Should I even bother trying to get CPA certified? Can I still be successful?

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  • #195445
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I received my bachelor’s degree in accounting from George Mason University a few weeks ago. I got no chance at the Big 4 since I have an accounting GPA of 2.54 and overall GPA of 3.05. I am perfectly fine having no chance going into Big 4. They work you like a donkey, you lose your social life; might as well sleep in your cubicle.

    At George Mason you must take 6 core accounting major classes and pass them in order to graduate with a degree in accounting. I have a B-,B, B, C+, C+, C+ respectively to the six. Studied my butt off as a full time student and even read the textbook for all my accounting classes even when the textbook wasn’t entirely necessary to pass the courses. I did it anyways to get a good understanding of the concepts. However in the end I received subpar grades despite my efforts.

    The accounting department at George Mason seems to enjoy messing with students. If class average for a midterm is above 75%, the professors will view it as a sign that the midterm was too easy. The remedy would be to go above and beyond to make sure the next midterm or the final exam is extra hard. One of their methods is to put problems that are very faintly familiar to what was taught in class or in the textbook. If that is not enough to lower the average they will put problems that are heavily weighted and are remotely familiar( pretty much never mentioned in class or textbook) and will require someone to intuitively to be able to solve it with very little background knowledge about how to solve that particular problem.

    Despite how much stress and hardship it gave me I can understand their reasoning behind it. The professors want to weed out as many students as they can. It also distinguishes the students that are super smart and super diligent in their studies. It allows the Big 4 to pick the best students out from the crowd more easily. Students that probably should have majored in engineering but chose accounting for whatever reason.

    I struggled just to get subpar grades in my accounting course; the grades really did not reflect my actual understanding of the accounting concepts. The harsh methods used by the accounting professors really messed with me. If I was given an empty sheet of paper and told to jot down all the concepts I learned in my six core classes I could do it fluently.

    With that being said my guess is that I will struggle real bad if I try to take CPA exam based on my accounting grades. This is why I don’t think the CPA is for me. Can I still be successful without CPA and make 50k-60k at the peak of my career?

    I have no desire to be super rich and have the billionaire mansion with bikini clad women in a huge pool. Nope not for me.

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 20 total)
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  • #682282
    Zuly
    Participant

    I think you have a fighting chance. I have read of stories of people who had average grades and ended up passing the CPA exam on their first try and I have also read the opposite, students with great grades and have failed more than one exam. Actually, I had the opposite problem in college. Most of my college professors were too eager to pass students and not teach much so I really didn't learn a lot in my actual accounting classes, except for Acct 1 & 2. Anyway, if you decide to pursue the CPA make sure to research as much as you can and go in with both feet and know this exam is going to test you in more ways than just accounting. You'll be tested mentally, physically and emotionally. Something tells me you can do it since you had the initiative to study on your own and read all your text books for school. You might find out that you'll have to change the way you study for the CPA but you won't know if you don't try, right? Good luck!

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    #682283
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    50-60K? I think that's pretty attainable for anyone with or without the CPA. Be forewarned though, once you start working and see how much people actually make, your salary expectations will change. There always will be that “keeping up with the Jonses” feeling.

    Personally, I didn't get my CPA until recently and before that, I was making well over 6 figures. People care more about attitude and work ethic as opposed to how many letters you have after your name.

    Doing the B4 route, getting your CPA after senior/manager is just brainwash and group think that recruiters and partners like to peddle onto their employees. I did B4 2 years before I quit and it was the best decision of my life. My compensation was over 100K after 2 years of leaving the Big 4. Partners/managers that say making manager and getting your CPA is the “best route” is flat out lying to you in hopes of you sticking around for more punishment. These people know how much Seniors make in industry ($100K+) but they're content with paying you $65-70K for the “prestige” of working at a Big 4 firm.

    Your case is similar to my brother, who went to school for 5 years majored in Accounting, mediocre grades in college and he's making $80K doing collections at a University with great work life balance. He works 7-3pm every day. You don't need your CPA, of course it helps. But you can obtain a comfortable living without it.

    #682284
    JohnWayneIsGod
    Participant

    You can be successful without a CPA. But that depends on your definition of success, and you will not go as far as someone that has a CPA license. In my background with a publicly traded company, the young seniors all had a CPA or had Big 4 experience, or both. The 50-somethings that just became seniors didn’t have a CPA or Big 4 on their resume. Of course those young seniors will more than likely go on to become managers, controllers, CFOs, etc while the newly minted 50-something seniors have likely reached the peak of their careers.

    Keep in mind that there are other paths that you could take during your career. There are CMAs, MBAs, etc. It’s possible that you may find that you don’t like accounting and want to make a career change. Either way, it sounds like you need time to learn more about your gifts and what you truly want to do with your career. My advice is to hold off on thinking about the CPA until you really want it and feel like you can do it. Without the CPA, you can still earn a good living.

    It’s good that you are honest about what you want and don’t want in life. Keep being that way and take the path that takes you in the direction that makes you happy. It may or may not be a CPA. It could end up being something else entirely.

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    #682285
    gir_t
    Participant

    You have a very good chance. In my opinion studying for cpa exam differs from studying in colleges. In college most of the time is spent on trying to understand the theory. On a cpa exam candidates focus on how to answer a question (at least I did). That is the reason everyone here stress on MCQ. In college almost nobody did MCQ to prepare for exam. My point is you were studying to understand accounting so far, however, you will start studying to answer questions now (that is how all review materials are tuned). All cpa review materials are trying to teach you how to answer a question on exam, not to make you a better accountant/auditor. You will be fine or you may struggle a lot, but it will not be because of your grade in college. Keep in mind; however, you will be a CPA (if you really want it) regardless of your college experience

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    #682286
    Missy
    Participant

    Yes you can make a good living with or without the CPA. Your definition of a good living WILL change as you reach certain milestones like having kids or sending said kids off to college.

