let me know that you can get your nts extended for these circumstances, but I still ran out of time for FAR. It is just so much more material and I wasn't planning on studying for it in busy season. If it is a six months you think you will have time, it can be worth it, but it is a big risk.

Florida CPA!
Took final exam 2/25/15.
Sent in Application 3/12/15.
Issued License 3/20/15.
Used CPA Excel solely for all exams.

[ijustwant76]

I had a MBA and started with BEC only b/c I thought that would be the easiest (it was). I did little studying and still passed on first try. The main reason I did this was I needed a little (a lot) pressure to get focused for the other exams. With a pass here, I basically start the clock ticking and get more DISCIPLINED for the other exams.

Had I done FAR first, it would have taken me longer to study and kept the clock ticking longer (if that makes sense).

[Author]

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