[Javb]

I plan on taking the CPA exam and would love to hear some feedback from people who has gone through the process and taken the exam, I would love to hear about: what to do? What not to do? And what would you’ve done differently in your journey.

Thank you!

[Mamabear]

I would have taken FAR and REG first because there is so much more material for those two than there is for AUD and BEC. Your 18 month clock doesn't start ticking until your first pass so taking the one that requires the most study time before the clock starts would have been less stressful.

I wouldn't have watched lectures for the first two exams. I would have just jumped right into the book.

I wouldn't have taken notes while watching lectures and just focused on paying attention. The amount of notes becomes overwhelming very quickly.

I would have scheduled all tests the day before the cuttoff for any score release because waiting for a score is pure torture!!

CPA Exam - Finally DONE (November 2014)
BEC (08/10/13) 80
AUD (08/24/13) 65 (11/13/13) 85
FAR (04/12/14) 81
REG (07/19/14) 69 (11/29/14) 87!!

[Anonymous]

I agree with everything that Mamabear says and I will add, the review period is critical. It all depends on how you study but I would say leave at least one week for a total review or ideally, two weeks for a total review.

[StephAV]

I'm definitely glad I went for FAR first! It took me 3 tries, but I finally got it. I am currently studying for AUD and I think saving BEC or AUD for last is a good strategy as they are “easier” maybe… So far AUD feels the easiest, but I'm only through the first of 10 chapters so what do I know…

I wouldn't pay for all 4 exams up front. I'm in CA and you get 9 mos on your NTS to take the exams. I did 2 FAR and BEC, Failed FAR and decided to pay for FAR, REG and AUD… My NTS expires on Saturday and I haven't sat for AUD. All to save $50 app fee… UGH!

FAR - 7/13 - 72, 11/13- 74, 2/14- 82!!! Best score ever (for me)!!!
BEC - 1/14 - 75!!! Perfect score! First Pass! YAY!!!
AUD - 8/14 - 80!!!
REG - 5/14 - 72, 10/14 - 66, 1/15 - 78 - DONE FOREVER!!!
I did 5 of the UNA and CPAExcel classes to earn units.

[How many letters do you need]

To tack on to coopers statements..

Don't go into dispair if you finish up your first pass, are just starting your review and score extremely low initially. It seems everybody has a dip around that time. The review is for tying everything together, discovering and pounding out those weaknesses. Don't be surprised if you find a couple topics you thought were strengths but are in fact not…

MBA,CMA,CPA, CFF?, ABV?

[How many letters do you need]

Oh one more thing. Leave your ego at the door on your way in. Honest assessment and correction in the event of a failure is critical. This exam will beat you down in multiple ways; be ready and perhaps even more importantly ready your family/friends and loved ones.

MBA,CMA,CPA, CFF?, ABV?

[Anonymous]

Don't skip a single SIM unanswered. Should you decide to move onto the next one, flag it and just fill it out with ANYTHING.

So when it times you out, no items would be left BLANK.

[Anonymous]

I would have gotten a physical before I started just to make sure I was physically fit to tackle the long study hours and the lack of sleep.

[Anonymous]

Javb,

I think you're already ahead of the game because you've found this forum. Be active here and you will get a lot of advice from others who are going through or have gone through what you are experiencing. This community of CPAers gives a lot of needed support.

So that's what I would change. I would have gotten active in A71 sooner.

[ymmit]

It's all about mindset. Accept the fact that your quality of life will be much lower during the exam process.

Accept the fact that you will miss out on fun weekends, time with friends/family etc. Accept the fact that you won't have fun until the exam is over. More importantly embrace these facts, nothing thats worth doing is easy.

The CPA exam is not hard in terms of material, the only hard part is obtaining the right mindset. People who fail have trouble accepting all the negatives I mentioned and try and pass without changing their life/routines.

Licensed CPA!

[Anonymous]

-In preparation, you can't do too many multiple choice questions. When you think you've done enough, do some more.

-Be mindful of your time during the exam, but relax. I think too many people work themselves into a nervous wreck on test day, blazing through the questions because their biggest fear is running out of time. When you choose an answer, ask yourself why that one is correct and why the other three choices are wrong. Choosing an obvious-but-incorrect type answer is very common. And since people are in a nervous rush to get through it all without running out of time, I believe trick questions are the downfall for many.

-You will never feel fully prepared for an exam. At least, I never did. So confidence is important. Remember that you don't need to be an accounting master to earn a passing score and if you put in a solid effort leading up to test day, you have a great shot at passing.

-Never give up hope after the test. I walked out feeling awful about every single one of them, but ended up going 4 for 5, albeit barely.

I can't speak highly enough of Wiley CPA review texts. I believe I got all four (new) for $150 from Amazon back in November 2012. That's less than $40/book. Granted, I'm the type to learn most effectively from a long, boring text and a highlighter. So if you are too, I'd skip all the online lecture stuff some others offer and go with some cheap Wiley text books. Wiley texts and a Gleim multiple choice test bank is literally all I used.

[Juliemiddle]

-This is about being MENTALLY tough – make sure your head is in it! You'll miss weekends of fun, holidays will be spent studying, working out & eating right are going to be wayyyy down on the list of importance b/c you need that time for more MCQs!

-I think there are many reviews that people have used and succeeded – it's all about actually using them and putting in the time.

-That being said, Ninja Audio is awesome. And you should try it out.

-You might fail your 1st exam because you didn't know what to expect (personal experience). That's OK…dust off and kill it the next go-round.

-The rules say you can take a snack and whatnot to your exam for your scheduled breaks – don't bother. You're going to need every minute for the exam.

-Coffee is your new best friend.

AUD: 84 - Oct. 2013
BEC: 83 - Feb. 2014
REG: 91 - May, 2014
FAR: 68, 96 - Oct. 2014...DONE

CPAExcel, Ninja Audio (all sections)

[How many letters do you need]

I gotta say there is some fantastic advice here. I know there are tons of advice threads out there but this is probably one of the best.

MBA,CMA,CPA, CFF?, ABV?

[Anonymous]

Similar to previous posts, I would say:

1) Take FAR first (see my signature for real world example)

2) Try to make your study session as enjoyable (yet productive) as possible. I lived in Boston during the bulk of my exam study time and when the weather was decent I made sure to take my studies outside at Boston Commons when I could. I also packed enough healthy snacks for the day to avoid taking long breaks to grab a bite to eat from a store. It was pretty nice.

3) Take advantage of long weekends. Once you receive your NTS, you have relinquished your right to long weekend getaways. They no longer exist for you. BUT long weekends are awesome tools for getting some quality study time in.

4) Know thyself. It is imperative to know how you learn best (auditory vs. visual learning, quiet settings vs. background noise settings, etc.) This cannot be stressed enough. It will save a lot of wasted study time and effort.

🙂 Good luck!

[cool_kid]

-Don't try to anticipate what topic will or will not be tested on the exam.

– For FAR, don't worry about forgetting and not understanding all the material as you go along. Towards the end during review, things start to make more sense and just spend extra time in weak areas.

[Kls238]

My big thing is that wish I wouldn't have applied for all NTS#s on the same application. I should have only applied for one, maybe two on my first application that way I could have continued studying for the same exam until I passed.

I also wish I didn't waste time that I did watching all the lectures. Becker's online book already has the same notes they tell you to take during the lecture.

Passed all sections.

[Author]

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