[jeff]

This thread is for people who have completed all four parts of the CPA Exam and want to tell their story and/or impart some encouragement/wisdom to those that are still striving to earn their certificate.

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Only postings from people who have passed all four parts of the CPA Exam, please.n

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

[luckypenny786]

Let's see… I graduated from college in May 2009 (BS Accounting / MBA combo). I wasn’t able to find a job, so most of my summer days were spent job searching, but I also started studying for AUD. In college, I won a scholarship and got CPA Excel for free, so I was using that to study. I found a job at a small public accounting firm and started in early August.

Once I got settled at my new job and new city, I finally cracked down on studying and took AUD in late August. Passed – with an 88! Hey that wasn’t bad at all!

I took BEC in October – 77. Ok, cutting it a little closer, but that's fine with me!

Then I took REG in November. Thought it would be a breeze since all my work experience is in tax. I must have taken it for granted too much because I got a 65. Whoops! At that point, I switched to Yaeger. I did the CRAM course over a weekend in January, re-took REG the following week and got an 81! I procrastinated with my studying and didn’t really do much besides the CRAM, but I think the combination of the two study programs was what helped bring me up 16 points.

FAR was the section I was really worried about… I don’t have much practical experience with most of the material, and kinda skimmed over it in college. Plus it’s just soooo much information. I waited a week after tax season ended, and started the Yaeger Home Study. First attempt (end of May) – 73. Ugh. Second attempt (end of July) – 74. So close! Finally my third attempt (mid October) – 75 on the dot.

Never has it felt so good to see two little numbers pop up on a screen. I had to refresh the page several times to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I’m not even so much happy that I passed, but RELIEVED that I don’t have to study any more. 7 exams and thousands of dollars later, I’m done!!! I'm still in shock that I'm actually done and don't have to go back to studying again.

Thanks Jeff and everyone in Club75 and Another71 for helping me not go completely insane throughout this whole process!! I’m really not sure what I would have done without all my virtual CPA friends 🙂

–Katie–

D O N E !

[rnp]

I just graduated from college in June 2010. I started my Becker classes in July and took classes through September. I buckled down and started really studying the last two weeks in September. I then attempted what I was told was nearly impossible – I took all four exams in 26 days. I studied for 10 days for REG, 10 days for FAR, 5 days for AUD and 7 days for BEC. I just found out today that I passed all four tests this morning.

I want to thank everyone on this forum. That month of studying was probably the most miserable month of my entire life. I can't count how many times I cried when I was studying for FAR. This forum got me through my tests. I really appreciate all of the experiences that everyone has shared – they helped me get through this horrible test. Thanks everyone!!

REG - 91 (10/1/10) // FAR - 82 (10/12/10) // AUD - 94 (10/18/10) // BEC - 80 (10/26/10)
Becker Student in California

DONE - PASSED 4 EXAMS IN 26 DAYS!!!

[whitesoxfancpa]

I am posting this message to show my true feelings. If I offend anybody, especially in #6 and #7, I apologize. This is strictly my opinion and if you don't agree, simply ignore me and continue on with your studies.

I passed all four parts on the first try by doing a few things and doing them right:

1. Coming up with a plan and timeline, starting with deciding to sit for the CPA exam all the way through taking my last exam. Before I ever ordered a single study book or filled out an application, I knew the exact date I'd be taking my last exam. You NEED to have a plan. Don't do like some people do and lollygag on the review, or take two in a row, then put off the exam, etc. Do your review and then take the corresponding exam part. If you wait several weeks, you'll forget what you need to know.

2. Sticking to my study plan. I had a semi-detailed study plan that I stuck to 100%, no exceptions. Yes, some cushion was worked in and I skipped days, but as long as I had enough cushion to do so, I still technically stuck to my plan. On a couple Friday nights I decided to go get drunk instead of studying. As long as it was in my plan that I could afford to skip a Friday night, I allowed myself to do so.

3. Using Becker and nothing else. I think a lot of people mix review programs too much and either get overwhelmed or get confused. Each review course probably has their certain quirks and mnemonics. By using one review course, it allowed me to stay focused and on track. I don't think working hundreds of other questions in other review courses is necessary or worthwhile at all. Each course has hundreds of questions. You're unlikely to gain much benefit from doing another 500 from another review program. Just stick to one program and do it RIGHT.

4. I did each question 4-5 times each, AT LEAST. There is no substitute for working multiple choice questions.

5. READ the book. Lectures are fine, but something could be said for READING. Read the book. Don't worry about memorizing things or mnemonics while you're reading. Save that for skimming later. When you're reading, just read it through completely and you'll be surprised at how much you'll learn.

