CPA Exam Blog: Have a CPA Exam Success Story to Share?
Anonymous
· 1 year ago
Been studying for CPA since 2006. So far, BEC*3(72,71,76) REG*3(65,69,77),AUD(79 but lost credit),FAR(60,72).Have scheduled for FAR now .. Read your blog and felt a kinship of sorts.. I am not quitting anytime soon though thts for sure...My review material was Becker for the whole time. When the going gets tough, the tough get going!
Anonymous
· 1 year ago
I was fortunate enough to pass all four sections the first time. Took a little over 6 months, with the last section just two weeks ago. I was surprised to see the last two scores released yesterday. My scores were: BEC 89, AUD 96, REG 90, FAR 88. It wasn't easy, by any means, but I took the Becker online course which worked perfectly for me. It provided enough structure to keep me on track, but was flexible enough for my busy work schedule (I was working 12-14 hour days during busy season). In order to cram for FAR (in 2.5 weeks), I went to the library directly after work and studied there until midnight on weekdays and studied 12 hours each day on the weekend. Basically, I gave up any life I had (outside of work) while I was studying for the exams. Not the most pleasant experience, but I got it over with so I can look forward to returning back to society now.
michael bushnell
· 1 year ago
I passed all four sections of the exam on the first try. My scores were AUD - 98, FAR - 79, BEC - 79, REG - 76. It was very rough going. I got off to a good start by passing AUD and REG in the April/May window last year. I planned to take BEC and FAR in the July/August window but I got very sick and then was diagnosed with cancer. I had to have surgery to remove the cancer and then recover from surgery so my BEC exam was delayed until October. I actually had 16 stitches taken out of my neck the day before the exam, so you can imagine how fun that was while taking the exam. I then basically took the month of November off to rest. I started studying at the beginning of December, naturally taking time off for Christmas and all that. Then come January 2nd, I kicked it into high gear and took FAR at the end of February. I found out I passed on March 24th. For all parts I had the Becker Passmaster software and the Becker flashcards. For FAR, I also ordered the Becker Final Review software just to give myself an extra boost right before the exam. There is so much to remember in FAR that I figured it couldn't hurt to give it a shot. I took two days off from work before my FAR exam and did nothing but the final review software. I felt it really helped. I put in about 20 hrs a week for each section, giving myself about a week and a half for each chapter in the Becker course.
Bear
· 1 year ago
I might need to update this, but I've passed three sections up till now. Here's my story:
I didn't think about the order before I took the classes, I just signed up for the Becker live course in Dallas and started with the section they were on. With that, I also had the passmaster software and the final reviews, (also live). I would vouch strongly for that review. The instructor really made a difference for me.
I basically traded my life in for about four or five months. Every Saturday was consumed with an eight to ten hour class. After that, I studied for at least two or three hours every day.
I feel the order was really good for me. I started studying for my first section in October of last year. BEC was my first test and felt like a good warm up since it was all MC and the material is comparitively less intense than AUD and FAR.
After I got my score (91) for BEC, I took FAR, thinking for sure the first score was a fluke and I was going to be humbled horribly by FAR since it was a "real" exam and not just some general business fluff. That exam was the beginning of Feburary. I got my score (90) for that in the first wave, only days before I was supposed to take AUD. At that time I wasn't sure if the score was a confidence boosting blessing or an arrogance enducing curse.
AUD to me was the scariest of all of them because it's so theoretical and you can't use logic and numbers to verify your answers. I recall the results to that were posted pretty quickly (89).
Right now, I'm waiting for REG, which I took on April 4th and did not like at all. I don't like tax and I dislike law for the same reason I didn't like AUD. There is no real "correct" answer.
My pattern for each exam was exactly the same. Some people might not be able to do it, but it worked for me. I studied as described above with the live class and then two or three hours per night. I scheduled all the exams for noon on Friday and took Thursday and Friday off of work. Thursday, I would wake up at 5:00am and smash through questions all day until dinner, when I would go and have a healthy meal and relax over some sport on tv for the rest of the night and get a good night's sleep. The next morning, I would casually review the book while watching TV, or whatever I felt would keep me calm. After that, just say some prayers, drive to the testing facility and jump on the bull. It seems to be working...
