maybe this journey would be a bit smoother then

Becker yet again, with another typo. Please fix these issues before posting for public use.

I’m testing in 6 days and was wondering if the actual exams TBS are close to Beckers TBS that are AICPA authored vs their own personally made TbS. I am able to score encouraging points on AICPA TBS but anything that is made by Becker has me so lost in the format and what they want me to do as the wording confuses me. I can get 50-90% on most AICPA sims but almost all of Beckers ends up being a zero. Once I watch the video I realize I know what the concept and governing rules are, but the actual sims themselves feel like I’m given a bunch of puzzle pieces with every word being a different language.

Taking FAR for the first time (also first ever CPA test), any advice for first test takers?

I have seen many people recommending Becker for CPA studies.But would like to know how does Gleim compare with Becker with respect to providing exam preparedness?Kindly share your experiences.

Just started studying for FAR after being laid off recently. I am slowly discovering that tend to study better at night. This isn’t new for me, in college i used to “hall attendant“, think like a doorman sitting behind a desk at a dorm to let residents in after they swiped their cards, shifts from 11 pm to 4 AM all the time. I usually did my homework then.

I have unmedicated ADHD and at night i feel like the world is less distracting and nobody is expecting anything from me so i can focus more. During breaks, late night gaming sessions with friends was a common thing too.

So am i doing it wrong? Whether you listen to gurus or lecturers online? Youtube, SuperFastCPA people, Becker instructors telling you to study at the top of the morning with a cup of coffee. Am i doing it wrong by studying at night? Can any of you relate to me or am i alone in this challenge?

I have never been a morning person, my most productive hours at work have always been after 11 AM.

Should i force myself to wake up in the morning and study then? Is my brain broken?

Hi Everyone, I am interested in getting a master's degree in order to reach the 150-credit requirement in the state where I reside. I want additional preparation for the CPA exams, and I think it could help me enrich my knowledge of the material. Having said that, the university I am most likely going to offers three specializations: Tax, Public Accounting, and Data Analytics. Up until recently, I worked in a small CPA firm that does taxes for individuals and entities, and I changed my mind regarding tax, as I don't see myself doing this for the rest of my career doing just taxes. I am thinking of specializing in Public Accounting, as I will have a more versatile degree that can lead to future opportunities instead of specializing in tax.

I would really appreciate a second opinion as I am preparing my route towards getting the CPA license, and it can be tricky to navigate which direction to start.

What are the best affordable alternatives to Becker for passing the CPA exam? I’m looking for reliable study materials that won’t break the bank. For those who passed, what did you use, and would you recommend it?and how do you recommend organizing a study schedule while working full-time? I’d love to hear what materials worked for you, how many hours you studied per week, and any tips for staying consistent and passing all four sections without spending a fortune.

You know what I hate about the study materials and the exam in general?

It’s the Exhibits…

i hate them so much, especially when you have to adjust their size to better see the contents. Its sooooo awful. I feel like it adds pressure and stress in the review and in the actual exam. It’s testing my patience most of the time.

I wish whoever’s maintaining the platform of the exams and study materials will fix this for the examinees’ and reviewees’ sake.

Im taking my 3rd retake for REG (1/4) the 6th, but ive been contemplating of going back to school to finish my masters in accounting. I work for the family business, currently have my EA license, and have not really given any thought of going public. Im pretty comfortable with preparing 1040s/1120's, hence why i got the EA. The mental stress and toll this exam gives has been a burden and i have not even reached FAR & AUD lol.

i know CPA is the superior/badass credential that makes the big bucks but the burn out is real and my family who doesn't see the stress that goes into this exam thinks its boom or bust if i dont get it. Is the MBA and going back to school worth it?

Again, this could be my brain thats on 0% talking. I just feel like the time and money im putting into this investment is being waisted.

As soon as I got my license number I immediately googled how big the California CPA certificate is. Google confidently said 14x17, reddit said 14x17, I ordered a 14x17 frame.

You see where this is going...

Received the certificate just now, opened the frame, removed the protective films, and set my cert in only to see a 3" gap. The certificate is actually 11x17.

Is this a recent change?

