[aspencookie]

I finished my CPA Pre Requisites on July 23, 2018. I decided to take a break before i would start studying for CPA until Sunday. So i was sitting there with ROGERS CPA cart all piled up amounting to $1700 plus and i had a panic attack and cold feet. All of a sudden everything became VERY REAL. Just looking at the size of the material (i have purchased 2015 CPA Rogers books in the past) made me extremely panicked. My mom called and asked me what i was doing and I just started babbling how I couldnt do it. This was all too much for me. I decided not to buy Rogers..for now…the though of $1700 plus just disappearing from your bank account is very nerve racking for me.

I then came on the boards and realized Ninja was doing the $67/month deal.

—Has anyone passed JUST USING NINJA (please be honest)
—Is it normal to just be so panicked about the amount of material?

—-By 2pm I had calmed down a bit and started the first chapter of the Ninja book, completing the first 10 pages so far.

I plan to study every day after work. I usually stay awake till 12 or 1am so I guess thats a good thing.

[The_Juice]

It is normal to be nervous!
I did pass using only NINJA. Keep in mind that unless you are seeking to obtain the EliJah Watt Sells Award for your own satisfaction or Big4 bonus, then you should just try to pass. Let me explain.
Would you rather spend 1000 hours of study time and get an 88 or spend 300 hours and get an 80? In my opinion, in the end the score doesn't really matter as long as you pass all 4 exams and get your license.
I ended up passing with scores between 75-80 and i see this as efficiency (spent only about an hour a day for about 2-2.5 months per exam).
Ninja MCQ's are amazing. The text is good too but I would say that it benefits someone who already understood the material well in school rather than someone who barely passed in school and is relying on it to teach you from scratch. For this kind of person, the text is amazing and is more than enough.
What I did was read the book from start to finish in the course of a couple of days. Then I kept listening to the audio books during my commute to/from work everyday (no more music or facebook). When I got home I did about an hour of MCQ's.
So I guess I lied about only one hour but I wasn't counting the commute since I have to do it anyway.

[CS]

Don't worry, I am sure many, including myself, have been in the same boat. I finished my last CPA pre-req course last year and took a month off before starting to study. I remember ordering my first CPA exam review materials and being extremely nervous, and gave myself a starting date of June 1st (I probably ordered them May 25th or something), and I definitely remember thinking this was going to be impossible. I don't have a degree in accounting and have been out of school for ten years, and had little to no confidence in myself.

Needless to say, it took me a year to get the necessary credits and I kept with the same timing schedule I used for my pre-reqs (all were online). After a couple of weeks I got into the groove and felt confident once I began reviewing the MCQs and realizing they weren't the monsters I had imagined.

I used NINJA as a supplement for all of my sections, but I definitely recommend Roger if you have the funds, best of luck.

[Nate]

I felt the same way, how you felt is totally normal because honestly the CPA exam is a beast. I know most say start with FAR first which makes sense, but I suggest starting with BEC, especially if you end up going the Roger route, and with just Roger I passed all four exams in a row (I failed three a few years back but I didn't take it seriously at all). I suggest taking BEC first because it's the lightest and least material and easiest to get through, and if you pass it, it'll give you the motivation boost that you need to pass the other three. Remember to take it one exam at a time, take time to focus on just on exam at a time, and start with BEC because it's not near as intimidating as the others and passing it gives a huge motivation boost. You can do this, if I did it, so can you!

[Ryan – Just Another Dollar]

I used a combination of Roger's videos/books and Ninja MCQ and passed all 4 (only failed one, REG, after I added the Ninja MCQ). It was definitely a more expensive route but getting it over with in 7 months was well worth it to my family. Knowing I'd spent over $2,000 on review materials was a major motivating factor for me.

As far as getting past the anxiety of starting, I actually took my first section with limited review, not expecting to pass, just to know how it felt to do it live. This allowed me to have an idea of exactly what I was preparing for (and to know what seeing a failing score on the portal felt like). Good luck on your journey, don't talk yourself out of it before you've tried!

B - 88 (2/16)
A - 84 (4/16)
R - 73 (6/16), 82(7/16)
F - 67 (1/16), 84(4/16)

Ethics - 93

Roger course & Ninja MCQ - HiYa!

[Recked]

It is very very normal to have that hopeless feeling of overwhelming anxiety.
I bounced through all the free trials I could to get a taste for each course, and how they were the same or differed.
Bottom line truth, I think if you invest the time and study you will pass with any course.
Its to your benefit to find the one that fits your learning style the best.

Have you done the trials? They send you coupon codes after the trial expires.
Do FAR first. After FAR the rest will seem relatively less overwhelming.

[Anonymous]

Hello,

It is perfectly normal to be nervous before the exams. In fact, I NEVER felt 100% ready for any of the sections. No exam I took in college came close in terms of stress to the CPA exams. Take a minute to breathe- It is an intimidating process, but its not something you have to learn in 1 day, 1 week, etc. I also studied while working full-time, and its definitely doable, just make sure to take advantage of the weekends.

As for material, I did not use NINJA, and most people I know that did used it as a supplement. But as @recked and others have said it's more about what works with your learning style, and how dedicated you are. Do the trials, make sure it's a product you're okay spending 500+ hours with. I also strongly recommend taking FAR first. I waited until last to do it, and I had zero motivation to finish it when the time came around. If you make it through FAR, the others will be easier.

[Author]

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