[sotom3239]

Hello Everyone!

I am starting the cpa process and have a few questions. 1. where do I register to sit for the exam? 2. who do I submit my transcript to; to verify the 150 credits earned?

I am also looking at study programs and since I do not work with a firm well I have to pay out of my own pocket. I am looking for the most cost effective program to help me pass the exam hopefully first try. I was looking at the 6 ninja sniper package and wanted to know if anyone recently has used only ninja products to pass the exam.

I also need help figuring out how much time to study a week I should dedicate. I was planning to always give myself 2 months to study for all parts of the exam. But I would like more assistance and advice. I am a nervous wreck over all this and want to just begin the process to get certified within the next year and a half.

Please help! Thank you for any advice.

[Anonymous]

1) Start here.

2) Depends on the state.

Before you spend $1-$4k, I highly recommend you do as many free demos as you can. We all study differently. Some people prefer to read, others prefer to be in a class, some people love videos while others think they're a waste of time, flash cards may work for some but not for others. Ninja is good. Test it out.

Your biggest focus should probably be on a good MCQ test bank. Since there are more simulations, you may want to incorporate a package (or two) that has a formidable bank of sims. I used Gleim & Ninja.

You said you're not working for a firm, but are you still working full-time? Do you have dependents and/or a spouse? You can get this done well before 18 months if you study 8-hours a day. 4 is typical for the employed. Any more than 8 diminishes returns, in my opinion.

You can get this done in a single testing window if you focus. It's possible as others have done it before. You may become miserable in the process, but it may be exactly how YOU need to do it.

[sotom3239]

@AlmondCoins I am working full time about 40 hours a week and I have tried other free trials just don't know which to go with to save money. I was going to do wiley single set (most affordable) and ninja mcq to assist. I am just new to this process that I cannot figure out even how to prepare for the exams. That is also why I was wondering if buying the ninja sniper package would be good, since it comes with a book and notes along with mcq. I have been known as a visual learner so I don't know if that helps. I would try to commit somewhere between 10 – 15 hours a week (is that good?).

[Anonymous]

@sotom3239 10-15 hours/wk may be difficult to pull off. I recommend 100-150 hours for each exam. Any less and there may be gaps, and any more, you may not retain it all.

~20-30 hours/wk is optimal. It sounds intimidating, but you get into a groove after a few days. If you can study during breaks at work, that is recommended.

[Meg267]

I worked full time while studying. I put in 20-25 hours a week of studying. One hour over my lunch, 2-3 hours each weeknight, and 4-6 hours every Saturday and Sunday. It's a lot of work.

I used Wiley and supplemented with Ninja. If you're interested in Wiley, there is usually some kind of code online to save extra money. Getting your CPA is expensive. Testing fees, application fees, retakes, and software. Expect to probably pay $2K-$5K depending on your situation.

[sotom3239]

AlmondCoins Based off of that yeah it is intimidating. I was planning on doing 2.5 hours everyday except Friday to relax, which would put me at 15 hours. I just need to figure out if the ninja sniper package would be worth the money then? I would like to use my phone for questions everytime and I would listen to the audio when studying but I just want to be prepared. If I did 15 hours a week for 8 – 10 weeks that would put me around your recommended hours for each exam. I know FAR is the most time consuming and figured that the others would be less demanding in nature. I just want to be able to pace myself and focus and take my time with the exam. I have read good reviews on the sniper package for people just using it and passing and figured to test my luck but I do not want to waste money if it is not worth it since a lot of money will be spent on the registration, examination, and sitting for the exam.

I also visited the link and made a profile but it says due to high number of applicants it may take up to six weeks to process. Does that mean I have to wait six weeks to submit my transcripts and to begin the process?

I have downloaded the ninja cpa exam free material and it seems good just need to know if it would be worth spending money on the sniper package. I do not want to be in a situation where I have to continue to throw money away for the CPA exam.

[sotom3239]

@Meg267 when you used the wiley program which package did you use? I also assume you paid the $100 for the mcq and notes with ninja cpa review then too?

[sotom3239]

@Meg267 Also do you have any advice for how to space out the exams…My friend is currently doing the exams and passed REG but he mentioned to me that when starting out give yourself 8 weeks from the exam date to study the material…He currently is using the wiley software and is paying for the packages single set. He does not have a current study hours for the week, he just follows whatever wiley recommends studying for him.

I am just a nervous wreck over everything at the moment lol. Having to deal with the financial burden and time burden is a lot and I want to commit but financially I can only do so much and the time. I would devote a lot of library time during the studying process.

[Meg267]

When I first started, I had no idea what package to buy. I didn't know about Another71.com either. So I bought the most expensive package Wiley had at the time. I ended up not using all of it, but it allowed me the opportunity to pick and choose what I wanted to use. I supplemented with Ninja, because I needed another way to look at the material. It gave me two different ways to understand some of it. During Christmas time last year, Jeff had buy one get one free, so I purchased the full Ten Point Combo and got a second one free. You could probably get by with the notes and MCQ, but the videos are nice to have.

Wiley does put together a study time-frame if you enter the date you want to sit for your exam. Don't space it out too far though. Been there, done that. I'd suggest about 8 weeks. 6 for studying the material and 2 weeks for review. Schedule your test date early and stick to it.

Studying for the CPA exam is a big undertaking. I wasn't as serious about it when I first started and failed my first exam. The feeling you get when you see that you've passed is incredible though. I'm currently waiting for my State Board to issue my license, as I passed my last exam with the last score release.

[Author]

Replies