[CS]

Hello everyone,

I have been a lurker on this forum for over a year now. Long story short, have a degree in Finance (switched from Accounting), so had to make up about 19 accounting-hour credits (NY State) to be eligible (less to sit, but I wanted to knock out the licensure requirements while I was taking online classes anyway). Finally, after a bit of a journey of 13-14 months (started with UNA CPA PP for credits – I’m the reason their website says NY doesn’t accept them, because the State Board notified me after I completed a course and a half with UNA), taking various courses from 4 other schools, I finally got my NTS. I know it’s barely the beginning but I am glad I can fully focus on the exam now.

I just finished my last course a couple of weeks back, went on a little trip with my family after tax season, and taking another week just to recoup before beginning the CPA exam prep. My first test is FAR, which I scheduled for Aug. 31st, as I am estimating 3 months of studying (I am estimating 2.5 – 3 hours per week day (I work average 50-60 hours a week at a small accounting firm), and more on the weekends, but I haven’t started actual studying/review so I could be way off on my estimates depending on my grasp of the material. I am familiar with FAR concepts but definitely have a lot of review to do, and certainly a lot to learn.

I searched for what may be the best review course, but am still unsure. I am going to get the NINJA notes/materials, but do not know which (I know I need to) program to supplement it with i.e. Becker’s, Gleim, Roger.

Since I have taken 6 online accounting courses in the past year, I think I am adept at self-learning, especially since the material isn’t completely new (or most of it), and I’ve heard negative comments about Becker’s live classes, so I was looking at Becker’s self-paced course, or Roger’s. I heard Gleim can get overly complicated but more than prepares you for the exam, but I have a OCD personality where I already over-complicate things, so my aversion is that Gleim will completely throw me out the window.

Best of luck to all and glad to finally join the forum (I waited until I was officially given permission to take the exam).

Regards

[perezc3910]

I took a study break after failing BEC by a few points last year. I am back for a second try and decided to schedule FAR for July 1st. I have been a member of the forum for about a year or so now and from what I've read, it's not a good idea to stretch out the study period over 2 months for one exam. I've also realized from studying myself that it's easy to forget things that were just studied a few weeks before. If you can get 20 hours of studying in per week, you should be able to take the exam in 7 weeks or so. I'm using the Ninja notes and flash cards. I have the audio as well but it hasn't but worked well for me. I'm using Becker Self Study. I like this new format better than the old one. Good luck!

BEC-July 2016
REG-August 2016
FAR-October 2016
AUD-Nov/Dec 2016

[hasy]

Honestly… I just think Becker is SO expensive and to this day, unless you're going for the EWS award, pick a course that will ensure that you'll pass, instead of ensuring high scores (though I don't think Becker has even ensured high score probability anyway).

I never regret Roger (since my old firm paid for it anyway) and NINJA MCQs. Look at my signature. The WTB I got was for free though. I think Jeff is really awesome. But Roger is just much more lively, he keeps me awake. Sometimes Jeff's audio does get tiring.

My 2 cents.

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved - Helen Keller

-

BEC 80 (10/23/15)
FAR 72 (4/2/15); 83 (7/11/16)
REG 52 (4/28/15)
AUD (9/9/16)

Roger + NINJA MCQ + WTB

[HoosierCPA]

First off, great job at getting to this point. You have already shown the kind of perseverance it takes to get through this exam. I also went the self study route and have used Becker, Gleim, and Ninja. Overall I liked Becker the best and used it as my primary study material. Gleim helped get me through the REG sims (before the new changes) and were amazing, however you may not want to spend that kind of money just for a SIM supplement. Ninja helped get me through AUD, I followed up my failed exam and went through the entire AUD mcq test bank and gained 16 points on my retake, so its safe to say I speak highly of Ninja as well :).

FAR - 78
REG - 72,74,71...please just go away REG nobody likes you!
BEC - 82
AUD - Aug 16

[tg7174]

I used CPAexcel for all except for AUD with NINJA mcq, notes, and audio for a supplement. I used NINJA all the way for AUD and enjoyed the process much more than the others.

[TommyTheCat]

i am a big fan of Roger's lectures, textbooks, and teaching style, and have found that the IPQs (his test question bank) are ample. I used becker back in the day when I was starting out at Big 4 since that's what they paid for, but the lecture style wasnt for me. To each their own.

At the end of the day you should go with what you find to be the best fit for you. I would avoid going with the “cheapest” as I went that route back in 2013 by trying Bisk (my other firm paid for this one), and found it to be severely lacking. I also found that when I went with Roger I was committed $$ wise, a couple grand is no joke, and it made me take it more seriously. Never even tested when I briefly used Becker or Bisk due to work scheduling issues, so cant say I gave either or those much time.

Good luck to you

[mckan514w]

If I had to do it all again I wouldn't have jumped right in and bought a full study program. It turned out, at least for me, to be a huge waste of money because I learn better from doing/reading than from watching videos and lectures. That being said, I went with Rogers, and if you ARE a lecture / video type person I really do think he has a great style and is a great teacher… but I did find his test bank to be “lacking”….

My personal advice would be to buy a section of whatever program you are leaning towards and see if it meets with your needs, how you study etc… if you like it great continue with the program… if it doesn't work for you then you have the option to move to another one that will work better instead of being locked in like I was to one that you know you aren't going to fully utilize.

Ninja for me was a god-send and I recommend them highly. (I passed both AUD and REG using nothing but Ninja). I also do not think I would have ever passed FAR had I not ended up buying the Gleim test-bank. yes it was overkill on the information, but I needed it to fully grasp everything.

Best of luck to you whatever you decide. I think all of the products out there have their pluses and minuses. Finding what works best for you / and how you study is actually I think one of the biggest hurdles of getting through this exam!

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

[CS]

Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences and tips, I will take all highly into consideration, it is most appreciated!

As I mentioned, I've lurked the forum for some time just to get an idea of what issues candidates have regarding the exam itself, and needless to say, when I initially started my journey, it was before the 2017 changes. I was going to get a Master's in Taxation, purely to meet the requirements, but when I counted my credits, I realized I didn't need that and was focused on the CPA license itself. Needless to say, I also read about many education credit issues, and the State Board cannot actually guarantee that your credits will count, so when I sent in my application, a part of me thought I wouldn't be accepted (preparing for the worst I suppose).

I plan on following my routine as it has been the last 13-14 months i.e. 2 hours in the morning before work, get in early, and another hour. Also, I believe there is Ninja Audio so I will use that on my commute. I know I am a morning studier, as my courses got tougher, I'd get up between 3 and 3 30 in the morning to get in a couple of hours before getting my child ready for school etc. After a 11-12 hour day of accounting, I find it difficult to learn and retain new material. I will go through trial and error, and am hoping I find one which suits me early on.

Apparently FAR is the bane of all existence from what I can tell on the board, and I am sure it is because I did Financial Reporting II through UNA CPA Prep which uses WileyCPAExcel and uses old CPA exam questions, and the breadth of material covered is tremendous so I am hoping my 3 month window will suffice.

Thank you all again and best of luck to everyone!

P.S. If any NY candidates have questions about education licensure requirements, feel free to message me etc. because I went to tremendous lengths to ensure and verify my courses would count.

[j_accountant]

@SBNY2k17,
Wondering how you did on the UNA exams. I'm pretty new to accounting and do the lectures first and then hit the AICPA test bank. I find the questions on the bank difficult. Wondering if you have any advice.

[Author]

Replies