[A]

Someone asked about total study hours and timelines in another thread, and now I’m also curious about the range among us. Here is what I’ve done so far:

BEC: ~65 hours over 57 days – pass
AUD: ~72 hours over 48 days – pass
REG: ~74 hours over 57 days – pass
FAR: In progress

B - 77 (2.27.16)
A - 81 (4.18.16)
R -
F -

Roger Review + Ninja MCQs

[Jdn9201]

My memory is fuzzy because I did this a year ago, but I'll chime in with my study time:

1. BEC – 4 weeks, approx 60 hours, pass
2. REG – 5-6 weeks, about 75 hours, pass
3. AUD – 5 weeks, about 100 hours, pass
4. FAR – 19 days, about 75 hours, pass

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

[Yolonge]

I had 3-4 months gap between retakes but it did save bit of time as I did not have to learn from scratch. Indeed for first takes I did not take them seriously which I regret now. But since I am done guess it does not matter :p. Finding time to study was the worst part without proper review course and probably taking exam(s) every month was not such a great idea.

I took 8 exams in 2016.

1. FAR (x1) – 1.5 month, approximately 110 hours (first part, wasted a lot of time)
2. AUD (x3; 74/72/92) – 1 month / 3 weeks / 3 weeks; 60/30/30 hours each = total 120 hours for 3 exams
3. REG (x3; 70/68/83) – 3 week / 3 weeks / 5 weeks; 60/30/40 hours each = total 130 hours for 3 exams
4. BEC (x1) – 12 days, 30 hours

Materials: Wiley book + Ninja MCQ

FAR - 83 (Jan 2016)
Study time: 6 weeks
BEC - 87 (April 2016)
Study time: 2 weeks
AUD - 92 (July 2016), (74 Feb 2016), (72 May 2016)
Study time: 4 (Feb) + 2 (May) + 3 (July) = 9 weeks total
REG - (70 April 2016)
Study time: 3 weeks

[SomeSomeCPA]

Jdn9201 Can you describe how you spent those 19 days studying FAR? All MCQ? First week book, next 2 weeks MCQ? Etc.

FAR: 39,59,TBD
BEC: 74,79
AUD: 77
REG: September

[Anonymous]

If some of the above hours are true, then I am assuming you all have very strong accounting backgrounds. I have put in a lot more hours than what are stated above. And, everyone that I know has also put in a lot more hours. I am not saying you guys are lying, but some of the hours seem pretty low. For example, FAR in 19 days! Do you have picture memory or have you taken an IQ test? Holy cow…

FAR – 280 hours, 77, had no idea how to study for these exams
AUD – 160 hours, plus 40 hours for retake, scored 71 and 73 respectfully (not happy)
BEC – will have spent around 160 hours, took me 25 hours to really nail down Cost
REG – TBD

I am working on studying more efficiently because my hours are definitely on the high end. However, these exams are very rigorous and some of the material I have never seen. I still recommend 6-8 weeks for any exam.

Hope my hours give hope to other candidates who are spending much more than the previous 3 posts! Goodluck everyone and don't give up!

[Anonymous]

Also, I track my hours using an Excel spreadsheet so my hours are not estimates!

[Yolonge]

Cpa4928 – your study time looks little excessive. I did not have a review course and i mainly spent time (95%+) doing mcqs which explains low hours for each takes (except FAR). I had no lecture/book so i think it saved me a good amount of time since most of my time was spent doing mcq.

I am pretty sure my hours are accurate as only thing i did for retake is redo ninja mcq and pretty much nothing else. Say 3000 question at 40 second per question = approximately 30 hrs

I am not sure if audit has enough content for 160 hours of study. I did not have audit experience and i was mediocre/average student in college. I think you may want to reassess your study method and find a way to studu little more efficiently.

Materials: Wiley book + Ninja MCQ

FAR - 83 (Jan 2016)
Study time: 6 weeks
BEC - 87 (April 2016)
Study time: 2 weeks
AUD - 92 (July 2016), (74 Feb 2016), (72 May 2016)
Study time: 4 (Feb) + 2 (May) + 3 (July) = 9 weeks total
REG - (70 April 2016)
Study time: 3 weeks

[Anonymous]

^ I agree that I do not study efficiently. However, simply doing MCQ's is a big risk to take when taking the CPA exam. Sure, there is a chance you can pass by only doing MCQ, but it is unlikely. I am not trying to argue with you, but most candidates that I know spend between 120-200+ hours per exam to get a pass. Of course there are some very smart people who spend less than 100 hours per exam, but I'm pretty sure they have a very, very solid accounting background. Anyhow, Goodluck and remember a Pass is a Pass!! Although, I am trying to cut down my hours so I do not burn out more than I already am!!

-Blue Collar

[Yolonge]

Cpa4928 – i agree that it is risky and does not work with everybody. I was kind of forced to study this way due to time/financial constraints and also that explains 3 attempts on audit and regulations which i am not pround of lol (and second score going down by 2 points for both)!

I think Becker had recommended study time which i think was around 70-100 hours per section. Maybr they are referring to their particular program.

Do not burn yourself out and with little persistent you will pass all. Personally i found that studying 3-4 days per week worked best for me. After work it is hard to study and taking few days off can give your head some break. But the days i studied i tried to cram. Good luck!!

