[wakefern58]

Do any of you feel after a month of nonstop studying, you can’t even look at the material one day? You try to fight through it but doesn’t work. What do you guys do? Contemplating just putting the books away for the day, a month out from testing

BEC - 77

AUD - 85

REG - TBD

FAR - Q2

[hasy]

Hmm.. Yeah, I think the majority of people are cramming everyday until the last testing day of this window due to the changes. So props to everyone and you too. However, when I do study so much, I try to have a light day if I have an upcoming deadline. Sometimes it's just so hard to keep absorbing new material everyday, so when I have a light day, I ONLY do MCQs or just do other tasks to reinforce what I learned. I try not to learn new material that day to give my brain a rest.

If you can afford a day off, that's great too. Since you're going a month out, take a break.

AUD - 83
BEC - 80
FAR - 83
REG - 78

BEC - 80 (Roger + NINJA MCQ + WTB)

FAR - 72; 83 (Roger + NINJA MCQ)

AUD - 83 (Roger + NINJA MCQ + WTB)

REG - 52; 78 (Roger + NINJA MCQ)

Ethics - 68, 96 (how I dislike you)
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This forum is more addictive than drugs. Still returning after licensure.

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved - Helen Keller

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BEC 80 (10/23/15)
FAR 72 (4/2/15); 83 (7/11/16)
REG 52 (4/28/15)
AUD (9/9/16)

Roger + NINJA MCQ + WTB

[oldercandidate21]

Depending on how far out you are, I think that studying every day is NOT reasonable. I typically try to get in 15-18 hours Monday-Saturday, then take Sunday off. You need to give your mind a rest to avoid burnout… However, with that being said, I may find myself studying almost every day starting this weekend thru 3/9.

I studied for about 7 weeks, took 2 weeks off, scored a 71, and started studying again for 3 weeks. Then busy season happened (80 hrs a week for 3 straight weeks, probably another 55 hrs this week). I am fried and in no mood to study, but hopefully 4.5 weeks until my test date will be enough time when considering the 10 weeks I put in prior to the 3 week layoff… After all, it’s not like I have an option.

FAR 75
BEC 81
AUD 71, 84
REG 69, 71, 83

FAR - 75 November 2015
REG - 69 April 2016 (WTH? Test I got isn't what I studied for)
BEC - 81 June 2016
AUD - TBD

[Goingallin]

I usually give myself a 2 to 4 day break between exams so that I won't burn out. Even though I know I could use those days to study for another exam, I always have to remind myself that giving my mind a break will give me a better chance at understanding the next topic. If you feel you need a mental break bc you're overly exhausted, I think it is wise for you to do so. I have my limit and once I pass that limit, no matter how hard I try nothing will stick until I get a break.

I think this quarter is especially hard for all candidates bc we are all trying to squeeze in as much as we can we can before Q2.

AUD - 87
BEC - 77
FAR - 75
REG - 82

donotgiveup!!

[Iceman6]

Friday I always take off from studying to relax, need that mental break so regroup and enjoy life while not thinking about the exam

AUD - 79
BEC - 77
FAR - 78
REG - 80

After 4 long years, I'm done.

[DZagt]

My break was always that time period waiting for my score. I cherished those days lol. I never took a day off from day 1 of studying for a section until test day. That's just me and everyone is different.

AUD - 92
BEC - 90
FAR - 83
REG - 88

DONE!

[zr125]

I think if you're feeling burnt out after nonstop studying, it's healthy to give yourself a day off if you need it. You can start again tomorrow with a fresh mind :). You still have a month before your exam, so you should be fine.

AUD - NINJA in Training
BEC - 77
FAR - 74
REG - NINJA in Training

FAR - 73, 74, re-taking 4/6 (hopefully 3rd time is the charm!)
REG - 3/10/2017

[SuckItUp]

I wish I had time to take a day off, especially now that it's busy season. I've got three more weeks (hopefully that's all) and then I get to sit back and “relax” with just busy season.

[Namstut]

If your mind and body are telling you to take a break then take a break. You will feel guilty not studying anyway and you will pick up those books with the renewed motivation after a couple of hours! 😉

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

All Done!!!

AUD 7/6/16 Passed
BEC 9/3/16
FAR TBD
REG TBD

[Anonymous]

I take time off between Exams because I am so burned out and miserable. Occasionally I will take a day off while studying to take a nice shower and maintain decent hygiene etc. Otherwise, I am a hermit who is just studying my life away. This process is ridiculous, but doable if u make endless sacrifices. Goodluck to everyone!