6. Don't treat the process like it's such a daunting task. It's not. I always get a kick out of the people who are more scared over these exams than an innocent guy facing a murder trial would be on sentencing day. They're just accounting tests! The people who talk about how they pray, how they have their superstitions, how having people to relate to makes them feel better…come on! Just read, work questions, and take the damn tests and you'll pass. Anything else is a waste of time and/or energy. God or eating pizza the night before an exam won't help you. Quality study time will.

7. In my experience, the anticipation before I ever began studying was much worse than any studying ever was. I had read so many horror stories about how difficult the exam was, how people were up studying til 3 a.m. and how mentally exhausting the process is. Let me tell you, the studying was the easy part. The dread leading up to beginning to study was the worst. I thought I was entering the worst time of my life. In fact, all I was entering was a period where I'd have to study from 8-10:30 each night and spend a good chunk of my Saturday and Sundays studying. It sucks, sure, but it's not NEARLY as bad as I've seen it made out to be.

AUD 96 FAR 95 REG 94 BEC 88

[jeff]

I found this old thread – feel free to jump start some new life into it if you're done!

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

[AAA340]

When I started this journey last May I had no idea where to begin. I’d been out of college for 20 years. I only knew I couldn’t go to a class and needed a flexible study program due to having three kids (2 older and 1 six year-old) and a husband who is a firefighter with a crazy, rotating schedule. I also work full-time. I found myself searching various questions on the internet. I hope the details below help someone just starting out.

I decided on Wiley self-study. I purchased the books, focus notes and the online test bank. Total cost approx. $450. I studied for a total of 528.5 hours broken down as follows:

FAR: 13 weeks – 201 hours Score: 85 (Most material so I would take it first to get it out of the way)

AUD: 7 weeks – 99 hours Score: 88

BEC: 6 weeks – 92 hours Score: 83

REG: 10 weeks – 136.5 hours Score: 86

My study plan:

1.Read the chapter in Wiley

2.Take notes in the Wiley Focus Notes spiral notebook (a real time saver since I just added add’l notes to what was already there)

3.Do all the multiple choice questions – Study mode only so I could always see the reason I got something right or wrong

4.Do half the multiple choice questions again

5.Print out the simulations and do on paper

6.Start next chapter

7.Every three chapters I would do a review of what I had already learned by reading over the Focus Notes and doing ¼ of the multiple choice questions.

I prepared a detailed study sheet in Excel. I estimated the time to read each chapter, the time to take additional notes in the Focus Notes notebook and the time to do MC and SIM questions. I gave myself 3 weeks for review for FAR and REG and two weeks each for AUD and BEC. At any given time I knew exactly what I had left to study and the estimated hours left. I also kept a log of each study session where I tracked briefly what I studying and how long. I know….totally detailed but I really think this helped.

I studied no more than 2.5 hours at any given time. I averaged 15 hours most weeks. I studied an hour at lunch and an hour or two after work. I studied for 2-3 hours each day on the weekend. If I was waiting at the Dr. I would bring my Focus Notes and review. Same for my son’s soccer practice etc…I counted every 15 minutes. I read somewhere once a very long time ago that when you study you retain the most information during the first half hour and the last half hour. I didn’t give up working out but I did give up most of the TV shows I liked and when I did watch them I was on the treadmill. I wanted to try and enjoy the ride. Not hate it and feel tortured. I did some sort of studying…even if only for ½ hour every day. I think this was the key to learning and remembering all the material.

A few comments.

1. If the testlets don’t get harder that does't mean you failed. For FAR I actually thought the first testlet was the hardest and the rest got easier. When I left I thought I might have failed just because of this. I got an 85. I really think its luck of the draw and which questions are in what testlet on the exam. I must have known the later questions better and therefore thought they were easier.

2.I focused on the multiple choice questions and recommend this. I read the chapter in Wiley once, added notes to the Focus Notes and then didn’t go back to the book. I didn’t try to go over all the outlines in AUD for example.

3.Test strategies: Determine a time allotment for the MC, SIM’s and or WC before you go into the test and stick to it (give or take 5 mins). I did this and did not run out of time on any of the exams. If I had to guess on some MC’s to move to the next testlet to stay on track I did.

4.The clock counts backwards. This threw me on the first test. My brain thinks the other way….I like it better if it counted up to the allotted time. Just something to take note of.

5.You can pass even if you don’t feel good about the SIM’s. I really feel like I maybe got half credit for the SIM’s in REG and passed with an 86

I consider myself lucky. I have no idea how I was able to pass each of the first try other than being super organized and preparing a detailed study plan that I stuck to.

I hope the information above helps. Best of luck to everyone!

