1. 

   CalCPASoon
   

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   I started studying for the exam in 2009, passed my first section in Oct 2009, then work and life got in the way and I didn't start studying again for my next section until September 2010. Now Im more committed to passing, and am taking two sections every window. Assuming I pass my sections in the April/May and July/Aug windows, then I'll be done in sept 2011. I know I took a big break in the middle where I didn't study, but thats still two years of my life with the exam hanging over my head. And I've been hardcore studying since Sept 2010, so from then until scores come out in Sept 2011, thats a whole year of crazy studying and personal sacrifices.

   How is everyone else handling this? Every day I struggle with balancing studying and my personal activities like wanting to work out, fix something in the house, taking my dog to the part for two hours, etc.

   CalCPASoon....CalCPAFinally! Yay I made it!
   CPA licensed in California!

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   Posted 1 year ago #
2. 

   dhuffman
   

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   I feel as if I've been at this forever. Started with BEC in Nov 2008, didn't pass, tried again, didn't pass, moved on to AUD and passed. Tried again, didn't pass. Moved on to REG and passed. Thought I'd try FAR, didn't pass. Tried BEC again, didn't pass. Now it's 2011 and I have to pass both FAR and BEC or I lose AUD at end of May. Took FAR in Jan and failed. Took BEC on 4/15 and will take FAR on 5/26.

   I am taking a break in June. I'll get my CFE in July and may or may not continue on with the CPA depending on my scores in June. I'm am sick and tired of studying, having absolutely no life. I have neglected my horses, housework is a joke, and I haven't read anything in three years that doesn't have "CPA Review" in it's title.

   I work as a govt auditor for a tiny firm and a CFE would be important to have. I do want a CPA as it's portable so if we ever move again I can (hopefully) get a job easier; and two while I'm here I want to do more to help out by being able to sign off on audits, especially since one partner is nearing retirement.

   Posted 1 year ago #
3. 

   bullandre
   

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   Just under a year, I took my first part the end of Feb 2010 (BEC), then REG in July 2010, followed by AUD in Aug 2010. Had to take a break because of work and I wasn't in the country for a little while. Sadly, I had to take the new exam for FAR this Feb 2011.

   Passed on the 1st try
   
   BEC 87|FAR 86| AUD 88| REG 81

   Posted 1 year ago #
4. 

   bammers2
   

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   @CalCPASoon, good question! The short answer is from June 2010 to Feb 2011 and taking Dec 2010 off, so about 7 months. Keep reading for the long answer :-)

   I officially began my CPA journey in June 2010 with the hopes of sitting for FAR at the end of July and then AUD at the end of Aug, but once I finished my FAR lectures at the beginning of July and still didn't have my NTS, I started slacking on my studies. By the time I rec'd my NTS at the end of July, I felt like I had forgot a lot of the material, so I spent August getting reacquainted with the material and sat for my first section on Aug 29th. I took AUD at the beginning of October and REG the first week of Nov and had every intention of taking BEC at the end of Nov, but ended up pushing it to the end of Jan 2011 when 2 days before the exam I wasn't feeling so comfortable w/the material. I took all of December off except for like the last few days of Dec...yes, I studied on New Year's eve instead of going out.

   The balancing act between studying and living your daily life is extremely hard and probably the hardest part of the CPA exam process. I seriously gave up any kind of social life...except for in February, I kinda went out every weekend and just studied during the week because I was retaking AUD and knew the reason I failed it the first time around was because I didn't practice the MCQs as much as I should have. Anyway, so besides Feb and my off month in December, I spent all my free time studying. The only 'fun' I had during those brutal months (July to end of Nov, and Jan) was 1 night out w/friends or away from text books each month. The little house projects or any other distractions all have to wait until post-exam or at least that's what I told myself. I know myself well enough to know that if I had barely failed a section, I would blame it on giving in to distractions/fun and would beat myself up about it. Hang in there and try to see the light at the end of the tunnel :-)

   FAR 8/29/10 78 CO candidate
   AUD 10/2/10 69, 2/26/11 84
   REG 11/8/10 79
   BEC 1/24/11 75 (someone punch me, I can't believe I'm DONE!) section ID 4296

   Posted 1 year ago #
5. 

   DuckTales
   

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   I've been studying off and on since January 2010. I didn't really get serious about it until October 2010 when I realized it had been 5 months since I passed Audit and I hadn't really studied for anything since (my half-assed attempt at FAR in August 2010 doesn't count). I got serious about passing and was about to knock out FAR in November 2010 and BEC in February 2011. I missed REG by 3 points in January 2011 so I'm retaking it in May. Hopefully I'll be done after my retake which puts my total at 17 months! What a waste of my mid-20's. I hope it's worth it in the long run!

   AUD- 82
   FAR- 75
   BEC- 75
   REG- 81

   Posted 1 year ago #
6. 

   BluMerle
   

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   365 days on the dot. (Didn't plan for it to happen like that - pure coincidence).

   Another 71 Class of 2011

   Posted 1 year ago #
7. 

   rknight21
   

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   interesting bluMerle... i have given myself a time table of one year... my first exam is may 2 and i expect my last exam to be may 2012...

   If anyone wondering why so long... i am in school doing my masters

   Posted 1 year ago #
8. 

   tkemp6
   

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   Took AUD for the first time on 11/4/2009 and sat for REG on 10/8/2010, so a shade under 11 months. Well worth it

   AUD- 74, 81, BEC - 73,82, FAR-82, REG- 77, and DONE!

   Posted 1 year ago #
9. 

   cpawannabee
   

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   About 3 years.

   I took all 4 sections of the Becker classroom course the summer of 2007. Took all 4 exams in Jan & Feb 2008 during my first testing period. Failed all four miserably.

   Finally passed in November 2010. Will explain how in another post!

   BEC-70 74 71 77 AUD-69 74 74 72 81
   REG-64 79(exp)78 FAR- 51 69 77

   Posted 1 year ago #
10. 

    FARbehind
    

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    16 months from passing the first exam until passing the last one. Considering the fact that I started studying for my first exam about 2-3 months before taking it, 18 months all together. The luck was on my side. I didn't plan it this way. It is too stressful to go closer to the 18 monts mark. If I had to start the whole process over, I would take each window 2 exams (beginning and end of window) and then redo some if failing. Originally I had planned to go to class, then take 1 exam each window. After my first fail I realized this is not a good approach and then I started taking each window two exams. I never passed 2 during any window but was moving slowly forward until passing all. Thankfully, I never experienced losing credit, this should be the worst feeling. Like I said pure luck on my side but also sense of urgency.

    aud,bec,reg-passed
    far-->75 Done!!!!!
    ethics-100

    Posted 1 year ago #

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