Depressed

CPA Exam Review Forum » General CPA Exam Forum » Study and Exam Strategy

Depressed

18 posts from 13 voices

Started 6 months ago by hopefulcpa28
Latest reply from yankeeaccountant

Tags:

No tags yet.

hopefulcpa28

offline
Member
Okay, I really need to let this out. I feel like I can't talk to anyone, because no one understands what I'm going through. I don't blame anyone and without going through this process, no one can understand what it really feels like. I know I didn't.

So I took Audit last week. I studied like I never studied before. Read the entire Becker book, did all the passmaster MCQs at least three times (except A4 tran cycle...I scanned them over, but read that section multiple times). Did the final review,.did bunch of progress tests, random quizes, final exams (3 times), and about 100 Wiley MCQs.

I felt okay going in the testing center, and I knew there was nothing else I could do to prepare myself better.

My reaction during the exam:

Testlet #1: SERIOUSLY? There were questions completely out of the left field (something I hadn't seen in Becker AT ALL), and one that I couldn't remember. In total, I wasn't sure on 5-6 questions.

Testlet #2: Same as last one. Couple out of the left field and 1-2 that I should've known, but couldn't remember and had to make an educated guess. In total, marked about 5 or so as well.

Testlet #3: First 10 were straight out of Becker. Couple I wasn't sure on. In total, I marked about 4-5 that I wasn't sure on.

I felt horrible after MCQs. The fact that I got last testlet easier than other two made me feel very uneasy and sad. I took a break for 5mins and hoped SIMS would be little better.

I was wrong. SIMS were harder than the last time I took it. I didn't leave anything blank, but I know for a fact that I got JE one wrong. I'm pretty sure I got research question right, and other five weren't too bad. They took time and I tried my best answering it.

I can't imagine getting a failing score again. I need to get one passing score to motivate me. I'm nervous and just been depressed these past couple days. I feel like I'm on verge of crying every time I start studying.
Share this on Facebook
Tweet This!
Posted 6 months ago #
eatrunCPA

offline
Member

I'm sorry that you had such a rough exam experience. I know it is frustrating when you prepare for so long and feel you did not meet your expectations. It is difficult to know how to feel after an exam without knowing more about how the exam is graded. Based on what I know, your description of your performance sounds like it will yield a handsome passing score!

I know it seems impossible, but try not to think about AUD until score release time. I try to live by the following advice:
"If you don't like it, change it. If you can't change it, change the way you feel about it." AUD is done. You can no longer affect the outcome. Focus your energy on something else. Maybe it's your next section, maybe it's a hobby or the people you love.

I wish you the best!

~Melissa
BEC 08/29/2011.....81
AUD 10/31/2011....76
FAR 11/28/2011.....70 Retake 02/27/2012
REG 01/17/2012

Posted 6 months ago #
T-rex

offline
Member

@hopeful, I'm sorry that you're feeling so down. Please know that you're not alone in feeling that way as you can tell from many posts on here.

I know what it's like not to have anyone who understands what you're going through. It sucks. I felt that way until I found this board. Posting here and sharing what you just shared can be very therapeutic.

If it's any consolation, I walked out of every single test thinking that I failed, yet I didn't. Even when you pass, I think you're unlikely to walk out feeling like you passed. That seems to be the case for most people. Also, I cried many times throughout the process because I felt extremely overwhelmed and frustrated. I cried after taking most sections, too. Getting through this exam is very difficult, but it's not impossible. You can do it. You came very close to passing both REG and AUD, which shows me that you have what it takes.

Hang in there, and just keep on going. The trick is to not give up. It's okay to spill some tears onto your keyboard from time to time.

I'm rooting for you! :)

T-rex

AUD - 95, BEC - 85
REG - 85, Rawrrrrrr FAR - 88
Used Becker for all sections.
CA candidate not residing in CA

Posted 6 months ago #
MyLifeisCPA

online
Member

@hopefulCPA... I know how you feel... Sometimes your mind is running all sorts of ways after taking the exams and it puts you out of the mood of wanting to study nor do you have the energy to study for the next exam.. Trust me when I say this, you have to muster up the strength to forget about AUDIT and move on to the next exam b/c in the near future you will have CPA behind your name. You will look back on this moment and smile.. I wish you the best of luck and I will be praying that when you get your score it is a 75+.

