[Alecstation]

Hello, here’s my life story in a nutshell. I came to US after high school and graduated college with a bachelor in accounting (I am now a us citizen). My grades in college was not great(overall 2.9 and 3.0 in accounting classes) and I was not even given an opportunity to get interviews from major accounting firms because of my low gpa and also I didn’t have any internship experience. Since graduating in 2009 I’ve held simple a/r positions and I’ve been with my current company for about 3 years now where I work in an accounting dept of a small company doing simple a/r functions. I’ve always thought about going for the cpa route but because of my low grades from college and lack of experience, I thought that passing part of the cpa exam would be the only way in getting my foot in the door for public accounting firm. But life happens (relationships and work) and it’s been hard for me to study even though I am single and have no kids.

My question is will passing the exam indeed get my foot in the door in public accounting firms despite of lack of relevant experience and low grades? I am thinking about quitting my job also to fully focus on studying since I feel like I am just wasting my life away at my current job and have time just pass me by each year. I have enough savings to last about a year without working and I’ve been approved to sit for the exam in CA. On the other token, I am very used to my current and it is easy with low stress and feel I get easy paychecks and afraid I might not be able to pass and regret quitting it later. Still, I feel very tired and can’t really study once I get back to my apt. and I am a type of person that can only focus on one thing at a time. I’ve bought becker in 2014 but I have not been studying much and have not taken any section of the test yet.

Thank you in advance for any helpful insight.

[Jdn9201]

1, Network, network, and network some more. Your business association/alumni club/accounting club at your college would be a good first start. I'm not in public, but if you want to change jobs you need to get a referral so you can bypass the computer process. Who you know alot of times is just as important as what you know.

2. I sympathize with you about not being able to focus and finding time to study while working, but I don't think quitting your job is a good idea. A low stress job is going to be your friend when you start studying. Also, if your boss is a CPA you should be able to use your work experience for your license once you pass. I waited a while after college to start this process because it took me a while to get motivated. Once you figure out WHY you want the CPA and how it helps you to meet your long-term goals, I think you'll find it easier to get motivated and get in a good groove. One thing that helped me to stay motivated is I put myself on an aggressive schedule, but I chose to knock out the 2 easiest (to me) parts first so that I could get 2 passes down without having to make myself miserable. And you don't have to study at home – stay longer at work and study during lunch, or go to the library before/after work and on weekends.

Good luck!

BEC - 88 8/29/15
REG - 82 11/14/15
AUD - 83 1/8/16
FAR - 80 2/29/16

[Anonymous]

Don't quit your job to study. Passing the CPA exam might help you get into public accounting, but still not necessarily B4 or a top firm. Either way, it's not going to guarantee you a job. There's lots of people on here with all exams passed, and on paper a better chance at a job, that are several months past their exams and still don't have an exam. So, to quit your job, plan to study for – say – 6 months, and then *have* to get a job within 6 months or lose your apartment, is not a sound plan in my opinion.

You say you are single, have no kids, and live in an apartment. This should mean lower family time commitments (I know, still ahve parents, siblings, etc., but lower than spouse and kids), and less household and yard duties. You also say you're tired after work and can't study. How about you start studying on the weekend (tomorrow's Saturday – pick Saturday or Sunday as your study day, and start this weekend), and start studying on your lunch break. Use your evenings and the other weekend day for housework, family commitments, friends, etc. You can study more than that, but this will just be something to get your started. If you put in 6 hours on your chosen weekend day, that still gives you time to go out with your friends in the evening, or do some laundry, or whatever else needs to happen on your study day. Plus 5 hours on lunch breaks (if you have a 1 hour lunch break – you can study the whole hour if you pack a lunch) is 11 hours of study per week total. That's a start. After a week or two, you'll have gotten your feet wet (so to speak), and can figure out 1 hour per week day to add on to this (either an hour before work – go to bed earlier if needed and get up an hour earlier – or an hour after work, if you've realized that you can study after work). That will get you up to 16 hours per week, which is plenty. If you don't think you can get a 2nd hour of study in on week days, then you'll have to study on your 2nd weekend day, 6 hours each weekend day, to get your 16 total per week.

