[PJ004]

Hi All,

I am hoping I can get some basic guidance on this forum. I am a full-time working mom of a 1 year old and I have wanted to study for the CPA exam for a while. Time is just passing by and if I don’t do it now, I never will. I was hoping people that have been in a similar situation can guide me. I want to know more about what strategy worked for you. In my situation, I will only be able to maximize my weekends (5-6 hours per day) and review during my commute to work/home (2 hrs/day). Maybe I can squeeze in time at lunch and before bed (already functioning on 4.5 hours of sleep) So what I want to know is:

1. On average, how long can I expect it to take to study per section with my limited schedule? I am hoping to go through the book in about a month (probably more), and then just focus on the practice DVD.
2. Are the practice test DVD’s exactly like the exam?
3. I am planning to get the Jan 2016 Wiley study book. Should I just wait for 2017?
4. I usually make my own notes but this is time consuming. If there are good notes you recommend out there, please let me know.

Any tips welcome!! I really want to give it my best shot to pass this exam!!

Thanks a lot!

[Missy]

If you intend to only study on the weekends I'd say its not likely. Thing is you have to be “immersed” in the material to pass it. If you can get at LEAST 25 hours per week of studying in (and I'm more than happy to offer advice for how to do that) yes, it is possible

For context, I worked 45 hours a week at job 1, 10 hours a week at job 2, was taking 2 classes per semester for grad school, had 10 and 16 year old kids whose girl scout leader I was as well as cheerleading coach. I had NO time but I made it work.

Old timer,  A71'er since 2010.

Finance manager/HR manager

 

 

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Anonymous]

DISLCPA-I didn't mean you specifically-I meant to say that if that's all one has every week is 25 hours it's all good it might just take longer. If I left myself only 6 weeks to study, I wouldn't feel prepared, but hopefully I will have time since I left over 2 months for prep.

[ZombieMouse]

I don't think I studied 25 hours a week for any of my exams. I'm too easily distracted by Facebook and the World of Warcraft and random cat videos to study for hours at a time.

I'll be honest: I think we have a skewed sample here. I think the type of person who is inclined to join an Internet forum for support while preparing for the CPA exam is either exceptionally dedicated, or — frankly — struggling. For these types of people, 25 hours a week may seem necessary (in order to pass with a sufficiently high score) or actually be necessary (to make up a deficiency in understanding). But I don't think that level of preparation is necessary for everyone, and I think it really kind of sucks to tell someone “unless you're prepared to do X, Y and Z in pursuit of this goal, don't even bother trying.” Everyone is different, so it's not possible (or fair) to assume that what is necessary for one person is necessary for everyone.

@PJ004 — I think I may have studied 10-15 hours a week, primarily on the weekends, although I tried really hard to do at least at least one block of 24 or 30 MCQ's every day to keep the material fresh. I used Becker, which has an Android app, so anytime I had a free time during the workday I would try to read a few pages on my phone. I also tried listening to lectures during my commute to and from work, but that didn't seem to help (I'm not an auditory learner), so I discontinued that after REG. If it works for you, though — great! Eighteen months is a lot longer than it sounds, and the time that you are able to spend studying will accumulate, especially if you are able to maximize its value by tailoring your study program to your individual learning style. Good luck!

AUD - 99
BEC - 93
FAR - 93
REG - 86

"Well-behaved women seldom make history." - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

[Jdn9201]

Totally agree with ZombieMouse – don't think that just because someone else studies 25 hrs/week means you have to. Looking back (and from threads I read here), I think one reason why so many people struggle with these exams is they don't tailor the process to fit them or their learning style. The only exam I studied 25 hrs/week was FAR, but that was only because I studied for it in 19 days. For my other 3 exams that took 6-8 weeks, I was in the 10-15 hrs per week range. I don't have kids, but regardless of ones personal situation, this process isn't as bad if you think about how you can study smarter (more efficiently) and not harder (more time). The importance of being efficient is magnified when you have obligations outside of work. Use the outlines provided by the AICPA and if a chapter is a really small percent, don't worry about having to get 100% of those questions right – waste of time. Also another waste of time – doing MCQ's until your eyes bleed if you don't understand why an answer is right or wrong. Don't get me wrong – these exams are hard (it wouldn't be worth it if it wasn't) but don't get scared by hearing how someone else had to study 200 hours. The more efficient you are the less time you will have to put in.

BEC - 88 8/29/15
REG - 82 11/14/15
AUD - 83 1/8/16
FAR - 80 2/29/16

[Goingallin]

I left my job mid this year to pursue CPA. I wouldn't have been able to study at the rate I'm studying now with a full time job and a one year old. The tough part is sometimes my daughter wakes up in the middle of the night or very early in the morning. I can't imagine studying after only 4 hours of sleep after work. It's not even about discipline. Your mind just doesn't retain much with lack of sleep.

I would suggest waiting until your kid is 2. They are a bit more predictable at that age. I only went into this knowing I am able to be 100% committed otherwise its a waste of time and money.

AUD - 87
BEC - 77
FAR - 75
REG - 82

donotgiveup!!

[arjonesumhb]

You can totally do it!! You just need complete dedication. I am a mother to a now 3 year old and a 6 month old and work full time. No real spousal support because he works alot. You just need complete dedication. When I started my daughter was 1 1/2 and yes its hard, but not impossible. My CPA journey has been long, mainly because of limited study time, having a baby and a busy tax season. I could only study for about 20 hours a week. (3 months to study for each part) I would watch the videos first, then made note cards and read the chapter, then do all the questions for that chapter. The most important element that really helped me pass my last two exams was using the ninja MCQ for the final review, they are a must!! The only time I had to study was after my child/children went to bed and after doing minimal household duties so around 10pm-1am. Just DVR all your shows and give up on having a life and a clean house lol.

AUD – 69, 70, 86
BEC – 2/17
FAR – 69, 77
REG – 88

AUD - 86
BEC - 75
FAR - 77
REG - 88

If it was easy, everyone would do it.

[PJ004]

Thank you so much everyone!!
I am going to give it a shot and hope for the best!! I just ordered my book and going to get started as soon as I can. It's all about discipline and understanding the concept, I know. Let's see if I can do this! I'll get the Ninja notes and Ninja MCQ!! Thanks for all the tips!! Good luck to everyone!!

[Author]

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