If I missed REG, the only thing I'll change is to take it on the very last day of the window. Screw this waiting stuff.
Anonymous
· 1 year ago
I sat for REG on 04/28/08 for the first time after studying for 2 months in the middle of busy season at work. Two days before the date of my exam, my wife left me.
Should I go ahead and sit for the exam on the scheduled date or deal with my marital crisis? Even if I tried to continue studying, how could I possibly focus? She took the kids also!
I did both. Somehow, someway...I spent the two days before the exam taking steps to put my marriage back together and at the same time studying in an empty house. :(
When I sat for REG two days after my wife left me, my marriage issues were still outstanding. So there I sat in the testing center in front of my computer monitor taking REG. About every 10 MCQs, my mind would wander..."What are my kids doing right now?"..."How am I going to salvage my marriage?"..."This sucks!"...amidst calculating the basis of a partner contributing land with a different FMV than book basis!
Two days after my exam, my wife and kids moved back. Things are much better. It's a long story and very complicated, but we are on the mend.
Three weeks after the exam, I got my results. I scored an 80.
Anonymous
· 1 year ago
I just found out I passed my last part...so there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Everyone says just imagine how good you will feel once you're done and then all the studying will be worth it. Words cannot even explain how great I feel right now...all of those nights when your friends go out while you are alone studying...it was worth it so hang in there. It will end eventually. Also, I used Becker for all of my studying. I never tried any other materials but it seemed to work for me. Good luck.
Benny
· 10 months ago
Hi! I love your blog and believe that ALL SUCCESSFUL cpa exam candidates need as much positive encouragement as possible. That said, my success story is attributable to lots of coffee, LOTS. I'm not kidding. I passed all 4 parts of the exam, taken individually, the first time. I made a schedule and stuck to it. I work in accounting/finance focused in real estate, so when the market started to slow (officially recession since December 2007), I started to study. My boss was understanding and there were days where instead of billing 8 hours to clients, I would spend up to 4 hours studying, and then study after work for an hour or so. I used to be a big partier, but the more I studied and invested (time), the more I became motivated to past. My quick tips include to drink coffee (coffee ALONE won't help you pass but it is underrated on these types of blogs and take frequent breaks while studying. If i was frustrated I'd usually clear my head by doing a quick set of 10 pushups, and then answer some more questions. Also, adhere to the "5 more" theory. Study "5 more" minutes, answer 5 more questions, whenever possible. Lots of luck to all!
Nischal Raj Siwakoti
· 9 months ago
It took me 10 month to pass. BEC 85, AUD 86, REG 77 and FAR 73 and 75. I think We got follow one study material consitently. I followed Beceker and I think it is if we go through all resources like Book, Home Work and Final Simulation exam.
If study schedule is done through consistently i do not see any reason one will fail it.
I wanted to share my story because I think there are a lot of others out there like me who feel like this is a mountain too large to climb. I have been out of school for 12 years, started a new job as Controller of a start-up a year ago, and have two kids ages 3 and 6 and a husband at home. My mantra in college was "C's get degrees". I did well in my accounting courses (usually better than a C if I applied myself), but just passed my other courses. I was so burned out when I got out of college that I just couldn't imagine sitting for the exam. I went to one Becker class and never returned. There was no way I could make it.
I was fairly successful with my first employer. I spent almost 4 years in Corporate Accounting, preparing financials, including consoliations, preparing M-1 schedules for the tax returns and working with the auditors. I later went on to manage a spin-off of the same company, and spent some time in Operations, managing systems related to insurance premium accounting. I enjoyed it. I always wanted to obtain my license, and when CA changed the requirements to not require public accounting, I decided that "some day", I'd try. Some day came last year when I applied for the exam after starting with a new employer.
