(Re)Starting CPA Journey

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    Topic
  • #2586732
    sking
    Participant

    Hello everyone,

    I took 3 exams and didn’t pass previously and now I am starting the CPA journey from scratch. I am starting out with BEC. I work full-time and am looking for tips for getting this one done.

    How long do you recommend for studying, what tips do you have for memorizing formulas, etcetera!

    Thanks for any advice in advance

     

    Hope is expectation with confidence.

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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  • #2587920
    iwantthiscpa
    Participant

    make your own flashcards. it helped me. i made flashcards while i was doing MCQs. if i got a question wrong, or i keep getting questions wrong on the same topic, i'd make a notecard for it. i wrote the chapter # on each notecard so i can put them in order so all the similar topics would be together. it really helped me. especially if i was away from my study desk or wanted a break from the textbook/MCQs, then i would just study my notecards. i used a lot of the mnemonics that my study course (roger) provided me to help remember things.
    also, make a study plan before you start studying. that is, have a test date set, and write out on a calendar which chapters you are going to study each day or each week. keep things in mind that may come up, like birthdays or events, so you know which weeks might allow less time for studying, then you won't fall behind your schedule. always allow a week (or two, if you can) of just review right before your exam so you can hit the MCQs hard and maybe focus on the topics you didn't do so great on.

    FAR: 67, 69, 74, 81
    AUD: 72, 74, 78
    REG: 77
    BEC: 70, 77
    #2588946
    CPA Hunter
    Participant

    just a friendly advice, do not start with the one that you feel comfortable with. Start with the most challenging one and the one you fear most. If you start with the easiest one, you will regret it when you have REG and FAR last. For me REG was the nightmare and when I passed it first, I knew I could do it for the rest. I am married and working full time and passed all in 12 months first try. Take the test when you are 100% sure you are ready and do not rush yourself. Study first thing in the morning. Make it a habit to get early and study.

    AUD - 78
    BEC - 75
    FAR - 78
    REG - 79
    Just give me a 75 and let me become a CPA
    #2588964
    iwantthiscpa
    Participant

    I agree with CPA Hunter.

    Start with what you think will be hardest, then IF you fail at least your 18 months hasn't started yet.

    In my option, most to least difficult is FAR, REG, BEC, AUD.

    Far and reg are kind of tied for hardest. I enjoyed FAR way more, though it was hard. I dislike tax so that made reg difficult too.

    FAR: 67, 69, 74, 81
    AUD: 72, 74, 78
    REG: 77
    BEC: 70, 77
    #2589561
    Jimmy Dugan
    Participant

    Watch this:

    It is CFA exam specific, but the principles he talks about apply to learning in general. Note taking does absolutely nothing for you and takes up a huge amount of time. My advice is to use someone else's notes or simply read the book/watch videos trying to understand the concepts rather that just write stuff down, then head for the test bank and hammer as many questions as you possibly can. Answering questions is how you reinforce the concepts.

    And if you can't understand something, go back and study it as if you had to explain it to someone else. This exercise helps the light bulb come on.

    AUD - 95
    BEC - 87
    FAR - 84
    REG - 90
    You're killing me Smalls

     

    #2590962
    Nate
    Participant

    I was in a similar boat to you. Took three exams, didn't take them seriously enough, and failed. A few years later when my life was a little more stable I retook the exams and passed all four in a row. I also started with BEC, which for me was necessary. While BEC is really tough, it is the easiest of the four and requires the least amount of study time. I took BEC first cause I just wanted to pass an exam to start my 18 month clock and give me motivation, and that worked for me. Once I saw my passing score for BEC I was ready to pass the other three! So while the popular opinion is start with FAR or the most challenging, I personally disagree with it simply for the motivation reasoning.

    I only used Roger and found it more than adequate, though with REG maybe something else to supplement it with practice questions might have been nice, but obviously by my scores it wasn't necessary. Simply what I did, was I watched each Roger video, then read that material (For example, I'd wath AUD 1.1 then read 1.1, then watch 1.2 then read 1.2, etc.). I took my time, re-read tough sentences/paragraphs, and took lots of notes during the videos. I pretty much wrote everything down that Roger wrote on the board and some. I also would take a practice exam after each section and any question I got wrong I'd find that material and go over it again just to make sure I got it, and even questions I eventually memorized I worked from scratch and followed all of the steps so it'd stay fresh in my mind. Didn't do anything besides that. And finally, I studied a lot! I pretty much spent all of my free time studying. I'd come home from work, eat dinner with my wife, then study until bedtime. On Saturdays I studied all day literally, except for a break for meals and about a 30-60 min walk if the weather permitted. On sundays I took a morning break for Church, but as soon as I got home from Church I'd study all day except for lunch and dinner. That's all I did, study, study, study. It sucks, you'll miss your family and friends, but unfortunately that's the only way to pass, is to put in the many hours.

    If I can do this, so can you! You got this, and you will pass and become a CPA and as Roger says, find out what true happiness is all about! Good luck and remember it's all worth it in the end!

    AUD: 54 (10/31/15); 83 (12/02/17)
    BEC: 70 (01/31/16); 90 (07/02/17)
    FAR: 73 (10/03/15); 88 (02/17/18)
    REG: 83 (06/09/18)
    AICPA Ethics: 91 (06/28/18)
    Licensed: 08/16/18
    #2590989
    sking
    Participant

    Thank you all for the advice and feedback. Definitely going to take bits and pieces of the all above advice for my studying!!!

     

    Hope is expectation with confidence.

    #2594835
    Vyhunter
    Participant

    We got this 🔥

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