    Yes I believe anyone can pass the cpa if they're willing to fight tooth and nail for it and it sounds like you're in the I just finished school funk. This may not be the best time to make a decision but don't wait too long. As hard as the cpa is it gets harder as you hit the life milestones I mentioned above.

    Old timer,  A71'er since 2010.

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    #682287
    Skynet
    Participant

    I have more Retail Sales experience than actual Accounting experience, and I a BS in Accounting as well as an EA license. I have already passed 3 of 4 exams and hope to finish up my last one this August when the score comes out. I have no interest in B4. I just need a place where I can start, grow, and earn hours for my CPA.

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    #682288
    Skynet
    Participant

    One thing I lost during the Recession was Confidence. It wasn't because I was stupid. It was due to the Economy, Tight Job Market, and a lot of factors. It took a few years after the Recession for me to realize that. You may have lost confidence in yourself a bit because of what the Accounting Dept did. You just need to believe and find that Confidence again like I did and you'll be Ok.

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    World Domination Plan

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    Phase III : Megan Fox & Scarlett Johansson Lingerie Pillow Fight
    Phase IV : Form the new Charlie's Angels with Megan Fox, Scarlett Johansson, & Gal Gadot
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    World Domination Plan

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    Phase IV : Megan Fox & Scarlett Johansson Lingerie Pillow Fight
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    #682289
    taxgeek83
    Participant

    Are you going to be happy making 50-60k, CPA or not, at the height of your career?

    If your answer is yes, I'd say that hitting that target makes you successful.

    That aside, forget the grades, forget the GPA. Everyone's experience is different. By my observations, some 4.0 grads struggle to pass the CPA exam, while other 3.0 grads pass with (in my opinion) insanely high scores. Make a plan, stick to it, dedicate yourself and give this thing a shot. You'll never know if you don't try. If you find it's not for you and you're happy elsewhere, then by all means, hit that career path! But no excuses, and no regrets. 🙂

    #682290
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    85% of what i learned for the cpa exam was from review courses, not school. And i made above that without a cpa. Definitely doable but of course that's assuming an avg cost of living. 60k is nothing in san Francisco.

    #682291
    Meeekks
    Member

    You can definitely do it! But reading the textbook is less than the bare minimum here. You'll need to do lots of MCQs.

    #682292
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I am also a George Mason Graduate, class of 2003. It is possible for you to pass the CPA exam regardless of the grades you received in your accounting classes. You just have to put in the time and effort into your CPA review studies. I know people who in no way shape or form should be an accountant let alone a CPA and they still passed. That should give everyone hope!

    In terms of salary, I was already making over 6 figures before I even started the CPA process and I'm not finished yet. If you are still in the VA/DC metro area this is a great place for private accounting especially with government contracting companies. That is most definitely where the money is in this area. You have the potential to make big money here without the CPA license, ever. I know tons of accountants who are making either close to $100k or well over it who never got their license. It only matters if being a CPA is really what you want at the end of the day.

    #682293
    SaveBandit
    Participant

    Your experience sounds pretty much identical to mine, so I thought I would share my 2 cents. I graduated in 2005 with an accounting degree from a large state university. My accounting GPA was around a 2.8. My undergrad experience was similar to yours – our tests were administered at night and were 4 hours long. When that huge test hit my desk with a “thunk” I wanted to die. Intermediate 1 started with 50 or 60 kids. By the time we got to Intermediate 3 there were 25, tops.

    After all those shenanigans I decided I wasn't cut out for the CPA route and went to work in corporate accounting. After 10 years, I finally decided to go back to grad school. First, if you are anything like me, you'll always wonder if you are selling yourself short by not trying. Second, I found along the way that there are CPAs out there who are total doorknobs. If those people can pass the exam, then so can I. Third, while you can have a successful career without a CPA, it's a lot harder to find accounting jobs without it, even in private. Most job descriptions read “CPA required.” Fourth, people at work will take you more seriously if you have it. Nobody at my old job wanted to hear my opinion on anything ever, even though one of the CPAs had absolutely no idea what he was doing and was later fired.

    I'm getting my MACC at night. It isn't fun, but it is completely do-able. My grades are better than they were undergrad (different school, no surprise), and I'm going to get this done.

    Don't count yourself out. Maybe give it a year or two to cool off, then go back to school. But try to do it before you're 32. It just gets harder as you get older.

    Good luck!

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    #682294
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I am a 39 yr Recently licensed CPA … In my undergrad, I struggled mightly with the accounting concepts, and got B's and C's … I too thought what the hell am I going to do when I get a job and the CPA was the last thing on my mind.

    I got a job and found that I am much better at applying the concepts then I am at learning theory, and I passed the CPA too ..

    Its all up to you and what you want to do

    #682295
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Go for it !

    You have nothing to lose, and it will help you in your career.

    #682296
    rp 12
    Participant

    @933127 Go for it. If you try it then only you will know. Don't make your decision on what other people say or think. In this thread every fellow Ninja is encourage to take this exam at somepoint in your life. I would also say the same but don't delay it. Some review providers give access to materials until you PASS your exams (Gleim premium version).

    School grades doesn't determine success or failure of passing CPA exams. In my case I did well in school, but struggling to pass CPA exams. It is on an individual how they learn, understand/apply the material(s). That's why this exam is application oriented, and we need to know the concepts well enough to solve questions.

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