[Anonymous]

Hey everyone,

Looking for advice from people who took all 4 exams in the same testing window. In addition, I will be taking the exam in April of 2017 so I am wondering if my best bet, given the fact that exam is changing, is to just pony up the money and pay for a course or just self study.

Let me know what your thoughts are and thanks in advance!

[monikernc]

When will you start studying? Other people have done all 4 in a short time but last guy i read about here studied less than a year. I think you will need a review course but timing will be key due to expiration considerations.
Do you have to do it this way?
If you start now and do one at a time you could be done by next April.

AUD - 93
BEC - 82
FAR - 76
REG - 88

How have you been?
Ninja book and MCQs and the forum, all first try! 2016
Licensed State of Montana April Fool’s Day 2020
State of Colorado June 2020 - AICPA Ethics 93
Experience was the worst part of the journey for me. You?
If you want things to change you have to do something different.

FAR 7/25/15 76!
AUD 10/30/15 93
BEC 2/27/16 82
REG 5/23/16 88!
Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
if you want things to change, you have to do something different

[Anonymous]

Why take all 4 exams at the same time?

[Anonymous]

Before all the why do all four at once, here is the deal. I am transferring from private industry with an Econ and Finance background to be an accountant. Long story short I ran into unethical behavior and ended up leaving my job, considered all of my options, and decided to take an Accounting job and take Accounting classes to sit for the CPA to become a Tax Accountant. I will be working 40 hours a week while taking 3 classses this fall and beginning to study for the CPA. I am starting to study for those classes now and this Summer. Essentially, in one year, I will have completed the year requirement for the license, all of the coursework and I am hoping the CPA. Why all in April? Because I want to be done with it by then so I can take two months off and travel and then go and apply to CPA firms in July in a different location than where I am at currently. This lines up with my SO graduating and becoming a Doctor. So, I'd like to have it all done in April.

[Anonymous]

To Answer Monks question, I am starting to look at how the exam is structured and how it all works now. I want to start putting in the work probably in August.

[Biff-1955-Tannen]

lol monk

Something you're not telling me monikernc? -_-

AUD - 93
BEC - 83
FAR - 83
REG - 84

Nobody calls me chicken

AUD 93 Jan 16
BEC 83 Feb 16
FAR 83 Apr 16
REG 84 May 16

99% Ninja MCQ only

[Anonymous]

Tomato Tamato. Biff what did you use and do you have any recommendations?

[Biff-1955-Tannen]

Was just giving monikernc crap.

I watched Wiley's lectures for AUD and didn't find watching lectures very useful. So after that I strictly used Ninja MCQ. I should note that I was in my last semester of college when I took the exams, so I had a good base knowledge that was very fresh.

I'm a firm believer that if you have a good base knowledge of these areas, that you don't need a full review course, and Ninja MCQ will 100% prepare you for the exams.

AUD - 93
BEC - 83
FAR - 83
REG - 84

Nobody calls me chicken

AUD 93 Jan 16
BEC 83 Feb 16
FAR 83 Apr 16
REG 84 May 16

99% Ninja MCQ only

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately I don't think you understand difficulty of the exam. With your work and class schedule, I don't think you will have enough time to study and more importantly, retain all the information you need to pass all 4 exams in the same month. That being said, get Wiley, Gleim or Becker and start studying like hell while working and taking your classes. Figure out a way to retain all the information because there's just too much unrelated information you need to know across the 4 exams. I wish you the best of luck though. There aren't too many people if any that can pass all in a month. Just remember, the exam is a marathon, even for the most intelligent people. I would certainly consider not traveling for the 2 months and focus on the exam if you don't pass all 4.

[waffle_house]

So what happens if you don't pass the exams in one month?

AUD - 80
BEC - 75
FAR - 84
REG - 76

Exams started Sep 2014 -Exams done Mar 2017

Texas CPA

I put in work, it was evident

[Missy]

Are you going to be able to take the entire month of April off from work?

Old timer,  A71'er since 2010.

Finance manager/HR manager

 

 

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

[Anonymous]

As long as you're adequately prepared, I say go for it. It ain't as bad as people make it to be. I know a few people who have done all 4 in one window and they weren't geniuses BUT they were diligent in their preparations. All the best.

[Anonymous]

Waffle- I will just retake it when I get done with my trip. The point in doing it like this is to make it easier to transfer to a different state to find a job as a Tax Accountant.

I understand the CPA is extremely difficult- that is why I am on here a year prior to taking it.

All I was looking for was
1) Has someone taken all 4 exams at once and if so if they could tell me more about their experience such as what did they use and how long did they prepare?
2) How are people starting to study to take into account the changes in the exam?
3) What materials can people study in order to go into the exam confident? It sounds like maybe just buying all of the Ninja stuff is sufficient?

[user2701]

Hey bp000,

Well, I haven't read here about anyone who took all four exams in a month (may be there are people). But yes, I have come across those people who clear it in 3 months time.
W.r.t. your query related to exam changes- All will try to study & clear exams before 2017. Major changes are said to happen- means it may be all the more difficult. So all may think to gear up & clear in 2016.
Which material to study.. NINJA, Wiley & Roger is the common combination which I have heard off. Becker may be good.. But I personally find it too lengthy

BEC- 43(Feb'16), Retake-June 10, (Wiley text book/WQB/NINJA MCQ)
REG- TBD
FAR- TBD
AUD- TBD

[TheHoundThatRides]

This is way too stuffy of a plan. Just study for a few months and pass FAR at the beginning of April and an easier one like BEC or AUD at the end of April. You have a full 18 months after that to pass the other two. Even just passing 1 or 2 exams should get you attention from CPA firms when you start talking to them.

If you are capable of passing all the exams in one month you shouldn't be an accountant. Change fields and go work on rocket science.

BEC - 78 (August 2015)
FAR - 80 (November 2015)
AUD - 73, 67. (Ok I gotta confess I was even more lazy this time around)
REG - August 27th, 2016

[monikernc]

Bp000 – i get your timeline. Unfortunately I did not, and personally could not have taken/passed all 4 in one window. Most folks currently studying on this site are trying to be done by the time changes kick in. Too many unknowns to answer questions for April 2017. I will say that buying the 1 year access to ninja mcq may work best for you. That way you can track along with your classes and get a sense of how each section will be tested without having to pay for renewals every 3 months. I went back to school, as you are, to get the accounting classes I needed to do this. Looking back I wish I had built in the time to study for these while doing so. Having said that, course work was a lot to tackle, even part time. Studying for exam while in school may help your course work.
Use the Ask Jeff in upper right and ask his advice on pkgs and pricing. Whatever you get stay active on this forum and ask for help when needed. Plan on using the ninja mcqs whatever you get and good luck. Then you can be a doctor.

BIFF, i am waiting for that dream. If i failed you can tell me. No surprise there. As for the Monk comment, it may help my prayers for a pass to be answered so I am going with it!

AUD - 93
BEC - 82
FAR - 76
REG - 88

How have you been?
Ninja book and MCQs and the forum, all first try! 2016
Licensed State of Montana April Fool’s Day 2020
State of Colorado June 2020 - AICPA Ethics 93
Experience was the worst part of the journey for me. You?
If you want things to change you have to do something different.

FAR 7/25/15 76!
AUD 10/30/15 93
BEC 2/27/16 82
REG 5/23/16 88!
Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
if you want things to change, you have to do something different

[Author]

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