At this schedule, you'll have 86 hours of study done by Apr 1. That's enough for BEC. If you want to do FAR first, though, you'll need closer to 159, which would be about Apr 29. So, pick BEC or FAR, and start studying. If you pick BEC, apply for the NTS, and schedule for as close to Apr 1 as possible. If you pick FAR, get the NTS, and schedule for as close to Apr 29 as possible.

Then after you do your first exam, it's time to prep for the 2nd. If the first was BEC, you'll have 8+ weeks left till the end of the window, which at 16 hours each week, is about 135 hours of studying, enough for FAR if you sneak in a few extra hours towards the end, so schedule FAR for the end of May. If you took FAR at the end of Apr as your first, then you've got 4+ weeks, around 70 hours, enough to do AUD if, again, you sneak in some extra studying towards the end, so get the NTS for AUD and schedule for hte end of May.

Etc. etc. through the last 2. Point is, you can do it around your work schedule. People do all the time. And then if, after you finish, it takes 9 months to get another job, you're still in your apartment when you get your new job. Also, it's truly easier to get a job when you have a job. Being unemployed will make getting another job much harder. Add to that the fact that public accounting jobs often hire several months before the positions starts and your likelihood of running out of money is much higher than I would ever want to risk or recommend that anyone else risk.

Taking the exams may be a very smart plan for you, but quitting your job to take them is not. Work through it, you can do it. Might not be fun, but can be done.

[monikernc]

Do not quit your job.

You don't sound motivated to try the CPA exam because you are afraid of failing. Well many of us do at times but most of us, here on this forum, keep trying till we succeed.

I think passing the exams will open doors for you. I think it will also make you dig deep within yourself and allow you to accomplish something you fear is impossible. You can do this and work and you should.

You first have to decide to do it. Then you have to give it the time, attention and effort it takes to get it done. Throughout, the process you will be frustrated and discouraged at times but this forum provides a place to reach out for help. You will also experience pride and a sense of accomplishment as you learn and pass.

Now decide. Either buckle down and get it done and know you will have more and better opportunities available to you or sit around and think about how life might have been if you had only tried. These are your choices. The fact that you were not born here doesn't matter. You are probably bilingual and that is a great advantage to have. Be good to yourself. Make your life better. If not with this then find what lights your fire and go for it!

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

[marqzho]

I find so many commons between you and me lol
Let's see….
1.I came to US after high school and graduated college with a bachelor in accounting
2. (I am now a us citizen)
3.My grades in college was not great(overall 2.9 and 3.0 in accounting classes)
4.I didn't have any internship experience
5. graduating in 2009
6.work in an accounting dept of a small company
7. I've always thought about going for the cpa route
8. I thought that passing part of the cpa exam would be the only way in getting my foot in the door for public accounting firm. 9. life happens (relationships and work) and it's been hard for me to study even though I am single and have no kids
10. I've been approved to sit for the exam in CA
11. I am very used to my current and it is easy with low stress and feel I get easy paychecks
and more and more……

I was you once. I know exactly what you feel right now.

My advice is ……Don't quit. Study after work and weekend. These tests are not as horrible as it sounds. They are fun and you will enjoy every second you spend on it =)

REG 90
FAR 95
AUD 98
BEC 84

[Alecstation]

Thank you everyone so much for taking your precious time to read and reply to my posting. I am just curious though if not having a gap on your resume still matters if your last time is not directly related to the job you want to get next…would a hiring manager in a public accounting firm think more highly of you because you held a clerical position(just an example) for two years while you studied for the cpa exam rather than passing them all within within 9 months by studying full time? I see the economy is pretty good now and i feel i will be able to find another job like the one i have or even better(I've always found a job better than the previous one after i left). Also, if i decide to study full time, i plan on staying at my parents since i don't want to waste money on rent while i don't have a solid income. I know that passing the cpa exam is all about putting in time and effort and i know i can do it if i do it full time and i want to get it all done before the major change in the testing format next spring.

