[R. Baker]

Hi everyone, I have a bit of a dilemma and I was hoping I could get some advice from those of you with more experience.

Today I received a letter from the my state’s Board of Examiners approving my credentials to sit for the exam, so after years of looking forward to the exam, it is finally time to take the next step and decide on a schedule.

I won’t ask what order to take the sections in since I know that the best path will vary by person depending on their strengths and weaknesses and whether a person wants to try to do the hardest first or the easiest first (plus answers might vary more than usual due to the uncertainty of the 2011 changes).

Where my dilemma comes in is that I can’t decide if I should try to fit my first exam in at the very end of the May window, or be patient and hold off until the July/August window.

The problem is that I will be graduating the first week of May, so while I would be able to start studying for the first section through parts of March and April (balancing it with my class studies), my heaviest studying would be during the 3 weeks post-graduation (assuming I can schedule a day at the very end of May).

Luckily, I work a job with an amazing amount of downtime and would be able to study for most of each shift in addition to studying at home.

While part of me thinks I can manage fitting my heaviest cramming into 40-50 hours per week for 3 weeks, the other part of me wonders if I making a mistake by trying to fit my first exam in May. Am I underestimating the amount of energy studying will drain from me? Or does 40-50 hours per week in addition to what I can fit in during March and April sound like a realistic plan?

Basically I am split between doing:

-1 section in May, 2 sections in the July/Aug window, 1 section in the Oct/Nov window (or 1-1-2)

or

-2 sections in July/Aug, 2 in Oct/Nov

Illinois CPA

[Anonymous]

I recommend applying for your NTS (notice-to-schedule) for 2 sections. Your NTS is good for 6 months.. so apply for your NTS in April. See how May goes and if you are successful at studying for the exam in a reasonable time, then you will already have your NTS in hand to officially schedule your specific date and time.

If you take the exam and feel good about it.. then apply for another NTS for the remaining two parts.

Your NTS is good for 6 months. NTS just says “here, you can schedule your exam at anytime in the next 6 months'. It does not require you to pick a date immediately. You can schedule the exam, anytime after you recieve your NTS. Most exam sites do not fill up that quickly.. I've heard of people being able to schedule just a couple of days before they decide to sit for the exam.

Because you are just getting out of school and depending on which exam part is going to be your favorite, I think you can sit for a part in May.. or at least get the NTS.. if it's too much then you can decide to officially schedule the exam for July instead. I hope this makes some sense..

[R. Baker]

Interesting, when I read about the NTS before, I didn't realize I could schedule exams on such short notice. I think I'll do as you suggested and apply for my NTS in April then see how May goes before setting a date.

If it is possible to schedule a week or so in advance even at the end of a window, that would be ideal.

Thanks

Illinois CPA

[Anonymous]

As long as the slots aren't filled… you can log on to Prometric at anytime after you get your NTS and check to see if they have openings on days that you are looking for.

I've heard of people taking exams on Saturdays and Sundays! I didn't even know that was possible! I didn't think to look on those days. I know you can take exams in my state at 8, 12, and 4! So you might have a pretty good chance that something will be open for you, but just keep checking the dates to see how quickly they are filling up 🙂

Good Luck to you 🙂

[tulip]

How close to the date you can test I think depends on your location – I scheduled sections in Oct with only 3-4 days notice.

I think you can fit a section into May – especially if you can fit in that much study time.

BEC - 10/18/2010 - 79
FAR - 10/28/2010 - 82
AUD - 11/04/2010 - 73; 02/18/2011 - 86 - IT'S OVER!!!!!!
REG - 11/21/2010 - 83

[smrichard]

I used to schedule as soon as I got my NTS because I thought you had to schedule months in advance to get a good date. But I checked yesterday and there was still an appointment available for Monday which I thought was odd being the last day of the quarter to take the test. I think I'm going to change my strategy and schedule when I'm ready.

FAR 82
AUD 81 (2007), 73, 80
REG 68 (2010), 76
BEC 58 (2007), 75 DONE!!!!

[Anonymous]

What State are you in? I don't think all states have a 6 month NTS like @CPA Someday. For example, an NTS in California is good for 9 months. Try to save yourself from dishing out an extra $50 to reapply for additional tests.

Since you're just getting out of school in May, I would suggest that you start the CPA exam process as soon as possible. It's a lot easier to study when you're still in college study mode! 40-50 hours for 3 weeks should be more than plenty to pass. I passed FAR with about 180 study hours and Audit with about 100 study hours if that's any help.

Just keep in mind that you will never feel 100% ready for these tests. The CPA exams can be a lot to handle so make sure that you don't let them overwhelm you. You are in control, you just need to stay positive and focused! There are a lot of people going through the exact same thing as you so don't be afraid to reach out to the online community for support! You can do this!!! Good luck 🙂

[Anonymous]

wow 9 months!! I didn't know that.. thanks for sharing!! 🙂

And I agree with your post about never being 100% ready.. I still would schedule my exams “right away” because that would give me a deadline and reason to stick to my study schedule. You are sooo right!!

In R.Baker's case I'd wait to schedule the exam.. because you are on a time crunch.. just understand you may never be 100% ready 🙂

[Author]

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