I study one-two nights a week for 5-6 hours and get the rest on the weekend. A lot of people follow Jeff's ELL plan–1 hour in the early morning, 1 hour at lunch, and 2 hours late night (after work). If you do that Mon-Fri you get 20 hours per week. I don't always take lunch and I'm not a morning person so I had to adjust to my plan, but the benefit of Jeff's plan is that you are seeing the material nearly every day when I'm seeing it in longer sessions but only 3-4 days a week. Some people also do 4 nights a week for 5 days a week. I can't do that either because I have kids.
i try to do 7-10 or 7-11 4 nights a week, then the rest on saturday mornings or sunday nights – sometimes i do more on the weekends if i missed weeknights… its tough when you work full-time. i do not know how people do it with kids!!! and you took your last one yesterday @Mamabear?? I hope it went well!!!
FAR - 84.
AUD - X,X,76.
REG - X,X,75.
BEC - X,X,74*, 81 AND IM DONE!!!!!!
*if i dont pass, i lose FAR.
Study materials: Becker videos/MCQ/Books, NINJA Blitz helped to finally pass AUD and REG.
First exam was in May 2013, seems like so long ago - FINALLY DONE!!!
@Justkeepstudying–Thanks! We'll see if I'm done in a few weeks. 🙂
@lasdlnx–For BEC and my first attempt with AUD, I used Kaplan books, lectures, and online Qbank. For my second attempt with AUD, I added Ninja Notes/Audio/Flashcards and the Wiley online test bank. For FAR, I didn't watch lectures, I read half the Wiley book, did all the MCQ and SIMS from the Wiley text bank and used Ninja Audio/Notes/Flashcards and Becker Outline notes. For REG I used Ninja Notes/Audio/MCQ. I learned by going through the MCQ and reading the explanations. I didn't watch lectures or read a book so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it was enough.
I did 20 hours a week for all sections except REG and did one hour at lunch and one hour at home in the evening M-F and then 7:00 am till noon on Sat and Sun.
I have another question. I am waiting to take the test, just started studying yesterday. I just got done with 30 units of accounting for a certificate.
I did really well in Intermediate Accounting where we used the Wileybook. I just started the MCQ's from Becker (I only have their ebooks and MCQ's) and im doing pretty good (only scratched the surface).
Question is, do people study for two test at once? Or should I study one at a time?
I don't know if my method for REG worked yet so take what I'm saying lightly, but even though I didn't use as many materials for REG I still put in over 95 hours in the Ninja MCQ bank and spent time listening to Audio, doing flashcards, and reviewing my notes. It's a lot of material, especially if you don't have any tax background.
I studied for 2 exams at once and passed one and failed one. I truly think if I had just done one at a time I wouldn't have had any fails.
lasdinx, I use Fast Forward Academy as my primary study material and supplemented with Wiley, CPAReviewForFree.com and Ninja flashcards. For REG I also used the Ninja MCQs and I highly recommend.
I graduated with my accounting degree 10 years ago and my MBA two years ago.
I would not take REG lightly unless you have a lot of tax experience. I spent the most time studying for this exam and I work in tax.
I would definitely recommend only studying for one section at a time.
B.S. in Business in 2002, MBA in 2004, took the necessary upper level accounting classes to sit for the exam in 2010-2013, and started studying for the CPA in May 2013. I work full time and had a child in 2009, another in 2011, and another in 2012 so it took me a while to get through those accounting classes and I still have to take 4 more to be licensed after I finish the CPA exam per Florida's rules.
Forgot to tell you, for REG I did 4 hours a day M-F (1 hour at lunch, 3 hours in the evening) and then 6 hours each day on the weekend. I think you may have misunderstood my post above when I said I did 20 hours per week for all exams except for reg. For REG I did over 30 hours per week.
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