[Anonymous]

Just curious if I’m taking on too much. I have finals in a few weeks and will be graduating May 10th. I also will be sitting for AUD on May 15th. I initially planned to sit the last week of May but once I received my NTS, May 15th was the latest available date in this test window. I received my Becker materials last week and am currently trying to finish up A2. I’m not going to lie, I have my doubts, but I’m trying to stay positive. Btw, this is my first post, any advice is greatly appreciated.

[samdiegoCPA]

I think so. CPA exams are waaaayyy different than college finals. I would take your first one in July, to be honest…. unless you have some thing lined up where you have a job starting in September, etc.

Also, how did you get accepted before graduating??

AUD: 84
REG: 84
BEC: 79
FAR: 83

[samdiegoCPA]

I think so. CPA exams are waaaayyy different than college finals. I would take your first one in July, to be honest…. unless you have some thing lined up where you have a job starting in September, etc.

Also, how did you get accepted before graduating??

AUD: 84
REG: 84
BEC: 79
FAR: 83

[barelystayingsane]

@samdiego some states allow you to take at least one exam before you graduate.

@angelica I personally think you're taking on too much. A4 is especially brutal. I took FAR a month before I took my finals last year and then started studying for REG immediately afterwards. However, I took two weeks off to study for finals and enjoy my last couple days of college and graduation. This is also important. Don't miss out on those last opportunities to make college memories because you're studying for the CPA exam. It's not worth it.

[barelystayingsane]

@samdiego some states allow you to take at least one exam before you graduate.

@angelica I personally think you're taking on too much. A4 is especially brutal. I took FAR a month before I took my finals last year and then started studying for REG immediately afterwards. However, I took two weeks off to study for finals and enjoy my last couple days of college and graduation. This is also important. Don't miss out on those last opportunities to make college memories because you're studying for the CPA exam. It's not worth it.

[Anonymous]

I start a new job in July with a CPA firm. I'd like it at least have on exam done before then. I am a provisional candidate, I can start taking the exams so long I submit final transcripts after I graduate. I'm taking auditing now so I figured it'd be easier to study for while it's fresh on my mind.

[Anonymous]

I start a new job in July with a CPA firm. I'd like it at least have on exam done before then. I am a provisional candidate, I can start taking the exams so long I submit final transcripts after I graduate. I'm taking auditing now so I figured it'd be easier to study for while it's fresh on my mind.

[calicpa]

i would go with barelystayingsanes advice. Enjoy the last few weeks of college, enjoy grad week, enjoy your graduation, and graduation party. It's a once in a lifetime event. You can always study for the CPA exam later, but you can't graduate again.

BEC - 84, 4/6/13
AUD - 77, 5/28/13
REG - 83, 4/12/14
FAR - 83, 10/3/13

Ethics - 90% 4/24/13

150 unit education requirement met!
Work experience met!

[calicpa]

i would go with barelystayingsanes advice. Enjoy the last few weeks of college, enjoy grad week, enjoy your graduation, and graduation party. It's a once in a lifetime event. You can always study for the CPA exam later, but you can't graduate again.

BEC - 84, 4/6/13
AUD - 77, 5/28/13
REG - 83, 4/12/14
FAR - 83, 10/3/13

Ethics - 90% 4/24/13

150 unit education requirement met!
Work experience met!

[jopa16]

IMHO, studying for a part of the CPA exam while studying for classes is too much. One exam is much harder than a normal rack of five classes. There's way too much information to learn while trying to learn other things. I would, at the very least, find a way to push the exam back to the end of May.

REG 2/26/14 - 90
BEC 4/08/14 - 92
FAR 5/31/14 - 90
AUD 7/09/14 -

[jopa16]

IMHO, studying for a part of the CPA exam while studying for classes is too much. One exam is much harder than a normal rack of five classes. There's way too much information to learn while trying to learn other things. I would, at the very least, find a way to push the exam back to the end of May.

REG 2/26/14 - 90
BEC 4/08/14 - 92
FAR 5/31/14 - 90
AUD 7/09/14 -

[mla1169]

It can definately be done, and no it's not too much. It's HARD to do it at the same time, I won't lie. If you want to take it you'll find a way to do both at the same time.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[mla1169]

It can definately be done, and no it's not too much. It's HARD to do it at the same time, I won't lie. If you want to take it you'll find a way to do both at the same time.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

I am only going part-time (4 hours this eight-week half-semester) and will not be graduating until next May (will have the hours to sit in two weeks), but I am studying for AUD, BEC and my two courses concurrently to take those sections in May. Though Audit Research is one of the classes in which I am currently enrolled.

My MSA program explicitly encourages us to start taking CPA exam sections in May. Most of my classmates, who are full-time students and graduating next month, have jobs in public that start in July or August. Our professors say that taking two sections in May and two in July is better than trying to pass once you've started your 50-90 hour workweeks.

Most of these students don't have families or jobs during this three month summer period, so that helps.

[Anonymous]

I am only going part-time (4 hours this eight-week half-semester) and will not be graduating until next May (will have the hours to sit in two weeks), but I am studying for AUD, BEC and my two courses concurrently to take those sections in May. Though Audit Research is one of the classes in which I am currently enrolled.

My MSA program explicitly encourages us to start taking CPA exam sections in May. Most of my classmates, who are full-time students and graduating next month, have jobs in public that start in July or August. Our professors say that taking two sections in May and two in July is better than trying to pass once you've started your 50-90 hour workweeks.

Most of these students don't have families or jobs during this three month summer period, so that helps.

[Anonymous]

@mla1169 Thank you! I just needed to hear that it can be done. I know it will require a lot of dedication and sacrificing but I know I can do it if I really put my mind to it. I'm not your typical college student, I'm 31. I decided to return back to school at 26, and have worked full-time throughout college. Most of my professors said it couldn't be done, that working more than 10 hours a week would make it almost impossible to pass their classes. I'm not gonna lie, it was hard to do, but I'm no stranger to hard work, even if it means many sleepless nights lol

I just want to get this thing over with so I can finally live my life!

@brian11785 I've heard that as well, taking them right after graduating while your still on “school/studying mode” is the best way to go. There were no more available seats for the two last weeks of May so I got stuck with May 15, just means I have to study a lot more often but that's okay. This semester I'm only taking 4 classes and a couple aren't so demanding of my time. (ie. Ethics) Also, I know once I start my new job, I won't have as much time to study (especially while at work, which helps a lot!) Thanks for your input!

[Author]

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