1. Be prepared to shut your life down for 6-9 months or whatever timeframe you are budgeting to take all 4 parts. If you are unwilling or unable to do this then don't waste your time trying. You will fail. As proof, please see my first 2 audit fail scores.
2. You have to study every single day that you wake up on this earth to succeed. Shoot for 3-4 hours per day during the week and 6-8 hours per day on weekends. You must make it a top priority. Don't say things like “that's ridiculous, I can't study for 4 hours! I have work, school, family, etc.” because that is a cop out/excuse. I promise that someone else who has 20 times more awful/stressful/ challenging shit going on in their life than you is studying 3-4 hours per day and passing. If those people (you can find tons of them on this forum BTW) are passing then you can too.
3. You have to find ways to carve out study time like getting up early to study, listening to audio in your car, study on your lunch break, study after you put your kids to bed, listen to audio while you clean your house, put on Ninja Blitz while you get ready for work in the morning, read your study guide pdfs when you wait in the checkout lines. You can find a way to hit that 4 hour daily goal if you actively look to do so.
4. Memorization will not yield a passing score, please see audit fail #3. I promise that memorizing a bunch of slick mnemonics or inadvertently memorizing your supply of MCQs will not help you pass. On audit fail #3, I spent 20-25 hours per week studying the wrong way. I was sucked into quantity of MCQS and memory tricks over quality and depth of understanding. It was heartbreaking to fail after working so hard…but I learned a valuable lesson. You may make it through the MCQs but the SIMS will eat you alive.
5. Do not listen to doubters and appreciate your supporters. There will be many people in your life who don't understand/care/appreciate the sacrifice you are making and will try to derail your study plans or belittle your goals. Ignore them, even if that person is living in your own home. Personally, I think that the doubters have given me more fuel to keep going and pushing harder than anything else! Show those who are supporting your choices your gratitude by thanking them and being as interested in their life as they are in your CPA success. Try not to monopolize every conversation about how much your life sucks, which it does, when you are going through this process. Instead come to A71 and post that crap because misery loves company!!!! 🙂
6. You don't have to be perfect to pass and it's none of anyone's damn business if you had a 78 or a 98…a pass is a pass. Don't let other people make you feel like a 75 isn't good enough. The only opinion that matters is that of the AICPA!!!
7. Be kind to others going through this process and are struggling. I've been on both sides of getting hung up on a section and “one and done” on other parts. If you've never experienced the pain of a failure, which is a blessing, be proud of your accomplishment without belittling other candidates. You have no idea what that person is dealing with at home, work, etc.
8. Remember that this is a temporary condition and there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Allow yourself to daydream now and then about all the benefits you will reap professionally and all the fun things you will do when you don't have to study anymore! 🙂
9. RTMFQ 🙂
REG: 75 DONE 🙂
AUD: 61, 71, 68, 92 DONE 🙂
BEC: 76 DONE 🙂
FAR: 72, 74, 79 DONE 🙂
Licensed Michigan CPA 🙂
-Some people dream of success...others wake up and work hard for it!!!
-The cowards never start and the weak die along the way!
-You better work, b***h!
-Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.-JFK
.