[neaux]

So, I have about a year left of school, and an internship secured for spring 2016. I have no kids, but I do have a wife and not working so that I can finish school in the coming year. My question is when do you all suggest I start to study for the CPA Exam. I will be eligible, in Texas, to sit for exam in Summer 2016. School is quite a breeze, and I do not consider it stressful. So is now too early? I would love to hear what strategies others have utilized while they were still in school.

[Anonymous]

Most people here will probably tell you that anything more than 12 weeks or so out is going to be pretty much be a waste. If you have an internship locked down and school is a breeze I would just focus on having as much fun as you can with life. Once the studying comes along it'll most likely hit like a freight train. You'll have a lot less flexibility to enjoy things like you can now. Just my advice. Best of luck!

[wawr47aa87]

If you're not eligible til next Summer, then starting now may not be the best idea, considering it'll be hard to retain information for an entire year. Perhaps start studying towards the end of your internship, maybe a month or 2 before the summer (depending which part you're trying to tackle first).

BEC 76 (2/15)
REG 81 (4/15)
AUD 78 (5/15)
FAR 81 (7/15)

Roger + Ninja MCQ

[law0915]

Start studying 1-2 months before you sit for the exam. FAR 7-8 weeks, BEC 4-5, AUD 4-5, and REG 6-8 weeks. There's no point in starting early. How is school a breeze? My undergrad accountancy curriculum was rigorous and I got my 30 upper division account credits/7 lower level during this time rendering a M.S. degree useless.

REG 77 Feb14
BEC 13*, 79 Aug14
FAR 64**, 76 Nov14
AUD 89 Feb15

*Exited exam after first testlet
**Only studied F1-F6 out of 10 Becker chapters

Licensed Arizona CPA

[neaux]

Thanks for your response. I wasn't sure if studying early would give me an edge or not. I guess I'm so anxious to finally be working on my dream career.

@law To put a long story short, I went to a top 20 school for undergrad (some refer to hit as Harvard of the South) which was very rigorous, and I feel it has prepared for many things in life. The school unfortunately did not have a school of business for undergrad so I set my sights on law with a sociology degree. Fast-forward, I am now working on a second Bachelors because it is the most cost effective. The school is not challenging. So less that I was able to take 18 hours and work full time. I quit to fully participate in recruiting. I played football and worked while working on first degree so maybe I'm used to it. I don't know. That is a short version of the story, believe it or not lol. Thank you for you responding. I'm sure a lot of people appreciate your willingness to help.

[Anonymous]

If there's a chance someone else will pay for a review course for you, then I wouldn't worry about studying for the exam. Will the firm where you are interning at next spring give you an allowance for a review course if they extend you an offer? If so, then focus on doing your best on your internship and then you will be ready to go. As others have said, since you won't be eligible to sit for another year there's really nothing to be gained by starting to study now.

[Author]

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