[jeff]

I was getting requests for a thread like this – so here it is!

Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS) | Another71 | NINJA CPA | NINJA CMA | NINJA CPE

[yankeeaccountant]

@CpaGenie

sounds like you have had alot of tough stuff going on while sitting for the exam. Kudos to you for persevering!! Best of luck to you.

@Maverick

Thanks for the post. I agree, this is a cruel disease on so many levels. Hard to navigate. We almost didn't bring my youngest (16) with us on the move in day, but was glad we did. Gramps was having some lucidity and told my son he was glad he was there. My son didn't stay the whole time, it was tough for him to see Gramps in a place where there were so many people obviously struggling.

[Anonymous]

@yankeeaccountant

Thank you for your encouragement. I think you are a very amazing accountant can do it all and take care of your family at the same time. Hope things will be smooth for you soon.

[Anonymous]

I realized something today….my entire first year of marriage has been spent studying for the CPA exam….still haven't finished. For the next four years of marriage my husband will be in medical school. When will we ever get that quality time to spend together/honeymoon phase. oh how I hate thee CPA exam.

[Marivy22]

I want to be done!!!! I don't want to study anymore, I just want to get home, excercise, cook, eat, shower and go to bed with the family. I was looking at my community's recereational magazine today looking for activities to start with the family in May. My son is going to swimming lessons 😉 I need those too LOL

Done 😉
Class of 2012!!!!
Lots of prayers and hard work....

[Minimorty]

Use it as motivation to knock REG out on the first try. Study your tail off, give 110% over the next month, and your summer will be free to spend with your family. That should be motivation enough to buckle down and get this done. Only one more month and you will reap the benefits for the rest of your life.

[jomarie]

@ Mini – I'm doing the same thing. I don't want another summer like last summer. Spend the whole summer in the library!!

Started sitting in May 2002, on and off. But since 2008 I've been nonstop and my scores are....
AUD - 39, 48, 56, 65, 68, 73, 76!!! (Finally passed in Oct 2011!!!) Becker, NINJA, & Wiley
REG - 75 (Lost Credit) 72, 68, 73, 75 (Passed again in Aug 2011) Becker, NINJA, & Wiley
FAR - 65, 68, 75 (Lost Credit) 68, 73, 73, 80 (Passed again in May 2012) Roger, NINJA, & Wiley
BEC - 65, 68, 71, 72, 72, 71, 76 (Lost Credit)- 70, 76!!!! I AM DONE!!! - Roger, NINJA, & Wiley
After 10 long years of studying, I AM DONE!!!! Finally a Licensed CPA in the State of New York!!

[LisafutureCPA]

I am married and my husband was very supportive overall, but at times he was a bit impacient because he wanted his wife back. Now that I'm done he feels like he is also a CPA just becuase he had to go through it as much as I did!!!

He is not an accountant, in fact he hates accounting. He is a chemist but at some point he was learning LIFO and FIFO with me as I studied, so sweet 😉

I believe it is difficult but not impossible. Having so many different family issues can definitely take on your concentration but the important part is not giving up.

FAR - 80
REG - 80
AUD - 81
BEC - 74, 74, 77, done & licensed!!!!!

[jeff]

Bumping an oldie but a goodie.

Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS) | Another71 | NINJA CPA | NINJA CMA | NINJA CPE

[Anonymous]

Thanks for bumping Jeff!

Myyy lovely husband now thinks he wants to go for his CPA…as if the last 1 + years of my life attempting to get mine has meant ABSOLUTELY nothing to him…smh…he just doesn't get it.

I keep trying to warn him that it's not like the tests in college where he crammed the night before and ended up with a B or higher. I keep trying to tell him that you have to REALLY want it in order to muster up enough will power to see it through to completion. I keep ttrryyyinnnngg to tell him these things, but I still get the inckling he's underestimating these exams.

I'm not going to say this is “false” confidence, per se, but he just passed the CFE exam, so I think he now feels he can pass ANYTHING

…and as a good lil wife I'm supposed to say …”you know what baby, you CAN, and you WILL!!”

…but the realist in me says, “you LOATHE studying…Idk how you're going to focus enough to get your CPA”

[nbad311]

Audit is my first test as a married lady, although it's not TOO different considering we lived together for a year before marriage.

