[fcoulter]

I’m going back into the accounting biz, and need to retake the CPA exam. (I took it and passed it the first time back in 1995.) The format has changed a bit since then, and I no longer have the two days of hell to look forward to. It looks more like I’ll be sitting for four different GREs. Nasty, but not as bad.

I picked up a CPA review book, which had a study schedule for all four tests. In it, you study for five months, then take all four exams. But is this really the best approach to take, given that you can now take the four tests separately?

So, here are my questions:

First, should you study for all four test simultaneously, or separately?

Second, if you study for each test separately, is there a preferable order?

(I’m not going to ask for recommendations for which study guide, etc. After all, this site is sponsored by one such guide.)

Fred Coulter

Decided to reactivate my CPA

[mla1169]

Study for the tests seperately.

Even though this website has advertisers, I think the feedback you'd get from the individual posters and Jeff is valuable.

To be honest after having been here for 2 years I can tell you the most highly discussed/praised review materials are not the ones you're assuming.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[fcoulter]

Any specific order?

I worked as an auditor (with some taxes) for six years. Since then, I've been working for a local government. First in the Finance Department, then moving on to Budgeting. (I have no idea if this would affect your recommendations.)

Fred Coulter

Decided to reactivate my CPA

[Anonymous]

Separately for sure. Taking one at a time is really the only advantage to the new format, IMHO.

Figure out which one will be the hardest and pass it first. There's nothing worse than passing two of your ‘easier' tests and then having to retake them because your albatross took too long to get past.

Good luck. We're basically in the same boat, I started and then changed careers in 1995.

[fcoulter]

As a quick followup, I thought I'd mention that I've just ordered “Wiley CPA Exam Review 2012, Financial Accounting and Reporting” in paperback. While I own a Kindle, I've noticed that textbooks don't make the transition to a Kindle very well. Novels do, but texts don't. So it'll cost me $5 more (between fast shipping and the dead tree cost).

More later.

Fred Coulter

Decided to reactivate my CPA

[herbert7890]

I didnt know you could take the CPA exam again after you have passed all the sections. I also thought if you left your License to expire, you could just take the necessary CPE credits to reestablish and activate your License. Taking and passing the CPA twice sounds like a nightmare right from an horror movie.

FAR 88 - BEC 86 - AUD 90 - REG 85

[jenuno01]

I agree with @Herbert. Are you sure you need to re-take the exams? I thought once you passed all 4, you never had to take them again!? *Collapses*

Class of 2012

[fcoulter]

Yep, gotta take them again. If you stop paying your money for long enough, you gotta start over.

I had moved to a carreer direction that didn't require me to audit, so I let it lapse. However, at this point even though I don't need the license to do my work (or future work), I need it to get interviews.

So, time to break out the books and take the exams again. I did pretty well the first time, with several sections in the 90's, so I'm not scared of the test. But it is annoying.

(I've been taking other computer based examinations since then, so the notion of taking the exam on a computer doesn't bother me. The worse test I took was the GRE, because it uses adaptive testing. Basically, if you do well on the early questions, the test becomes harder. I thought my ears were bleeding at the end of the exam. But the Microsoft tests have been easy.)

Back to studying.

Fred Coulter

Decided to reactivate my CPA

[sarah210]

Bad news, Fred. The CPA exam is now adaptive too.

REG- 53, 91
BEC- 88
FAR- 62, 85
AUD- 85

Ethics- 93

[herbert7890]

; D

FAR 88 - BEC 86 - AUD 90 - REG 85

[fcoulter]

It may be adaptive, but it won't ask math questions I haven't done for fifteen or so years. (I took the GRE without studying.) Trying to remember math from 15 years ago made my brain hurt. I'm studying for the CPA.

Adaptive? Since they use difficulty points and don't count against wrong answers, that means the harder portions don't need to have as high a score, right?

Fred Coulter

Decided to reactivate my CPA

[Anonymous]

What state has this regulation that you have to redo your CPA? What a complete waste.

Why not apply for a CPA in another state, then transfer it to your state?

[Author]

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