[MPoni123]

Hello everybody!! I did actually have a “success story” on here somewhere…Jeff – are they still on the website? I can't seem to find them. Anyway, I passed my last exam in September 2010, so I have been done for quite a while. I actually just finished my minimum audit and review hours so the MA Board of Public Accountancy has my CPA license application as we speak! 🙂 Hopefully only a few more weeks and it will be official. MPoni, CPA! LOL

First off guys, you need to be serious about this. You may think to yourself, “be serious?! Why would people sitting for something like the CPA exam NOT be serious?” Well, I can tell you from experience because first time around for all 4 sections, I wasn't serious. I had just finished my MBA and had gotten through my first full-time tax season in 2009 and had no desire to start studying (even though I had already applied and actually thought I could do it). Sat for all 4 parts – failed all 4 parts in the timeframe of April 2009 – July 2009.

In September 2009, I got SERIOUS and MOTIVATED. It also helped having a very supportive boyfriend, family and friends. I went to my university every night after work and studied for a few hours. I used Becker for AUD and REG. I sat for AUD in Oct – passed with an 84. I sat for REG in November – passed with a 90. Yay! I was half way done. My next section – BEC, ended up being my toughest. Becker was just not doing it for me. I took BEC 2 more times and failed with a 66 and a 71. I was still confused about a lot of the concepts. I switched to Yaeger and it was literally like a lightbulb went off in my head. Cindy from Yaeger is amazing. I took BEC again in July and passed with a 79. Now, only FAR left! I ordered Yaeger for FAR as well because I liked it so much for BEC. I studied for about 4 weeks (definitely not enough time, but at that point I was burnt out) and took the exam at the end of August 2010. I got my score at the end of September – passed with a 75. HOLY SHIT I was DONE!!! So…here are some tips:

1.) I never kept track of how many hours I was studying because that just stressed me out. I just studied as much as I could and hoped that it was enough to pass the exam. However, this was just me, so whatever works for you, do it.

2.) I took LOTS of notes with BEC and FAR (Yaeger's teaching style allowed me to take notes and write down examples and then I could revisit them during my review).

3.) If your current study materials aren't working, SWITCH them!

4.) Work ALL the MCQs several times and make sure you understand them.

5.) As Cindy from Yaeger would say, if you are 100% UNSURE of an answer, don't choose A.! It is the most common wrongly chosen answer. Choose either B or C and move on! Only choose A if you are sure it's the answer.

6.) Set aside time to actually study with no distractions and learn how to say NO to things so you can actually study

7.) If you are feeling overwhelmed, just cry and let it out! (obviously I am female so it worked for me haha) No seriously, take at least a little time for yourself and try to relax.

Good luck everybody!!

AUD - 84; REG - 90; BEC - 79; FAR - 75; ALL DONE!!

[Erica H]

After a very long journey, I have finally passed the CPA exam!

I graduated with my BS in Accounting in 2001, worked for 2 years at a mid-size CPA firm, and right when I was getting ready to sit for the exam I ended up getting a divorce and quitting my job to go work with some Olympic level horse trainers for 2 years.

In 2005 I moved back to my hometown in MN and started at the main competitor of the firm I worked for previously. In 2006 I confidently purchased an NTS for a 4 sections of the exam, not know I only had 6 months to take them all. I studied for 2 months for BEC and passed with a score in the high 70's or thereabouts. I then started dating a slacker who encouraged me not to study and ended up wasting the other 3 exam sections I'd purchased. I moved into a new house by myself, broke up with the slacker bf, and then I couldn't afford to sit for the exam again until fall of 2009.

I purchased an NTS for FAR and AUD, and studied really hard for 15 of the 20 chapters, running out of time to study the last 5. I scored a 73. I finished off tax season and at the end of April, thinking I had a month left on my NTS, went to schedule AUD. I discovered I had only ONE WEEK left on my NTS, and I hadn't even started to study yet. I went into study overdrive mode, studied at work, studied at home, and took a long weekend. I listened to Gleim audios on my weak areas, made up mnemonics for everything I could think of and concentrated on rote memorization of the audit standards, review standards, elements of internal control, audit report, etc. I threw a “Hail Mary,” felt like I'd been run over by a truck after the exam and when scores were released….. A 92!!! I was so shocked I asked NASBA if it could be a mistake, LOL.

With this new confidence I scheduled a rematch with FAR in early July. I studied like crazy through June and made it through all the chapters in Wiley this time. Once again felt like I'd been run over by a truck walking out of the exam, and was ready to cry. I felt like my studying had been totally inadequate, but I managed to wrangle an 82 out of it.

Having not learned my “incomplete studying” lesson, apparently, I sat for REG in the end of August 2010 having only studied about 2/3 of the material. I was rewarded accordingly with a 72. BOY did I wish I had taken a couple of extra days to study instead of goofing off! I had let myself get mentally burned out, though, and I felt like I needed the refresher time. Peter Olinto is right, happiness has an inverse relationship with success on this exam.

