[12OatK]

I now have passed FAR, BEC, and AUD. I’ve taken REG since then and failed multiple times. I cannot for the life of me get myself to get up to study and take this exam another time. I have one, maybe two more opportunities to pass REG before I start losing sections but I don’t even want to bother.

The issue is I’ve known for a while I don’t really want this credential but I only just came to terms with it. It’s only something I’m doing because people at work want me to. Not only that but studying for the CPA has made me hate accounting to the point where I’m considering a career change after this next busy season, making it even less motivating for me to finish the exams.

Basically the only thing kind of tying me to the exam process right now is the fact that I’m “only” one pass away. Talk about a sunk-cost fallacy. Does the CPA really have any utility outside of the accounting world? I feel like there’s no way all this time and energy is worth it.

AUD - 41

BEC - 75

FAR - 76

REG - 34, No Show, No Show, 54

[Nate]

Don't you dare let yourself quit now with 3 exams passed! Yes REG is tough but at this point you've already invested a lot of time, effort, and money. It sounds like you don't want to which is typical, cause I remember after passing FAR my motivation to get one more exam done was super low. We've all been there, it's hard to get through that 4th and final one. I think you're letting the fact that you don't want to take REG cause you to falsely reason with yourself as to why it'd be OK and justified to quit, but at this point there is no justification to quit. You will regret giving up now way more than you'd ever regret putting in the time to study hard and pass REG. I know it's difficult, and I know the CPA exams make you hate accounting and wish you never got an accounting degree, but once you're done and you can take that big sigh of relief it's so worth it. IF you passed AUD, BEC, and FAR, you can definitely pass REG! Trust me, you'll regret not getting it at this point. The CPA exam can be used in multiple career fields and those three letters next to your name adds a lot of value. GO PASS REG AND BECOME A CPA!

AUD: 54 (10/31/15); 83 (12/02/17)
BEC: 70 (01/31/16); 90 (07/02/17)
FAR: 73 (10/03/15); 88 (02/17/18)
REG: 83 (06/09/18)
AICPA Ethics: 91 (06/28/18)
Licensed: 08/16/18

[Recked]

You might not want it or care about it now, but your future self will thank you for not giving up.
Another 100-150 hours, or even 200 hours to be done with the thing.
Just finish it off, and then re-evaluate and decide which direction you want to go.
I guarantee you will not regret passing, but you might regret very dearly not finishing.
It will always weigh on you and be in the back of your mind. Trust me, you don't want that regret hanging over your head. I didn't get it done until I was 38 and really wish I had just buckled down.

Memento Mori - Kingston NY CPA & EA (SUNY Albany 2002)

FAR-93 11/9/17 (10wks, 250 hrs, Roger 1800+ MCQs, Gleim TB 600+MCQs, SIMs)
AUD-88 12/7/17 (3 wks, 85 hrs, Roger 1000 MCQs no SIMs hail mary)
REG-96 1/18/18 (6 wks, 110 hrs, 1400 MCQs, no SIMs)
BEC-91 2/16/18 (4wks, 90 hrs, 1240 MCQs)

[jd]

You wouldn't be dumb, you would be stupid.

AUD - 81
BEC - 83
FAR - 81
REG - 85

Compete

[CPAHOPE]

You wouldn't think its dumb since you dont really care to get this license but from 3rd party perspective, it would be very foolish to quit at this time since youve already passed 3.

AUD - 78
BEC - 76
FAR - 80
REG - 77

FAR 80

REG 79*,77

AUD 78!!Final

BEC 76

"Theres no limit unless you allow it"

*expired

[jeff]

Yes.

I lost my FAR credit due to 74/74 on REG.

Then scored a 92.

Then re-passed FAR next try.

You'll be fine.

My CPA Exam Story – Jeff Elliott, CPA

AUD - 79
BEC - 80
FAR - 76
REG - 92

Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS)
NINJA CPA | NINJA CMA | NINJA CPE | Another71

[monikernc]

Do what you need to do to get the license. Does it have value outside the profession? Probably. I have friends who do not work in public accounting but maintain their license for whatever reason they do so. Some work in related fields, private accounting and others in unrelated fields. Digging deep and finishing will do more for you than just giving up because you decided you just don't care anymore. What is that, anyway? How many things in life do you think you really get to quit because you don't care before you run out of chances? There is value in the knowledge you acquire and there is value in the effort you see through to completion. What do you have to show for all this time, effort and education if you just abandon it? At the end of the day, it's just a test. You're not passing because you don't want to. Set a goal and get it done. Oh, and Happy Holidays!

AUD - 93
BEC - 82
FAR - 76
REG - 88

How have you been?
Ninja book and MCQs and the forum, all first try! 2016
Licensed State of Montana April Fool’s Day 2020
State of Colorado June 2020 - AICPA Ethics 93
Experience was the worst part of the journey for me. You?
If you want things to change you have to do something different.

FAR 7/25/15 76!
AUD 10/30/15 93
BEC 2/27/16 82
REG 5/23/16 88!
Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
if you want things to change, you have to do something different

[Tncincy]

@Monikernc, WELL SAID.

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader.....time to pass

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[Tncincy]

@120K, I have been at this for years. Really, years. My mom said yesterday, “You still studying for that test?When will you get this done?” I felt so bad, and really tired of explaining the process until I wish I had not told anyone until I was on my last part. You have passed 3/4 already? What is this quit business. NASBA can continue business from my investments in exam fees over the years. I am not proud of wasting money, but CPA is what I want. So think it over, take a deep breath. If you can pass 3/4 why can't you pass the last. Oh Come on, for the rest of our sakes, get it done.

