[titoav15]

Ninjas,

I thought this might be a great thread for CPA alums to share experiences while studying and taking the CPA exams regarding what worked and what did not.

Mine would be not to underestimate the importance of the simulations sections as I tended to get a passing chance with MCQ but sims made me fail as I scored weaker on those. My lessons learned is to give a good chunk of study time to sims.

BEC: 5/21/14 82! PASSED HALF WAY THERE!
FAR: 4/2/15 80! Almost there!
AUD: 69, 74, 4/3/14 81! PASSED
REG: TBD

[Ana]

my #1 tip is to start with FAR. Lesson learned the hard way

[Chandler]

My biggest tip is to not underestimate any section for ANY reason. I've failed (and watched other people fail) multiple sections because of thoughts like “BEC is all common sense” and “I work in tax so I don't need to study for REG”. Each section has it's own demons. If you're under-prepared, you will fail no matter how “easy” the section was supposed to be.

[Lentilcounter]

@Ana

I've wondered how things might have been if I had started with FAR. It was my #2 exam and now it has become #3 because I needed a break after failing it so many times. If I took FAR first and kept failing, I'm not sure I would have stayed motivated to keep on going.

BEC = 72 (6/08/16)
FAR = ?
REG = ?
AUD = ?

[Ana]

I don't think it would have caused me to stop if I failed a few times. To me it's far worse to lose passed exams bc of FAR and that makes me want to quit. FAR takes the most amount of time to study and to me is the hardest test by far. So I wouldn't have the time ticking against me, it would just start when I passed FAR. It's also been a huge hurdle for me bc I got totally screwed with the Q2 wait. I also think BEC and AUD are easier after FAR bc there's such an overlap in material. Now I'm stuck paying for an extension with Becker which is so expensive and also repaying for lost tests.
I also think my mind would have been “fresher” for FAR in the beginning. I've def lost steam over 2 years. FML

[Superdude3000]

-Use the AL on more than just the research SIM
-Look for little points here and there on SIMs, they add up quickly
-Don't underestimate BEC
-Give each exam their fair share of study time, understand that if you cram you will have a much harder time passing regardless of the section
-Sit as soon as you can, getting this done before I start working is a huge weight off my shoulders
-Read the questions/instructions carefully but understand that the majority of exam questions really are as straightforward as they seem
-Don't get hung up, a single multiple choice question is not worth 10 minutes of your precious exam time, neither is 30 minutes on a SIM – time manage wisely

[TommyTheCat]

set a schedule and commit to it. don't cheat, don't brush over sections and dont try and miss a week with the mindset of making it up the next week.

Don't try and rush the scheduling either. Just work the plan and you'll be in good shape.

[Author]

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