In early October I got married to a wonderful man who I met in early 2009, and who has supported me wonderfully through this journey. In mid-October I applied for my new social security card, and upon receiving it immediately applied for my new driver's license about 5 weeks prior to my scheduled exam on November 30. I double-checked the name on my application numerous times, as I knew it needed to match my REG NTS in order to sit for the exam. I studied throughout November and was nearly ready when, a few days before my exam, my ID finally showed up. I opened it joyfully, only to discover in horror that they forgot to change my MIDDLE name on the ID (I dropped my old one and put my maiden name as my “new” middle name). I was facing a $75 reschedule fee, the need to purchase 2011 REG materials, and since I'd already scheduled BEC for early January, was going to have to take REG in early February in order to use my NTS and not sit in the heart of busy season. What a disaster!

I took a week off to lick my wounds, and then jumped right back into the game to study for BEC. I studied for about 5 weeks from my woefully thin (I thought) Wiley BEC book. I secretly wished I'd bought a 2011 Gleim book, because my 2006 copy (which went AWOL at some point, unfortunately) was about twice as thick and I wondered what information wasn't in the Wiley copy.

On February 7, I sat for REG again after ANOTHER month of studying (this made 3 months by this point, UGH!!!). Then I dived into 2011 tax season and went to town, having barely worked any overtime until then due to all my studying.

The March 2011 score release debacle doesn't bear rehashing, but let it suffice to say that it was 3 weeks of sitting on pins and needs wondering if I was done with this monster exam or not. I was rewarded on March 28 with a score of 82 on REG and on the VERY last day of the window, March 31, I received my passing score of 84 for BEC!

AND I AM DONE!

My husband said, “Yay, now maybe the crazy lady will go away!” Truth be told, he has never lived with me when I haven't been studying for this exam, so we are both looking forward to some “normal” married time and getting started on a family. Thanks so much to Another71 and Jeff for all of your support, and ESPECIALLY for the NINJA notes and flash cards! They were HUGE!!!

AUD - 92
FAR - 73, 82
REG - 72, 82
BEC - 84 DONE!!!!!! 🙂

[Anonymous]

I used Wiley Book and Test Bank CD and cleared all the 4 parts in the first attempt. I found the study material very helpful

[WisconsinCPA2be]

Many people think this is ridiculous, but when I started college and decided to be an accounting major, I had never heard of the CPA exam. When I finished college, I didn't see the value of becoming a CPA, but I was going through the motions because that was what I was “suppose” to do. I graduated from college in May 2001, but needed to get the 150 credits to sit for the exam. I took the exam in May 2002. I was finishing up my MBA, working full time and I also started dating my husband. I was distracted to say the least. I actually only studied for 3 sections, thinking I would be able to get 50 on FAR without studying based on the knowledge I had from my college classes. Even if I would have passed any of the other sections, I wouldn't have received credit because I received a 49 on FAR. I started working at a CPA firm that fall and knew that if I ever wanted to advance my career I would need to get my CPA. I despised the CPA exam. I hated studying. I was travelling for work and working a ton of hours, but I buckled down and gave it my all for the last paper exam ever to be given (November 2003). A year and a half after the last time I took it. AUD 72, LPR, 72, FAR 67, ARE 71. I didn’t pass a single section. I was ready to give up. All my colleagues were passing and getting promoted and my life stood still. I despised the CPA exam. Plus I would have to study completely different material now that the exam would be computer based. I waited another year and a half. I would not suggest waiting this long in between exams since you basically have to start over every time you start studying. I bought the BISK material and I took AUD in July 2005 and passed with an 83. I received my score the day I got home from my honeymoon. I was elated and started studying for BEC. I used BISK to study and since BEC was still rather new, I didn’t feel BISK covered the material on the exam well at all and I thought the exam was horrible. I got a 68. Then I found out I was pregnant, I took REG and got ANOTHER 71. I wanted to be done with this whole process before I had my baby and at this point, I didn’t feel I would ever pass FAR if I couldn’t even pass REG, an easier section. I didn’t think it would be possible to pass 3 sections while being in my 3rd trimester so I gave up and decided I no longer wanted to be a CPA and accepted a job at a different company. The horrible ordeal was behind me. Then last year, my boss suggested I get my CPA. The day after my 2nd child’s 1st birthday I started studying. I went to the Becker Live classes. It helps to do the live classes because it keeps you on schedule and there is an actual person there to ask questions if you don’t understand something. Plus there are other people there that can relate to your misery. I studied like I had never studied before. I was at the library almost every night until close. One day a librarian asked me if I was working again the next day. She was shocked when I told her I didn’t work there. She said I was there more than she was and she gets paid to be there.