I sat for AUD first and, while I was studying for REG, found out I earned a 93. I was certain I failed REG and cried for weeks as I was studing for BEC. I ended up with an 84 in REG and an 87 in BEC. I then began to tackle FAR. I had learned a lot in my new job, and worked under a very skilled (though unfamiliar with GAAP) Chartered Accountant from the UK. I killed myself on this section. I was not surprised by anything on the exam and was fortunate to end up with a pretty easy second simulation, and my first simulation was on a subject I knew well. A couple hours after I walked out of the exam, I remembered to pay attention to the dates . . . I didn't!! I hoped my mistake was not going to cost me a passing score. After waiting nearly two months for my score (I should have been a wave 1 but was bumped to wave 2), I received it . . . 96.
I can't say it was the best day of my life. My wedding day was better, and the birth of each of my two kids outweighed my wedding day, but this was definitely #4. I was so happy to have passed all the sections on my first try.
My secret? There is no secret (like Kung Fu Panda). It took hard work, sacrifice not only by me, but by those around me, and strong desire to get it done. Some weeks, I studied for only 10 hours, others more than 40. I studied until I got it. I set a schedule and stuck to it. When I fell behind, I took time to catch up, and when I got ahead of schdule, I tried to stay there. I didn't skip any subjects, I studied them all. I understood them all.
I used Becker 2008 for AUD, REG and BEC and Becker 2009 for FAR. I thought Becker covered all but REG VERY well. There were absolutely NO surprises on AUD (as I recall) or FAR. I don't think there were many on BEC. REG, however, was full of material I'd never seen before. My strategy to understand everything in the material well seems to have paid off.
I have spent about 5 years outside of college working in Financial Accounting, and the other 7 in claims and receivables accounting. I did not know most of this material when I began studying. This is possible, guys. I did it while simultaneously doing all the things I talked about above and while being a Girl Scout Leader and sitting on the Board of the PTA. It really, really, really can be done.
The secret? Time and studying. Study until you know it, whether that's an hour a day or 6 hours a day, it's what you have to do to pass. Many would say I overstudied. I'd rather have that problem than not studying enough. You will ultimately have to put in the time to be able to pass this thing. Put it in now and move on with your life . . . don't think you can wing it on even one chapter. It will haunt you.
Theresa W.
· 6 months ago
I wanted to share my story because I think there are a lot of others out there like me who feel like this is a mountain too large to climb. I have been out of school for 12 years, started a new job as Controller of a start-up a year ago, and have two kids ages 3 and 6 and a husband at home. My mantra in college was "C's get degrees". I did well in my accounting courses (usually better than a C if I applied myself), but just passed my other courses. I was so burned out when I got out of college that I just couldn't imagine sitting for the exam. I went to one Becker class and never returned. There was no way I could make it.
I was fairly successful with my first employer. I spent almost 4 years in Corporate Accounting, preparing financials, including consoliations, preparing M-1 schedules for the tax returns and working with the auditors. I later went on to manage a spin-off of the same company, and spent some time in Operations, managing systems related to insurance premium accounting. I enjoyed it. I always wanted to obtain my license, and when CA changed the requirements to not require public accounting, I decided that "some day", I'd try. Some day came last year when I applied for the exam after starting with a new employer.
I sat for AUD first and, while I was studying for REG, found out I earned a 93. I was certain I failed REG and cried for weeks as I was studing for BEC. I ended up with an 84 in REG and an 87 in BEC. I then began to tackle FAR. I had learned a lot in my new job, and worked under a very skilled (though unfamiliar with GAAP) Chartered Accountant from the UK. I killed myself on this section. I was not surprised by anything on the exam and was fortunate to end up with a pretty easy second simulation, and my first simulation was on a subject I knew well. A couple hours after I walked out of the exam, I remembered to pay attention to the dates . . . I didn't!! I hoped my mistake was not going to cost me a passing score. After waiting nearly two months for my score (I should have been a wave 1 but was bumped to wave 2), I received it . . . 96.
I can't say it was the best day of my life. My wedding day was better, and the birth of each of my two kids outweighed my wedding day, but this was definitely #4. I was so happy to have passed all the sections on my first try.
My secret? There is no secret (like Kung Fu Panda). It took hard work, sacrifice not only by me, but by those around me, and strong desire to get it done. Some weeks, I studied for only 10 hours, others more than 40. I studied until I got it. I set a schedule and stuck to it. When I fell behind, I took time to catch up, and when I got ahead of schdule, I tried to stay there. I didn't skip any subjects, I studied them all. I understood them all.
