[lkh9596]

Do they take exams right after college?

or do they take exams after getting a job at accounting firms?

(studying for exams while working at firms)

I was planning to take exams right after graduating college with double majors.

And then find a job at Big4.

Is this a bad idea?

Because I feel like both studying and working would be so much difficult..

Is it hard to find a job without campus recruiting?

[Anonymous]

I usually take CPA exams during the day. Prometric tends to be closed at night 🙂

[littlenumberrobot]

Everyone is different and all paths have advantages and disadvantages. If you get a job right out of school, it is could be more difficult to study and pass. Other way around if you pass while not working (or at least not a CPA firm), you may have a harder time finding a position then. For me, I started working right out of college….. 2 years later still working on these exams.

CA CPA - All because of the journey listed below
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FAR - 53('10), 8/25/12 79 PASSED!
REG - 66('11), 69('12), 12/06/12 77 PASSED!!
BEC - 58('10), 74('12), 01/05/13 77 PASSED!!!
AUD - 43('11), 66('12), 69('13), 74('13) 7/29/13 85 PASSED!!!!!

(Combinations of Roger, Yaeger, Wiley Book, Wiley TB, & NINJA Notes)

Ethics 90%

[Marivy22]

@lkh,

The best time to take the exam is when you feel ready and committed enough…generic huuummm 😉

I am 31, graduated with a BA in Finance, then I did a MBA in Accounting, got married, had a baby, and then decided to take the exam. Last year was the perfect time for me. I can now see the value of having the CPA, which I couldn't see before.

If you have the time and the will…… go for it and don't waste your time. If not, don't waste your time and money, but consider that the CPA will hunt you for the rest of your life until you make up your mine (that's exactly what happened to me).

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

[FindaJob]

Start Yesterday ! Take it ASAP … You can do it ! it is always better when u are fresh with all the knowledge in your hear !

most people take the exam before their NTS expires too 😛 .

I guess it is not as easy to find one without campus recruiting … I was suffered before i was able to land one … but maybe my timing was bad too … when u get that CPA … Get that CPA and don't worry about the job too much ! try and introduce yourself to recruiters ! and stay in touch with them ! email them ! it takes a lot of time ! you dont want to get the CPA when all the firms are not recruiting !

so i guess that contacting big 4 recruiters in the following couple of months would be an excellent move … Good luck !

two to go !

[MeaDebitum]

That's a lot of exclamation points…

[2012passtheCPA]

@lkh9596 I'd like to give you a peak into my experience.

I was in your shoes about 9 months ago. “Should I take the CPA exam and get a job in public accounting later?” or “Get a job now with public accounting and then do CPA”. I'm not sure what exactly your situation is, but mine went something like this. I went to school at a small private institution. My thoughts were I'd try to call recruiters where I wanted to work (I planned on moving after I graduated undergrad) and stay in touch and it'll be fairly easy to get a job in public accounting because demand is so high for them and who wants to work 80+ hours a week during busy season? I started talking to recruiters, the ones that would actually answer my calls and emails at the beginning of January. Throughout this process I routinely talked to about 5 different firms (the Big 4 wouldn't even consider me, because I didn't go to a school that they recruited). Long story short when it came time to interview in the fall all but one of the recruiters actually scheduled me for an interview. All of the others either pretended like I hadn't been talking to them for the last 7 months or “magically” their full-time positions had been filled by summer interns.

Unless you have a family member who is best friends with a partner at a Big 4 firm, or your family member is a partner you're not going to get a sniff from Big 4 unless they recruit you out of a MAcc program. At least that's what my experience has been.

Good luck in your endeavor!! Just remember, if you take/pass the CPA exam they can't take it away from you (depending on your state)!

[Whatdidyou]

“I was planning to take exams right after graduating college with double majors.

And then find a job at Big4.

Is this a bad idea?”

Terrible idea. Don't delay interviewing for jobs to take the CPA exam. OCI's are your best shot (especially for big/mid-size firms). & your start date usually won't be till the next fall or even winter after graduation anyways.

IMO: Getting a good job is harder than passing the CPA. Take advantage of your school's resources & connections while you are there. Start studying for the CPA once you get the credits. Don't delay one for the other – but if you must, delay the CPA for a good job.

To answer your other Q's: In my experience, alot of public accounting jobs don't start until the Fall. So many students graduate in May/June, and then start sitting for & passing sections during the summer & throughout their first year or so. Many have studied for and taken sections while working- but it's generally advised to do it outside of your busy seasons.

REG - Passed!!
BEC - Passed
FAR - Passed
AUD - Passed

Study Materials: Becker basic course

[Anonymous]

I was faced with the same questions last December when I finished my Bachelor in Accounting. I decided to start studying for the CPA right away instead of finding a job. I've heard all the horror stories about how difficult it can be to work and study for the CPA at the same time and I was afraid that if I started working full-time it would take me forever to pass. I also knew that this was the best time for me to study. I was mentally ready for the challenge and was actually able to get by without working for a while. So far I've passed two sections and hoping to pass the other two before the end of August.

I also knew how difficult it is to find a good job in public accounting while being out of school so I am going back to school in August to get a Master in Accounting with a concentration in Taxation. The school that I've enrolled in is a target school in my state so I'll be doing lots and lots of networking then. This is what seemed to work for me but may not work for others. Just give it a lot of thought and determine what would work best for YOU.

[Anonymous]

you will be in horrible shape if you do not find a job through on campus recruiting. Big firms will not talk to a person without experience outside of the on campus recruiting structure. Passing all 4 parts of cpa exam will not make finding a job easier. Most firms really couldn't care less, because they know a vast majority of entry level staff will leave within the first 3 years before they ever become an asset. The only reason they might care a little is because they know YOU CARE and will ask for days off to study (and thus not at work constantly serving them).

[Author]

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