Where do I go from here (My CPA story)

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  • #173762
    gladrial
    Member

    My CPA story. I registered for the exams BEC in November of 2010 Reg in Jan of 2011 and Aud in Feb of 2011.

    This was the ideal plan. However life interupted and my Thanksgiving baby decided that Halloween was more his style. I ended up doing three exams in the Jan 2011 Feb 2011 window My scores were BEC 56 REG 56 AUD 62. I was so disappointed in this first showing that I haven’t retested or redicated myself to the CPA, I am a CIA and that is all my company requires.

    Now I want to find bigger and better things that seem to include a CPA. Where do I start? I am using Gleim as a study system as I used them for my CIA but I hate that I can’t put the Gleim documents on my I pad. How does studying with a two year old work. And for a first attempt how bad were my scores.

    Sorry about the triple post my computer went crazy

    Reg 76
    Bus 82
    Aud 70, 86
    Far 68 ,79 ten point combo FTW
    April Fools day CPA licence WA

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  • #368401
    Keely
    Member

    I am going to be honest with you, your scores are not very good. That's not to say it's a lost cause by any means, though. Several people on here (as noted in their signatures) have gone from the 40s to 80s with their scores.

    What you need to do first is figure out what you did wrong the first go round. I'm sure having a newborn didn't really make for the best concentration. I, personally, think one of the issues is the fact you took three separate exams in one window. It is my opinion that if you fail one, you should keep on that one until you pass, not move onto something else. What's the point in moving on? You have to pass the other one eventually, and the clock starts ticking once you pass so you just put more pressure on yourself. Pick whichever one you had the most difficulty with and master it. You may fail it again, but don't move on, restudy for it immediately and you'll benefit from not having to completely relearn everything if you had dropped it and moved onto something else.

    I don't have children, and I honestly cannot imagine studying while working and having a toddler. But many people do it and succeed at it. You need help though, in every way you can get it. Do you have a significant other that can watch your kid for a few hours while you study? Or relatives that will help you out? Jeff has a plan called E-L-L, that means you get up early and study before work, you study at lunch, and you study after work. It basically means you dedicate your life to the exam until it's behind you. It's an investment in your future. You, especially with a child, need to make a detailed DAILY study schedule and stick to it. If you get behind, it'll be almost impossible for you to catch up. Make it your top priority.

    Also, this is kind of off topic, but I am not a fan of Gleim. I have used the free tutorials and practice tests and it is just not up to snuff in my opinion. I understand not everyone can afford Becker (although maybe your employer offers a discounted purchase plan like mine does), but Wiley is a less expensive (and better) alternative, and some people use Roger CPA and like it. There is also a website called CPAReviewForFree.com for extra practice. It's free, you just have to create an account.

    I hope I've pointed you in the right direction. This will be a test to see how badly you want this. Some of us are straight out of school and don't have to work and don't have kids and get to sit around and study all day and it's a breeze. Some of us have kids, a job, an unsupportive spouse, etc. and have to shut the rest of the world out to attain the goal of being a CPA. Good luck.

    BEC: (4/2012) 88
    AUD: (5/2012) 91
    REG: (8/2012) 82
    FAR: (1/2013) 78 🙂

    VA CPA #42010

    #368402
    MIA4MYCPA
    Member

    I first began conisidering taking the CPA exam back in May of 2010, I was also pregnant and due in August. I had a very unrealistic idea that I would study and take BEC in July and then study and take the other parts while on maternity leave. Even though I have a 10 yr old and know better, I somehow convinced myself that newborns sleep all the time so I would have plenty of time to study. Now fast forward to August 2011 around the time my daughter turned 1, this is when I actually managed to start studying. I took each section in a different testing window and dedicated 4-5 weeks of hardcore studying for each section. I also work full-time at a CPA firm so trying to work, study, and be a parent was a challenge. I received my last passing score on August 21, 2012. You must have a strong support system of people who are willing to step up and help out and sacrifice in order for it to work. My fiancee and my mom are amazing and stepped in and handled things for the year that I spent studying or I wouldn't have succeeded You will also have to be able to live with the feeling of sadness that you are missing out on time with your child. Just remember that it is a temporary sacrifice and that it will pay off in the long run.

    AUD - Oct 2011 - 79
    BEC - Feb 2012 - 84 (seriously thought I failed this one)
    REG - May 2012 - 84 (hmmm.....do they actually grade the SIMS???)
    FAR - Aug 2012 - 80

    I must be dreaming.... am I really done!!!

    #368403
    LSNYC
    Member

    If you download the audio from Gleim you can open in iTunes. Also if you email your self the PDF's of the chapters in Gleim you can open them on you iPad. I read them on my commute.

    A - 61, 91!!
    B - 78!
    F - 76!!!
    R - 71, 73, 74, 69, 77!!!!

    Finally done!

    This is my 2nd attempt at the exam, I had two parts passed (failed many) and I stupidly quit, big mistake. Now I'm back and with a vengeance!

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