[animalwithin]

On February 23, 2021 I passed the CPA exam after 3 years of studying (which includes the one year I spent flying through the prerequisite classwork).

I would have finished this exam much sooner if someone had told me this one, simple fact:

IT IS 100% POSSIBLE TO PASS THESE EXAMS JUST BY JUMPING RIGHT INTO MCQ’S AND LEARNING THE MATERIAL ALONG THE WAY

I probably wasted at least 9 months in aggregate combing through Roger textbooks, Ninja notes, etc. trying to learn each chapter’s worth of material and then doing questions after. That was a waste!!!! After I failed FAR doing that 6 times and AUD once, I ditched the books and notes all together and proceeded to dive right into BEC with no solid background of the concepts. I learned the material by hammering away MCQs and righting down the questions I got wrong and/or didn’t understand on flashcards. I reviewed the flashcards when I wasn’t at the computer to “mimic” going through questions.

I passed BEC on the first try without going through a single SIM in my review. I then passed AUD using the same strategy. I finally passed FAR after the 7th time just hammering away MCQs and really focusing on my weak areas and I passed REG the first time using this strategy as well all in one year. I believe this works because if you immerse yourself in MCQs, you start to see patterns within the concepts that ultimately help you understand the material better than going through a textbook or notes. I also found that this takes care of the SIMS on its own with no need to review.

This might not work for everyone but if you’re struggling, put down the notes and books and instead go through as many MCQs as possible.

Some more random tips:

-It’s very possible to pass all sections with just Ninja, don’t waste your time/money on the other overpriced alternatives!
-Focus on MCQs! In my opinion, they feel a lot more like 75% of the exam in that if you can crush MCQs, the SIMS take care of themselves.
-Forget gauging your performance based on how difficult the exam is. During every pass I had, the exam felt very manageable and sometimes too easy. Conversely, the times I didn’t pass, the exam felt very difficult.
-Don’t burn out and take at least a day off before each exam to clear your mind and feel refreshed.
-Get some high quality peppermint oil and rub some underneath your nose before entering into the exam area. This will keep you refreshed and alert throughout the exam.
-Don’t get hung up on the whole “50% pass/fail” rate. These exams are very doable!

Thanks to everyone who has ever helped me on this forum. Thanks to Jeff for creating a great program that is much more affordable and efficient than the other test preps out there. Thanks to Prometric for always letting me in an hour early and to the CA Board of Accountancy for processing all my NTS in under 2 weeks each time. And thanks to Bob Monette who, in my opinion and despite the outdated material, is still the best option for supplemental audio/video learning of the material. RIP good sir.

Best of luck to all of you suffering through this. Keep at it and don’t get discouraged if this is truly what you want to accomplish.

[Tncincy]

@animalwithin, Congrats on passing. thank you for the tips and good luck in our CPA career.

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader.....time to pass

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[monikernc]

@Animal Congrats! Ninja mcq and this forum was my conduit to passing – ninja books helped too but slamming mcq’s,working problems, and reading everything on the screen to understand what the questions were asking and why the correct answer was right and the incorrect choices were wrong was all fundamental. I put in the time and the effort. I set a goal of no retakes and studied to make 100 on each exam and I passed all on first try. I was never disappointed with any score over 74 and finished in 10 months while working full time.
Good luck to you!

AUD - 93
BEC - 82
FAR - 76
REG - 88

How have you been?
Ninja book and MCQs and the forum, all first try! 2016
Licensed State of Montana April Fool’s Day 2020
State of Colorado June 2020 - AICPA Ethics 93
Experience was the worst part of the journey for me. You?
If you want things to change you have to do something different.

FAR 7/25/15 76!
AUD 10/30/15 93
BEC 2/27/16 82
REG 5/23/16 88!
Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
if you want things to change, you have to do something different

[Author]

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