CPA Review | CPA Exam Review – Another71.com

Brent is a NINJA CPA Blogger.

During this past month and a half I put studying on hold to relax and enjoy myself.

As a reward for my hard work preparing for and sitting for the audit exam, I took trip down south to visit friends and wakeboard in Orlando, Florida.

Every single day after the exam I checked to see if my score was available.

Saturday morning I woke up with a pounding headache from the prior nights festivities and thought for sure I would have to wait until Monday for scores to be posted but I decided to take a quick look anyway.

To my surprise the spot on the page that once read “Waiting for Score” had changed to a number. At first glance the numbers I read appeared to be a 72 and my heart sank with disappointment. Then I brought my face closer to the screen and sure enough it was a 77.

I PASSED audit!

Vacation ended on a great note with the news of passing my first exam providing an excellent reason to party. At this time, I am back into my usual routine and into the second week of studying for FAR.

Things do not seem to be flowing as smoothly as they did with audit. The immense amount of information seems overwhelming. I have been taking advantage of using the NINJA Audio on the go as much as possible. In the car, at the gym, even while sitting at my desk.

However, I am starting to fall further and further behind on my schedule to complete each section in time before my scheduled exam on February 28. Answering the multiple choice questions is where I am struggling and is taking me much longer in time than answering the questions for audit.

As I sit there and read the questions I try to see the solution in my head but I have to put the numbers on paper in order to really grasp the problem. This is going to be my weakness because I will not have the luxury of spending an hour on 10 problems during the exam. I will only have an hour to answer 30 problems before I must move on in order to properly allocate my time.

As was the case with audit, I feel that I learn the most and start to understand things more completely through answering the multiple choice questions rather than reading the book or watching the video lectures. I am definitely going to have to increase the amount of time spent studying if I want to get past this exam.

Even though I am not getting through the material as fast as I would like or understanding it 100%, I am trying to keep myself motivated. I plan to continue pushing forward and believing in myself that I have the ability to past this exam. I may not pass FAR the first, second, or even third time, but I will not give up and I will conquer this exam!

I wish everyone out there the best in their studying and I look forward to be back here sharing my thoughts and experiences as I take the next to becoming a CPA.

Karen is a NINJA CPA Blogger.

Hey everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying their new year. Well as much as we can enjoy it being on this crazy journey to pass the CPA exam!

As I write this it is Friday evening, January 18th. My FAR showdown is on Monday, January 28th.

I have to pass this time as my AUD score expires on January 31st. I was really hoping and praying that I would have been one of the lucky one’s who got “The Call” last week about the scoring situation that occurred, but it was not to be. So the studying continues.

I have been on my final review for three weeks now. My review has consisted of completing all MCQs for that particular chapter and then rewriting the notes for that chapter.

I have been very disciplined at getting in at least three hours of study time each day. I have my note cards recorded on my voice recorder that I will listen to when getting ready for work each morning, doing laundry, etc.

I have the FAR NINJA Audio on my computer at work and listen to it all the time. I usually have the volume turned up really loud (with earplugs in of course) and today was no exception. Well, our VP of Finance walked up just as the background music was playing and I was tapping my pencil on my desk. He seemed to get a kick out of it!

I still have all of the SIMS to complete again and I plan to continue doing MC questions up until the time I walk out the door to take my exam.

Leah is a NINJA CPA Blogger.

Here I am, in the beginnings of study for my first exam, FAR. It seems so far, far away, but I know the time will fly.

I’ve been studying for about two weeks, and I’ve already experienced some ups and downs.

I’ve committed to studying about six hours a day, five days a week, but after struggling with some concepts and MCQ’s, I could feel myself start to crumble.

UGH! What am I doing? Is my study method good enough? Am I crazy for putting myself through this?

So, a short break was obviously in order. I know the whole process is going to be a long haul, and I may as well get used to it.

I keep telling myself that if I just keep going, and take breaks when I need to, I’ll eventually get there. Concepts that are fuzzy will become clearer, and I’ll get better at MCQ’s.

Between finishing up college classes and getting my application and study materials in order, I’ve not had much time to prepare for the holidays or my 15-year anniversary. I’m lucky that I have a supportive family and husband.

Six months ago, I did not know I would be studying for and taking the CPA exam. Even with that little bit of doubt that has already started popping up this week, I am thinking about what I’ll do to get my work experience in when and if I ever pass all four sections.

I’ll have four years to get the one-year experience required in WV. I looked for a job for one and a half years after college with no luck, so I’m wondering if passing all four parts will make any difference for me in rural country.

That’s probably thinking too far ahead. That’s just me I guess, I overthink and overdo things. It’s probably best to focus on the present, and enjoy the holiday season while it is here.

Karen is a weekly NINJA CPA Blogger.

Wow what an interesting last couple of weeks! The NFL referees were acting like Curly, Larry and Moe, I heard where there was going to be a shortage of bacon, and THEN my dog saved me from a scorpion. EEK!!

Thankfully the regular NFL referees came back, I have been thinking about becoming a vegetarian anyway, the scorpion unmercifully died with a coat hanger and it appears that when folks are talking about puppies we can all be friends again!

Even with all of this, I have still managed to be logging 28 to 30 hours of FAR study time each week. Just this past weekend I studied a total of 20 hours.

Towards the mid-afternoon, I tend to get al little drowsy. But now I have discovered Loca Mocha Monster energy drinks. I had one for lunch on both Saturday and Sunday and just kept studying and studying. But sometimes I think they have a delay in the way they work because last night I could hardly go to sleep.

I read with keen interest Kricket’s work ethic for studying and it has inspired me to do even more. Last week I started getting up earlier so I am at the computer no later than 6:00 a.m. That gives me an hour before I have to get ready for work.

I am slowly trying to get up earlier and earlier to put in even more time . At lunch, I am still going to the medical library at work. I only get a 30 minute lunch but by the time November 5th arrives, I am hoping that all those lunches spent studying will pay off.

While I am at my desk, I continually listen to Jeff and the NINJA Audio for FAR. I have found that there are areas that he has just the right words to say get a point across about a subject with which I have struggled.

I work at a non-for-profit hospital and our year end was September 30th. So now it is year end journal entries, financial statements for seven affiliates, a huge consolidated statement and then get ready for the audit in November.

The next five weeks are going to be extremely challenging with work and studying.

Good luck to everyone as the new testing window has opened!!

Until next time,

Karen

P.S. How ’bout them DAWGS and FALCONS!!!