I passed my last exam in November 2012 and did not take ethics until March 2012. I needed that break from studying and I'm glad I took it, so enjoy being done, no rush. Unless it means that you get a big raise as soon as become licensed, then get moving!
I highly recommend buying the PDF version of the book from the CalCPA website, printing the exam and going through all the questions very carefully. Make sure to look out for if it's a CA or AICPA based ethics question.
I made the mistake of trying to take the exam at my desk after work. I took it 3 times and didn't pass with the 90%. Secret: If you don't pass the first 3 times, you can call CalCPA and they will reset the exam for you so that you can take it another 3 times and if you don't pass that time, you can pay 50% and they will reset it again. Anyhow, I passed on the 4th try, because I actually took a full Saturday afternoon to go over the questions again and find them very carefully in the PDF. I also referenced the page number and section where I found the answer to help me track everything. It's harder than you think to get that 90%. I kept missing passing by 2 questions!
Sometimes I just pause on the weekend and sigh in contentment for the fact that I don't have to study. Even now, 10 months after passing.
My last recommendation is to start getting everything together for your application and send it in, even if you haven't passed the ethics exam yet, you can always send that in later. I waited until I was done with everything and ended up delaying my actual licensure by a few months and on top my fingerprints never went through so I had to do those again as well.
Congrats again! 🙂
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