[jbernar1]

I am in my early 40’s and am contemplating going to get my CPA. I have worked in accounting and finance for 20 years. I have no public accounting experience but I do have a bachelor’s degree with an accounting concentration as well as an MBA. I also live in Massachusetts. I am trying to figure out which sections I should sign up for first. Thanks.

[Missy]

That would be me a few years back, and you can get a non reporting license in MA without public experience as long as you have a Masters, which you do.

Two schools of thought on exam order: (1) easiest first to get confidence, (2) hardest first because there's an 18 month clock once you pass your first and if you need to retake it more than once at least the clock isn't ticking on others to expire.

I took FAR first (which for me was easiest with 20 year GL experience) but had the biggest volume of material to study and passed on my first try. Then AUD (fail), BEC (pass), REG (Fail), AUD (fail), Reg (pass), AUD (pass).

Old timer,  A71'er since 2010.

Finance manager/HR manager

 

 

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[jbernar1]

Thanks for the feedback. My initial thought was to take FAR first. Although it may have the most overall information I feel like it is the one section I may have the most up front knowledge about. Having worked with the GL and financial statements for 15 plus years.

[Jdn9201]

OP, congrats on going for your CPA! Based on your background, I think FAR first is a good choice – as long as you are good at maintaining focus to study the volume of material that's involved. I also took my exams from easiest-hardest, but did an aggressive schedule to give me plenty of time to retake any failed sections. It's very easy to get overwhelmed once you see the volume of material in FAR. There's no way I would have been focused enough to knock FAR out first. Good luck with your CPA journey!

BEC - 88 8/29/15
REG - 82 11/14/15
AUD - 83 1/8/16
FAR - 80 2/29/16

[jbernar1]

In what order would you rank the parts going from easiest to hardest?? Also I am planning to use Wiley supplemented with some of the Ninja materials.

[Mayo]

Depends on your background. For me REG was harder than FAR. And BEC and AUD were the easiest for me.

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[fivehurdles]

I'm 51 and working on mine right now. Have three parts passed and only FAR remaining. I took BEC first because I needed an “easy” one for me to get the ball (and my confidence) rolling. And I figure if I do need to retake one because of expiration, I would rather take BEC again than FAR.

I've worked in Accounting for 25 years with a B.S.B.A. Finance and got my fifth year covered by taking required Accounting courses (FL).

Don't be like me – I started on this adventure twenty years ago in getting my fifth year completed. I stopped and restarted on the CPA path for the last five years. And when my company went under and I couldn't find a decent corporate management position without it, that's when I realized how badly I screwed up. Luckily, I have an “OK” position now, but I was locked out of a number of positions that I was qualified for as I didn't have the designation. With God's grace, I hope to have this resolved June 10th (although FAR is absolutely killing me!).

2011 Results:
BEC 65 83
AUD 57
FAR 30 (Can you get any worse) (11/10)
REG 70

2015-16 Results:
BEC 78
AUD 77
REG 76
FAR June 10

[Anonymous]

also an “older” candidate when I started – I went
REG
AUD
BEC
AUD
FAR

[Author]

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