[livealittle]

I am a “late bloomer” I guess you could say.

I went to college straight out of high school, had some life events happen, dropped out of college, went back to school at age 31, graduated with Associate’s degree at 32, graduated with Bachelor’s degree at age 34. Got a job at a CPA firm a few months before I graduated, moved to industry at age 36, moved back to CPA firm at age 43. Started sitting for my CPA at age 45.

anyone else in a similar situation?

BEC - 8/8/16
REG - 66, 77
AUD - 81
FAR - 9/8/16

[taskr]

I recently posted on another thread that I am mid 50s and just sat for and passed the CPA exam. Felt it was necessary given changes in the job market. Licensed last month. I have always been in industry, never desired public. So maybe 50 is the new 25.

AUD - 91
BEC - 86
FAR - 85
REG - 81

You are never too old to do this

Licensed Jan 2017

 

[rlarivee01]

I went to college back and forth before graduating at 28. I'm turning 33 and still haven't passed the CPA. When they say “it's never too late” they mean much older than you.

[EZ_Sims_4_me_Pls]

im 27

AUD - 80
BEC - 84
FAR - 77
REG - 79

one step closer

[Tarheel83]

im in nearly the same boat as rlarrive01. I graduated HS in 2001 and took a few years off from school before starting to get my AA degree, then my BS degree. I finished with my BS in Accounting December 2012 at at 29. I wish I would have gotten serious about passing the CPA exam before we had kids, but my wife was starting her own law firm and to be honest I thought I was busy back then… I was wrong. I am busy now though, and extra busy because of this exam. Anyhow, I am coming up on 34 in June, so I am hopeful that I can finish these exams in 2017.

BEC - 74, 71

AUD - 78 (expired), 73

REG - 65

FAR - 73, 71, 71

 

[CPA8675309]

I just turned 37. I graduated in 2001 with a BA in psychology. After deciding not to go to graduate school (mostly because I would not have gotten into a decent PhD program with my mediocre gpa), I stayed at a decently paying, but soul-sucking job that had nothing to do with my studies. I went back to school in 2011 to get a BS in accounting and finished in 2013. It took a while to find an accounting job without experience, but finally did in 2015. Now, I'm working at the CPA and hoping it will help advance my career further.

It's still a little depressing knowing how far behind I am at 37.

AUD - 77
BEC - 85
FAR - 84
REG - 85

I'm done!!

[ultrarunner]

The average age for sitting in CPA exams is 29 or 30. So 30s are not far behind. I am in my 40s. As long as I stay in private industry, I should be fine. But my problem is that I want to get into public accounting. I went back to school and joined BAP. I will try hard. If I don't get any offer while I am in school, I may need to stay in private and find something else.

livealittle, good to see that we are almost the same age. How could you move back to CPA firm?

CPA/ MST/ Roger CPA Review

FAR 72,67,79 (Roger+Wiley test bank)11/15
AUD 80 (Roger)10/15
BEC 80 (Roger)4/16
REG 63,78 (Roger+Ninja MCQs)5/16

[Anonymous]

I am 41 this year. I graduated in the Class of Y2K with my first bachelor's degree (in Chemistry). My second was finished December 2014. I did school part-time for 4 years (2010-2014) while working. My career path is internal audit. Luckily I was never the oldest one in any of my accounting/business classes. There were others older than me. Evening classes are that way –
they bring in an interesting crowd of people, not just the 18-22 year olds that are found in daytime university classes. I did a number of courses online too, out of necessity, because my work schedule didn't always allow for certain classes that were not offered anytime except during the day. The nice thing about accounting/audit/tax is that you can *always* learn more. I almost feel like I don't know anything sometimes! haha I had a temp job (and btw, I HATED being called “a temp”, such an insult) last year that lasted 9 months and the KPMG auditors were there for a few of those 9 months. I saw a lot of what they did, although I didn't interact with them. I kinda came to the conclusion that staying in private was going to be good for me because I saw how intense the audit was. Ighhh! Some of the audit team looked like they had just finished high school – although I'm sure they were all at least 23-24 – I felt SO fricking old looking at them, even though I can pass for 29 or 30 on a good day LOL. Anyhoo, I don't think it really matters what age you are when you go for the CPA. If you want it, just go after it, even if you don't necessarily need it for a job.

[mckan514w]

Almost same boat I will be 45 in a few months (and hopefully will have passed this thing by then). Went to college right out of high school and partied way too hard 🙂 graduated with a mediocre liberal arts degree and somehow managed to actually get a job and grow up along the way. Realized a few years ago that I was really unhappy in my job (portfolio management) and what I really loved was taxes- doing them, reading about them, thinking of ways to reduce them etc… so after talking things through with my husband and our accountant who had also been an “older student” I started looking into going back to school and finally graduated last year with my MACCY. I was surprised that I was neither the oldest nor the youngest in my program. I was also surprised at how much more focused / what a better student I was when I was paying the bills and studying something I actually liked :-).

And they ask me why I drink

BEC 71, 82
AUD 75
REG 75
FAR 61, 69, 83

and they ask me why I drink...

