[sar_rah]

This question is directed toward TAX people who have already taken REG. Did you find REG easier to study for than the other exams or compared to other test-takers?

REG will be my last exam, after being mostly done with completing my masters in tax. I was hoping it would feel easier and I could get through it without issue and rather quickly, having a background in tax.

Did having a masters degree in tax help you complete REG, or am I wrong in making this assumption?

Thanks!

AUD: 98
REG: 91
BEC: 86
FAR: 83

DONE DONE DONE and DONE all on the first try! It IS possible, just keep on studying!

[northernlights]

I thought REG was easy enough. A month of study in CPAexcel, a tax season at work, and ninja audio, and it was done. The AUD on the other hand, is not so easy.

FAR: 55, 52, 66
REG: 84*
AUD: 54, 70, 73, 72, 79!!!
BEC: 75*

*expired

[TaxGod]

This was my exact situation. Although my grade looks bad i thought it was very easy. i did 0 business law studies and had sims that were out of the realm of what i do so that is why my grade came out low. I only studied two weeks for reg, and found it easy as a whole compared to the rest, and yes i have a master in tax as well as experience.

AUD: 02/28/15 - 89
FAR: 05/29/15 - 80
BEC: 08/03/15 - 81
REG: 08/27/15 - 76

[jeff]

The danger here is that tax people might take REG more lightly – only to find out that BLAW and Ethics/Prof Responsibilities knocks them on their butt on exam day.

Don't underestimate the rest of REG.

[Gabe]

I agree with Jeff. I've seen a lot of Tax people post here and say REG was harder than they expected. I also think the REG exam has been throwing a lot more business law and ethics questions than before, just a thought.

CPA, CFE
CISA- Experience will be completed by August 2016

[jm962011]

I think being a “tax person” only helps because you've seen the concepts in practice but if you're doing corporate tax work, you might struggle with the individual tax concepts tested on the exam and vice versa. Whereas a “tax person” might struggle with FAR/AUD because they only have the book to go on, no personal experience.

I do indirect tax work (sales and use, property tax, etc.) but I have seen many corporate income tax concepts in the real world (DTA/DTL, current/noncurrent, using enacted rate, etc.).

It also doesn't mean you're going to get a great score. I think I got a 75, it was my last exam and I was running up against the 18 month clock so a 75 is perfectly fine for me. I also got a 76 on BEC but I find general business concepts and economics more interesting but didn't study as much for BEC.REG as I did for FAR/AUD

[makiu]

@cb_6185
I agree with Jeff and @ Gabe, do not under estimate the B. Law material for this section. Having as MST you may feel too comfortable about it. Please study as if it was the end of the world.. No slack, no break no pain.

Makiu, MST, EA, CPA done!!!!! life is great….
Merry Christmas

[y_u_no_pass]

It was my first exam and second lowest score, but I thought it wasn't too bad. Although the types of returns you do makes a difference, I do partnership returns. Cool thing about that is I basically new all the itemized and AMT items by heart because they are separately stated even though I never do individual items. I had also just taken a corporate class. I found the ethics the hardest part. It is just boring memorization with no context as I never learned in school and there are overlapping rules that are all similar but slightly different. But I didn't learn it too well and I still got a high score so as I have said many times, you don't need to know everything completely to pass these exams. There were sections I was either unfamiliar or only slightly familiar with on each of them. You just need to really know most of it. If you are really struggling with one part or find it tedious get the points where you can.

Florida CPA!
Took final exam 2/25/15.
Sent in Application 3/12/15.
Issued License 3/20/15.
Used CPA Excel solely for all exams.

[Gatorbates]

I took it first because I'm a tax guy. Passed it the first time, but made sure the majority of my studies were on the dry stuff: Agency, commercial paper, contracts, etc. Lost credit and had to retake it. Studied for about 2-3 weeks to refresh my memory, and passed again. Don't assume your tax knowledge will help you pass though. There are plenty of other topics in it.

Licensed Florida CPA:
B: 71, 73, 79
A: 83
R: 78 (expired), 77
F: 74, 74, 80

It's finally freaking over.

[taxman89]

tax guy and i hated hated hated reg. dont underestimate it

Aud-75 3x I knew i never liked you
Bec-77 1x being in the bubble is stressful
Reg-82 4x its not me its you...and no we cant be friends
Far-78 1x easiest section

[Sir Ivalis]

JD/MST here. I'm only academically a “tax guy” because I have yet to work in public accounting. However, after a law degree and just now finishing my MST, I went into Reg with the attitude that I would crush it. I studied for about 50 hours, roughly 15 of those on Ninja MCQs and managed to pass the first time with an 81. HOWEVER, there were so many times on the MCQs where I had these “WTF is this?” moments that I never felt comfortable and was only able to get to a trending score of 65. Reg is vast and detailed and will test you on concepts you've never come across.

All that being said, previous tax knowledge may help speed you through the lectures/reading material, but I recommend spending way more time on the MCQs than I did.

REG - 81
FAR - April 13th (73), TBD
AUD - July 6th
BEC - TBD

[taxgeek83]

For what it's worth, even if you are a “tax” person, don't underestimate the tax portion. I'm a “tax” person and figured I could focus on BLaw and breeze through the rest. I was wrong….

[TaxGod]

My summary of what i think everyone is trying to say. It will absolutely help, but dont rely on that and underestimate.

AUD: 02/28/15 - 89
FAR: 05/29/15 - 80
BEC: 08/03/15 - 81
REG: 08/27/15 - 76

[sar_rah]

Thanks guys! Yeah I don't plan on underestimating any of it. Was just wondering if an educational background in tax seemed helpful in making the tax part a little easier, since a masters in tax goes way beyond the scope of tax on the CPA exam.

AUD: 98
REG: 91
BEC: 86
FAR: 83

DONE DONE DONE and DONE all on the first try! It IS possible, just keep on studying!

[Anonymous]

I Am A Tax Person and Still Studied Just as Hard For REG when I took it as the other Exams. Tax is only a part of the exam, there is a lot of other stuff on REG that isn't related to tax.

[win2bet]

I'm a tax major, took REG the 1st time, thought it was very easy & actually failed. definitely not to be underestimated. remembering all the different capital gain treatment isn't easy

REG 68,87
BEC 85
FAR 75
AUD 64,64, 86!

[Author]

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