I used Becker 2008 for AUD, REG and BEC and Becker 2009 for FAR. I thought Becker covered all but REG VERY well. There were absolutely NO surprises on AUD (as I recall) or FAR. I don't think there were many on BEC. REG, however, was full of material I'd never seen before. My strategy to understand everything in the material well seems to have paid off.
I have spent about 5 years outside of college working in Financial Accounting, and the other 7 in claims and receivables accounting. I did not know most of this material when I began studying. This is possible, guys. I did it while simultaneously doing all the things I talked about above and while being a Girl Scout Leader and sitting on the Board of the PTA. It really, really, really can be done.
The secret? Time and studying. Study until you know it, whether that's an hour a day or 6 hours a day, it's what you have to do to pass. Many would say I overstudied. I'd rather have that problem than not studying enough. You will ultimately have to put in the time to be able to pass this thing. Put it in now and move on with your life . . . don't think you can wing it on even one chapter. It will haunt you.
Theresa W.
· 6 months ago
I wanted to share my story because I think there are a lot of others out there like me who feel like this is a mountain too large to climb. I have been out of school for 12 years, started a new job as Controller of a start-up a year ago, and have two kids ages 3 and 6 and a husband at home. My mantra in college was "C's get degrees". I did well in my accounting courses (usually better than a C if I applied myself), but just passed my other courses. I was so burned out when I got out of college that I just couldn't imagine sitting for the exam. I went to one Becker class and never returned. There was no way I could make it.
I was fairly successful with my first employer. I spent almost 4 years in Corporate Accounting, preparing financials, including consoliations, preparing M-1 schedules for the tax returns and working with the auditors. I later went on to manage a spin-off of the same company, and spent some time in Operations, managing systems related to insurance premium accounting. I enjoyed it. I always wanted to obtain my license, and when CA changed the requirements to not require public accounting, I decided that "some day", I'd try. Some day came last year when I applied for the exam after starting with a new employer.
I sat for AUD first and, while I was studying for REG, found out I earned a 93. I was certain I failed REG and cried for weeks as I was studing for BEC. I ended up with an 84 in REG and an 87 in BEC. I then began to tackle FAR. I had learned a lot in my new job, and worked under a very skilled (though unfamiliar with GAAP) Chartered Accountant from the UK. I killed myself on this section. I was not surprised by anything on the exam and was fortunate to end up with a pretty easy second simulation, and my first simulation was on a subject I knew well. A couple hours after I walked out of the exam, I remembered to pay attention to the dates . . . I didn't!! I hoped my mistake was not going to cost me a passing score. After waiting nearly two months for my score (I should have been a wave 1 but was bumped to wave 2), I received it . . . 96.
I can't say it was the best day of my life. My wedding day was better, and the birth of each of my two kids outweighed my wedding day, but this was definitely #4. I was so happy to have passed all the sections on my first try.
My secret? There is no secret (like Kung Fu Panda). It took hard work, sacrifice not only by me, but by those around me, and strong desire to get it done. Some weeks, I studied for only 10 hours, others more than 40. I studied until I got it. I set a schedule and stuck to it. When I fell behind, I took time to catch up, and when I got ahead of schdule, I tried to stay there. I didn't skip any subjects, I studied them all. I understood them all.
I used Becker 2008 for AUD, REG and BEC and Becker 2009 for FAR. I thought Becker covered all but REG VERY well. There were absolutely NO surprises on AUD (as I recall) or FAR. I don't think there were many on BEC. REG, however, was full of material I'd never seen before. My strategy to understand everything in the material well seems to have paid off.
I have spent about 5 years outside of college working in Financial Accounting, and the other 7 in claims and receivables accounting. I did not know most of this material when I began studying. This is possible, guys. I did it while simultaneously doing all the things I talked about above and while being a Girl Scout Leader and sitting on the Board of the PTA. It really, really, really can be done.