FAR- 61-next time I'll ask for lube instead of a calculator
REG-75- Never been so happy to see such a low grade
BEC- 8/11
AUD- 9/2

[RE2PECT]

It's good to see others in a similar situation. I'm 35 and graduated in 2004 with a double major in Finance and Sports Mgmt. Like many people in their early 20's, I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life and was still enjoying being young. In 2008 I changed courses completely and got into a construction union. After 6 years of hard manual labor, I knew my body wouldn't hold up doing that kind of work for the next 30 years so I went back to school and got the required accounting credits to get my license. It's been a long 2.5 years of going back to school and studying for the exams. Can't wait for the day it'll all be over!

@mckan514w- Have you taken FAR yet? Good luck if you haven't! Hopefully we'll be done together!!

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

Roger & Ninja

FAR: 75
AUD: 73, 81
BEC: 71, 73, 82
REG: 68, 82

FAR: 75 Roger & Ninja (notes/flashcards/audio/MCQ)
AUD: 73, 81
BEC: 71, retake 8/29
REG:

[mckan514w]

LOL no RE2PECT! I actually pushed it back yet again– I just want to make damn sure I pass this thing this time…. Am sitting on the 9th so it doesn't look like I will be in your score release 🙁 But will def. be watching out for you- you have this!!!!!!

And they ask me why I drink

BEC 71, 82
AUD 75
REG 75
FAR 61, 69, 83

and they ask me why I drink...

FAR- 61-next time I'll ask for lube instead of a calculator
REG-75- Never been so happy to see such a low grade
BEC- 8/11
AUD- 9/2

[RE2PECT]

I was hoping we'd be in the same score release 🙁

Take as long as you need if that's what it takes! We've suffered long enough so a little more won't kill you lol. I find myself just trying to retain everything instead of learning anything new. I've basically been reviewing for the past 2 months, but I feel much more comfortable with the material than my first attempt. Hopefully the sims won't get me this time!

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

Roger & Ninja

FAR: 75
AUD: 73, 81
BEC: 71, 73, 82
REG: 68, 82

FAR: 75 Roger & Ninja (notes/flashcards/audio/MCQ)
AUD: 73, 81
BEC: 71, retake 8/29
REG:

[Kodiak]

Ultrarunner, you are doing what you should be doing. I'm 44 and have a start date with a top 10 firm. I joined BAP and built a strong resume. They want that mix of working, volunteering, and strong academic history. It was a grueling two years finishing my degree but it was absolutely worth it. I really wanted to go into public accounting versus industry.

I wasn't the oldest in my classes either though I would say I was close to the oldest. There were only a couple of older ladies. I was in a traditional, top rated school though so it was definitely more young students fresh out of high school than us non traditional folks returning to finish our degrees or second degrees after life paths took us to new places. I was prior military, left to raise a family while my husband stayed in the military, and I had been working on my degree at all our different duty stations until finally being able to finish as our last child graduates high school.

AUD - 85
BEC - 86
FAR - 83
REG - 84

Coffee is my favorite coworker.

[mckan514w]

🙁 I was hoping to be in that score release as well- but I ended up buying new study material for FAR and just got to review phase so felt like i was going to be pushing it with my second original sit date. I just can not study for this thing again- I don't know why FAR is proving to be so hard for me, but I am slowly realizing why I have failed twice and am beginning to feel comfortable….

You totally have this! Remember key to REG is in the details so read every explanation on the MCQ answers! I found a lot of my SIMS came from there… I have every finger crossed for you. God I just want us all to be done!!!

And they ask me why I drink

BEC 71, 82
AUD 75
REG 75
FAR 61, 69, 83

and they ask me why I drink...

FAR- 61-next time I'll ask for lube instead of a calculator
REG-75- Never been so happy to see such a low grade
BEC- 8/11
AUD- 9/2

[Anonymous]

graduated with a degree in econ in 1990
went right into industry at a fortune 5 company as an accountant
got married and moved in 1994
1995 got job in industry as manager on the road
1996 promoted to financial manager
2001 laid off – opened my own business in a completely unrelated industry
2014 realized that my industry was really never going to recover from 2008 and started studying for the CPA
2015 got my license – tried finding work in a CPA firm as entry level – no one wanted to even talk to me
2017 gave up looking for CPA firm work and accepted position as controller in a small international firm

I turn 50 this year. You can do it!

[Pokey]

I turned 43 yesterday – started my CPA journey last year and began MBA program as well. I believe that my age shouldn't hold me back from anything but open doors to more companies looking for experience, maturity and even longevity within the company (no job hopper). It easy to blame that I can't pass a section due to my age but I have seen many people around my age pass and it always comes down to making the time and commitment to studying.

Good to see that I'm not alone and not the “Oldest Chick at the Bar in the Corner” feel (always creepy btw)

A - 79
F - 77
R - 83
B - 75

AUD - 74 (3x), TBD
BEC - Sept16
FAR - TBD
REG - TBD

[Author]

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