[Anonymous]

Hello everyone,

I am planning my approach to knock out these CPA exam sections and was wondering what people thought.

About me: I work full-time at a private university and am enrolled part-time in that university’s master’s in accounting program. I started in August 2013 and will graduate in May 2015. I will be done with classes this semester on May 1. No family obligations. Work over 40 hours only one week a year.

I would love to go into my last semester having already passed all four parts. I am thinking this is achievable if I really commit. Here’s my timeline:

Now to middle of May: Study whenever I have the chance both AUD and FAR. Get through as much of the books as I can without slacking in my classes. Once school is over, hit the books harder.

Middle of May to July 1: Study exclusively for FAR. Take FAR first week of July.

July 1 – End of July: Study exclusively for AUD. Should have laid enough of a groundwork for myself in April/May that I should have too much trouble squeezing in all of the material in three weeks. Take AUD last week in July.

End of July – Thanksgiving (fall starts middle of August) – Study exclusively for REG. This should be my easiest exam, so that is why I feel most comfortable taking this one in the middle of the semester. Take REG the Sunday/Monday after Thanksgiving. I could possibly take it earlier in the semester, depending on how my classes look.

Week after Thanksgiving – January 2nd-4th – Study exclusively for BEC. My fall classes end the second week of December and I am free until the 5th of January. I also have essentially two weeks off work, so I could get some real studying in around that time. Take BEC on Jan. 2-4.

Is this doable?

Edit: Optimally, I’d like to take Audit the last weekend in May. But I dragged my feet on my Application of Intent. I am thinking I won’t yet be eligible to sit in that second window for that reason.

[mla1169]

Working full time + part time Masters + studying for CPA is do-able. I did it that way, but I advise against trying to study AUD and FAR simultaneously.

I'd rethink only allowing 3 weeks for AUD, unless you've got 3 weeks you can take off from work and school. I agree that FAR will set some groundwork but AUD can be a formidable opponent as you can see by my scores below.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[mla1169]

Working full time + part time Masters + studying for CPA is do-able. I did it that way, but I advise against trying to study AUD and FAR simultaneously.

I'd rethink only allowing 3 weeks for AUD, unless you've got 3 weeks you can take off from work and school. I agree that FAR will set some groundwork but AUD can be a formidable opponent as you can see by my scores below.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Not a Quitter]

For me, it would do me no good to study for two sections, then cut down to one and then switch to the other one. By the time you get to the second section you will likely have forgotten what you studied early on. I recommend focusing on one at a time.

FAR- 85 I'm DONE!
BEC- 75
REG- 60,60,75
AUD- 74,74,83

CPAExcel used for BEC, AUD, REG
Exam Matrix used for FAR plus NINJA Blitz, cpareviewforfree and a little CPAExcel

[Not a Quitter]

For me, it would do me no good to study for two sections, then cut down to one and then switch to the other one. By the time you get to the second section you will likely have forgotten what you studied early on. I recommend focusing on one at a time.

FAR- 85 I'm DONE!
BEC- 75
REG- 60,60,75
AUD- 74,74,83

CPAExcel used for BEC, AUD, REG
Exam Matrix used for FAR plus NINJA Blitz, cpareviewforfree and a little CPAExcel

[Kimboroni]

Yes, that sounds tough to me, too. Other than that, your plan looks pretty reasonable.

What classes do you have now and next, and are there any that fit neatly into simultaneously studying for a section? The reason I ask is because I took audit and advanced audit right before I took AUD, and so I ended up pretty much just cramming for 2 weeks for AUD and passing, since I had laid so much groundwork for it in school. But those were the only classes I took, so I wasn't splitting my focus on other subjects.

AUD 84 (1/9/14-Wiley books/TB + free materials)
FAR 83 (5/21/14-the above + NINJA 10 Pt Combo Lite)
REG 84 (7/9/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC/Notes)
BEC 76 (10/5/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC)

Disclaimer: My ninja avatar is not meant to imply that I have any affiliation with this site other than being a forum member. That's a pic of a T-shirt that my daughter gave me for my birthday. 🙂

[Kimboroni]

Yes, that sounds tough to me, too. Other than that, your plan looks pretty reasonable.

What classes do you have now and next, and are there any that fit neatly into simultaneously studying for a section? The reason I ask is because I took audit and advanced audit right before I took AUD, and so I ended up pretty much just cramming for 2 weeks for AUD and passing, since I had laid so much groundwork for it in school. But those were the only classes I took, so I wasn't splitting my focus on other subjects.

