[SallyCPA]

How much of the material in the CPA exam do you believe has helped you at your job? I feel like we all get caught up in just trying to pass the exam just to get those three letters behind our name, without considering how much valuable knowledge we are actually gaining.

[Namstut]

@SallyCPA, I can honestly say that AUD and REG helped me immensely! I can't say the same about BEC, there was too much of everything and nothing that is relevant to my job. I am dreading to study for FAR but I am actually excited to learn. I think FAR is going to be the one that will benefit me the most.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

All Done!!!

AUD 7/6/16 Passed
BEC 9/3/16
FAR TBD
REG TBD

[Meg267]

I actually experienced something today. I work in the private industry, and was able to use some of the knowledge I've gained from studying Regulations to help explain something tax related to one of the tax accountants, and I'm not even a tax accountant. I've noticed I have more “ah-ha!” moments as well. More things just seem to click after having studied for a while. Not only am I working towards my CPA, but I'm learning so much in the process. It can only help me.

BEC - 57, 68, 78
REG - 62, 82
AUD - 61, 76
FAR - 79

Licensed.
No one ever fails the CPA exam, there are only those who give up.

[SallyCPA]

@Meg267 @Namstut Great to hear! For me, its much easier to study for this exam knowing that I acutally learning useful knowledge!

[Track55]

The second I got home from the exams I had already forgotten it all. I never use it.

AUD - 99
BEC - 83
FAR - 86
REG - 92

California - Internal Audit

CPA since December 2016.

(took seven tries, 1 year 10 months).

AUD - 74, 99 !!
REG - 74, 92
BEC - 83
FAR - 73, 86

Studying for Ethics exam

California candidate
Business and Industry

[Anonymous]

I would say that the exams taught me the questions to ask. I didn't know when I encountered a foreign vendor at my job that we needed to secure Form W-8 BEN-E and then file a 1042 and 1042-S, but I knew there was some special requirements to check into. I didn't remember from the exams all the rules about consolidated entities, but I knew things that might be issues and what to look into.

So, I would say that very little of what I learned for the CPA exams is used directly in my job, but the whole set of materials for the exams helped me to know what to question and look into when I encounter it at work. I'm a better accounting professional because I studied for the exams, but I don't specifically use any of the exam materials on an ongoing basis.

[Skynet]

I found out that, all that you learn from the exams is that it is in NO WAY what you expect in the real world even when you try to apply it. The real world is so 50 Shades of Grey Literally.

AUD - 90
BEC - 78
FAR - 84
REG - 87

World Domination Plan

Phase I : Pass CPA Exams - Complete
Phase II : Megan Fox - In Progress
Phase III : Megan Fox & Scarlett Johansson Lingerie Pillow Fight
Phase IV : Form the new Charlie's Angels with Megan Fox, Scarlett Johansson, & Gal Gadot
Phase V : TBD

BEC : 78
REG : 87
FAR : 84
AUD : 90

World Domination Plan

Phase I : Pass CPA Exams - Complete
Phase II : Megan Fox - Initiated
Phase III : Bring back 8-Tracks
Phase IV : Megan Fox & Scarlett Johansson Lingerie Pillow Fight
Phase V : TBA

[NYCaccountant]

I would like to think FAR helped me the most, but it's also my favorite.

AUD - 99
BEC - 84
FAR - 93
REG - 87

NYC born and raised.

FAR - 93
REG - 87
BEC - 84!!!!
AUD - 99!!!!!! CPA exam complete.

[ForgottenOne]

In no way these exams help you proficient in any area, they are more like just exposing on the surface of what are really out there, what rules to follow handling a specific matter, where to look for guidance, and how to proceed.

AUD - 86
BEC - 76
FAR - 75
REG - 83

Forgot

[Yolonge]

Good – FAR / REG
Bad – AUD / BEC

FAR – was a great review of what I have (or should have) learned in school. Also helps with auditing.

REG – I think it cleared some question when I was filing personal income tax return (above the life deduction (student loan interest up to $2500), lifetime learning credit, etc.))

AUD – ironically, despite having the highest score and being an auditor, I am not sure if I learned anything useful.

BEC – rushed the exam within 2 weeks and luckily passed. I do not think there is anything important there and i forgot everything.

FAR - 83 (1/7/16)
BEC - 87 (4/18/16)
AUD - 92 (7/2/16)
REG - 83 (12/5/16)
Ethics - 100%!

Licensed CPA in state of Maryland Feb 2017

Materials: Wiley book + Ninja MCQ

FAR - 83 (Jan 2016)
Study time: 6 weeks
BEC - 87 (April 2016)
Study time: 2 weeks
AUD - 92 (July 2016), (74 Feb 2016), (72 May 2016)
Study time: 4 (Feb) + 2 (May) + 3 (July) = 9 weeks total
REG - (70 April 2016)
Study time: 3 weeks

[Sarasota Sooner]

That is the way I view this process. If it becomes just about trying to pass then I feel like I become discouraged. I try to view it as learning as much as I can do as to become a well-versed accountant and it makes those dreary long study sessions suddenly less cumbersome. Maybe that's Pollyannish but that's how I stay motivated.

[CPA2BEE]

For me, studying helped with my overall realm of accounting knowledge that allowed me to think of questions to ask about something I'd heard of before in the materials or chime in on things I had come across while studying that pop up in real life. Whereas prior to studying for the exam I would've thought “Well, never heard of that before, thats over my head” and that would be the end of it. So in theory, it helped a lot.

But as far as practicality, its just different in real life. Preparing a 1040 on the REG exam is not going to be like preparing a 1040 in real life. You're not given a description of perfect information from a machine through a simulation in real life to put on the 1040. In fact you're usually dealing with an incompetent client who will give you incorrect information and then you have to ask for it again and explain everything 30 times to them. Preparing the form is easy, its collecting accurate information and knowing what is accurate that takes real life experience. Thats one of many differences between the exam and real life, the list goes on and on.

CA CPA - est. Dec 2016

FAR - 80
AUD - 82
BEC - 80
REG - 85

ETHICS - 90
EXPERIENCE - COMPLETE
Application for California license mailed 8/4/2016

[Anonymous]

I think the exam in a lot of ways is like school. I went to school for 4 years to learn how to be an accountant. I got out in the real world and realized I didn't know how to be an accountant because the real world isn't like school. Although it felt like I was starting from scratch, without my 4 years of education I wouldn't be able to do what I do today. It gives you a baseline knowledge. There's no way I could effectively train someone without an accounting degree to do my job, even though what I physically do every day is nothing like what I learned in college.

Maybe the exam doesn't have a lot of practical applications, but if you study right you will learn a lot that will help you become more knowledgeable about the overall field. As some mentioned above, it teaches you the right questions to ask or the place to start researching something new. It allows you to communicate more knowledgeably with coworkers. It builds character and shows dedication and persistence to your superiors. It's a confidence boost to show that when you put your mind to something, you can do it.

That's not to say there aren't practical applications as well (for me, ROI analysis, capital lease analysis, S Corp taxation, general cost accounting knowledge, etc.), but I think some of the biggest applications are the intangibles.

[waffle_house]

I learned a lot from these exams. Use FAR everyday at work (mostly).

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

[Author]

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