Materials: Wiley book + Ninja MCQ

FAR - 83 (Jan 2016)
Study time: 6 weeks
BEC - 87 (April 2016)
Study time: 2 weeks
AUD - 92 (July 2016), (74 Feb 2016), (72 May 2016)
Study time: 4 (Feb) + 2 (May) + 3 (July) = 9 weeks total
REG - (70 April 2016)
Study time: 3 weeks

[Anonymous]

I know some people spend only a month or less studying for each section. I think for most people, it takes longer. 2-3 months. I studied every day for two months before taking FAR.
I debated not using a review course and for some months, I studied on my own. I re-read my Financial Audit text and many chapters in Advanced Accounting text. I'd be lying if I said it really helped me any. Once I got onto Roger, things fell into place – but I got a job and burned out on studying so didn't pass. Amount of time that it takes per section depends totally on the person. I talked to one person who spent 9 or 10 months conquering FAR. He took it 3 times before passing it. He didn't spend nearly that long on the other sections I don't think.

[Iceman6]

AUD – probably 100ish hours
REG – 70ish
BEC – 80ish
FAR – Currently around 50 but need to log in a ton more to feel comfortable

[jcbcpa]

Total study hours are guesstimates. I didn't really count my study hours but I would say I got 30 hours per week for most sections (at least 16 hours on weekends and 14 hours during the weekdays). For AUD and my retake of FAR, I'd say I got around 25 hours per week (again, most on the weekends).

AUD – 4 weeks, approximately 100 hours, passed with an 85 (note: I had worked as a governmental auditor for two years when I passed, which was definitely a benefit).

BEC – approximately 3 weeks, approximately 90 hours, passed with an 83. I really could have used another week or so. I was rushing at the end, but thankfully, it worked out.

REG – 4 weeks, approximately 120 hours, passed with an 81. Again, I could have really used another week or two, because I was once again rushing and I didn't finish all of the last chapter.

FAR – 6-7 weeks, approximately 180-210 hours. Failed with a 73. Soo close! SIMS were atrocious! Months later(after BEC and REG passes and a month break in December), I studied for my retake for approximately 8 weeks and 200 hours, and passed with an 85. So total study hours were probably around 400.

So, as you can see, FAR was the beast for me, by far requiring the most study hours. I think for most people, this will be the case, simply because of the vast amount of material. For those who knocked out the section quickly (19 days), that is very impressive and congratulations. But I think most people will find they need more time on this section, and will find that this will be the section they have to log in the most study hours (now obviously, this won't apply to everyone, but I'd say on average, FAR requires the most).

AUD - 85 (8/30/2015)
FAR - 73 (10/13/2015), 85 (2/29/2016) (AND DONE!)
BEC - 83 (11/04/2015)
REG - 81 (11/30/2015)

[A]

@Jcbcpa: That's my guess for FAR, too, and part of the reason I asked. My FAR date is 27 days away and I've only put in about 60 hours (45 spent watching lectures). Now I'm working MCQs and SIMs on paper for a few hours every day, but I know I won't pass if I can't put in at least 100 hours total. I think a pass on March 9 is still plausible, but there is a lot of ground to cover. I took a week off work just prior to my test date to try to finish strong.

It won't be the end of the world if I need a Q2 FA4 retake, but I sure would like to be done in a few weeks.

As for those who question “low” hours, it can be done but is highly contingent on learning style. I am a visual learner and a fast reader, and I generally do not take notes, which saved me a ton of time. I'm three years out of school, with zero audit work experience, and only minimal tax exposure to corp/p'ships (maybe four returns?) and still managed to pass both on the first round. Tailor your study methods to your learning style and focus on quality and efficiency over sheer number of hours for best results.

B - 77 (2.27.16)
A - 81 (4.18.16)
R -
F -

Roger Review + Ninja MCQs

[CPA788]

This thread makes me feel a little bad about myself, geez.

AUD – 1 attempt, ~90 hours (waiting on score, felt good about it)
BEC – 2 attempts, ~100 hours 1st try, 60 hours 2nd try for pass = 160 total
FAR – 3 attempts, ~140 hours 1st try, 100 hours for 2nd and 3rd attempt = 340 total
REG – studying for 4th attempt – ~100 hours 1st try, ~60 hours 2nd and 3rd, ~70 hours for 4th attempt by the time I sit. = 290 total

Maybe I'm also inefficient, I've also been a terrible test taker. I've never worked in Audit but never walked out a test feeling so confident (famous last words until score release), so I don't think you can judge anyone on their study hours. While I do know people who sit and waste time “studying” thinking their are really putting in the time for the tests, I think most of the people on this thread are kicking their a$$ and their hours reflect their dedication. Where is my hero @CPA50 at with her 10 FAR attempts?

BEC - 74, 77
FAR - 72, 71 (retake 7/29)
REG - 69
AUD - Q4 '16

CA Candidate

[TaxKeep]

BEC: 74 hours over 8 weeks, pass
FAR: 110 hours over 14 weeks, pass
REG: 56 hours over 6 weeks, pass
AUD: 42 hours over 7 weeks, fail
AUD: 77 hours over 5 weeks, pass

Total to pass 4 parts: 360 hours

Watched Roger videos on 1.5-2x speed; read book, took notes (only re-wrote notes for BEC), got as many IPQ as possible, reviewed notes. For retake, reviewed Roger book, took notes; hammered NINJA MCQ.

Used a pomodoro timer app to track study hours. Roger has recommended time to study for each section, and so long as I hit the minimum I passed.

Helping to raise 3 kids and shift work an average of 60 hours/week. “If you study, you WILL pass.”

BEC-79 (10/15)
FAR-78 (01/16)
REG-86 (05/16)
AUD-

[I’mAGoingConcern]

BEC – 5 weeks, around 100 hours. Passed with an 82.

I will say though, that I felt confident at around 80 hours. I would have taken it then, but my Prometric location was booked, and I took it as soon as I could (after the 100 mark).

REG – I will have studied a total of 120 hours, assuming everything goes as planned with the remainder of my study time.

[Author]

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