AUD 84 (1/9/14-Wiley books/TB + free materials)
FAR 83 (5/21/14-the above + NINJA 10 Pt Combo Lite)
REG 84 (7/9/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC/Notes)
BEC 76 (10/5/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC)

Disclaimer: My ninja avatar is not meant to imply that I have any affiliation with this site other than being a forum member. That's a pic of a T-shirt that my daughter gave me for my birthday. 🙂

[Anonymous]

I am taking Audit Research and Governmental Accounting this 8-week module that just began.

I took Assurance Methodology and Advanced Accounting (Foreign Currency, Derivatives) in the module that finished up before spring break.

So AUD and FAR (miscellaneous) are what's fresh in my mind. I would like to take AUD first, but that would leave me two months (too much time IMO) to study for AUD in early July and less than a month and half to take on the more voluminous FAR (the Intermediate I and II stuff will take some relearning) before school started in mid-August.

That is why I am trying to compromise by giving the AUD material a run-through now, so there is nothing new to learn in the three weeks between FAR and AUD.

If I can somehow sign up for a test date this window, I would just take AUD the last week in May.

Edit: Thinking about it, I could always give myself another week to take AUD. Take it the first week in August instead of the last week of July.

[Anonymous]

I am taking Audit Research and Governmental Accounting this 8-week module that just began.

I took Assurance Methodology and Advanced Accounting (Foreign Currency, Derivatives) in the module that finished up before spring break.

So AUD and FAR (miscellaneous) are what's fresh in my mind. I would like to take AUD first, but that would leave me two months (too much time IMO) to study for AUD in early July and less than a month and half to take on the more voluminous FAR (the Intermediate I and II stuff will take some relearning) before school started in mid-August.

That is why I am trying to compromise by giving the AUD material a run-through now, so there is nothing new to learn in the three weeks between FAR and AUD.

If I can somehow sign up for a test date this window, I would just take AUD the last week in May.

Edit: Thinking about it, I could always give myself another week to take AUD. Take it the first week in August instead of the last week of July.

[mla1169]

I think AUD in May is reasonable. You've already applied to sit?

Even if prometric doesn't have seats available at the end of May, study with that target date. People cancel and reschedule ALL the time and one will likely open up.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[mla1169]

I think AUD in May is reasonable. You've already applied to sit?

Even if prometric doesn't have seats available at the end of May, study with that target date. People cancel and reschedule ALL the time and one will likely open up.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

I have not applied to sit. Waiting on one last transcript and I will be sending everything in. I am not sure how fast the process works, but I have learned not to be too optimistic when it comes to deadlines subject to bureaucracy.

[Anonymous]

I have not applied to sit. Waiting on one last transcript and I will be sending everything in. I am not sure how fast the process works, but I have learned not to be too optimistic when it comes to deadlines subject to bureaucracy.

[D]

@brian11785…. this doesn't sound like a recipe for disaster, however I will advise that you may want to add a little padding into your schedule just in case the burn out does occur.

I.e. Once you're done taking your first test, you say you'll immediately start studying for the next. What's to say you're not going to want to take a breather for a day or two? I don't know your habits or anything like that, but just don't want to you to get such a tight schedule that you DO get burned out by not allowing at least one or two days of breathing after test day.

Just a thought.

**************************
AUD: 77  (Jan 2016)
BEC: 80  (May 2016)
REG: (rematch May 2017)
FAR: (rematch Apr 2017)
**************************

----------
AUD - 74, 77! (1/2016)
BEC - 80! (5/2016)
REG - tbd (8/2016)
FAR - tbd

Study materials: NINJA MCQ/Audio/Notes

"I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!"
----------

[D]

@brian11785…. this doesn't sound like a recipe for disaster, however I will advise that you may want to add a little padding into your schedule just in case the burn out does occur.

I.e. Once you're done taking your first test, you say you'll immediately start studying for the next. What's to say you're not going to want to take a breather for a day or two? I don't know your habits or anything like that, but just don't want to you to get such a tight schedule that you DO get burned out by not allowing at least one or two days of breathing after test day.

Just a thought.

**************************
AUD: 77  (Jan 2016)
BEC: 80  (May 2016)
REG: (rematch May 2017)
FAR: (rematch Apr 2017)
**************************

----------
AUD - 74, 77! (1/2016)
BEC - 80! (5/2016)
REG - tbd (8/2016)
FAR - tbd

Study materials: NINJA MCQ/Audio/Notes

"I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!"
----------

[studylongUstudywrong]

I really like your enthusiasm and I am excited for you!!!

Licensed Texas CPA

[Author]

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