[CPYay]

I graduate in a month, but I likely won’t receive my final transcripts until June or July. I was told the CA CBA is taking up to 8 weeks to process these once I send them in. At that point, how long does it take to finally register and sit for an exam? I want to take FAR first. Is it possible to sit for FAR in Oct16?

If so, when should I start studying for this? I work full time and have a family, so studying will be limited to nights and weekends.

Also… if I CAN sit for FAR in Oct… Should I register for AUD for end of Nov? I want to pass all four exams before Apr17… which means I’d need to register for Oct/Nov16 and Jan/Feb17. Does this all seem likely given the delay in registering?

Trying to plan everything now.

[marqzho]

You don't need to graduate , or get approval from some boards for you to start studying. You can study today and wait for approval at the same time. Then you can register the first available timeslot when you do get your approval to sit.

REG 90
FAR 95
AUD 98
BEC 84

[Missy]

There are some people who study 3,4 or months ahead.

Others feel anything they studied more than 8 weeks ago isn't retained. There's a school of thought that says because of the sheer volume of material its all short term memory.

That said there's nothing wrong with studying months ahead, it certainly won't negatively affect your grade as long as you plan to brush up closer to exam day.

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

[CPYay]

Thanks for the quick replies.

I'd absolutely start studying today… Just concerned with purchasing the material and using up 4+ months of the online access before I even take the first exam.

I'm thinking of using Roger+Ninja or JUST the Ninja material. Anything I should consider before dumping money into either/both?

[marqzho]

It all depends on your background, your learning style, your financial. They are both great material. For Roger, you can go to youtube and find a lot of video lectures there on all four sections of the exam. For Ninja, I believe there is a free material you can get by register on the website. Go and take a good look and you will have a better idea which course is more suitable for you.

REG 90
FAR 95
AUD 98
BEC 84

[Anonymous]

Ninja is free updates until you pass. maybe start with ninja then purchase the other review material at a later date? if you plan on finishing before April 2017 then using 4 months of your study material really isn't a big deal. Of course, if it takes you longer to pass then you might run into the issue of your material expiring.

[CPYay]

Well… I just bought a review course and am now $1.5K deep into my CPA journey.

I graduate Saturday and I'm hoping my school will update my transcripts quickly. I heard the CA board takes a while to review. I want to sit for FAR and AUD in Jul/Aug, if possible. Anyone else graduating this semester and aiming for the same timeline?

I'm more anxious about finding out when I can sit than I am about actually taking the tests! Especially since my materials clock is now ticking.

[Sang]

It took me 6 weeks to get approved to take CPA exam.
I am studying for FAR now, and I wish I had started studying 2 months earlier while I waited to get approved.

People recommend waiting to get approved first before you buy your review course.

I recommend getting the Ninja Multiple Choice Questions first for only $47 for a 3 month access.
This will give you a 2 month head start before you get approved.
It is possible for you to learn more from working the multiple choice questions than from reading the book.

https://www.another71.com/shop/ninja-mcq-far/

FAR: (05/24/16) | (07/15/16) | (10/22/16)
AUD: (09/07/16) | (11/29/16) |
BEC: TBD
REG: TBD
Using Roger CPA Review + Ninja (MCQs, Notes, Audio)

[CPYay]

@Sang.

So if it takes my school ~4 weeks to update transcripts, then I'm looking at about 10 weeks for just the approval? Yikes. They're making it difficult to finish this before Q217.

I was planning on getting the Ninja MCQs toward the end of my FAR studies (I bought the Roger review course).

Would you recommend getting through the Roger material and then getting the MCQs with 2 weeks left before exam? Or the other way around of doing the Ninja first, then going through the Roger material?

[Sang]

There are a lot more smarter people here that can give you better advice than I can.

I have been reading this forum a lot the past few months.
One method that some people recommend doing is:

1. Watch the videos for each chapter.
2. Read the chapters.
3. Work some MCQs.
4. Repeat for each chapter.
5. Save 2-3 weeks for review, and doing MCQs.

Some people recommend doing 3,000 to 5,000 Ninja MCQs.

I don’t know if 2 weeks is enough time to do 3,000 to 5,000 MCQs.

—————————————————————————————————

My first test will be on FAR, and I am taking it next week.
It has been 4 years since I graduated college, and I mismanaged my time studying.
I plan to fail this test, and retake it at the beginning of July.

1. For me, I prefer reading the book first to refresh my knowledge on the information.
2. I then watch the Roger videos to reinforce that information.
3. I was planning to spend the last 2 weeks before the exam reviewing and doing the MCQs, but due to my mismanage of time and procrastinating, I only have 1 week to do that.

4. I plan to retake FAR at the beginning of July, so I plan to spend the whole month of June reviewing and doing MCQs.
My goal is to do 1,000 MCQs per week, for a total of 4,000 MCQs in 4 weeks.

I hope this information helps you.

Good luck on your journey! =)

FAR: (05/24/16) | (07/15/16) | (10/22/16)
AUD: (09/07/16) | (11/29/16) |
BEC: TBD
REG: TBD
Using Roger CPA Review + Ninja (MCQs, Notes, Audio)

[CPYay]

@Sang

That definitely puts things in perspective. I like that agenda and will definitely give that a go since I have time.

Good luck on the exam! Confidence adds a point or two!

[Author]

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