[Anonymous]

I think I would lost my sanity if I didn't take a day off. I usually give myself one day each week to decompress from the constant studying and reconnect with actual people. Granted I am absolutely a hermit on the weekends and kick my boyfriend out of the house so I do not get distracted (he of course loves the freedom to play every weekend). But after usually two 12-14 hours of straight studying, I need Monday to just relax after work and not think about the exams.

[Anonymous]

There are days I don't study very much. I have a schedule as far as taking these exams and so far I've stuck to it pretty well. I did push out my first exam (FAR)
from December to January because I was working so much, I didn't have time to study as much. But, I see now that it was a bad move. At the time I rescheduled it, I was also very burned out.
I wanted to give myself another month to get ready. But, it didn't help. I was still burned out! I haven't gotten my score yet but there were many questions that I guessed on, which I would not have guessed on if I'd been more prepared. But, since it was my first exam, I was more concerned about getting comfortable with the whole process of going to Prometric, getting thru the exam in the 4 hours, budgeting my time for the questions, and in that respect I succeeded, even if my score was below 75.

These exams do have a way of burning people out. Unless you really have a long attention span and unless you don't mind reading and re-reading the same stuff over and over again and re-working the practice questions multiple times, it can wear you out pretty fast. Last month, I ran into an old friend who I hadn't seen since 2014. He started taking the exams a couple years ago or more. I asked him “Are you done with your CPA exams yet?” He said he was taking REG soon and still needed to take BEC. I think he started losing credit for the ones he did take – because 2 years ago he mentioned that he was done with two parts. Then he said “I took a break for awhile because it just wore me out.” Mind you, this guy is no dummy, he's very sharp, way sharper than I am. I was thinking he would've been done long ago. But, everyone goes at their own pace. I wish the AICPA would give everyone 2 years instead of 18 months to pass these exams. The profession doesn't change much in 2 years unless there's some huge sweeping thing like Enron that results in the whole field of auditing being reformed. I do understand why they don't allow for the same test to be taken twice in the same window. It's better to go back and study hard and pass it a few months later than to try again after a few weeks and not pass.

[Anonymous]

I put the books down for a day every week, except the last weekend before the test. I swear by it as the way to rejuvenate yourself so that you can keep on keepin' on and be productive. I started doing the “1 day off studying” while I was in college, working and taking full-time classes, and didn't have any time to spare. A friend convinced me to try taking a day off and focusing on rest (like, I'd start my day at sundown and go through the next sundown – I'd often by in bed by 6pm and sleep till nearly noon the next day, just cause I was working so hard – I didn't go out partying or anything like a normal college kid). Turned out, I got a LOT more done 6 days a week if I rested really well 1 day a week. I've stuck with it since.

[Anonymous]

I can see now why many people do not start with FAR. Not that the other three are Candycane Lane but they will not burn the candles out at both ends like FAR does for many people.
I get my FAR score in a few days. If it's under 75, it's because I couldn't stomach looking at the questions and review text for the 2 weeks before the test. Then after the test was over, I immediately got the stamina back. I think there's also something to be said for not spending more than X months studying for one part. You start to lose perspective.

Agreed, 6 days a week of studying is enough. I study on Friday and Saturday nights without fail. Sunday, I do other stuff. And there always ends up being like 3 days a month when I absolutely have to do other stuff and can't study on those days. No doubt, for many of us (who aren't geniuses and/or great at test-taking) this is the hardest thing we will ever do in our careers!

[mitchvols]

I wouldn't take a full day off much at all, but on Saturdays, I would do about an hour (90-120 Ninja MCQ, now this is after I had been answering questions and knowing the general flow of the questions, so I knew how to answer them, some of them were probably memorized, but I always tried to make sure I knew how to work them). Then I took the rest of the day and did some drinking. On Sundays I would try to do my normal 150-180, but usually I was too lazy to get much more than 90.

So technically, I didn't ever really take a day off, but I had a lot of very lazy days.

AUD - 90
BEC - 79
FAR - 86
REG - 81

Licensed CPA - Tennessee

Finished Exams in December 2016

REG - 81

AUD - 74, 72, 90

BEC - 79

FAR - 86

[Author]

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