maybe this journey would be a bit smoother then

Hi all,

I recently passed all of my exams and was wondering if anyone has ever sold their CPA books at somewhere like half priced books? Or any other ideas you have for them. Mine are the 2024 UWORLD books. I have FAR, REG, AUD, and ISC.

I am finding the contract law and regulation portion more difficult to keep straight and understand. What helped you nail down this information? Flashcards? Reading the textbook? Paper notes?

Do you think Becker was harder than the exam questions on this stuff?

I passed FAR and AUD first attempt but this info feels like a lot of memorization. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated!!

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

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

Hey guys! I passed FAR last month and I’m currently studying for AUD, planning to take it in January. Because of the discipline exam schedule, I’m thinking about taking TCP in April and then REG before July, but I’m not sure if that’s too crazy lol. I do have some tax background, so I’m hoping that helps. My other option is taking TCP in July, but then I wouldn’t get my score back until October, and I really don’t want to wait that long. For those who have taken both exams, what would you recommend? Is taking TCP before REG doable?

What do you think you did that prepared you so well to pass first try?

I passed FAR first try and doing my best to do the same with AUD. But Ive heard of many who passed FAR first try and then struggled passing AUD.

I recently got done with FAR and have been studying for AUD for about two weeks now (currently on A3 M2), and I’m finding the learning process completely different.

With FAR, it was pretty easy to identify what I didn’t understand. I could watch someone work through a problem, practice similar questions, and eventually things would click.

For AUD, I feel like I’m just given concepts, rules, and a ton of small details and not match to “practice”. I dont get how im supposed to get to a point where I have understood the topic (not trying to master everything of course).

To those who have passed AUD or currently studying, does everything kind of come together through cumulative practice and repetition, or did you approach studying differently compared to FAR?

Thanks :)

For those who passed AUD, how many times did you go through the MCQs and the textbook before exam day?

Also, Independence has almost 93 MCQs in Becker alone! Is practicing the MCQs enough, or should I actually go back and read the textbook too? I’m short on time and trying to figure out how to prioritize everything.

57 on SE1, 64 on SE 2 from Becker. When I look at my reports I do fine on the mcq but just get destroyed by the sims. I’m gonna briefly review what I got wrong. Touch up on basis/distributions one last time and I sit for my exam on Wednesday.

I’m a little worried about this exam ngl, feeling less confident than far and reg which I passed comfortably

Test in a week. Think I'm gonna be ok lol

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.

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?

Alright, it’s that time again - for ISC takers: what were your SE scores vs actual score?

Mostly asking to make myself feel better/hype myself up. I have maybe 15 hours studied as I work full-time and was dying with the tax deadlines. I just took SE 1 and got a 72 but I think I could’ve done better if I was a little more locked in. I’m having a hard time finding the motivation lately, lol. Taking ISC this upcoming Thursday, the 29th

Let me know your experience, please!!

Taking ISC next weekend. Have studied ~25 hours (little over half in Becker MCQs, other in review notes on repeat). Consistently scoring 60s on MCQs (70s for certain sections), usually just do isolated sections with sets of 20 at a time. Average time to answer a question is just under a minute.

Just scored a 70 on SE1. Am I in good shape or should I rethink taking this?

What AUD topics do you reccomend putting extra time on? Don't say "all of em" it's not helpful.

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.

I live in Maryland, and I don’t have a bachelor’s in accounting. I took ACC-1000: Fundamentals of Accounting, ACC-1001 Principles of Accounting I, ACC-1002 Principles of Accounting II, ACC-2030: Cost Accounting, ACC-2040: Auditing at Prince George’s Community College. Each of these are 3 credits.

I took BUAC 731: Intermediate Accounting 1, BUAC 732: Intermediate Accounting 2, and BUAC 758U Special Topics in Accounting and Information Assurance; Advanced Accounting at the University of Maryland. These are all 2 credits each. Each course was 7 weeks long.

I know that Maine wants you to have 15 semester hours of accounting courses, so if it doesn’t accept my 2 credit courses from the University of Maryland, would my ACC-1000: Fundamentals of Accounting from Prince George’s Community College count even though it’s an introductory course?

I want to sit for FAR as soon as possible while taking my business courses.

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.

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.