I used Becker (provided by my firm) and started with FAR since that is what everyone recommends. In retrospect, I think that's actually a good game plan since a lot of the stuff you learn in FAR will carry over to the other sections. I spent a decent amount of time studying for FAR (I think around 6 weeks) and I was only working part time which was HUGE since I was able to really spend time on the material and try to understand it rather than just memorize it. My attitude was “If Gearty explains something and it doesn't make sense (which it usually didn't), then figure out a way that makes sense.” Becker was overall pretty good, but they have a tendency to overcomplicate certain things – I remember for BEC they gave like 4 or 5 different formulas for variances that I ended up breaking down into one. I know not everyone has the luxury to spend time doing stuff like that, but if you do, I think breaking formulas/concepts down until you understand WHY something works is super helpful.
Anyway, after FAR, I took BEC, AUD, REG in that order. I kept my foot on the gas for BEC just because I thought my FAR score was a fluke – ended up getting a 99 which I honestly thought was a mistake; out of all the tests, BEC was the one I felt shakiest about. One thing I recommend for BEC is saving all the rote memorization stuff from the first chapter (i.e. COSO) for the end- no point in memorizing a bunch of random stuff that you'll end up forgetting by the time you get to the end of the material. For AUD, I felt pretty good going in and even better coming out, but that ended up being my lowest score. My only audit experience is one class in undergrad, but still I was a little surprised by the score considering how I'd done FAR and BEC. I think Becker did a great job on certain things (different engagement types – audit, review, compilation, AUPs) but I felt like the actual exam touched on things I'd never even seen mentioned in Becker. Last but not least, I took REG after working my first full-time busy season (tax). At this point, I knew EWS was a long shot since I needed a 97 or higher on REG and it was difficult to study while working full-time, but I gave it my best. Ended up getting a 96. My two cents on REG is that it is an absolute beast – I mean, even being a tax accountant I was pretty overwhelmed. Becker throws so much material at you that I think you'll be well-prepared for the actual exam if you just understand the concepts (and don't forget you can reference the authoritative literature for all the sims, not just the research question – it probably helped me scrape up partial credit on a sim or two).
I guess the overall takeaway is to take your time understanding the material and keep chipping away at it every day. Even though I was lucky enough to pass each section on the first go, there were points where I wanted to give up – I mean these tests are a serious commitment. I have so much respect for the people who fail and keep on keeping on until they pass; it's as much a test of grit as it is a test of debits and credits.
MBA Student
Future CPA Candidate (Maine)
Just incredible. Thank you for the detailed information. I am really inspired by your tenacity and how well you have done on the exams. I am just starting out on my CPA journey and your post really resonated because you have managed to do better than the vast majority of test takers yet still have a positive outlook despite coming so close to EWS. For these reasons alone, you should have won the award in my opinion.
I am in a different place than you. I am in my late 30s, working full time. Although I work in an accounting/finance oriented role, I don't have the traditional Accounting undergrad > Big 4/Public under my belt. I am looking to complete a CPA so that I can switch over to public (small shop), learn the business and branch out on my own. Therefore, my employer is not going to be supporting/paying for the CPA prep courses. Even before I take the prep courses, I'll need to complete 4 accounting oriented continuing ed courses so that I am eligible as a candidate.
Having said all of that, I'll look at Becker, Roger and Ninja to see how I can learn the most and maximize the score. I'll also start with FAR and will keep an eye out for REG being incredibly challenging.
If you have any parting words of advice for me or others aspiring to do well in exams, please do share. Otherwise, I wanted to thank you for contribution and wish you all the best for the future!
1. Getting through 4 online accounting courses over the summer.
2. Starting the prep in September. I like what I am seeing with Roger CPA prep.
MBA Student
Future CPA Candidate (Maine)
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