[animalwithin]

Currently waiting on my NTS but I’d like to start studying rather than wait.

I’ve taken all my accounting/business courses within the past two years and I work in a CPA firm so all the subjects are more or less “fresh” in my mind.

I figured I’d start with AUD then BEC, followed by REG then FAR. I’m using Roger and their 9-month study schedule and will supplement with NINJA on my off days.

Good or bad strategy? Should I wait to get confirmation from the board that I’m clear to schedule for the exam? Is starting out with AUD a good plan? I’m open to any and all ideas.

[MIsconnie]

1. Dont wait for the NTS, study (unless you think they may not let you sit for whatever reason)

2. Yes seems fine, however no one can tell you how you should study. That is more or less a judgement call on your part as everyone is different. I will tell you to at least finish the material. Outside of that you will get into a rhythm that works best for you.

3. I would suggest taking FAR and REG first. They are hands down the toughest exams and if you pass both in good time you will have enough confidence to smash the easier of the two. Just my opinion on sound strategy, do whatever you think is best for you.

Best of luck to you.

[TommyTheCat]

I agree with Misconnie on most comments. However I disagree that you should take FAR and REG first. Sure those might be the consensus hardest sections, but they might be in your wheelhouse depending on your strengths and weaknesses.

For me REG was my strongest subject, and FAR was probably my 2nd or close 3rd. AUD is def my weakest since I hate audit and have avoided it like the plague.

Gauge what is your strong suit and what subjects you feel weakest in. Then determine if you think doing the hardest first is the best approach. I can understand the logic in doing so since you probably want to get the hardest knocked out so you dont get stuck on it while your 18 month clock is ticking.

Me personally I thought FAR would be the hardest since thats what everyone had said. So my strategy was to take the easiest for me first (REG), since I felt confident I would pass it and it would be a good confidence builder. I didnt want to get crushed by my first test and lose morale. I also know myself well enough to know that I get motivated by pressure. In light of that I decided to make my last exam the “hardest” by doing FAR last. That way I would have the built in motivation to study hard for it in theory having 3 passed and having the 18 month clock moving.

My strategy worked for me, passed all 4 in 12 months on first attempts. In reality FAR was not the hardest for me, AUD was, so if I did it over again I would have gone REG BEC FAR AUD.

My point of all of this is that you should tailor it to your strengths, dont rely on what others necessarily say.

[mosaic]

The order of exams is an interesting topic. I only have my own recent experience to go by, but AUD and BEC had a good amount of FAR material on them. Due to classes I was taking, I had to take them as FAR, AUD, BEC, REG. That worked in my favor, because I (kid you not) had the same subject in sims appear on all three. I just took REG. It was my odd one out, very challenging but fair. I felt that way about FAR also, whereas I thought AUD and BEC were “weird.” All told, I'd probably do REG, FAR, AUD, BEC if I had to go back to the beginning.

And don't take BEC lightly. I should have given it a few more weeks, but I figured “oh, it's the easiest one…” Yeah, the AICPA clearly is trying to stomp out that belief.

[ds34168]

I would start with FAR and BEC the last.

[MIsconnie]

I am going to backtrack and concede none of the exams are easy. However, I think because FAR has so much material you do not want that one hanging over your head last when you are burnt out from studying and you are up against the clock. However, Financial may be your bread and butter, definitely things to consider.

[hana]

I would recommend starting with FAR for a number of reasons. First off, as others already mentioned there is definitely overlap of the material covered in FAR in other sections, and you will have an easier time studying for AUD and BEC if you have the basics from FAR down pat.

Second, FAR is a monster with the amount of material it entails. I definitely recommend getting it out of the way first, because its only up-hill from there. True, all of the exams come with their own difficulties. However, no exam takes as long to study for as FAR does because none of them test on as much material.

Third, you mention that you still don't have your NTS. Waiting to receive your NTS can take a while; it took close to 2 months for me to receive mine (in NY). AUD does not take that long to study for; I did it in 4.5 weeks. Even if it does take you a bit longer, it will be stupid if you are ready to take the exam and still do not have your NTS and therefore cannot schedule. You might end up forgetting the material that you studied by just waiting around… FAR on the other hand takes a bit longer to study for. It can easily take you 8-10 weeks to study and at the point you hopefully will have received your NTS already and will be able to take the exam while the material is still fresh in your mind.

Of course, you should choose whatever order you feel most comfortable with, but these are just some factors that are worth considering.

[animalwithin]

You all have given me some great advice here! Thank you so much! I will reflect on this and evaluate my current plan to see if I should make any adjustments.

[Author]

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