[Booj720]

I recently received good news from State of New Jersey that I am eligible to sit for the CPA exam. Some background information on myself – I graduated in 2005 with a degree in finance, right out of college I started working in tax (preparing 1120s / state returns/ year end provisions). In 2013 I got a masters in taxation and I am still working in tax.

I work roughly 40-50 hours a week and have twin boys (7 Months old) and a super supportive wife. I know it is going to be hard to balance work, family, and studying but I am up for the challenge.

I am looking to take about 3 months to study for each part.

Does anyone have any recommendations as far as study guides (I have been looking at Wiley) or any tips?

Thank you all in advance for your help!

Booj

[jenpen]

Hello, and welcome to the insanriy that is this process! Sounds like you’ve got a lot on your plate, but congrats on the twins! That’s a super crazy and exciting thing, I’m sure.

As for review software, try them all. Wiley is good since it doesn’t expire, but the software has a lot of issues and leads to downtime. It’s not my favorite because it doesn’t cater to how I learn best, which is to basically hammer questions and learn on the move. You need to make sure you choose a program that suits your learning style, because otherwise the whole process can take longer than necessary until you figure it out. All of them have some sort of trial period so that can work to help you figure it out. I will recommend Ninja all day everyday because for me, it works wonders.

Good luck!!

AUD - 56 - 68 - 61 - 9/8/16
REG - 75
FAR - 7/15/16
BEC - TBD

Wiley CPAexcel and NINJA 10 Point Combo

[Javilon]

I agree with what Jennifer said. I did the trial for almost all the different review courses. All of them have pros and cons. I choose Roger because of his engaging lectures, but not everyone learns the same.

Good luck on your CPA journey!

[Recked]

Agreed with the 2 above.
I did the trial runs for Wiley, Gleim and Roger.
Ended up choosing Roger because of the lectures.
Give them all a try and see what fits your learning style best.
During the exam I can still picture the things Roger writes on the board during his lectures.
I can't stand sitting down and trying to read an accounting book, I zone right out.

After the trial period they give you discount codes via email.

[Bourne]

Agreed with Recked. I chose Wiley and their lectures aren't all that bad at all, Roger is just more upbeat. With that being said, Wiley does have technical issues at times that are a huge pain. I use Wiley by watching all of the lectures (reading the books or study guide also makes me want to fall asleep). I get Wiley done about 2 weeks before I sit for the exam in which I hammer Ninja MCQ's, which is majorly beneficial with my learning style. It all matters how you learn best.

[Booj720]

Thanks you all for your help!

How much of a discount does Rogers give you after the trial?

Do you think studying 3 months per part is enough time?

[Recked]

Don't recall exact figures, I can look it up next week.
I think I was somewhere around the $1500 mark for the basic course with flash cards.
Flash cards were a waste of money for me.

I personally think 3 months is too long.
Diminishing returns. The CPA exam is all about cramming as hard and as fast as you can, and sitting for the test before you forget it all.
Most recommend not going for more than 8-10 weeks on a section, but it depends on how much time you have available, prior commitments, etc.
How long you have been out of school is also a factor.

Found the paperwork
1410.75 for the cheapest option plus the flash cards. Only 18 months access but for most people that is way more than enough time.
I also paid $500 for the Gleim test bank and books 50% off sale.
Def not needed, but its always helpful to have more options.
If I'm no grasping something from the Roger video I refer to the book, if that doesn't do it I check the Gleim book.
Sometimes you just need to see it a different way.

[LawGuy]

The main key to the CPA exam is consistency. My advice is to do the best you can every day and don't be afraid to take breaks or days off if you find yourself just spinning your wheels while studying. This is, of course, assuming that you are a highly motivated person, which you seem to be. I think the danger for highly motivated people is to try push yourself too hard, which is inefficient in the end. I think everybody has a limit on how much focus they have in a given day and its best to take a break once you reach that limit.

