[Anonymous]

I started my CPA journey at the beginning of June and was ecstatic about getting started so that I could become a licensed CPA. I started with the material that I was fairly comfortable in with Audit and had great focus and energy throughout the entire two months that I studied for it. I ended up doing quite well on it because I was prepared and had a lot of confidence. While it was obviously great that I passed with a score in the 90s, it actually had some negative consequences.

As I started studying FAR and work got busier, I noticed myself slowly starting to lose that edge that I had started this process with. Instead of committing myself 100% like I did for Audit, I found that I was just trying to get through the material as fast as I could because I was already growing tired of studying. I also thought, because of how I scored in Audit, that I could give less effort and still try to squeak out a 75. As you can see by my signature, that didn’t work out for me. Foolishly, I gave about the same effort for BEC and justified it to myself by saying that because there was less material than FAR, I should be able to come out just good enough. After getting my score today, I again fell short.

Looking back now, I can see why I fell short. I got complacent. I thought that I was just going to be able to give 85-90% effort and get the 75s that I needed to pass. That 90 on Audit ended up giving me a false sense of confidence that I should have never had. I sit here today very humbled and now I truly understand how much of a challenge this process is. Two straight fails has left a very bitter taste in my mouth and I won’t get complacent again. I now know that I have to give each test my absolute all to pass.

For anyone that may have just started their journey and passed their first exam on the first try like I did, please let this be a lesson to you. Each test is extremely challenging and requires a 100% commitment to pass. Don’t let that pass lead to complacency like it did for me.

[Rocky123]

Nice post. It's true. You have to give your all for each section. They ALL require time and effort. None of them are gimmes.

They are all tough in their own way. Though I will say, FAR is the worst section to study for and to take. It's a beast. Sooooo glad it's over.

The tallest oak in the forest was once just a little nut that held its ground.

AUD-PASS
BEC-PASS
REG-PASS
FAR-PASS

Rocky123, CPA

[Anonymous]

I haven't taken REG yet, but I agree that FAR is by far the worst of the three that I have taken thus far. I am definitely going to hammer out more MCQs than the first time I attempted it, as well as taking some time to focus on the simulations.

[y_u_no_pass]

I, too, have had the complacency bug. Well mine went a little different as I procrastinated with REG and ended up having to cover over 80% of the material in the last two weeks. But I got a 92. I thought never again, and mostly stuck to my schedule for BEC, got a 93. Then I was supposed to take FAR got too complacent and pushed it back, then had an emergency and had to cancel it. I thought I would beat it with Audit, but no. I had to cover 75% of that material in the last week. However rounding the corner on my final exam I feel very motivated, so hopefully I will keep it up.

Try to hone in on what made the difference in the first exam. That way you can focus your study efforts on the most efficient methods. Good Luck!

Florida CPA!
Took final exam 2/25/15.
Sent in Application 3/12/15.
Issued License 3/20/15.
Used CPA Excel solely for all exams.

[Anonymous]

I wish my complacency led to the type of scores you're getting. Wow, those are quite impressive.

Thanks for the advice! That is exactly what I am going to try to do. I am about 1/4 of the way through FAR and seeing my BEC score today is going to make me ramp up my efforts considerably.

[Anonymous]

Whatever you do Coe don't let the exams expire. I found out I got a 72 on AUD this score release and now I got my back against the wall since both FAR and BEC expire for me after the first quarter of 2015.

[kappa1032]

Yes, I do feel like complacency can set in, especially with your initial AUD score. I felt like I suffered from that going into BEC after doing pretty well on AUD and REG. I didn't study nearly as hard as I did previously and now I'm just hoping that I barely skimmed by – but I highly doubt it.

Lesson learned!

FAR - 81
REG - 74, 87
AUD - 88
BEC - 88

Finally.

“The only guarantee for failure is to stop trying”
― John C. Maxwell

[Anonymous]

@ajmallie No doubt. That is one thing I am really trying to avoid. Hoping you can pull it off!

@kappa With your prior scores, I have no doubt that you probably got at least a 75. My last failure definitely got me recharged and refocused to ensure a pass on my next FAR attempt.

[Anonymous]

I wanted to bump this thread so that it may give hope to some people that are struggling right now with the recent score release. I was feeling pretty down about 2 fails in a row and I started this thread saying that I had grown complacent with my initial success and wasn't putting in the effort. I knew that that had to change.

So I got myself together and studied extremely hard for my second attempt of FAR and I just found out last night that I passed it. If you failed like I did initally, it may be helpful to look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are really giving 100% towards this exam. It truly could mean the difference between passing and failing the exam.

[FutureHokieCPA]

Thanks for bumping this thread–I just found out I got a 74 on AUD and I 100% blame it on complacency. I was ultra focused when I started this CPA journey over the summer and decided to tackle FAR first and get it out of the way. At the same time, I was starting my first full time job. I got a 72 on my first attempt in August but stayed persistent and got the passing grade I needed in October.

I originally had audit scheduled for late November, but bumped it back to January. When I took it in January, I had only mustered 50 hours of quality studying, if that. It's just now hitting me that I studied for 50 hours over the span of almost 3 months after my successful FAR exam! Time flies–don't let it get the best of you. My 74 on AUD has re-fueled my motivation to put 100% into each of these tests.

Side note..it's quite embarrassing to tell your auditing coworkers that you failed the AUD section lol.

FAR-72,80
AUD-74,88
BEC-89
REG-72,82

[Anonymous]

That's great @FutureHokieCPA. I believe that going through failure and coming back with a vengeance is key to not only passing the CPA, but exceling in life.

[Anonymous]

Definitely agree, you have to give the exams your all. I've spent countless hours studying for BEC, AUD and FAR and eked out a pass each time in the mid/upper 70's for all 3. I've realized that for me to pass, I need to put in the hours. I can't take anything for granted because with 100% effort, I'm still only going to manage barely passing.

The moment I start feeling complacent on a particular section, I envision myself on score release day, logging onto the CBA website and being greeted with a 71. Then I go back to studying even harder.

[nicole2035]

That's why i think it's smart to start with FAR and REG, their info is more difficult. the study hours you put into both you should put in for the rest of the exam. i never slacked on any test, maybe for REG i felt like i did bc i wasn't grasping it as well, but i kept track of all my hours. lol i'm scared to tally but i know in a month i put into beck 110 hrs easy & prob more in the final week.

i never got below an 80 on any test, some would say i over studied but it's hard to say what will be the scores for the tests. prepare better than others

[Author]

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