[Asja]

I guess the best order is FAR, AUD, REG, then BEC…

But…is that the best for everyone?

FAR seems way too hard for someone who has been out of school and work for 7 years. I think the reason I never went through with the CPA exam fresh out of school is because I was so overwhelemed by FAR, as I was trying to get the hardest exam out of the way first. Probably not a good idea to do the same mistake twice…Any thoughts??? In what order did you choose to take your exams?

[WarEagle]

The order I went in was FAR, BEC, REG, AUD.

I believe there are two main reasons it's widely recommended that FAR should be taken first. First, FAR has the most material that you need to study. I personally took 12 weeks to go through everything (10 weeks of study, 2 weeks to review). This becomes a problem when you only have a 18 month window to pass all 4 exams. Taking 3 out of those 18 months to study is a large chunk of time lost, and it really becomes a problem if you didn't pass the first time. Then you'll need a couple more months to study everything again and retake the exam. However, if you take FAR first, all of your study time is outside of that window, so it relieves some of the pressure due to the time crunch.

Second, FAR covers a large variety of topics and some of those topics show up again in BEC and AUD. So, if you already studied the topic in FAR, the effort required to brush up on those topics again in BEC or AUD is alleviated a little.

To answer your first question, no it's not best for everyone to take FAR first. Some people like to start on an exam with less material to get used to the process of studying and taking the exam, while others would rather tackle the largest one first. Whichever method helps you to pass is the best one in the end.

[red07]

I noticed you've created and replied to a lot of topics recently, even saying how easy studying is and then wanting to quit. Honestly, you need to buckle up and just do it. Pick a section that feels comfortable for you to study and complete. Pay the fees. Dedicate time to study. Try to find a family balance. It takes sacrifice, and I completely understand how difficult it is to give up time with kiddos. No one on this form is going to be able to hold your hand, walk you through this whole process, and constantly reassure you. The whole process sucks. Paying the fees suck. Giving up quality time with family sucks. Failing sucks.

I am sure you are smart enough to figure this out, find a way to study, and pass the exams.

[Jimmy Dugan]

I'd echo what Red07 said. Going with FAR first is the advice you'll get most often here, but the advantage of doing so is probably minimal. In truth, you just have to pick one and go with it. FAR is a little harder than the others but it's not because the information is any more complex than the rest, it just covers a lot more ground. None of them are easy.

This is all doable, even for stay-at-home moms, even for single parents with full-time jobs, even for any number of other personal situations that make it difficult to study. Search these forums and you will find every conceivable life circumstance that someone overcame to pass and become a CPA. The commonalities among those who pass are focus and determination, despite whatever else is going on in life. 0% that jump in one day and out the next will make it. If you want to do it, you'll find the time.

[laslow]

I noticed the same thing. This is a test of determination and not necessarily intelligence or experience. You need to get yourself in the mindset that nothing will stop you, there will be no excuses. The amount of time you been out of school or out of work is of no consequence. It does not matter if you do not pass FAR the first time, you will just study it again and pass it the next time. The only way to fail this test is to quit, are you ready to fail this test before you have even taken one? It will be overwhelming when you begin a section but it will become easier and easier if you stick to your study plan and keep your eye on the prize. Great achievement is born of great sacrifice.

[TommyL]

IMO you can go by the amount of time it takes to study (from longest to shortest)

FAR>REG>AUD>BEC

Or by relevance:

FAR>AUD>BEC>REG

[rahee]

I do not recommend you do FAR first. When I started this process, I began with FAR and got immediately overwhelmed and unproductive. I was studying but I wasnt making progress. So I restarted with BEC first since I was the most knowledgeable with that material. Once I passed BEC, I was more confident in the material and a better studier and test taker. Now I am studying for FAR as my last exam, and its a lot less overwhelming because I am able to recognize bits and pieces from the other sections. The logic behind taking FAR is totally understandable, but it's not for everyone (including myself). I suggest you taking the exam you're most comfortable with and worry about FAR later.