Posted 6 months ago #
Herbieherb

offline
Member

See how u did first. Plan B? Study harder? Get a new review course? Don't cram, or go out ever? One pass will supercharge you. Like why do u seem to skip topics in your studies? Your strategy is flawed

AUD 8/1/10 - 78 , REG 11/7/10 - 88
BEC 11/30/10 - 81, FAR 2/28/11 - 79
CPA 06/01/11 NEW YORK- DONE

Posted 6 months ago #
jjp07001

offline
Member

If it helps, I marked about 5-8 questions per testlet in Audit, most of which I am almost sure I got wrong unless they were pretest or I guessed correctly. I also had a FAR type sim which I got 100 percent wrong since I had not taken FAR yet and was shaky on some of the other sims and ended up with an 86. Based on your recollection, id say your chances of passing are descent so don't beat yourself up. Put it behind you and keep chugging through more material.

B - 80 - 07/25/2011
A - 86 - 08/31/2011
R - 80 - 10/14/2011
F - 80 - 11/30/2011

Posted 6 months ago #
hopefulcpa28

offline
Member

Thank you SO MUCH, everyone!! You guys have no idea how much I appreciate reading all your encouraging words!! I really really appreciate it!!

I will continue to study and forget about Audit (it's just so hard though). This is something I really want, so I know I shouldn't complain...but sometimes, you just gotta. Hopefully, some of you are right and I will have good news to share!!

@Herbieherb: I haven't gone out since I started studying except once or twice between exams and when I took three weeks off for family function. I take complete blame for failing REG as I should've studied more, no depression for that score. It was my fault. But for Audit that I took last week, I studied hard and that's why I'm depressed over it.

Posted 6 months ago #
soonerorlater

offline
Member

@hopefulcpa28

What you wrote was word for word how I felt. The last REG I was so mad because it felt like material was out of left field. In fact I was so mad at Becker, I wanted to call and complain about the material being "out of left field." I used Becker for everything. Ironically, I have Becker and Jeff to thank.

Try to schedule some time for yourself and regroup. We're all here for support. Keep punching...

FAR - 66, 77
AUD - 63, 76
BEC - 70, 83
REG - 72, 79

Posted 6 months ago #
yankeeaccountant

offline
Member

@hopefulcpa28

This exam process is such a pisser. What's worse is that the process messes with your head relentlessly. I used to be a person who was objective, now if you asked me if the sky was blue after I took an exam, I would probably hesitate and say " errrrrrr , Blue?" Audit has a total of 15 pretest questions, and one pretest sim. Keep that in your back pocket. And keep the faith. I have been on this forum long enough *sigh* to know that there have been so many people in your shoes and then passed. You put in the time and studied well, so you did what you could. As hard as it is, put Audit out of your head and head on over to REG.

I think this whole process is so much harder than I ever anticipated. Not just the mechanics of it, but how hard it is on myself and my family. It has been a rollercoaster.

Dust yourself off and get to REG. Don't beat yourself up for feeling bad, it is totally normal , just make sure you get back in the game. You can do it. And believe me that first passing score will be all the more sweeter!

Posted 6 months ago #
mla1169

offline
Member

hopeful you are really my hero, I know how hard this is on all of us but I am sure just aching for your first pass (which you are SO close to!) has to be different.

Take heart that most people who took AUD this semester had the exact same experience as you did. Its funny, I've tested now on seven different occasions and as soon as I walked out the door I couldn't remember what I saw. THIS TIME I could tell you word for word what every one of my SIMS asked. One of them (I think you and I had discussed), #5 sim.

In the entire 677 pages of my Wiley book, the key word in this sim was mentioned ONCE......yes I've made it my personal mission to figure out how I possibly could have known that. There is no way.

