[Anonymous]

Hi all

Question about the spacing out/timing of the different parts of the exam… Is it exam suicide to take two parts within a week or two of each other? Let me explain my situation a bit further. Skip the next paragraph for a summed up version.

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I’m just wrapping up an undergrad in accounting. I am starting a online MACC program (fully accredited, for those of you in Florida it’s Stetson’s online Macc program) simply to meet the 150 hour requirement. It’s a calendar year long, but they suspend classes from ~ late Jan. to ~ late April to allow students to work a busy season. The classes are one at a time, 5 weeks long each, with no more and no less than is required to meet licensure requirements – it’s designed for working people to get through as painlessly as possible.

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For the next several months I will not be working, living at the parents’ house, and only taking one online class at a time (not exam review classes- but actual accounting classes). If I can dedicate a strict 6 hours per day of exam study time between now and November, would it be too much to take, say, FAR and REG in that month? Keep in mind, the material is all pretty fresh in my head. I would of course do either Becker of Roger review.

I have an internship with Big 4 lined up for 2012 busy season, and really want to get at least two parts of the exam knocked out before then. I would take three parts, but I think that might just be a waste of time, and dip into mental resources needed to pass two.

Thanks!

[WhyEvenTry]

I recommend taking as many as you can, as quickly as you can. Just be willing to accept a failing grade if you see one. This journey is already a long enough process, so why put it off to be longer with the one test per 3 month window. Study hard, take 2 or 3 exams in your 1st window, push your luck, and the results may be in you favor. Let's say you pass 2 of 3, at least 2 are done and you have seen that material and will be more familar with the other exam the next time around. Also keep in mind, some topics do cumulate over the exams, so the closer your exams are together, the more you will recall if asked a question that relates to a different section.

BEC - 71, 74, 77 (Feb - 2011)
FAR - 73, 78 (Feb - 2011)
REG - 83 (Nov 2010)
AUD - 71, 84 (May 2011) - Done!! CPA licensed in TX (July 2011)

[Anonymous]

I would highly recommend skimming through a wiley book or CPAreviewforfree.com to get a feel for the material, what the questions are like, etc. Its impossible to really know how much study time you will need until you start looking through the review materials.

I also wouldnt wait to start taking the exam. You already have a bachelor's in accounting, nothing you take in the macc program is really going to help you any more than the classes you've already taken, so there isn't really an advantage to waiting until Nov. I would start studying now, and plan on taking a section the first week in Oct, and the last week in Nov. That's two per window, and you'll be giving yourself plenty of time to study for each one.

[kb24]

I'm agree with both Whyeventry and CalCPAsoon. While the material is relatively fresh for you, for most people, the CPA exam is harder than anything they saw in college. The Wiley text is cheap (look at Amazon or B&N) and the questions are very similar to the type of thing you'll see on the exam so it should give you a good feel for how prepared you actually are.

Everyone's different, but I literally felt like a glass of water full to the brim that would overflow if I studied one more topic right before I went into each exam. You can definitely do two each test window with your available time, but I wouldn't try doing them so close together. As you see from my exam dates, I took them every two weeks. I studied about 75-80 hours each week, though, and would have loved two to three more days for REG. Start studying now and take FAR earlier, then you should have plenty of time for REG.

FAR 4/1/11 - 89
AUD 4/15/11 - 85
REG 4/29/11 - 80
BEC 5/13/11 - 85

[Author]

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