[Crissy]

Hi all. I’ve just started studying for FAR with the expectation of sitting for the exam in January (no way I’ll get it in by the blackout window). I graduated in ’09 with an accounting degree. I sat for BEC (68) back in 2010 didn’t pass and then my current career took off. I do not work in accounting and aside from the internships and jobs I held in college where I basically did bookkeeping I have not done any accounting work. I have spent most of my career in management at a Fortune 50 company and most recently transitioned into a role in fraud investigations and intelligence, my true passion. I passed the CFE exam back in 2014, but the CPA exam has always been hanging over my head. I have decided to recommit myself to taking the CPA exam so that I can potentially open doors on the financial investigations side and help differentiate myself from other candidates should I need to find a new role or want to climb higher. That being said, I feel completely alone in this process. Anyone out there taking the exam or who has passed the exam that didn’t work directly in accounting? Do you have any advice? I feel like I need to study twice as hard because I am not doing this stuff daily and am constantly fighting negative thoughts that I won’t be able to pass.

[To0ld2Pass]

Hey Crissy, I'm 34 and I just passed FAR but I am not as far out of school as you. I've never worked in accounting minus an internship. I think it is very possible but does require the dedication to sit and study the required material. If you can still understand the basic accounting concepts I think a good prep program would get you passing. I am using Becker and often laugh about how well they teach certain things vs what i learned at my university. 🙂 You'll probably be happy your alone in the process minus this community here lol. I wish I would of never told people I was studying for it. People here have been very helpful.

[Crissy]

Hi To0ld2Pass, thank you for your words of encouragement! It's nice knowing I'm not the only one attempting this thing outside of the accounting world. I recognized right away that I would need all the help I can get so I settled on using Roger. So far it's okay but I'll probably get some other test bank to supplement. I'm thankful for this community as well. Best of luck to you!!!

[Tim]

To be honest even if you work in accounting most of this stuff you need to learn aren't things you're going to use very often. I don't think you're much different than anyone else who has been out of school for years before deciding to tackle the CPA exam. There are a lot of us that have done so. Commit ~150 or so hours of studying to each section and you should pass.

[Pork Flavored Bacon]

Tim, I read your post and found myself nodding my head in agreement.
The CPA examination is BS. It's not a test of how good of an accountant you are. It's about how persistent you are and your understanding of what is being tested. Just because someone is a CPA now does not mean they can pass the tests again.
After I completed my exams, I threw everything I learned out the window. Not once did I ever apply something I learned while studying for the CPA exam to a real life scenario.
You're clearly an intelligent person based on the background you provided. Just research to find out your preferred review course, apply yourself, and concentrate. You can do this.

FAR - 75 | REG - 87 | AUD - 82 | LAW - 81

[Crissy]

Thanks Tim and Pork Flavored Bacon! Sometimes just a little reassurance helps build the necessary confidence. I appreciate the insights 🙂

[Author]

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