Here was my game plan; I would go over the flashcards on Sunday and take notes on the sections. Monday go to class. Tuesday do the Multiple choice from Monday’s class. Wed morning go over flashcards & take notes for Wed night. Wed night go to class. Thurs do the Multiple choice from Wednesday’s class. Friday off. Saturday Supplemental questions and simulations. For the most part I kept to this schedule, but to be honest with you, I never got to the simulations a lot of the time. I had 2 ½ weeks after class ended before each exam so for my final review I would copy Jeff’s notes, do all the supplemental questions again + progress tests + simulations and then the night before I would re-copy all my notes. I would take a notebook with me everywhere and if I didn’t understand something in class, I wrote it down and if I got a MC question wrong, I wrote it down. This is part of the notes I re-copied the night before my exam.

Finally, 10 years and 2 kids later, a success story. I get huge test anxiety and am also superstitious, so if I can do it anyone can. Just work really hard and you will succeed. Good luck to all.

Paper Exam May 2002; AUD 62, LPR, 63, FAR 49, ARE 70
Paper Exam Nov 2003; AUD 72, LPR, 72, FAR 67, ARE 71
CBT 2010; AUD 83 FAR 76 BEC 78 REG 73,(2/28/11 NTS # 446) 75 and DONE!

[Erica H]

I didn't really get into the advice much on my posting, but the absolute MOST IMPORTANT advice I can give anyone studying for this exam (besides the obvious “make sure you cover all the material and put in the time”) is on HOW to work your MCQs to achieve maximum benefit from your studying.

EVERY SINGLE question, read the question first, and determine exactly what they are looking for. Then without looking at the answers, calculate (or formulate) your answer based on the information in the question. NEXT, review each answer and determine if your answer matches. If it does, DO NOT make that your answer right away. Look over the other answers and determine why EACH ONE is either right or wrong. On the calculations, if your answer doesn't match, make an attempt to figure out how/why your answer is different than the other answer choices and then make your selection based on the full body of knowledge you have put together on the questions AND all the available answers.

I can't even tell you how many times this has helped me catch little things I may have forgotten to consider in my calculations. Plus there is huge benefit in studying this way as A) you get 4 times as much studying value from each MCQ, because you are evaluating all the answers, and B) You learn to do this process quickly, efficiently and habitually so that when it comes to exam time you are not just grabbing at answers and moving on.

If you get an answer wrong and aren't sure why it's wrong, read the descriptions for all four answers in your answer key and learn why each is either right or wrong. If you are working on a question and don't know the answer, DON'T look at the answer key, look up the answer in the text and figure it out on your own, and THEN look to see if you are right.

This method has passed me on EVERY SINGLE exam where I have actually covered all the chapters. The ONLY tests I failed were the ones where I didn't finish studying in time for the exam, and I truly believe my method of working the MCQs is why I was so successful.

Best of luck to you all! I hope my advice can help at least one person avoid that dreaded “74.”

AUD - 92
FAR - 73, 82
REG - 72, 82
BEC - 84 DONE!!!!!! 🙂

[Liz317]

I graduated with my M.S. in Accounting in December 09. I took the next 4 months off to transition into work, and then started loosely studying for FAR in April. However, I didn’t really have a plan or exam date, so I wasn’t committed to studying. I would study one evening here and there, but nothing like I should have been. It was mid-summer that I started to stress because a lot of my classmates were well on their way to finishing & I hadn’t started. July was a busy month for me, but I scheduled my first exam for the beginning of October and started diving in headfirst after my other commitments finished in late July.

I decided to tackle FAR first because financial accounting was always my “strength.” And by starting with FAR, it was stressful because of the amount of material. I was also stressed because I felt like I wasn’t going to have enough time to prepare (I had given myself 9 weeks). One of my classmates recommended this site when I started asking her lots of practical questions about the exam. When I took FAR, I walked out of there feeling like an idiot. It was grueling, and I was frustrated because there was a lot on the exam that I felt I didn’t know. I walked out with my confidence shot and feeling like there was a good possibility that I had failed. But I gave myself a 2 week time off from studying & I took a well-deserved vacation.

I started studying for AUD next. I was initially going to take it in January, but someone recommended to cram it in because of all the changes in 2011. So I had 5 ½ weeks to study for AUD. I was a week out from that exam, when scores started to come out in wave 1. I didn’t really understand the whole score release process (who really does???), but I had checked NASBA a couple of times with no results, only to find out that FAR hadn’t been released yet. So I kept my focus on AUD. On my last evening off before the final sprint to the end for AUD, I was going to go to dinner with my friends. I was looking up directions online, and there were a couple of different conversations from my friends going on around me. I had the NASBA page up from when I checked my scores a couple of days before, and on a whim, decided to F5 just for kicks not really expecting anything. In an instant, I noticed I had a score…and it was a PASS! I screamed, and the room went quiet. I was in shock, but after a few seconds of disbelief managed to spit out that I had passed the first part! Needless to say, the dinner became a celebration dinner. But getting that first score is something that I’ll remember forever—even more than the 4th one—because that score helped me to realize that the exam is tough, but not impossible. I had just defeated a piece of the monster that is the infamous CPA exam, and that compelled me to work to defeat him for good.

