[Preksha]

Hey!
Can someone who has won the Elijah watt sells award guide me as to how they prepared for the CPA exam? (Study strategies, CPA Review material used etc..)

[cafeteria_food]

… because simply passing isn’t enough? 🙂

[Preksha]

@cafeteria_food Rightly said! :p

[BoyNextDoor]

High scores are nice, but also consider the length of time it takes for a candidate to pass each section.

With extended preparation time, candidates are more likely to improve their scores.

You should try to balance exam scores with length of time to pass each section.

[Preksha]

@BoyNextDoor Yes, I completely agree with you but I have already finished FAR will complete AUD by the end of this month and then I'm left with REG and BEC. I plan to take the exam in by the end of October or the beginning of November

[Umer Bhutto]

One of my friends got the Elijah Watt Sells award. He was basically attached to the Becker and Wiley test banks. We started at the same time but he took it one at a time and passed it all within 16 months. He used Becker, both the course and test bank and Wiley test bank. He didn't really aim for it, he just ended up getting it because he took his time with the CPA. On the other hand, I needed to complete the CPA by the end of my bachelor's so i did it within the Spring and Summer semester.

Just to let you know, companies don't really care for award winners, it looks nice and all but at the end of the day a CPA is a CPA.

Hope this helps!

[Nate]

Have no life if that's your plan, all I can say. When I was in the Master of Accounting program, there was one person in our class that we were sure would win the Elijah Watt Sells award, he had a 4.3 GPA throughout the entire program and during the last term passed FAR with a 94. He took the other 3 during the summer before he started with a Big 4 Firm in the fall, and said he was planning on spending 80-90 hours a week studying. Needless to say, I was shocked when I looked at the award winners for that year and didn't see his name. After talking to a former classmate who is closer to him, I found out he got an accumulative score of 381. The Big 4 Firm offered some like $20k bonus to anyone that wins the Elijah Watt Sells award and he didn't get it. So basically, you have to have no life compared to those who already have no life, and that's about all I can say.

[Recked]

Each review course that has an EWS alum will usually have an “interview” (testimonial) about how they did it and how great the course was.
I was just glad to go 4 for 4 in under 6 months. Maybe I could have stretched it to a year and gotten higher scores…
Or I can be playing golf 3-4 times a week this summer and never worry about taking another test in my life.

Winner winner chicken dinner. Golf it is.

[TommyTheCat]

i dont see a whole lot of value in this award, so wouldnt suggest killing yourself to get it. Just pass with 75s or better and be stoked if/when you have them all done.

i studied my ass of, not trying to get this award but just because i wanted to be one and done with them and not have to deal with any retakes before my kids were born and shit got REAL. other than maybe a spot bonus your employer might provide for obtaining the award i see no value in it. Looking back im glad i passed all on the first try but would have rather had 20 hours back from studying from each exam rather than get the scores i got. In my opinion a 75 is a perfect score.

[Preksha]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions.. I believe giving my best and clearing all the exams in the first attempt should be my goal and in the process of doing so if I get an EWS award then that is an added bonus!

[Anonymous]

it's hard enough to study for and pass these test, that an EWS award seems like way too much pressure to be your goal!

[Author]

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