[Lindsey_p87]

I really think it depends on the person. Most people recommend FAR b/c it will serve you in the long run to get the “hardest” one done first. I'm actually starting with AUD b/c I think it will be the hardest for me, personally. I am a financial accountant and have never done anything close to auditing at work. Therefore, I don't foresee FAR being as difficult for me as someone in public accounting. It all really depends on your knowledge, experience, and motivation. However, I'll echo other posters and say I don't really think it matters THAT much. When it comes down to it, you can pass all 4 regardless of what order you do them in. You just have to put the time in to study.

FAR - PASSED 11/14
AUD - TBD
BEC - TBD
REG - First take 2/16

[Eliza]

My husband is a teacher, and this is the advice he gave me and what I plan on doing.

He said to take an easier test first, like BEC. The reason why is so you have a win under your belt and it will help to encourage you to keep going with the more difficult tests. This is also helpful if you get overwhelmed easily with all of this. Then you do the hardest test second, for most people it will be FAR. Once you have the hardest test done and you're exhausted, you will be already halfway there! The next two tests are up to you, you can either take the second easiest subject to have a “break” of sorts or tackle the next hardest test to get that over with. I personally think I will go BEC, FAR, AUD, and REG.

[Dlerojo]

I took the exams REG, BEC, FAR, AUD, FAR. I failed FAR once. I would take it again in this order, however I do see why people would recommend taking FAR first. In my opinion it was the hardest to study for and you kind of lose motivation to study over time.

[Motivated2019]

I took mine in the order of FAR- AUD- BEC-REG. If I were to redo it, I would follow the same order because I think that I learned a lot by giving my energy and time at the beginning to FAR. Like others said, you should think about what keeps you motivated and keeps you on track. I failed FAR with 71, and retook last week (Hoping for a good news in May).

[Recked]

I went with the statistical/logical approach. FAR has the most likelyhood of a failure, and consumes the most time to prep/study for.
It seemed the most logical approach to give myself as many shots to pass as I could in a rolling window, and figure to start the window as late as possible for all the rest.
Yes, FAR is an absolute beast, and it was extremely difficult to retrain my brain how to study after being out of school for 15 years. I do have work experience but its tax work.
I would recommend FAR AUD BEC REG.
It all seems so overwhelming when you start, and FAR will make you feel like a complete idiot, but just keep working at it.
Its completely normal for everyone, no matter if you are fresh out of school or not.
The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.

[Asja]

Wow, you guys are so awesome! It is so interesting to see the reasons behind your choice of order. I think I should tackle FAR first too, after all…

So does everyone sign up for one exam at a time or does anyone register for two or more at a time? Is it a good idea to wait to register for the first exam and study for it first? I find the exam date would be a great motivator to study.

As much as it sucks to try to sort out so much information, I feel very happy when I remember something that I learned. I understand why I love accounting…It just feels good to know your numbers! I also heard that a career field that involves numbers results in less likelihood of getting mental illness…I honestly think accounting makes me sane!

[Recked]

Most accountants I know have some form of mental illness… but that's neither here nor there.
I would recommend registering for 2 exams. You should be able to knock 2 out, even at a slow pace of 3 months for each exam.
It was recommended to me to schedule FAR 10 weeks out from when I started studying. I was studying about 25 hours a week on average.
Any more than 10 weeks and you start to forget the stuff from earlier weeks. If I were to do it over again I would reserve a couple hours on Sundays to do cumulative quizzes to keep the older topics fresh. My 10 days of review were pretty rough because I forgot so much from earlier sections.
If you can't do it in 10 weeks, don't. It's that simple. Go your own pace. Try and schedule when you are about halfway through to make sure you can find an open seat.
Prometric has a seat availability tool you can use without an NTS to check local testing centers for available seats. Start researching that so you can see how far out they usually book.
They will usually open certain days of the week first, and then once those days book up, they release the other days. That was my experience anyway.

[laslow]

Once you get your first NTS it only takes a few days to get your second. I usually only had one or two open at a time, anymore than that and you are committing to the unknown. I also heard that a career field that involves numbers results in greater likelihood of finding friends with the same mental disorder.

[Asja]

Alright thanks. Honestly…the mental illness is caused by too much computer/phone use. Some people really are sensitive to the electric frequencies, dirty electricity, and EMF, and radio waves…And yes there have been studies that show that those can cause diabetes and mental illness..NOT looking forward to 5g…and, part of the reason why I need to get the CPA license and experience, is because I want to control my physical workplace environment.

[Author]

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