Thank you again.

[Alecstation]

Hi marqzho,

Do you mind telling me what you're doing now work wise? I am just curious since we have many commons as you said 🙂

Hope you have a good weekend.

[marqzho]

I am a construction accountant/ Bookkeeper/ AR/ AP/ Payroll and everything else $ related in a small company with annual revenue around $9m. I'm hoping to pass all four sections in around 9-10 months from day 0. You sure don't need 9 months full time to study and pass the exam.

Just go and start studying next Monday. Instead of going back to your apt, stop by a coffee shop or library, fire up the laptop and start watching the lecture. Words into Action!

REG 90
FAR 95
AUD 98
BEC 84

[cpagal]

I agree with @marqzho. I work full time, plus an hour commute each way (driving, so no reading), have 2 children (ages 7 and 3). I get up around 6am (not a morning person), get the kids off to school, go to work, drive home, cook dinner, do sports activities and cub scouts, wash clothes and do minor cleaning, help 2nd grader with homework, play with the kids, bathtime, put kids to bed,..its now 9pm and I study until midnight. I give myself breaks by not studying every single day, but I began my journey by starting to study in late June and have passed 3 parts of the exam already. You do not have to study full time, you just need to focus and get it done.

FAR - 08/30/15 - 90
AUD - 11/12/15 - 92
REG - 01/19/16 - 82
BEC - 02/29/16 - 83

Passed all on 1st attempt using GLEIM (full program) and NINJA (MCQ only)!!!

Louisiana Licensed CPA

[Son]

Alecstation, don't quit. People might hold it against you if you take time off to study for the exams, especially if your plan is to join a public accounting firm. Might be viewed as a sign of your inability to prioritize, work under stress and put in long hours necessary to succeed in public (might not be quite as true in a small firm, definitely true in Big4).

Also, not to discourage you, but this forum is full of posts from somewhat bitter people who thought passing the exam will magically change their life. Well, unfortunately it does not. All other factors are still factors, and although GPA becomes less relevant with time, your work experience will still mean more than passing the exam. So don't expect that you'll be flooded with offers when you're a CPA, it might help open some doors for you but ultimately companies will be looking for someone who has experience and skills to fill in a particular position.

AUD - passed
REG - passed
BEC - passed
FAR - passed

[jayjpr]

Hi @Alecstation!

I have to start with saying that I also feel very identified with your story/background and I actually have the same concerns. All my experience has been within AR/Collections since 2008. Finished my BBA in accounting in 2010 and got scared of taking the CPA exam due to my average GPA (same as yours). By the end of 2014 I finished my MBA in marketing (I wanted to try something different). I've never had a hands on accountant experience. However I felt like I gave up on the CPA exam without even trying. So I saved some cash and bought the Becker review and I'm taking my first exam (AUD) on Monday (wish me luck). Obviouly I have the same concern regarding how my resume might stand out from one who has more experience than me, however my train of thought is that I will deal with that once I have my CPA license. Also, I actually don't have an idea of what route I wanna go (audit, tax, advisory, etc) mainly because I haven't had the experience in any of them. However, right know my main focus is passing the exams.

Regarding the studying, I can consider myself just like you however I have notice that although I obligate/push/drag/make myself study, once I start I get really into it and before I know it 2-3 hours have passed. My advise to you is the following:

1. Have an idea of your ideal study technique is. There are people who can study 8+ hours straight and there are people who prefer less time and still feel equally productive. For example, I've worked full time all my life, even when I was in college so I am used to studying at night so I know that I can't study for a long period of time. I prefer to get a nice 2-3 hours daily. The other thing is if you don't want to spend so much time all at once, devide your study time throughout the day. 1hr in the morning and 1hr after work.

2. Don't quit your job. Many people see having a job as a limitation when studying but for me it's an asset. Why? Because I'll value more the time I have to study. When people see themselves with that much extra time they might start to procrastinate. If I only have an hour after work to study, I'm sure that I will appreciate every minute. Also it doesn't hurt having an income while studying. If you try it and it doesn't work for you, well then considered quitting your job but for now keep it.