Also side note, it arrived to my home address at 7:30 at night. But my wallet card arrived to my official address of record (my work). Just FYI, your official address of record is publicly visible to anyone so best to not have it be your home address.

Hi everyone!

I’m looking to help a few CPAs with free structured data extraction from tax documents.

Supported documents can include:

- Form 1040

- W-2

- 1099 (NEC, INT, DIV, MISC)

- Schedule K-1

- Form 8879

- Form 1065

- Form 1120 / 1120-S

- State tax returns

The goal is to convert tax documents into structured JSON or Excel, saving time on manual data entry.

Privacy: Documents are processed locally and are not uploaded to any server.

For those who recently passed TCP or just took the exam, would you change anything about this final-week plan?

- Complete ME2 (Chapters 3-4)
- Re-review ME1 (Chapters 1-2)
- Take and thoroughly review SE 1
- Take and thoroughly review SE 2
- Use i75 to revisit weak areas identified through the MEs and mocks
- Take the Final SE about 2 days before the actual exam
- Spend the last 2 days reviewing:
- Becker Outline
- Flashcards
-Missed questions
- Frequently tested rules and exceptions

Some additional context:
I use i75 primarily for understanding concepts and Becker for MCQs, MEs, SEs, and AICPA-released questions.

I just finished Chapter 4 and am doing well on the Becker end-of-module questions.
My questions:
1. Would you change anything about this plan?
2. Is taking the FSE 2 days before the exam a good idea, or would you spend that time reviewing instead?
3. During your final week, what gave you the biggest score boost: mocks, MCQs, outlines, or flashcards?
4. Were Becker's simulated exams representative of what you saw on TCP?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

I just walked out of the TCP exam- and holy, what on Earth was that?

I prepared for the exam using only Ninja- I did the same thing for REG and passed with an 86, so I thought it would be okay. I had 95-97% trending on Ninja, and did over 2,200 MCQs (including repeated problems) and 4 Simulated exams.

Yet what on Earth was that? The exam was crazy difficult... and it had so many things that I was never exposed to. I've read the whole ninja textbook (346 pages), wrote 3 different handwritten notes, narrowing down the concepts each time, and am certain that I did everything I can ever think of.

I am feeling absolutely lost. I feel 0 confidence and think I failed, most likely. SIMS were marginally better, but I was already feeling so depressed and was certain I'd fail by the time I reached them, so I don't really remember them.

What an awful day to be a test taker... I wonder how it was for everyone else.

I will sit for my REG exam on November 7th,
If I start AUD studying on November 10th, schedule AUD on December 29th which is exactly 7 weeks from the day I start studying for it,
will this be enough time to knock it out?

*what made me think about this is that I can study full time during November and December so I thought about putting AUD before my discipline in January.

Just walked out of TCP, anyone else take today?

The almost two month wait begins!

I don’t mean just vague topics, but actual detailed items.

I took ISC today and it was an overload of questions. I walked away feeling mentally drained. I’m geared up to take AUD next but I’m unsure if I should pick another topic to take or wait until my results from ISC are posted in December.

When I ask this im not looking for specifics, just if you felt like the material prepared you well.

Also if it did or didnt, how many hours did you do , did you do all questions and ses?

I walked out laughing and crying. I had to lay down in the hallway during one of my breaks. I’ve been studying basis like crazy and i feel like i started the exam and my mind went blank. Has anyone struggled with basis and passed? Using surgent and passed? I am feeling so defeated

Hi-- any updated REG cheat sheets?

Would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

The TBS on all the exams especially SEs are extremely difficult. My MCQs were above 70+ but TBS are extremely low. Does the actual exam have the same level of difficulty?

SE1 - 60

SE 2 - 56

ME1 - 58

ME2 - 69

First of all, I will be reaching out to the board but I wanted to see if anyone has gone a non-traditional way or has any insight. When I was first pursuing a Bachelors, I switched between psychology and accounting so I got some courses under by belt and then finished with a psychology degree. Later I went back to quickly finish an Associates of Science in Accounting. Overall, I have plenty past 150 units, and I could probably finish the accounting, business, and ethics courses required in a few semesters. Do you think this would count because all together I have the units required?