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

If I can do this, YOU can do this! Hang in there :)

Posted 6 months ago #
Acct

offline
Member

@hopefulcpa28
I'm sorry you had such a disheartening experience. I know what it feels like and cried from frustration after I took FAR. I couldn't imagine having to put in the time again for it.
But it passes. It's ok to be upset for a short amount of time, but you've got to move past this, focus on the next thing. There is such a strong chance you passed and you don't want this to keep you from passing the next one. There's nothing you can do about the exam now, and you just have to put it out of your mind and go on.
There's lots of good comments that people posted here. Many of us have been in the same (or similar) shoes you are in.
You can nail these exams once and for all! Don't let it get you down!
Good luck!

....Passed....
FAR - April '11
AUD - May '11
REG - July '11
BEC - November '11

Posted 6 months ago #
10YRS

offline
Member

@hopefulcpa28,

Dont take things too much to heart.Who knows maybe u passed!!! Wait till u get the results before attaching any emotions to the exams.This is wht i do now.I just dont attach any feelings or emotions to any studying or exams,so that they dont affect me as much as they would before.Trust me it helps.

Gud luck

A successful future is always based on a forgotten past!!!

Posted 6 months ago #
hopefulcpa28

offline
Member

You guys are amazing, and I wish I knew each of you personally...thank you so much, I don't think I can thank you guys enough for the support you provide with these encouraging words. Seriously, thank you for the bottom of my heart!! You guys are the best!!!

I'm hoping for the best, and digging through REG.

Good Luck to those who are waiting for scores this window!! @mla: I hope you passed your last exam!! I'm rooting for all of you!! Thanks, again!

Posted 6 months ago #
soonerorlater

offline
Member

To everyone waiting on scores and about to study...sending out

GOOD JUJU...GOOD JUJU

FAR - 66, 77
AUD - 63, 76
BEC - 70, 83
REG - 72, 79

Posted 6 months ago #
hopefulcpa28

offline
Member

Thank you!!!

Posted 6 months ago #
WishingIwasFishing

offline
Member

I joined this message board just to offer this piece of advice: Do not let the exam play mind tricks with you. Moreso, don't let your own mind mess with you. Just because you think your third testlet questions seemed easier may not necessarily be indicative of an easy testlet (and therefore a lower score), it could just be you know the material and are setting into a groove on the questions. It takes time to get going.

FAR - 84
AUD - 87
BEC - 81
REG - 11/11

Posted 6 months ago #
kobebryant168

offline
Member

@hopefulcpa28

Introducing Kobe here, I know exactly how you feel, take a moment to look at my scores down below

OK, pretty much the same as ur current scores eh?
Now, listen to me, don't give up, are you determined to get this done, Yes/No, If Yes then continue read, If No, Stop! You can not take this credit
So OK, yes, should you be depressed? why not, it's frustrating...I cried too when I failed my BEC for the second time but I m not giving up...I have stepped this far, got my accounting degree for what? just for this CPA license! when ppl out there can get this done, I believe I can get this done too...even though I m only half way there...I know eventually I can get there...based on what you did, you are heading the right way, in terms of using a review course, I used Becker too. So far I found CPA is not hard compared to the Becker Software, it's the trickiness that kills all of us. Look at your scores...you are not that far from passing. I used to post a thread like this and I was glad people in this forum cheered me up and gave me alot of encouragement. They saw my score and motivate me to do better. Now I m passing on the same message I once heard to you. I have seen people scored like 45 and eventually reached 80! It's not your own problem, it's the matter of how to overcome those tricky questions on the exam.
I believe you are a fresh graduate? you have plenty of time to get this done! Sometimes I believe NASBA or state board is hungry for $$ to make you apply for the exam again...who knows...
OK to depress, but make sure it goes away after few days? OK?
Update us later!

AUD 74, 77
BEC 73, 71, 71, 78
FAR 78
REG 70

I was born in the 80s...yet my scores are all in 70s

Posted 6 months ago #
yankeeaccountant

offline
Member

@kobe

Well said!!!

Posted 6 months ago #