Study 1 year before graduation. Good or bad idea?

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  • #191555
    xgyrl
    Member

    Hello friends. I’m graduating December 2015 and I want to sit for the exam right after. I would love some advice from those of you who have already taken it. Is it best to study right before you take each section? My idea was to start now, take my time learning the material and then take the exam as soon as I’m done with school. Is this a good or bad idea?

    I’ve got all the 2014 Wiley books and focus notes from a friend.

    Thanks all!

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  • #642852
    northernlights
    Participant

    Can't hurt to study (or even sit exams) while in your last year or semester of school. In fact, one of my friends who is smarter than me studied AUD while we were taking audit, and went and sat it as soon as semester was done, and all the info was fresh in her brain.

    And stuff like REG you might as well take as soon as possible after taking tax, before they change regs or rates on you.

    FAR: 55, 52, 66
    REG: 84*
    AUD: 54, 70, 73, 72, 79!!!
    BEC: 75*

    *expired

    #642853
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    What are our state rules for sitting for the exam? Are you allowed to take exams before graduation? In my state, we're allowed to sit 6 months before we're expected/scheduled to meet the educational requirements. It's extra paperwork, but no big deal. I took 1 section before graduation – AUD right after I took audit. I meant to get two sections knocked out, but even passing one while in school was a huge time benefit. I passed the others before fall hit, then I was able to concentrate on work.

    This exam is a marathon. I had more free time when I was in school than I do working. I'm so glad I did it that way.

    If you can't sit until after you graduate, you could still start studying for a section and be ready to take it as soon as you can your hands on an NTS. FAR comes to mind in that case, since it takes awhile anyway.

    #642854
    MalClam
    Member

    Studying before graduation is really smart, it'll give you a head start. I spent about a year studying for FAR (my 1st exam) and it would have been way more efficient to do so during college, although my circumstances didn't put me on a CPA path right away so that wasn't an option (sounds like it is for you, though!). After you pass the first one you need to step up your speed. Note the decline in my scores after the FAR exam, I was playing it a little too safe with FAR but there's not much opportunity cost with your first exam so you might as well do well on the one you think is hardest first.

    AUD: 75
    BEC: ??
    FAR: 89
    REG: 82

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