The secret? Time and studying. Study until you know it, whether that's an hour a day or 6 hours a day, it's what you have to do to pass. Many would say I overstudied. I'd rather have that problem than not studying enough. You will ultimately have to put in the time to be able to pass this thing. Put it in now and move on with your life . . . don't think you can wing it on even one chapter. It will haunt you.
All Comments
REG*3(65,69,77),AUD(79 but lost credit),FAR(60,72).Have scheduled for FAR now .. Read your blog and felt a kinship of sorts.. I am not quitting anytime soon though thts for sure...My review material was Becker for the whole time.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going!
It wasn't easy, by any means, but I took the Becker online course which worked perfectly for me. It provided enough structure to keep me on track, but was flexible enough for my busy work schedule (I was working 12-14 hour days during busy season). In order to cram for FAR (in 2.5 weeks), I went to the library directly after work and studied there until midnight on weekdays and studied 12 hours each day on the weekend. Basically, I gave up any life I had (outside of work) while I was studying for the exams. Not the most pleasant experience, but I got it over with so I can look forward to returning back to society now.
I didn't think about the order before I took the classes, I just signed up for the Becker live course in Dallas and started with the section they were on. With that, I also had the passmaster software and the final reviews, (also live). I would vouch strongly for that review. The instructor really made a difference for me.
I basically traded my life in for about four or five months. Every Saturday was consumed with an eight to ten hour class. After that, I studied for at least two or three hours every day.
I feel the order was really good for me. I started studying for my first section in October of last year. BEC was my first test and felt like a good warm up since it was all MC and the material is comparitively less intense than AUD and FAR.
After I got my score (91) for BEC, I took FAR, thinking for sure the first score was a fluke and I was going to be humbled horribly by FAR since it was a "real" exam and not just some general business fluff. That exam was the beginning of Feburary. I got my score (90) for that in the first wave, only days before I was supposed to take AUD. At that time I wasn't sure if the score was a confidence boosting blessing or an arrogance enducing curse.
AUD to me was the scariest of all of them because it's so theoretical and you can't use logic and numbers to verify your answers. I recall the results to that were posted pretty quickly (89).
Right now, I'm waiting for REG, which I took on April 4th and did not like at all. I don't like tax and I dislike law for the same reason I didn't like AUD. There is no real "correct" answer.
My pattern for each exam was exactly the same. Some people might not be able to do it, but it worked for me. I studied as described above with the live class and then two or three hours per night. I scheduled all the exams for noon on Friday and took Thursday and Friday off of work. Thursday, I would wake up at 5:00am and smash through questions all day until dinner, when I would go and have a healthy meal and relax over some sport on tv for the rest of the night and get a good night's sleep. The next morning, I would casually review the book while watching TV, or whatever I felt would keep me calm. After that, just say some prayers, drive to the testing facility and jump on the bull. It seems to be working...
If I missed REG, the only thing I'll change is to take it on the very last day of the window. Screw this waiting stuff.
Should I go ahead and sit for the exam on the scheduled date or deal with my marital crisis? Even if I tried to continue studying, how could I possibly focus? She took the kids also!
I did both. Somehow, someway...I spent the two days before the exam taking steps to put my marriage back together and at the same time studying in an empty house. :(
When I sat for REG two days after my wife left me, my marriage issues were still outstanding. So there I sat in the testing center in front of my computer monitor taking REG. About every 10 MCQs, my mind would wander..."What are my kids doing right now?"..."How am I going to salvage my marriage?"..."This sucks!"...amidst calculating the basis of a partner contributing land with a different FMV than book basis!
Two days after my exam, my wife and kids moved back. Things are much better. It's a long story and very complicated, but we are on the mend.
Three weeks after the exam, I got my results. I scored an 80.
I used to be a big partier, but the more I studied and invested (time), the more I became motivated to past. My quick tips include to drink coffee (coffee ALONE won't help you pass but it is underrated on these types of blogs and take frequent breaks while studying. If i was frustrated I'd usually clear my head by doing a quick set of 10 pushups, and then answer some more questions. Also, adhere to the "5 more" theory. Study "5 more" minutes, answer 5 more questions, whenever possible. Lots of luck to all!
If study schedule is done through consistently i do not see any reason one will fail it.
