exam order

Order to take CPA Exam

by gaap toothed on June 24, 2010 · 0 comments

in CPA FAQ,Featured,tips for success

I messed up.  I took FAR and BEC in the April/May window and found out that I had passed both in late May.  Ever since I got my passing scores back I have been lazy.  I no longer have that fear of failing because I’m overconfident.  I thought I was being strategic by taking the hardest exam (FAR) first and following it with the easier/shortest exam (BEC) in the same window.  This was a horrible strategy.

I should have taken FAR, REG, and AUD in the same window.  FAR and REG are the most difficult/longest exams while AUD is a shorter/easier exam known for its trickery.  I would have busted my ass studying for both FAR and REG, then try to squeeze in AUD at the end of the window.  If I pass all 3, then all I have left is BEC which is almost a gift because it has no Simulations.  Although taking FAR and REG in the same window would have probably left no time for studying AUD… so change that to FAR, BEC, and AUD in the same window.

Looking back, now I wish I squeezed in AUD back in May.  I took BEC on May 10th and thought about taking AUD on May 31st, but decided that I deserved a break.  BIG MISTAKE.  Now that I’ve broken my habit of studying, it’s really hard to get back into it especially since audit is a very un-engaging topic.  If I had taken and passed FAR, BEC, and AUD in the same window, then that would leave only REG.  I would have had 3 months to study for REG.  I’m definitely motivated to study REG because I’ve only taken Intro to Taxation and never had a good understanding of tax.  So I’m curious to find out whether I will finally grasp tax this time.

P.S. Update on AUD Studying: Still haven’t started.

Tagged as: exam order

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Which exam to take next?

by gaap toothed on May 28, 2010 · 0 comments

in CPA FAQ

I can’t decide which to take next, REG or AUD?  I definitely want to get the exam over with by August 31st.

I wanted to take REG next because I’ve heard it’s more difficult and requires more preparation, but now I’m feeling a bit lazy…

If I take AUD next, I’d study in June and take it on July 1st.  This would give me 2 months to study for REG and the option to take REG in the 4th quarter window if I didn’t feel comfortable.  Honestly, I don’t like this approach because I feel like I’d just push back REG since I know that I can.

Tagged as: exam order, exam scheduling

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Strategic exam scheduling for the CPA

by gaap toothed on September 10, 2009 · 0 comments

in CPA FAQ,CPA Review Programs

I graduated in May 2009 with a BBA in Accounting and MIS, but I am not eligible to sit for the CPA until January 2010.  I do not have a job and am currently taking 6 hrs of accounting classes to fulfill the CPA requirements.

I ordered Yaeger FAR Homestudy and should be receiving it soon.  I plan on studying 4-8 hours everyday until I have completed all the MCQs.  After that, depending on my confidence, I might buy a Yaeger CRAM and Gleim software or try studying for REG/BEC.

After researching the cpanet board, I thought it would be a good idea to plan my CPA schedule by starting with the hardest section first, like this:
FAR – Jan/Feb 2010
REG – April/May 2010
AUD – July/Aug 2010
BEC – July/Aug 2010

But after researching even more, I realized that I could probably speed up the process since time is on my side.  Now I’m thinking about this schedule:
FAR Jan/Feb 2010
BEC Jan/Feb 2010
REG April/May 2010
AUD April/May 2010

I decided to move BEC up because I have taken two Cost Accounting classes, several MIS/AIS classes, and enjoy studying economics.

I used to be intimidated the most by FAR because of the amount of material it covers, but lately it has become less intimidating because I know that time is on my side and I’ve also been exposed to 90% of the material.  Also, I have been psyching myself out and even feel excited about starting to study (mainly because I don’t have a job and have nothing to do all day, LOL).

REG and AUD are now the ones I am dreading.  I’ve taken Indiv. Tax and one Audit class and was always confused in those classes.  I saved these exams for last because with FAR and BEC I feel confident and am kind of excited/psyched to start studying for them.

My concerns are studying too much (with the first schedule)/too little (with the second schedule) and whether or not I will retain 2 sections worth of material per window.  Throughout college, I always had a hard time during final exams because I could only study 1 test at a time.  Studying for more than 1 test would cause me to forget things.

I cannot wait for my FAR review materials get here so I can finally figure out how I’m going to study, how long FAR will take for me to study, and finally which schedule plan I should go with!

Tagged as: background, cpa, education, exam, exam order, experience, review, software, study, Wiley, Yaeger

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The beginning of my CPA journey

by gaap toothed September 8, 2009 CPA Exam

Yesterday, I purchased Yaeger Homestudy FARs CPA review material. It comes with: Yaeger FAR Video Lectures 2009 Wiley CPA Review textbook for FAR downloadable FAR Handout Wiley 14.0 Practice Software Access to Yaeger CPA Review Instructor Hotline I decided to buy Yaeger over Rogers CPA Review because it was cheaper, Yaeger’s instructors have better credentials/more [...]

Tagged as: cpa, exam, exam order, material, review, Roger CPA Review, Yaeger CPA Review

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