[str6116]

Anyone else in this boat? While working 60-ish hours/week is no fun, it feels great not having to worry about studying for a couple months.

I’m sure people out there are like “oh, that’s an excuse, gotta get it done… make your life miserable, just get it done” and yeah I understand that line of thinking. But I think it depends on your situation. I already took all 4, passed 2, failed 2, and retook AUD (cautiously optimistic… cautiously). Given my FAR won’t expire until the end of next January, that gives me up to 4 chances to pass my REG retake if I do pass AUD (end of May, Jul/Aug, Oct/Nov windows, beginning of January).

So… thoughts on this? Saw a post on reddit’s accounting board and a bunch of people were condemning someone for this line of thought, and if he was about to have one expire or something I could understand it, but eh… depends on your situation, I say. I just think it would be way too stressful to worry about both studying and working so much.

FAR-82 (7/27/15)
AUD-74 (8/31/15), 92 (1/4/16)
REG-65 (10/28/15), 70 (6/9/16), 80 (7/18/16)
BEC-86 (11/28/15)

DONE

...and that's all the people need to know.

[Tncincy]

Well, do what you have to do….if you need a break, take it, but you know most of us will be saying get it done, what ever the cost. Hey, we all get tired, and have to work, and life does happen…..but it can happen, and you can work, and be tired when it's over. That's my plan anyway. If I take a break, it turns into a vacation, one situation after another, and it has been really, really, really, hard to re-gain the necessary momentum to put in quality time to study. Just me, but do what you feel is best for you. You don't need our permission to take a break and focus on work anyway.

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[SomedayCPA2015]

I'm with you, @str6116. I just got done with a retake for FAR and I'm pretty sure I didn't pass again. I will definitely be looking over at minimum my Ninja notes on Sundays throughout busy season, but I plan on mostly taking a break. The earliest I could retake it would be April anyway, so why not wait 2 more weeks to fully jump into the materials again, vs. trying to sit in early April, which would mean studying on top of 60+ hour weeks in February. I'm also looking forward to just concentrating on work for a bit and not the exam too.

REG - Passed
BEC - Passed
AUD - Passed
FAR - Passed!!!! I have my life back.

[MaLoTu]

If you cannot study during busy season, at least have your exam date scheduled for after busy season in effort to at least get back to it.
I understand it is hard to work and study. It is important that you don't get out of busy season and need a break because you worked so much… You don't want to set off a sequence of events that turns into you not getting back to the exam.

[win2bet]

i suggest you don't stop studying, id recommend squeezing in at least an hour a day of studying. keep your mind in that CPA exam zone

REG 68,87
BEC 85
FAR 75
AUD 64,64, 86!

[Tripin93]

Since you have a nice cushion for your first expiration date, take a break! You do not want to get burned out. We are designed to need rest.

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

[Missy]

You've got to do what works best for you. I don't generally recommend taking a break only because life has a funny way of getting in the way of even the best laid plans and I've seen people who thought they had plenty of time to finish one or two sections, then they get a job in a new city and a move derails them, a family member God forbid takes ill and needs assistance, or even a new romantic interest who demands more time than one can avail while studying. Besides much cooler after busy season to have your free time legit free time instead of studying when the days are longer and warmer.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[the LAST Coffee]

I'm taking my last exam on February 1 and most likely I didn't study enough (and this is a retake, which makes restudying for it even more of a bore),

Trust me, taking a vacation to Japan and enjoying good times will make you forget you still got the exams to pass and it's even harder to get back into it even after a month being away.

FAR 84 (AUG '15)
BEC 83 (AUG '15)
AUD 79 (OCT '15)
REG 71, 78! (NOV '15, FEB '16)

[Track55]

Excuses, excuses …

Everyone has stuff to do. You have to study every day.

AUD - 74, 99 !!
REG - 74, 92
BEC - 83
FAR - 73, 86

Studying for Ethics exam

California candidate
Business and Industry

[str6116]

Meh. Mixed responses, but I get all your points. Whatever you all say, I'll get this thing done by the summer for sure. I've put in a ton of hard work already, and I'm not one to slack after taking a “break” (amidst working long hours…) I know how I operate.

Yeah ok at the “excuses” thing. I think I've done a good job getting to this point anyway, so… don't plan on slowing after busy season. Like I said, it depends on your particular situation. There are very few people at my firm who have studied for and passed it during busy season, and most of them just managed to get it all done elsewhere throughout the year. So long as I'm not in danger of an expiring exam credit… I feel ok.

FAR-82 (7/27/15)
AUD-74 (8/31/15), 92 (1/4/16)
REG-65 (10/28/15), 70 (6/9/16), 80 (7/18/16)
BEC-86 (11/28/15)

DONE

...and that's all the people need to know.

[Anonymous]

I took an exam in February 2014 and February 2015 and in hindsight I wish I didn't. I passed my exams within 15 months; I never lost any credit thank goodness. But the result of taking the exams in tax season was that I underperformed overall in both years. I didn't get as much work done as I should have, I failed those particular exams anyway, and I was burned out when I got out of the exams. Plan on taking an exam in May and the rest of the way through the year but avoid the first window. Its just not worth it. I typically work 60-70 hours a week in tax season, I have two young kids and a loving wife. But to throw an exam on top is crazy!!

Good luck this tax season!

[Vanessachy]

I am not since I have to take REG on 2/27. It is up to you, I just feel that I don't want to wait, I want to get them done ASAP. My goal is to have kids after the exam, so I just have to do it.

Far 10/26/2015, 64, 1/4/2016, 82
Reg 7/10/2015, 60, 2/27/2016, 86
Aud, 5/9/2016, 74 (ouch), 7/26/2016, I cannot wait to take this test again
Bec, 6/10/2016, 70,9/8 retake

[RSBro]

There's no way I can study during busy season. If your bosses allow you to work less and your work product to suffer because you are studying that's fine, but it's going to come up during your semi and annual reviews. If you're in public tax accounting, you know what you're required to put in as far as hours and billable time.
But, every firm is different. I could study with 50 hours easy, but when I'm doing 60, 70, 75s there's no way.

REG - ('11) 71, ('12) 71 - Becker
AUD - TBD
BEC - TBD
FAR - ('16) 54 - Becker

[Author]

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