Best of luck!
I was fairly successful with my first employer. I spent almost 4 years in Corporate Accounting, preparing financials, including consoliations, preparing M-1 schedules for the tax returns and working with the auditors. I later went on to manage a spin-off of the same company, and spent some time in Operations, managing systems related to insurance premium accounting. I enjoyed it. I always wanted to obtain my license, and when CA changed the requirements to not require public accounting, I decided that "some day", I'd try. Some day came last year when I applied for the exam after starting with a new employer.
I sat for AUD first and, while I was studying for REG, found out I earned a 93. I was certain I failed REG and cried for weeks as I was studing for BEC. I ended up with an 84 in REG and an 87 in BEC. I then began to tackle FAR. I had learned a lot in my new job, and worked under a very skilled (though unfamiliar with GAAP) Chartered Accountant from the UK. I killed myself on this section. I was not surprised by anything on the exam and was fortunate to end up with a pretty easy second simulation, and my first simulation was on a subject I knew well. A couple hours after I walked out of the exam, I remembered to pay attention to the dates . . . I didn't!! I hoped my mistake was not going to cost me a passing score. After waiting nearly two months for my score (I should have been a wave 1 but was bumped to wave 2), I received it . . . 96.
I can't say it was the best day of my life. My wedding day was better, and the birth of each of my two kids outweighed my wedding day, but this was definitely #4. I was so happy to have passed all the sections on my first try.
My secret? There is no secret (like Kung Fu Panda). It took hard work, sacrifice not only by me, but by those around me, and strong desire to get it done. Some weeks, I studied for only 10 hours, others more than 40. I studied until I got it. I set a schedule and stuck to it. When I fell behind, I took time to catch up, and when I got ahead of schdule, I tried to stay there. I didn't skip any subjects, I studied them all. I understood them all.
I used Becker 2008 for AUD, REG and BEC and Becker 2009 for FAR. I thought Becker covered all but REG VERY well. There were absolutely NO surprises on AUD (as I recall) or FAR. I don't think there were many on BEC. REG, however, was full of material I'd never seen before. My strategy to understand everything in the material well seems to have paid off.
I have spent about 5 years outside of college working in Financial Accounting, and the other 7 in claims and receivables accounting. I did not know most of this material when I began studying. This is possible, guys. I did it while simultaneously doing all the things I talked about above and while being a Girl Scout Leader and sitting on the Board of the PTA. It really, really, really can be done.
The secret? Time and studying. Study until you know it, whether that's an hour a day or 6 hours a day, it's what you have to do to pass. Many would say I overstudied. I'd rather have that problem than not studying enough. You will ultimately have to put in the time to be able to pass this thing. Put it in now and move on with your life . . . don't think you can wing it on even one chapter. It will haunt you.
I was fairly successful with my first employer. I spent almost 4 years in Corporate Accounting, preparing financials, including consoliations, preparing M-1 schedules for the tax returns and working with the auditors. I later went on to manage a spin-off of the same company, and spent some time in Operations, managing systems related to insurance premium accounting. I enjoyed it. I always wanted to obtain my license, and when CA changed the requirements to not require public accounting, I decided that "some day", I'd try. Some day came last year when I applied for the exam after starting with a new employer.
I sat for AUD first and, while I was studying for REG, found out I earned a 93. I was certain I failed REG and cried for weeks as I was studing for BEC. I ended up with an 84 in REG and an 87 in BEC. I then began to tackle FAR. I had learned a lot in my new job, and worked under a very skilled (though unfamiliar with GAAP) Chartered Accountant from the UK. I killed myself on this section. I was not surprised by anything on the exam and was fortunate to end up with a pretty easy second simulation, and my first simulation was on a subject I knew well. A couple hours after I walked out of the exam, I remembered to pay attention to the dates . . . I didn't!! I hoped my mistake was not going to cost me a passing score. After waiting nearly two months for my score (I should have been a wave 1 but was bumped to wave 2), I received it . . . 96.
I can't say it was the best day of my life. My wedding day was better, and the birth of each of my two kids outweighed my wedding day, but this was definitely #4. I was so happy to have passed all the sections on my first try.
