[ridiqls]

I’m currently going back to school to pursue accounting (CPA educational requirement) on top of my bachelors and to take the CPA. Looks like I need 9 months – 1 year of school.

So far I have taken Acct 1&2 (principles of accounting), Federal income tax for individuals, intermediate 1. I am taking Intermediate 2 and a few ethics classes as well. But I really want to know from everyone who is more experienced than me (i.e have taken the test pass or fail, have started studying, etc.) ….which ACCOUNTING classes are highly recommended?

I will have taken before I start studying for the CPA: Acct 1,2, Federal income tax for individuals, intermediate series, Cost Accounting, Audit, Business Law (+3 more ethics classes), Excel for Accounting.

I am undecided on the following 3 classes: Corporate tax, Advanced Accounting I/II (also known as Accounting special topics & Consolidated Accounting).

I can get my CPA education requirements without these classes or maybe just 1 of them.

Do the review courses like becker prepare you enough for the CPA to where I will be fine without taking those 3 classes? Or should I DEFINITELY take those classes?

It may not seem like much, but I’m older due to the career change and those 3 classes mean a minimum of 3 months. The opportunity cost of taking those 3 classes is the cost of tuition, books and the time spent POSSIBLY studying for useless things when I can be spending 3 months studying directly for things that will be on the CPA.

3 months of classes or 3 additional months of CPA prep? I hope this makes sense.

Any advice on whether I should take these courses greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

FAR: Accounting 1, 2; Intermediate Accounting 1,2. Advanced Accounting is not necessary. If you even get a single question covering advanced topics, I would not only be surprised, but it is likely something adequately covered in study materials.

BEC: Cost Accounting, Strategic Management. The economics and financial risk stuff is simple enough that a CPA review course will be more than enough.

Can't speak for the others as I haven't yet taken them.

[ridiqls]

Thanks. Hmm I wouldn't have guess that corp tax would have been more important than consolidations or advanced. Maybe I'll rethink that but it looks like I will for sure have to take Audit and Cost.

[EYNewHire]

What about an accounting info systems class? Not sure if it is a required credit for CPA or not but it would be helpful for BEC.

[Anonymous]

My accounting info systems class didn't teach me a single thing tested on the exam. Not worth it.

[Skynet]

“How to reconnect with your spouse aftering ignoring them for some time studying for the cpa exams”

“How to reconnect with your girlfriend or boyfriend after ignoring them for some time studying for the cpa exams”

[Anonymous]

I agree with bear92, Accounting Info Systems was a waste of time.

[Anonymous]

To answer the second question – yes, I believe the review courses sufficiently prepare you. (I took CPAexcel and would recommend it, but know a number of people who passed with Becker through my firm). I’ve been out of my bachelors for …um a lot of years. I got my Masters in 2011. So the classes I took as an undergrad/grad weren’t very fresh. Also keep in mind it’s not just accounting concepts they’ll be testing, but cost accounting/economics/management for BEC, heavy business law and commercial code for REG, and AUD is…well…ALL audit.

The stuff you’ve taken in the past comes back fairly easily with the review courses. And I personally think the review courses do a better job of hitting topics that are going to show up on the exams than you’ll get through accounting classes.

My advice would be to go with a review course if you don’t need the education to get certified. Or, if you do have to take one class to meet education requirements, focus on Advanced Accounting (my class covered the govt and fund acct topics that you’ll see on FAR) or Advanced Auditing if its available. I took graduate level taxes by the boatload (advanced individual, corporate, partnership) and I personally don’t think they helped for squat. Granted I’m not tax oriented, but still. Unless you want to be a tax practitioner, I wouldn’t waste time or money on those courses.

[Author]

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