I took AUD the day before Thanksgiving, and then basically took off most of December for the holidays. I wanted to study more than I did, but opted to enjoy the holiday season instead of studying all the time. It was right after receiving my AUD score (a pass!) that I realized that if I didn’t take the remaining two parts in the first testing window, it would be June before I would be finished, assuming I passed both of them on the first try. So I decided to cram them both in. I had about 1 week of studying in from December, and 5 weeks in January for REG. Then I was going to study 4 weeks for BEC and take it the very last day of the window. That was good, until work became super stressful (I don’t work in tax or audit), and I lost a lot of study time working overtime. I bumped REG back a week, but that left me with only 3 weeks to study for BEC. January & February were some of the most stressful times of my life, but I managed to make it through. I didn’t have any time off to celebrate finishing REG as I had to jump right in and work on BEC. I had a “March 1st” list going of all the things I was going to do when I had a free moment after the exam. REG was absolutely terrible. I left the exam in tears. I was so stressed out from the extra stress at work and studying, and the exam was just brutal. I felt like they asked me the most obscure questions on the 10% of the material I didn’t know. I felt better about BEC, but was just glad for a break by that time.

The wait for scores seemed like forever. When REG came out, I had to triple-check it to make sure it said what I thought it said! And BEC was last, and I was DONE! And I don’t think it’s quite set in yet that I’m almost a CPA (gotta get that paperwork in to my state board)! But regardless, this journey has been one of the hardest things I have ever done, but yet I feel so proud that I’ve conquered the CPA exam beast!

The advice I have is not anything new. But maybe it will help you as you go on your CPA journey. (I love how we all make numbered lists for this part! Must be a CPA thing to do! Just don’t make numbered lists on the WC on BEC….)

1.) Before you even decide to commit to the journey, make sure that you want to be a CPA for YOU. Make a list of the reasons why you want to be a CPA and put it somewhere where you’ll see it often. You’ll need it for motivation on the rough days.

2.) Review material: My philosophy on review material is that all of them will help someone pass, but all of them may not be the best fit to help YOU pass. I wrote down my learning style, what my intended study plan was (how long of sessions, what time of day, etc), what I was looking for in a material, and price range. I then made a list of the top 12 review courses I found on google. I researched the review courses and found the top 3 choices that fit what I was looking for. I then asked people about those 3, and came up with my top choice. I knew in college that going to the lectures didn’t really help me learn as much as reading the material from the book did. So I just used the Bisk textbooks for all four sections. I bought a supplemental book from Gliem on the research part of the exam, which helped a lot. I’m the kind of person that needs to look back at the material the way I learned it the first time, so when I got stuck on something, I pulled out my old textbooks (still “current” because I just recently graduated) & looked at those.

3.) Come up with a plan: This is where I faltered those first few months of trying to study. I wasn’t committed because I didn’t have a test date set or a plan to get there. Once I set a test date, that compelled me to get serious. Each week I had a goal of which chapters to get through that week. I didn’t make my goal every week, but that was ok. Instead of beating myself up about it, I would just revise my plan & keep on going. For every chapter I would read the chapter, make notes as I went along, and then worked the MCQs. I would keep track of which questions I knew & which I guessed on. I took more notes from the answer explanations. I would try and review a chapter that I had already worked 1-3 times a week. I left the last 1-2 weeks for a complete review (1 week for BEC, 2 weeks for FAR & REG, and 1 ½ weeks for AUD). I would go back through ALL of the chapters again, read my notes, and work more MCQs. During this review I made notes of my weak sections. The last 1-2 days before the exam, I went back over the material again, but focused on my weak points.

4.) My study plan: I don’t get much of lunch break at work & I am not a morning person, so I would study 3-5 hours after work. I would leave work & go straight to a coffee shop or the library & study. I’d have a sandwich or something packed so I wouldn’t be starving while studying. I found that if I went home right after work, I would lose all motivation for studying. After studying, I would go home and enjoy an hour of “downtime” before bed. I needed it for my mental sanity and as a reward for making it through the day. I would study Mon, Tues, & Thurs nights like that. Wednesday nights I was busy until 9, but I still tried to study an hour or so. That’s a good time to work some MCQs & review some notes. I would usually study 10-15 hours on the weekend, spread out over the 3 days. However, I always made sure, no matter how stressed I was, that one day during the week (usually Friday or Sunday), that I would not do anything CPA exam related. I came to cherish those times & would spend time with my friends & family & take time for myself. You’re going to have to make a lot of sacrifices to pass this exam. But make sure that you make time for the big events & make time to just not have a schedule. You’ll feel better in the long run & ready to hit the books again the next day.