My secret? There is no secret (like Kung Fu Panda). It took hard work, sacrifice not only by me, but by those around me, and strong desire to get it done. Some weeks, I studied for only 10 hours, others more than 40. I studied until I got it. I set a schedule and stuck to it. When I fell behind, I took time to catch up, and when I got ahead of schdule, I tried to stay there. I didn't skip any subjects, I studied them all. I understood them all.
I used Becker 2008 for AUD, REG and BEC and Becker 2009 for FAR. I thought Becker covered all but REG VERY well. There were absolutely NO surprises on AUD (as I recall) or FAR. I don't think there were many on BEC. REG, however, was full of material I'd never seen before. My strategy to understand everything in the material well seems to have paid off.
I have spent about 5 years outside of college working in Financial Accounting, and the other 7 in claims and receivables accounting. I did not know most of this material when I began studying. This is possible, guys. I did it while simultaneously doing all the things I talked about above and while being a Girl Scout Leader and sitting on the Board of the PTA. It really, really, really can be done.
The secret? Time and studying. Study until you know it, whether that's an hour a day or 6 hours a day, it's what you have to do to pass. Many would say I overstudied. I'd rather have that problem than not studying enough. You will ultimately have to put in the time to be able to pass this thing. Put it in now and move on with your life . . . don't think you can wing it on even one chapter. It will haunt you.
I was fairly successful with my first employer. I spent almost 4 years in Corporate Accounting, preparing financials, including consoliations, preparing M-1 schedules for the tax returns and working with the auditors. I later went on to manage a spin-off of the same company, and spent some time in Operations, managing systems related to insurance premium accounting. I enjoyed it. I always wanted to obtain my license, and when CA changed the requirements to not require public accounting, I decided that "some day", I'd try. Some day came last year when I applied for the exam after starting with a new employer.
I sat for AUD first and, while I was studying for REG, found out I earned a 93. I was certain I failed REG and cried for weeks as I was studing for BEC. I ended up with an 84 in REG and an 87 in BEC. I then began to tackle FAR. I had learned a lot in my new job, and worked under a very skilled (though unfamiliar with GAAP) Chartered Accountant from the UK. I killed myself on this section. I was not surprised by anything on the exam and was fortunate to end up with a pretty easy second simulation, and my first simulation was on a subject I knew well. A couple hours after I walked out of the exam, I remembered to pay attention to the dates . . . I didn't!! I hoped my mistake was not going to cost me a passing score. After waiting nearly two months for my score (I should have been a wave 1 but was bumped to wave 2), I received it . . . 96.
I can't say it was the best day of my life. My wedding day was better, and the birth of each of my two kids outweighed my wedding day, but this was definitely #4. I was so happy to have passed all the sections on my first try.
My secret? There is no secret (like Kung Fu Panda). It took hard work, sacrifice not only by me, but by those around me, and strong desire to get it done. Some weeks, I studied for only 10 hours, others more than 40. I studied until I got it. I set a schedule and stuck to it. When I fell behind, I took time to catch up, and when I got ahead of schdule, I tried to stay there. I didn't skip any subjects, I studied them all. I understood them all.
I used Becker 2008 for AUD, REG and BEC and Becker 2009 for FAR. I thought Becker covered all but REG VERY well. There were absolutely NO surprises on AUD (as I recall) or FAR. I don't think there were many on BEC. REG, however, was full of material I'd never seen before. My strategy to understand everything in the material well seems to have paid off.
I have spent about 5 years outside of college working in Financial Accounting, and the other 7 in claims and receivables accounting. I did not know most of this material when I began studying. This is possible, guys. I did it while simultaneously doing all the things I talked about above and while being a Girl Scout Leader and sitting on the Board of the PTA. It really, really, really can be done.
The secret? Time and studying. Study until you know it, whether that's an hour a day or 6 hours a day, it's what you have to do to pass. Many would say I overstudied. I'd rather have that problem than not studying enough. You will ultimately have to put in the time to be able to pass this thing. Put it in now and move on with your life . . . don't think you can wing it on even one chapter. It will haunt you.