Ohhh, CPA exam! How I LOVE you!

I am sure that if you are studying for the CPA exam, you KNOW that there is a slight tone of sarcasm in my blog title...! What an experience!

First of all, I have to say... I am NOT a nerd! I always do well in school, but the fact is.. I HATE studying! I usually study for an exam within the last couple of days. This is NOT what you should do for the CPA exam! And boy... was I in for a treat?! NOT! haha I did use the Becker CPA review! I love it. It has really helped a lot! I think though, as the end of this process approaches, I am in deed slowly but surely becoming a nerd!

Through my experience,I have learned that you have to be: very positive, VERY focused and especially ... V E R Y responsible! You almost have to already picture yourself as a CPA. The more you want it, the more you'll accomplish. Also, the more you study and the more you want to kill yourself because you no longer have a life= the more chances of passing! Go figure!! :/

Well, I began studying at the beginning of this year (2010). My first test was REG. It was bad! I studied for one month and half!!! And, I failed it my first time. It was very sad and disappointing. Especially since I got a 73. You pass each exam section with.. wait for it..... a 75! Yeahhh!

Ever since I was in high school, I was taught to start with the hardest subjects. For me, REG seemed like the hardest. A lot of laws, memorizing, sort of boring! :/ Second time taking it, studying was great! I knew a lot of the material already and what I didn't understand at first, seemed much easier second time around. I was more focused as well! I didn't want to fail a second time!!! So, I re-took my test on March 3. Usually March windows are closed, but this year was different. SUGGESTION: If you fail a section, re-take it as soon as possible. I passed!! Got a 93 :) So, don't give up!! And don't spend too much time reading!! That was my mistake with Reg the first time.. Work multiple choice questions! They are after all...70% of the exam!

My next exam was FAR. And I call them exams, because they are not high school tests... Not even collage! Ohh lordy! And I am NOT saying that they are hard! NO. They are just very different. Well, I decided to take FAR on April 28th, which meant I had just enough time to study. I created a very good study plan, where I would have time to do everything! From watching T.V., to going out with friends. Ehh.. But back to my study plan ... Mostly, I focused on creating key study goals. Each time a goal was reached: check mark!! The more check marks, the better!! :)

Here's an example of my goals for each chapter: (check mark after completing each goal)

Read chapter
Write Notes on Important/hard material
Practice Multiple Choice Questions
Work Simulations
Review Notes
Read Flashcards
Final Review of Books and Notes
Final M/C practice
Final Test practice

For me, this made it more manageable and organized. It also made me feel like I was prepared! I passed Far my first time. Which was ironic, since I thought FAR was harder than REG! I got an 83. SUGGESTION: Since FAR is so much material, organize your time wisely and spend more time on the things you don't already know.

Since FAR is filled with material that you might be familiar with... it may be easier for some people. Especially if you graduated recently. LOL.. With this said, take the test as soon as you graduate! You've learned most of it, and it's all fresh in your brain! So you will need less time to study for each section of the exam! Be PRODUCTIVE and smart about it! (It's taken me a year, and I blame myself. I started the exam two years after graduating. Even if it doesn't seem that long, it was harder for me than say, someone who just graduated.) :. I know of 3 friends who where able to pass all 4 sections within 4-5 months!!! I'm guessing a huge advantage was that they were cautious enough to take the exam RIGHT AWAY! Just... Make sure to manage your time wisely :)

My 3rd exam was AUD. I hated this one!! It was "easier" than the other two, but it was more boring too!!! I was basically forcing myself to study. It took me three months and a lot of perseverance (with a little procrastination!) to tackle this section. I took it on October 14th! I am still waiting on the score. :(

The waiting process is very annoying. I just want to know already! Is it GOOD news or no?! It usually takes within a month to a month and a half for grades to be posted online. You can find them on nasba.org, just make sure not to lose your NTS! You will need some of that information to get access to your grades!

I would be refreshing my score page every minute to the minute when scores where announced on tweeter. Ohh, that's another good thing to do: Follow Nasba on tweeter, they are constantly updating us about anything CPA related. Especially, the CPA exam!

My next exam section is on Nov. 29th. Less than a month away. And to be honest, I expected BEC to be on the easy side. I was wrong! It is very comparable to REG. A lot of information. A bit overwhelming! My Becker book has only five chapters on BEC. BUT, each chapter is a different subject. You name it! Business structures, economy, financial management, information technology and cost accounting! Mehh!

We'll see how it goes! For now... when I am done writing this blog, I will be back to studying! Something about this exam section (BEC) motivated me enough to write this blog. I want people to know that the CPA exam IS doable! Don't be scared/unwilling! Procrastination is hard to battle, but not impossible! In my case, I never thought I would actually get this far. Hopefully I'll be a CPA by the end of the year. It is no longer only about being the professional, it's about finishing what I started! :) I must admit though... I am a bit nervous! Especially since the CPA exam will be changing a lot for 2011... So not passing this section would be very sad! But I will study so hard...! I am motivated now!!! :)

I do really want to be done with this exam, but if I have anything negative to say it is: The exam process is very time consuming. You HAVE to be focused, don't slack and you have to STUDY!! The positive: You will learn soooo much just with studying for this exam! I think that I have learned more now than I did back when I was actually in college!!!

It feels good to know more about accounting. It is the career I chose after all! If you are also in this same journey, I wish you the best of luck, lots of focusing power and responsibility. Very important to have, if you want to be successful and if you want to pass this particular exam! Well...I hope I do well, wish me luck! And til' next time.... "we are on our way to a CPA!" :)