5.) Study tips: It’s all about quality, not quantity. When you make time to study, STUDY. I left my cell phone & ipod in my car sometimes just so I wouldn’t be distracted. Since I didn’t use any software to study, I didn’t have my computer either. When my mind started to race or on days when I just couldn’t concentrate, I stopped studying, and did something calming for a while until I could focus again. Flashcards were my best friend. I put all kinds of things on my flashcards, and I put them on a binder ring so they wouldn’t get lost or out of order. I carried them in my purse & whipped them out everywhere: the line at Wal-mart, waiting for my oil change for my car, & when I had to wait 5 cycles at a traffic light to get through the intersection. I found on particularly beautiful days when I just couldn’t stand to be inside studying, I got a ton of stuff memorized by taking my flashcards on a walk around the neighborhood. I really feel like the physical activity helped the cells in my brain memorize things, because I didn’t have to go over those cards as much before I “got it.” I probably looked ridiculous to the people passing by on the street, but I didn’t care. I was going to be a CPA, and that’s all that mattered.

6.) There are going to be people throughout the journey that say stupid stuff. Your friends & family will think you are studying too much. Everyone will say “You’re smart. You’ll be fine.” (I had a few moments sometimes when I just wish I would fail just so they would shutup. Granted, that only lasted a few seconds because passing was much more important than proving to them how hard this exam is, but I did get really frustrated with their comments). No one will understand your stress level or pretty much anything about the process. But just remember that they mean well, and ultimately they want the best for you. Let their comments roll off your back & remember that you are doing this for YOU anyway. And visit A71 and realize that you are not alone.

7.) Don't be afraid to reward yourself when you've finished a part or even just a hard week of studying. Sometimes even the simplest of things made me feel so much better.

8.) This exam is as much a mental journey as it is knowledge. Confidence is everything. I started the exam knowing that it was a beast, but determined that I WAS going to defeat it. As corny & stupid as it may sound, to motivate myself, I would just picture myself armed with a sword facing this huge dragon-like beast (like from the movies). Every time I conquered a part of the exam or even just finally nailed down something hard like AMT, leases, or IT, I would think of me wounding this creature with my swinging sword. It probably sounds dumb, but every athlete I know has some kind of mental process they go through in their mind before the big game. I guess it’s not any different for anyone trying to reach a goal that takes a lot of sacrifice & discipline to reach. Know that this exam will beat you up and try and steal your confidence. Every candidate walks out of the exam feeling defeated. But don’t let that feeling drag you down. Keep on working hard, and eventually, you will be very proud to call yourself a CPA.

Good luck to everyone taking this exam. I’ll still be on this site offering advice & encouragement!

FAR - 92 --- AUD - 87 --- REG - 80 --- BEC - 87
A licensed CPA in Louisiana!!!

Dear CPA Exam, You are a beast. But you WILL be defeated!

[Liz317]

Haha…didn't realize how long that was. Sorry about that. Props to you if you finished it all!

FAR - 92 --- AUD - 87 --- REG - 80 --- BEC - 87
A licensed CPA in Louisiana!!!

Dear CPA Exam, You are a beast. But you WILL be defeated!

[Never Give Up]

I have to tell my Dramatical story in CPA which i passed in the first windoe of 2011 to give the others a hope to work hard and to consentrate on their goals whatever happens . I have worked and studied in the same time i planned to do the whole 4 papers in one shot which was during 2009 . To be Honest, I didnt worked hard for them cause i just finished my University degree and i studied in the same manner as per the university exams ( Which resulted in a disatster resultes) . I passed only in the financial paper. when i came back to my country of origin which is Bahrain ( 23 Hour far away to the states), i got married and after a while my wife got pregnant which increased my level of responsibility and the decreased the level of concentration on the CPA . However, i kept everything behind my back and i studied very hard to pass the other 3 Papers ( By the way i was working in one of the big four companies). To go for my second trip to USA to do my papers i should have an amount of money that could enable me to live there for a 20 days( the only days that i got as an annual leave) to complete my mission but unfortunatilly i didnt have that amount of money which leads me to obtain aloan from a bank just to come to USA. I reached USA again,and i start studying for the 3 papers .This time i studied very hard cause the period of time that i got is very short for doing the 3 papers eventhough i fought with myself just to do what ever it takes to get out from this war(The Exams) with less losses .After these 20 dark days i came back to my origin country bahrain and after 2 days i got my first baby( which also put on me more pressure) . After few days i recieved my scores which resulted in psassing the Auditing and the Business papers but unfortunatilly failing again in regulation with a score of 73 . It was a shock for me cause i didnt do my reg paper within 2 months i will lose my credit in financial . So i thought in a way of TO BE OR NOT TO BE. I started studying again… . and within these 2 months i found a knew job opportunity in the telecommunicaation industry with a a higher salary that resulted me shifting from PWC(big four) to This new company. i spoke with my new company CEO regarding my leave but he refused to give me a paid leave so i decided to take an unpaid leave for 10 days just to enable me to come USA and do my last paper . I did that and came to USA and i followed the same strategy that i did in my second visit to USA. I did the exam 2 days before losing my financial score.

