[Scared-cpa]

My problem all boils down to score release issues!

I took AUD in May and will receive my score mid-August. Since then I have been studying for REG and take it August 2nd. The last section for me is BEC and I have two options:

(1) Once I sit for REG, start studying immediately for BEC and take it September 8th, the last available day in Q3 at my local Prometric.

(2) Wait until I get my score for AUD. If I pass, begin studying for BEC to take Q4. If I fail, restudy for AUD and take in Q4.

I would like to do option 2 just in hopes of getting these exams done sooner, but I’d like to take AUD again if I have to since it is fresher in my mind. Also, and more importantly, I am afraid 4 weeks will not be long enough to get through BEC material and be ready to sit. That’s what happened with AUD the first time around and I failed. I personally would like 3 weeks of final review time with Ninja MCQ before I take my exam because that’s what I did with FAR when I passed, and I need that extra final review to truly straighten out any confusion I have.

So what do y’all think?

[BBHYX]

I believe option 1 makes the most sense? Either way, you can retake aud in Q4 if you find out you failed. The only decision you have to make is whether you think you can made a good attempt at BEC in 4 weeks. Are you working? studying full time? Also, is money for potential retakes an issue? I think it's possible/doable and worth a try to knock out BEC in Q3

[Thats_LIFO]

Wish I could help, but I'm basically trying to decide on the same thing. Took my first exam (BEC) at the end of May, and feel like it would be a miracle if I passed. Studied full time for a little over 3 weeks. Just finished my MBA finance so I was still pretty fresh on a lot of the stuff in BEC, like finance and economics, but I was way too rusty on the accounting.

I'm taking FAR on the August 3rd. I was then hoping to get through most of REG before I start work (auditing) on August 21st, but FAR took me 1-2 weeks longer than I expected, so there's no way I can do REG in Q3. Still debating attempting AUD at the end of Q3. I figure I would have to get through Becker chapters 1 -5 in about 2 weeks studying FT, chapter 6 my first week of work, and then I'd have about 10 days of review. Not sure if this is realistic though… TBH I don't really care how much it costs, I just really want this to be over ASAP and to make the most of my time before I start working.

[Anthony]

Option 1. 4 weeks for BEC is more than enough time considering that it is the shortest of all four exams. It is definitely possible to get through all of CPAexcel materials in like 1 week if you cram hard enough and use the rest of your time to review. That is what I did, spent like 1 week on CPAexcel and another week half to pound the mcq to death.

[Anonymous]

As a couple people above said, I would take BEC sooner than later. For one thing, I'd want to reserve that September 8th slot ASAP since seats are going fast. I'm not sure what your monetary situation is, so if you fail and it is hard to pull together fees for a retake, then maybe you should wait and ensure you have a better chance at passing. But otherwise, I think it is more beneficial to see the test, get your score at the end of September along with your REG score, and plan accordingly what your next steps are.

[Scared-cpa]

Thanks, everyone! Money isn't a super big issue, I'm using savings for this exam. I'm also finishing up my MBA this week, actually, (yay!) and so I am going to finish these exams before I begin working. So after this Friday, I will be studying full-time. However, I will only be able to study 5 days a week because other situations in my life right now will take me away from home every Wednesday and Thursday, so I will only have about 2 hours each of those days to study.

I'm just so scared that it won't be enough time for me to study, given that it's kind of how I planned my AUD exam and I failed it. However, I know a lot of people have said BEC is the easiest. Can I really get through CPAexcel in 1 week? I feel like that is crazy! I was budgeting 3 weeks for CPAexcel and at the very least 2 weeks for Ninja MCQ review, but I was hoping more like 3. Maybe I'm just being a baby and should suck it up.

Secretly, I would LOVE to be finished with these exams by October because fall/Halloween is my absolute favorite time of the year and I'd like to spend it on fun stuff. If I took BEC at the end of quarter 3, assuming I've passed AUD, I will have no exams to study for – just wait on REG and BEC scores.

[Author]

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