Just keep chipping away little by little. 🙂

[Go.For.Broke]

@Booj720 I highly recommend using both Becker and Ninja products. I used Becker primarily, but I supplemented with Ninja MCQ, Ninja Audio, and Ninja notes. It depends on your study method. I can't speak to Wiley or Roger or any other program, as I didn't use them. Feel out some different ones (via free trial periods and such) and see what works best for you.

Good luck!

[Booj720]

After going back and forth between Becker, Rogers, and Wiley. I think I am going to go with Rogers because of the up beat lectures and the fact that it doesn’t expire.

Thank you all for you help!

Wish me luck!

John

[Lentilcounter]

@Booj720

Everyone has given you great advice here. I'm going to add to what they have said and talk about exam strategy. I would recommend starting with FAR first because it has the most content of the sections and the lowest pass rate. You can do audit next and then BEC. REG is the least connected to the other sections. It is the second most difficult of the exams based on the pass rates so you could alternatively take it after FAR too. Secondly, I would use the AICPA blueprints to focus your studying. I've heard the argument that a good study system should be based on the AICPA blueprints. However, I think that the study systems are all lagging behind currently (the exams have undergone many updates recently). For example, Becker focused a lot on AMT at the individual and corporate levels in their materials. If you look at the blueprints, AMT is a topic that could only be a MCQ. Anything that has an “analysis” box checked to it is fair game for SIMs and you should know it really well. If you do a search for “potential SIMs…”, you will see some of the threads I have posted about this. I have used Wiley, Ninja, Becker, and Gleim. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Ninja is awesome for MCQ and Gleim is awesome for SIMs as the resemble the actual test. Becker was great for its easy to read notes and mnemonics. Finally, make sure you incorporate two weeks of reviews at the end of your studying before each exam date. Review is crucial and don't study for a section for more than two to three months.

BEC = 72 (6/08/16)
FAR = ?
REG = ?
AUD = ?

[aaronmo]

I used Becker and, overall, am pleased. I passed, no fails, no muss/no fuss. What else matters? I did have some complaints, but from what I've seen here, they all have strengths and weaknesses.

[fuzyfro89]

I used Becker with question bank access and video lectures. Videos can get long, but they cover the basics in some detail… and you can learn the details as you go through questions and read through the remaining sections. I only took it because my firm paid for it… I can't speak to the other courses like Yaeger, ninja review, and others.

As far as study time, I'd go as short from beginning to end for each section as possible. If you can imagine, regardless of total hours, it's tough to remember something in detail if you last visited the topic 2+ months ago… which will happen if you spend ~3 months per section.

Understandably, it can be very difficult to juggle young kids, work, and studying. I'd recommend no longer than ~2-2.5 months per section (for FAR and REG), and probably 1-2 months for AUD/BEC. If you can make the time for 10-20 hrs/wk on average, you can even leave time between sections for a week or two off. Sort of like sprint training… run a mile, walk a quarter, run a mile, etc.

But, your particular solution could vary depending on how you work best. Some people are good at cramming and going “all out” for short periods (think 3 hrs x 5 days and 8 hrs Sat and Sun off… so 20-25 hrs/week), while others really need more manageable schedules really need a longer period to spread over. That's up to you to decide since you have insight into your work/study/life style and how you learn best.

Personally, I crammed all 4 exams into ~4 months beginning to end. Took part one end of August, part 2 early Oct, part 3 late Oct, and part 4 right after Thanksgiving. I was in school, not working, so had to work around other school stuff but averaged ~25-30 hrs/wk.

[mccpa]

Hello @reckedracing

I noticed you are using RogerCPA. I am a Roger student as well and I love his lectures. I am currently studying for FAR. I studied 41% of the material and felt overwhelmed, given my exam in on 3/10/18. Would you please share some tips how did you studied FAR in 10 weeks and got such high score? Thank you!!!! Best luck on REG and BEC.

[Author]

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