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader.....time to pass

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[tmacpa]

If you're tired of this and taking an exam that you've failed previously, before diving back into studying, make a plan.

What can you differently? Is there a study review program you haven't tried? How close to passing were you?

In my experience I took each exam multiple times and ended up passing six.

My last exam was Reg and if I didn't pass I would've lost more sections. I went and got becker, which I hadn't done for any section previously. I think the different approach to teaching me Reg helped, and of course what also helped was my motivation and I knew this was it I had to do it. That motivation has to be there. You need to do everything you can to get that passing score come exam day.

AUD - 78
BEC - 79
FAR - 78
REG - 90

short-term sacrifice = long-term gain

[ellabella]

Never quit! I've procrastinated so many times over the span of more than a decade that I really don't like myself for it. Get a good review (I use UWorld Roger CPA Review) and stick with it. Roger's lectures help a lot, and the entire package is so much better than the big books I used to buy and get intimidated over.

Ella

Mom of Two, studying for the CPA Exam

[fukthecpa]

I would just quit. A CPA is pointless. You don't need a certification for something you can do without. Instead of studying thousands of hours for years, put that time into thinking of what you really love and want to do with your life and put those hours into that. Trust me.

[calvinus]

While you don't need to be licensed to do CPA work, good luck finding clients without a CPA designation. And compared to other degrees that require hundreds of thousands of dollars, nothing comes close to a CPA in terms of ROI.

Fukthecpa, you sound like you've already quit so one would question why you're even still here. 😛

AUD - 75
BEC - 81
FAR - 78
REG - 75

Oh I left it all with Jesus long ago

[ellabella]

I would press on, but must say that the right review will give you much more confidence to go forward. I started out with Wiley and gave up for years, discouraged and without support (I used books only). It's made a big difference to me since I started doing the review with UWorld Roger, as it's much more supportive. Instead of being alone with book, I get dynamic lectures that help me seal in the knowledge. So remember, don't give up. Just get a better supportive review program.

Ella

Mom of Two, studying for the CPA Exam

[ellabella]

I would press on, but must say that the right review will give you much more confidence to go forward. I started out with Wiley and gave up for years, discouraged and without support (I used books only). It's made a big difference to me since I started doing the review with UWorld Roger, as it's much more supportive. Instead of being alone with book, I get dynamic lectures that help me seal in the knowledge. So remember, don't give up. Just get a better supportive review program. I've thought about throwing in the towel in the past, and now will exert a lot of effort in getting this done. You are almost there!

Ella

Mom of Two, studying for the CPA Exam

[CPA_VT]

monikernc wrote:

Do what you need to do to get the license. Does it have value outside the profession? Probably. I have friends who do not work in public accounting but maintain their license for whatever reason they do so. Some work in related fields, private accounting and others in unrelated fields. Digging deep and finishing will do more for you than just giving up because you decided you just don't care anymore. What is that, anyway? How many things in life do you think you really get to quit because you don't care before you run out of chances? There is value in the knowledge you acquire and there is value in the effort you see through to completion. What do you have to show for all this time, effort and education if you just abandon it? At the end of the day, it's just a test. You're not passing because you don't want to. Set a goal and get it done. Oh, and Happy Holidays!

AUD - 78
BEC - 95
FAR - 88
REG - 81

Ethics -100
Licensed Virginia -Nov 2020
Glad to be done!!

@monikernc& others thank you for the wishes and encouragement, I now have a promising solid lead with a local CPA firm, that is interested in engaging me for part-time work during tax season. This might just work out as I was hoping to apply and develop knowledge and build on this base. I will come back here and post the update if this lead works out. All through this process, I had been updating the Adjunct faculty that taught the sole 3-credit hour accounting class at the local community college that I took just in case I fell short of the 150 hrs requirement. It turns out he has a CPA firm that could use some additional help and I interviewed with them yesterday for a part-time role.

I would like to share my personal experience. I did not really need the CPA but I just could not let go of something that I started long back unfinished.. I still regret the one professional diploma that I did not pass because I did not apply myself. The Company Secretaryship license. It probably did not matter. But I did not want to add another ‘regret' to that list by not completing the CPA.

Is it going to change my life substantially, May be , may be not. But I would much rather have it in back pocket than not have it. That is important to me.

I would like to think myself as an uncommon CPA candidate. I work in IT (well sort of) having left my accounting job in industry back in 1997. But the pull of CPA in my adopted country was always there.
When I was 34 , I attempted this in half-hearted manner and got embarrassing scores. I put it on the back burner for the next 15 years. My now-departed father used to remind me of this unfinished business every year. After he passed on, I got this determination to give it my best shot one last time and oh boy am I glad it worked out. I signed up for GLEIM Review and slogged through it for the next 8 months taking my first exam just before my 50th birthday and the remaining 3 sections in succession 6-8 weeks apart.

I learnt that I needed more discipline, self-denial and focus.

Monirkernc said it best “there is value in that knowledge” and “value in the effort”. Just the other day a high school friend from India called and enquired about a simple tax situation for his elderly US Citizen client that wants to live her golden years in India and wanted to understand implications of selling her property here in the US. I was able to help out with that query.

AUD - 78
BEC - 95
FAR - 88
REG - 81

Ethics -100
Licensed Virginia -Nov 2020
Glad to be done!!

[Author]

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