[Anonymous]

Does this bother anyone else? I feel like I need to vent…

I know there is no way to ask this question without coming off like an elitist jerk but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t annoy me. Let me preface this by saying I have a pretty liberal definition of what I consider to be an accountant (anyone in public, private or gov’t that performs assurance, audits, tax, etc.) BUT I do think there is a “line” (e.g.HR block employees or bookkeepers.)

I realize this bookkeeper is proud of their “Associates Degree” (if they even have that) and may work very hard in the “Accounts Payable Dept” or whatever and that’s fine. But when a licensed CPA or a 150 credit hour CPA candidate with public experience are also called accountants and the average layperson mistakenly considers these roles comparable well I feel like it cheapens the latter’s accomplishments.

When someone tells me, “Oh you’re an accountant? My friend XXXX is an accountant too!” I really have to bite my tongue because what I want to say is, “No, your friend XXXX is a bookkeeper who cuts checks and stuffs envelops all day.”

Why is it a lawyer or a nurse has to have a license to be called those things but anyone working in any accounting dept. of any company can run around with impudence calling themselves accountants?!?

So when I overhear said bookkeeper rambling on about being an accountant I’m left with two options. Either:

1) Be a total douche and cut them down with a statement like, “Oh me too, what state are you licensed in?”; OR

2) Swallow my pride, let them have their ego boost and stop being such a jerk inside my head.

Let me just say number 2 is very difficult for me sometimes….

[jeff]

From my perspective … there is a huge difference between a mom and dad going through it with young kids.

[Minimorty]

@Jeff – Do you mean in your household or how you view it for other households?

[jeff]

Well – I only know from my own experience (vs. making blanket statements about people who struggle with the cpa exam … ZING!!!!….I kid).

Small children need their Mom in a different way than Dad.

Dad is cool … but Mom is where it's at – at least for ages 3 and under.

[mla1169]

Oh boy Jeff, how old is your oldest? MOM is always where its at! always.

Here's the difference between mom and dad in a nutshell: “Dad, can you drop us off at the mall?” vs “Mom, the guidance counselor needs to meet with you next week so you need to leave work and haul your cookies 45 minutes to get here, to listen to nonsense, sign your life away, then go back to work”.

From my own experience of course LOL!

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Minimorty]

lol. I laughed at your zing.

Ok, so now we are breaking it down by age? lol. I do agree that moms, in general, are more committed (measured by time) than dads. I'm just saying that a large percentage of dads do indeed take on more of the child raising responsibilities than the moms. In these instances, it would be harder on the dads to pass.

[Minimorty]

@mIa – That's kind of my point though. Often times the roles in your story are reversed.

[Anonymous]

The current state of the system allows many failures for reason we all know. The candidates know that and plan accordingly. Some even count on luck more than actual knowledge. Some of them even pass.

Now, let's assume there weren't that many failures allowed. The candidates would have planned accordingly again. Would a tighter regime stop someone determined to be a CPA, I don't think so. The system may eliminate some candidates but definitely not the vast majority.

And for those who think the exams haven't gotten more difficult, just look at the old stuff.

As I've said before, if you want more, go get an MBA, PhD…because your CPA is just as good as anyone's. There's no such thing as “CPA summa cum laude”. There's the Elijah Watt Sells Award but with only 20 winners out of 103,000 the odds are definitely against you.

[musicamor]

Jeff – I could be wrong, but I believe Mini was disputing the fact that CPA-exam-taking-Dad's are less stretched than CPA-exam-taking-Mom's; as opposed to whether or not a child NEEDS their mother more than their father. If that was the direction of the discussion, then I would tend to agree with you; but please do not discount the GREAT “stretching” I experienced during my 17 exams as a Husband, Father, full-time student, full-time employee, etc. I sacraficed a lot to say that a CPA-exam-taking mom should be given more sympathy than me, who put in just as much, if not more effort. 🙂

Texas CPA - licensed in 2012!!!

[musicamor]

Mini…what's with the blanket statements about the number of times it takes an individual to pass all four parts? Did you find some additional wherewithal to make those statements as if you've arrived?

Texas CPA - licensed in 2012!!!

[Sandra]

Ugh- I don't know how we got back to this, and I'm not sure why I'm even bothering… Its not like I really care what CPAPending thinks, but yet I still can't help myself. I feel like my recent posts have been very clear, but maybe not.

I have stated, several times now, that actually going through the process has made me realize a few things and that I do not believe that limiting the number of times the test can be taken, or even the 18 month rule makes sense. I do agree with Mini on many many things on this board, but him and I are not on the same page on that subject.

I have also never said that my CPA license is better than anyone elses. If you all don't like me because I'm blunt I'm totally ok with that and will continue to sleep well at night. But I don't really care to have my opinions twisted around.

[Minimorty]

@musicamor – I'm sorry, what is your question?

[musicamor]

@Minimorty–what is your basis for making BLANKET statements like these

“I know plenty of bookkeepers who are much better accountants than a number of people on this site who manage to squeak by and pass the exams after X number of attempts. It comes down to the individual. I will concede that, on average, of course CPAs are better than most accountants.”

If you do not agree that the preceding is blanket statement, then we should not be having this conversation. I am simply wondering how you have basis to make these shotgun, blanket statements. When you say “sqeak” by, are you referring to those who take the exam more than once; those that do not match up to your exam-passing skills?

By the way, I am not offended, just inquisitive of people of a higher eschelon than me. 🙂

Texas CPA - licensed in 2012!!!

[Anonymous]

Sandra, it's not about liking at all.

It's just that people can't understand that in a highly educated country with oversaturated job fields, education begins to devalue.

[Anonymous]

“I think something like this would be good: If you fail any one section 3 times, there should be a 3-year break before you can take that section again. Go out and get some additional experience or education and come back in three years and try again. I don't think you can put a limit and say a person can't ever try again. At the same time, being able to take a section every single quarter until you pass it is kind of crazy too.”

Yeah, God called, he wants his shoes back. He said you've been stepping in them making judgements about people that you don't know and that it was his job to judge people not yours. You don't know why someone takes an exam multiple times. You don't know their level of “education” and “experience”. Your idea of “crazy” and my idea of “crazy” aren't exactly the same thing. Right now I feel like I can honestly say that thanks to a truly jacked up thyroid, I've probably forgotten more about accounting than you will ever know. Yeah, like I said I'm hungry!

[Anonymous]

Hey Kricket!!! Is POCA coming out???

[Author]

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