On 27 March 2011 i recieved my score whic i passed with a score of 91. Which ends my dramatical story in CPA .

Based on my story, I would like to concentrate on one quite which is ( NEVER EVER GIVE UP )

[Anonymous]

My Scores:

BEC – 84 – 11/28/09 – Yaeger CPA Review Course & Wiley CPA Review Book – studied approx 1 month

FAR – 87 – 10/02/10 – Wiley CPA Review Book – studied approx 3 months

AUD – 87 – 11/23/10 – Wiley CPA Review Book – studied approx 2 months

REG – 86 – 02/12/11 – KAPLAN CPA Review Course & Wiley CPA Review Book – studied approx 3 months

Study Plan:

My advice for those still taking the exams – make a REALISTIC study plan and stick to it, but be flexible and give some wiggle room near the end and lots of review time to go over everything a 2nd time and take practice exams/sims. Focus your schedule on assignments (chapters/questions) rather than hours – but make sure you plan according to how long you think assignments will take. For me I studied a little during the evenings (1 – 2 hours after work maybe 3 days a week on average, I work full time for a Public Accounting firm) but got in 12-18 hours on the weekends (usually 2 – 3 sessions about 2 – 3 hours each depending on the sections I was doing and what I had going on that weekend). I studied about 2-3 months for each exam except for BEC which only took about 1 month. Also for FAR I took a week off work and studied about 7-9 hours a day for 6 or 7 days during my 3 months of studying which really helped me get through the material – that was a big section (as was REG).

Review Materials:

I loved Yeager for BEC but couldn't afford it for all the parts. The Wiley books were enough to get me through FAR & AUD. I knew I would need help with REG since there was a TON of material and I don't work in tax and haven't seen the text book stuff since I graduated in 2008. KAPLAN was a miracle for me – definitely worth the money. I downloaded their audio files to my phone and was able to study in short bursts whenever I had free time (while driving, cooking, cleaning, walking the dog, etc). I also loved their calendar that pre-filled assignments based on your start/end dates and which days during the week you wanted to study – great tool! Also the online classes helped me prioritize the material and focus on the big stuff and not get lost in the details. I loved the acronyms and other memory tools provided by the instructors. The note cards were a big help too – I used those mostly laying in bed or out by the pool on nice days 🙂 Also a quick way to review on the day of. Also with KAPLAN you use the Wiley books which were by far my favorite (Exam Matrix did not work for me at all – too much detail and not organized well).

Difficult Areas:

Not sure if this is great advice in all cases, but I tried to focus on areas that I could learn without too much difficulty. In BEC I had a hard time with the IT stuff so I made sure I reviewed it, but I didn't focus a lot of time and energy on it – instead I made sure I knew everything else really well. For FAR I ran out of time and knew I couldn't learn all of Govt/NFP accounting in a week so I scanned it and reviewed some terms and big picture stuff, but then focused my last days doing questions & sims and making sure I knew everything else that I had studied. My thinking behind this was that I didn't want to get overwhelmed and discouraged with a few difficult areas when I knew I could make up for it by knowing the stuff I had a better shot at understanding really well. This worked out for me but I'd caution not to do it with more than one area on each exam and I wouldn't go in clueless on any area – still review some terms and big stuff to make sure you have a chance at getting the easy questions right.

Day of the Test:

I made sure to schedule all my exams after 12:00pm so that I could do some review in the morning, but have time to get a good lunch and clear my head before taking the test. My review exam day was always big picture stuff and making sure I knew formulas (especially for cost accounting in BEC) or “list” items (especially for REG – like what are all the “deductions to arrive at AGI” and what are the “deductions from AGI”). I didn't try to do too many questions because I wanted to save my brain power for the exam. Also – if you take the exam in Mobile, AL and go to Newk's for lunch accross the street from the testing site – don't drink a huge cup full of sweet tea half an hour before you take the exam – lesson learned during FAR when I completed my first testlet in like 15 minutes out of necessity and bolted to the bathroom, which left me completely stressed and freaked the rest of the exam!!

For those of you who passed – CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!

For those of you who are still working on it – DON'T GIVE UP!!!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

[magster]

Calling all Floridians……….how do I get info on the Ethics Exam for FL..been on the FICPA site and NASBA and can't find the requirement info. Can I take it before passing all sections or do I wait until I'm done?

REG - Passed
FAR - Passed
BEC - Passed
AUD - 2-25-12 PASSED - DONE !!!!!!!! WOOHOO

*** One day I will get my life back.... maybe today is the day ***

[Author]

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