My husband is the best, because he too is a CPA and isn't too far removed from passing the exam himself (3 years ago). He really gets on my a** for not studying and cuts me off from watching TV, going to Home Depot with him, occasionally cutting my gym/dog play time short (although, that really awakens the bear in me). I think sometimes he's viewed as a d***head by my friends because they really see him get on my case. He knows my willpower and study skills suck sometimes; he knows I get REALLY down on myself when I fail, so he knows a [loving] iron fist is the only way to keep me on my toes and eventually passing.

Despite his greatness, I've still been sad since our May 4th nuptials. I CRAMMED in 8 days of studying for audit as soon as we landed back home from the honeymmon….. failed. And then started right back up again. Hence, our sleep schedules are different, sometimes we don't eat dinners together, weekends aren't about doing married stuff together. I am basically like pigpen in the house, leaving a trail of anything and everything in the house because “I can't spend 2 hours cleaning right now”. But mostly I am just in a fantastically TERRIBLE mood all the time, stressed out, tired, cranky. I see him every day but yet I am missing him, we haven't been much of a married couple yet. If that makes any sense!!!! I am very much looking forward to the day when I am done and I get my happy life back!

REG - 65, 70, 80!
BEC - 35, 62, 79!
AUD - 73, 75!
FAR - 65, 73, 70, 75! DONE.

[Kenada]

I wish my spouse was a CPA. Bugger would then know what it feels like.

Well i have to say it was much better studying as a single person than married. Hubby does not get it. Does not help at all in doing the house chores or shopping or dragging me to lowes / home depot for his projects…

Sigh …. 🙁

FAR 05/27/14; 786/110 - Done !

[ImaCPA168]

Having an understanding and supportive spouse is so important. My spouse is not a CPA. But he does have other certifications so he knows how important it is to study without distractions.

He really kept me accountable and helped me stay on Jeff's ELL study schedule, limiting my TV, online shopping, and general goofing-off time. I would get really frustrated and cranky (even throw tantrums like a kid sometimes) but he didn't let it get to him. He just kept pushing and supporting me, no matter how I was feeling or acting on any particular day.

Looking back now, I see just how much slack he picked up for the year that I spent really focused on the CPA exams. He did most of the chores around the house. He gave up TV to that I wouldn't be tempted. He'd pick up food for dinner so I didn't have to cook. He did the laundry. He took care of all the little details that I don't even know about. And he continuously encouraged me even when I failed sections and felt stupid and defeated.

If anyone can take credit for my CPA license, it would be him. I couldn't have done it without him. I tried for 4 years on my own and got nowhere–taking the same sections over and over, either not passing or letting passed sections expire in between. After I got married, my wonderful husband kicked my butt and helped me pass all 4 sections within 12 months!!!

B - 83 Done
A - 88 Done
R - 81 Done
F - 77 Done

Ethics - Done
Attest Hours - Done

Licensed-May 2013!

[Anonymous]

I just received my license today, so I'm looking at this after the fact, but my husband could not have been more amazing during this whole process. He was unbelievably helpful taking care of the house and errands while I was busy studying.

He always told me how proud of me he was, and each time I passed an exam I would come home to flowers.

He's not even in accounting, so I'm lucky he realized how important this process was.

It was tough though – no one wants to spend that much time away from their spouse!

[Anonymous]

I'm glad I found this thread! My husband is very supportive, especially when it comes to making dinner on nights that I'm really busy and taking care of things around the house, like laundry. But he happened to mention in an off the cuff remark last night that he feels neglected, for lack of a better term. My response was…sorry? I wish there was something I could do about it but at this point, there isn't. I have to repass AUD and BEC by August 28th or I'll lose credit for REG so when I'm not at work, I'm pretty much holed up in my office at home studying whether it's on a weeknight or all weekend. Plus, when I'm done studying, I just feel emotionally and mentally exhausted and just want to flop down on the couch and watch TV and zone out. Sometimes I think this test would be so much easier to take if I were single because I wouldn't feel guilty about neglecting anyone! I know lots of people on here have a spouse and kids though so obviously, lots of people are in a similar situation. Any suggestions for ways to not let your marriage slowly shrivel during the CPA Exam process? 🙂

[Mamabear]

This is going to sound crude, but I swear they just want sex where we aren't exhausted from studying. Study for a couple of hours, jump him, and then go on about your studying. Keeps them happy and you get to study. Win win. 😉

CPA Exam - Finally DONE (November 2014)
BEC (08/10/13) 80
AUD (08/24/13) 65 (11/13/13) 85
FAR (04/12/14) 81
REG (07/19/14) 69 (11/29/14) 87!!

[Author]

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