[jeff]

Hey! The NINJAs are giving away 3 pair of Powerbeats 2 Wireless earbuds – your choice of color.

In the video, I said that they were $200-$300, but they’re actually $150-ish (the mall walker distracted me, I think and I was thinking of the over-the-ear headphones). SO … I’ll give away 3 pair instead of 1.

To Enter: Post your best advice or “tip” for anything CPA Exam or accounting related…it can be CPA Exam, Busy Season, Resume, Big 4, Interview, Getting Hired/Fired, etc. Please label your tip.

Example:

[CPA Exam Tip]: Always take the 1pm exam – never the 8am. You’ll have more time to study and there’s no risk of oversleeping

or

[Big 4 Tip]: During networking events – don’t be the dude throwing back the beers. Nurse it. You can pound beers later when it won’t matter if you make a fool out of yourself.

etc.

**Please do NOT post something like “buy company ____ and you’ll pass” … that’s spam, not a tip***

(Unless it’s NINJA – then NINJA spam is always welcome, encouraged, and appreciated.)

Who Wins? On Friday (1/29 – deadline to enter is 12pm Eastern), I will randomly pick three posters from this thread. I’ll use the RANDBETWEEN function in excel to pick the post(s).

No purchase required to enter…void where prohibited…must be 18 to win, etc.

I will also toss in a NINJA Audio of the winners’ choice – since it goes so well with the earbuds 🙂

One entry per person, please 🙂

Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS) | Another71 | NINJA CPA | NINJA CMA | NINJA CPE

[jwilkerson]

[CPA Exam Tip]: Do as many multiple choice questions as you can. This will give you the closest real exam experience so you will become more comfortable with how questions will be worded on the real thing.

[Anonymous]

[CPA Exam Study Tip]

Try studying either in the morning or in the evenings. I found that mornings worked much better for me because I was more alert. At night I would drink too much coffee. Also by studying in the morning, I was able to see my kids at night. On Saturdays and Sundays, you can study from 5am -10am and still be back with the family by lunch time. I passed BEC and REG by primarily studying in the PM but passed AUD and FAR by primarily studying in the mornings.

[Pandarama]

[FAR Study Tip]: For every MCQ you answer, try and think of a journal entry that would be associated with it and write it down. J/E J/E J/E! You can never write enough J/E's.

[AUD Student Tip]: Don't choose what you think is the “right answer” (there seriously could be two right answers), choose the “best answer”.

[General Study Tip]: If you realize you are messing MCQs up because you're tired, take a break for the night and go to sleep earlier. Just wake up earlier the next morning and try again. If you practice questions when you're too tired, you won't get anything from them.

[General Study Tip #2] Stop making excuses. Utilize every tiny moment you have. Use your phone/ipad app to do a couple questions while on the elevator, walking the dog, going to the bathroom, walking up the stairs, drying your hair, making dinner, waiting for an appointment, waiting in line at the store, waiting for your car to warm up in the morning. Let your significant other drive while you answer questions in the passenger seat.

BEC - 80
AUD - 64, 75 - credit lost, 90!!
REG - 73, 74, 83
FAR - 61, 72, 85

Feels good finishing on my best note. Time to watch the mailbox.

[sylviarocks]

[Networking Tip]: After you finish having a conversation with someone, before immediately engaging in another conversation with someone else, pause and discreetly jot down some notes about your conversation, so that you have something to talk about in your “nice to meet you” email/Linkedin invitation later on.

[Anonymous]

[CPA Exam Tip]: Don't waste your drive to work! Get NINJA Audio & Audio MCQs. I have kicked myself several times when I miss a question and then hear Jeff reiterate the point in the audio.. For example: In determining shareholders basis Jeff says in the audio tax-exempt income DO NOT leave it out your answer will be wrong… I then get a question on basis and guess what I did? I left out the tax-exempt interest and got it wrong!! Never again, thanks for the great audio Jeff!

[Subie28]

[Getting Hired/Job Search Tip]: Do not get discouraged if you do not get the job you wanted/applied for. You never know who will remember you in the future. I was really upset I was not chosen for a position when I was getting into public accounting. The one person who interviewed me changed firms and invited me to apply at that firm (which was bigger and better). The only time I met that person was during that one interview. Once I decided to leave public accounting I was bummed that I did not get a position with my dream company. Turns out another position opened up and they liked me so much from the original interview they invited me to apply and I got the position! You never know who you will meet and who knows who. Think of these experiences as networking experiences!

CPA as of April 2015!! Woot!

[Anonymous]

[CPA Exam Tip]: Try to understand the concept rather than just memorizing it especially when it comes to Audit. Do not be afraid to take breaks if needed during the exam.

[swilk]

[Busy Season Tip] and also [CPA Exam Tip]: Work hard and stay focused, but remember to TAKE A BREAK! Recent research shows that taking a 5 minute break every 90 minutes or so actually improves effectiveness. If you've gotten out of the habit of walking away from your work, try taking a few breaks throughout the day. They shouldn't be long, but it's nice to get a breath of fresh air and return to your desk with a renewed focus. You may find yourself more productive by taking these short breaks from working/studying throughout the day and into the late nights!

AUD - 90 (2.26.2015)
BEC - 76 (5.4.2015)
REG - 79 (8.31.2015)
FAR - 76 (2.22.2016)

Roger and Ninja MCQ FTW.

[Anonymous]

MCQ, MCQ, and more MCQ! No joke, non-stop MCQ saved my butt on BEC. Hit those questions like there is no tomorrow!

Best of luck!

[kevinlinhart34]

CPA Exam Tip: Create a study plan. I print off a blank calendar from excel and fill in each day with what I need to study. It helps me stay organized.

REG - 68, 52, 73, 74, 81
BEC - 75
AUD - 59, 85
FAR - 50, 74, 78

[Anonymous]

Use the Ninja MCQs. Go through every question at least once by selecting new questions until you have seen them all. Then do the trouble questions until you have none left; i.e., if you miss a question 10 times, you will have to answer it correctly 10 times to clear it from the trouble question list. This helps identify those areas you are weaker in and improves your understanding. Leave one week to do the simulations and to redo the ones that you don't answer correctly. Then go over the NINJA notes Do NOT skip the simulations as these are 40% of both FAR and AUD. Even though they are a lower percentage for REG and BEC, I believe it made a difference in my scores. Using this process, I passed all parts the first time.

REG 88
BEC 88
FAR 89
AUD 92

[margaret874]

Networking advice for external events:
* Be humorous and lighten up. If you have stories that are interesting, current, and deviate from the usual accounting chit chat, your listeners will appreciate it. Just keep it clean.
* Avoid finger food, particularly when standing. Nobody wants to shake your hand that was on shrimp or cronuts! It’s also easier to reach for your business card.
* Have your 30-second elevator speech ready. Throw in something unique, i.e., “I was a flight attendant yada yada yada and now work at XYZ Corp. as their Controller.”
* Have your business cards handy, even if you’re a student. Ask for other people’s cards.
* Try to enjoy yourself, even if it’s a compulsory event. Annual training? Please – it’s not the Bataan Death March; you’ll survive!

[semran88]

Top Don't ever give up

[Anonymous]

Study any chance you get. Purchase the Ninja Audio so you can listen to it in the car, at the gym, anywhere. The key to this exam is to reinforce everything in your brain. In order to do that, you need to take this seriously and to allow necessary time to study.

[Anonymous]

[CPA Study Tip]: Don't play fantasy football! I have 3 league championships and a 74 on BEC to show for this football season.

[Author]

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