Found out today I passed REG with 82, last exam I am offically done!
AUD – 70,80(expired),76(Dec.2018)
FAR – 49, 75(Dec.2018)
BEC – 82(3/11/2019)
REG – 54,66,82(11/22/2019)
It took me total 1 year and 2 months to finally pass everything, FAR+AUD+BEC I passed while studying full-time took total 6 months, REG passed while working full time.
Of course nobody cares about my personal stories here so I'd share some advice I think would be helpful for people who are on this journey:
1. Order:
Either FAR->AUD->BEC->REG or,
REG->FAR->AUD->BEC
REG is kind it's own thing, very little crossovers with other 3 sections, so you take it first or last. I personally think FAR and REG are equally difficult. Take FAR before you take AUD or BEC, FAR knowledge will help you with AUD and BEC.
2. Study Material
I really like Gleim, their premium is access until you pass. I passed all mine using Gleim. And NINJA is a good supplement, I think you should only use NINJA if you already have a good fundation knowledge of the material, NINJA definitely makes the material more aligned/structured with the blueprint, I couldn't pass with Gleim twice so I added NINJA and passed on the 3rd try. Also NINJA taught me how to study, the Cornell note-taking methodology and some other study strategies will benefit me going forward. and Jeff's audio lectures are very good, he sounds very personal, he try to make it fun and memoriable. I still remember he said “if you donate cash you get 60percent deductible, if you donate other junks only 30percent lol”.
3. Life after becoming a CPA
I was never a math person, when I first failed FAR with a 49 I thought I'd never be able to wrap my head around this s***. But I picked up the exam after 3 years Why? Because some of the people I work with they are CPA holders and they dont do a good job at work, they think they are CPA and they are better than everyone else, if you are not a CPA you are less than them. I think wether you are a CPA or not, you should still carry yourself at a high-standard at work, and don't look down people without the certification.
Anyways, you'll learn a lot while studying for this exam, and I hope you gain more than just the accounting knowledge. I certainly learned a lot, about my life, myself. Good luck to everyone !
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