3. Dont give up your social life completely. It's good from time to time to give yourself some fun time for all the hard work you're putting.

4. Don't worry about the future, work on what's important today, passing the exams. Not having experience might be good thing for companies because they can “mold” you to their work style. Sometimes people with many experience are used to working a certain way that some companies might not like/prefer.

5. Make the CPA part of your daily routine. Any moment of the day is good for a lesson. The review im using has a mobile app, so any moment I have speare time I take my phone and do a multiple choice question.Remember that one question that you answer during the day is one less you have to answer after work. Also, before going to sleep instead of looking at any of my social media accounts I do more questions until I fall asleep.

6. Set an exam date. This will put some pressure on you into getting you into studying.

Basically the CPA exam process is all about knowing what works for you and making it happen. Don't be scared of not passing, be scared of living a “What if” life. Believe in yourself and I'm sure you'll succeed…. remember that you are not alone in this.

AUD - 63, 74
REG - TBD 6/10/2016
BEC - TBD (2Q or 3Q)
FAR - TBD (3Q or 4Q)

[Tripin93]

I don't have a long comment, but I just wanted to briefly say this. If you REALLY want to study for the majority of the day, please at least get a part time job related to accounting! Employment gaps are not good for your resume, so having a job for this period will help when you're interviewing for the next full time job. If an interviewer asks if this was full time or part time, do not lie about it. However, they probably won't ask, so it won't be an issue.

Motivated by JC. I do it to make God proud.

FAR: 91 July 2015
AUD: 83 October 2015
REG: 81 January 2016
BEC: 83 February 2016

[ruggercpa2b]

I agree with everyone else that has said do not quit your job. If you do a search on this forum you will find posts from people with great GPA and have passed the exam and still struggle to get a job. I have friends that have quit their jobs to study and its been over a year and they still have not passed any parts.

I graduated with a 2.5 and worked in industry for a while and then swicthed to a Big 4 firm. It took me a year of networking and following to finally get an interview at the Big 4. One of the Directors who is now my mentor would always say to me “I can tell you are a smart hardworking person, but on paper you just would not make the cut.” And he was right. If I had my application with my 2.5 and someone else with 3.0 they would never pick me.

I now work at mid tier firm and am working on the CPA exam. Even with a low GPA you can still work at a firm but you are going to have to figure out a way to get in front of these people. I worked full time when I was college because I moved here from another country. I always made sure I let them know that as well.

AUD - 73, 72 retake 7/2/2016
BEC - 8/20/2016
REG - TBD
FAR - TBD

I am so ready for this nightmare to be over. Been at this way too long.

[Anonymous]

“would a hiring manager in a public accounting firm think more highly of you because you held a clerical position(just an example) for two years while you studied for the cpa exam rather than passing them all within within 9 months by studying full time?”
Yes. Couple reasons:
1. You were still working. 9 month job gap doesn't look good on a resume; working for 2 years – even at a not-awesome job – looks a lot better.
2. They don't know how long you took to pass if you do it while working, but if you have a 9-month job gap to explain, and you explain it with “I was passing my exams”, then they do know. What if the manager passed all the exams in 6 months while working full-time, while also in a Master's program full-time, with 3 kids under the age of 5 and ailing parents? Think he's going to be impressed by you taking 9 months to pass them unemployed with no kids while living at home? I'm not saying the way you did it would be wrong, but I'm saying it's going to not look good if the guy or gal interviewing you did something that looks a lot better. So, if you worked through it, s/he doesn't know how long you took, but if s/he took a lot less time than you while not studying full-time, then if s/he knows you took 9 months while studying full-time, that's not going to look good.

“I see the economy is pretty good now…”
Not really. I see threads posted on here all the time of people who have everything going for them and can't get a job. The economy is good in some places, bad in others, but overall it's still unstable. It could be booming in your town today and dead by the time you pass the exams. I wouldn't call the economy good and/or stable yet.

[Author]

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