CPA Review | CPA Exam Review – Another71.com

Megan is a weekly Another71 Facebook blogger as she documents her journey through the CPA Exam.

“I have a dream!” It’s neither as philanthropic nor as selfless as Martin Luther King, Jr’s dream, but it’s still important to reach for it! I want to be a CPA! As history teaches us, trials and tribulations are inevitable, but they will make the realization of that dream even more rewarding! Don’t ever give up!!

And now for the latest installment in my journey to make my dream come true…

I was looking forward to reviewing the business law portions of REG, because those were classes I really enjoyed and found interesting back in school. Now that I’m working my way through the material, I have to admit that many of the tax sections in REG are NOT review for me.

Luckily, I’ve noticed that my Roger CPA Review course tends to intertwine the business law and structures sections throughout the tax sections. If it wasn’t for the anti-monopoly laws and sections on professional ethics, I’d be really nervous cramming ONLY tax knowledge into my brain. For some reason, I just can’t seem to focus as well on taxation.

The only tax course I took at school was online and only covered individual taxation. Between that course and my own experience using free tax software to file my own taxes, I’ve barely scratched the surface of this material prior to now.

Thankfully, I don’t have to worry too much about my lack of knowledge or experience with ANY CPA exam topics. One of the best benefits of studying with Roger CPA Review is that he takes nothing for granted.

Roger teaches every lecture and topic as if the student is seeing it for the first time. He explains everything in an understandable way, always incorporating real world scenarios and finding ways to express complicated matters clearly and succinctly.

Once again, I’m so glad I chose this course. I don’t have time to be battling against a poor teaching style or trying to figure out the material on my own. I can always rely on the lectures to plant the foundation of what I need to know and the notes/homework to reinforce the fine details.

Whether it’s an ACTUAL review for the CPA exams or truthfully learning the material from scratch, I know that by the end of this course, I’ll feel prepared to go in and kick that exam’s butt!! Stick to the plan, and you’ll know you’ve done everything in your power to succeed. Happy studying!

Sherri is a weekly Another71 Facebook blogger as she documents her journey through the CPA Exam.

Hi All!

It’s been a few weeks since my last post. I’ve just started studying for Audit in the hopes of testing before the end of February. Having passed FAR with a bit of stutter start, I lost my REG and AUD credits.

I’m using the Roger CPA Review this time around for Audit since I had such success with it for FAR. This weekend was my first chance to watch the Roger video classes. His enthusiasm is infectious! Who would have thought that Audit could actually be humorous?

I’ve decided to change up my approach for studying the Audit course. I haven’t mapped out my study plan by day yet. I am planning on doing so this week. My rough plan is to do approximately 1 section of the course a week, leaving one week to do the Wiley Test Bank Review. I realize that such a schedule will be cutting things pretty close. I don’t have much alternative though.

One other unusual recommendation that the Roger folks made, that seems to be working for me, is to watch the videos BEFORE reading the text. I find that watching the videos first helps reinforce my reading. Since I am doing the on line course, I prefer to stop the video regularly and highlight my book or take notes.

Although the material is not new to me, since I have tested for and passed Audit before, there is still a mountain of information to master before I take the test so I can be sure to pass it again. I’m planning on watching the videos, reading the text and doing the Wiley homework problems, for each section at a time, in order. Hopefully this approach will be the ticket to pass.

The course materials are incredibly thorough, without being overwhelming with a bunch of detail that isn’t necessary. The “solutions approach” in the Roger materials has been very helpful for me too. The course emphasizes an equal importance of knowing why an answer is correct as well as why a given answer is incorrect. I feel like I am really learning the material, as opposed to just memorizing it.

Good luck to all who are starting this process fresh in 2012. It’s a new year… destined to be filled with new successes!

Sherri

Kricket is a weekly Club 75 Blogger as she documents her journey through the CPA Exam. She has been a member of Another71.com’s Club 75 since May 2009.

Just to set the record straight at the beginning of this blog. I did not watch the LSU or Saints games, so please, do not blame me. We just got out coached and out played, or so I’ve been told. I was recovering from REG during the LSU game, and I was at work during the Saints game.

So even though Jeff felt the need to send me a sarcastic e-mail saying “Who Dat,” I am going to overlook it, but just because he is my CPA exam hero.

I’ve said that he is my hero before, and I’m sure some people wonder why. It’s because he was so honest about his struggles with this exam, and he gave me the courage to be honest with my own struggle. And struggle I have! I admire him for that honesty.

I don’t hold out much hope for the REG retake on January 9. In fact I’m really glad we aren’t allowed to divulge exam questions because at the end of the 3rd testlet, I got some really embarrassing questions. They were a sure sign of a score below 75.

When I say easy questions, I mean it was like the examiners were asking “Do you know what we are and what CPAs do for a living?” But I can’t go back and change anything so there is no point in kicking myself over it. As usual, I am going to keep moving forward and focus on FAR at the end of February.

I had several choices of what to do today after working at the office for two hours. My choices were to go grocery shopping and clean my kitchen or spend the day studying. Frankly, the mom in me won out in the end.

I spent the better part of the day cleaning the refrigerator, which hadn’t been done in months, cooked supper and argued with my 14 year old son over the merits of broccoli and the consequences of not eating it such as losing the computer and Xbox for two weeks.

I’ve used several different review courses, some worked and some didn’t. I don’t fault the review courses because what works for one person may not work for another. This time I’m sticking with Jeff’s NINJA Study Notes, Flashcards, and the Wiley Test Bank.

I’m going to attempt to get my FAR score back in 5 weeks. I’ve read the notes twice and I’m going to start writing them tonight. I have them on my Kindle and have been reading them whenever possible. The lady in line behind me at Wal-Mart this morning got a bit ticked because I didn’t realize it was time for me to swipe my card, but I was using every minute possible to study.

JoMarie is a weekly Club 75 Blogger as she documents her journey through the CPA Exam. She has been a member of Another71.com’s Club 75 since October 2010.

What can I say about what’s been going on since the last time I blogged. It’s been an insane week and not much studying accomplished. That pretty much sums it up.

First it started with a phone call from the daycare saying that Brooklynn (my 20 month old) was running a bit of a fever. Well once I received that phone call my studying plans went down the drain. It turned out she had strep, and to top it off she was also getting two of her eye teeth.

So between the pain and tears, I was not getting much, if any, sleep. Once the antibiotics kicked in, Brooklynn was feeling better, but Mommy was feeling run down.

Feeling tired and run down is not a good combination while tax season is starting to come around. I couldn’t beat this feeling that something wasn’t right. I wasn’t feeling right. Congestion, sneezing, coughing, and an ear ache!!!! Oh great, now it’s my turn. Off to the doctor I went and found out I have an ear infection.

With FAR coming up fast on January 17th, I knew I had to reschedule the exam. There was no way with the lack of sleep and lack of studying I was going to pass that exam. So I paid the $35 rescheduling fee and rescheduled the exam for February 6th.

This gives me an extra three weeks to visit Wiley’s test bank, rewrite Jeff’s NINJA Study Notes, and visit Roger CPA Review lectures on any parts I need clarification on.

Right now I’m just waiting for the antibiotics to fully kick in so I can get over this tiredness I’m feeling, and then I’m putting Jeff’s ELL plan into full force while the office work picks up.

This is going to be interesting studying during tax season. I usually take the next few months off of studying and fully focus on work. This year I can’t. I have a promotion waiting for me, and I can’t pass it up.

Good luck to those of you sitting for exams soon and try to stay healthy, like I am.

Till next time!!
JoMarie