LOL @ the people who call themselves CPAs and have never worked in public..YOU ARE NOT CPAS!!! HATE TO BURST YOUR BUBBLE.
As Far as FAR goes and anything else on the exam in the world of public accounting is the answer is …IT DEPENDS
Most of FAR you will not use for non public companies, the overwhelming majority of companies are LLC's and S-Corps that report under cash basis and only want Comps done..when you get into 990 clients they will need small non complex audits..The bigger corps you'll need it but 50 percent of FAR youll never use.
For Far you need to know Accounting..AJE's All the stuff pretty much through Intermediate 1 and the first part of Int 2.
Software calculates most things but you need to understand in order to make adjustments and double check things that they are accurate, and well for Auditing clients obviously verify the accuracy.
I'm a Sr CPA in Downtown Chicago.
You have 3 paths you can take in public, Tax, Audit and Staff work.
Tax at mid size firms is all tax compliance and plannings
Audit is comps, reviews and audits of all entities and benefit plans etc
Staff is a mixture of both.
Being you scored a 59 and have to ask the question about CPA firms tax work, I'd say find a new career, not to be mean but people like you are the reason Firms are Nazis on hiring entry level staff and hold down the pay for people who bust there asses. Why would you want to pursue a career you do not like? AS well as devote in your case probably 3+ years to passing a test.
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