No dice ... again?!#$%&*!!!

Hey everyone!  Let me start off by apologizing for not posting in over a month.  To be completely honest I have been dreading this post and you will soon know why.

So the last time I posted I had just sat for FAR and I felt pretty good about it, knew I wasn't going to get a 99 or anything, but wasn't stressing out over it.  So a few weeks later I'm at work on the score release date and I think, "Ah, what the heck why not just check it now?"  Big mistake!  I did not pass ... with a 74?!?!?!?!  Really people (aka CPA exam graders)?!  So now I have collectively not passed the entire CPA exam by 3 lousy points.  Here is a recap of my scores:

REG 91
BEC 85
AUD 73
FAR 74 

Obviously someone has been falling off the band wagon. LOL, but I actually did study about 60 hours for FAR.  Opinions vary, but most people say if you put in 100 hours you're golden.  It's just so hard to find the time.  This time around, however, I am not rushing myself.  Last time I signed up for all 4 exams and I've learned my lesson.  Now I'm registering one at a time and still sticking to my goal of finishing before the end of 2012.

I'm sure there are so many people out there in my same predicament, feeling stressed out and wishing this was all over already.  But, for those of you who are still in school or haven't sat for the exams yet there is a lot to be learned from a failure.  First, the test makers are at least nice (<<< I'm being nice by giving them this much credit) enough to give you a break down of where your strengths and weaknesses lie.  Both times my weakness was in multiple choice and my strength was in simulations.  Go figure since I always feel like I bomb the sims.  Secondly, now that I've sat for the exams I know what to expect and what areas and types of questions are heavily tested, although do keep in mind each test is different.  Finally, and this is the hardest one, JUST SAY NO.  Say no to that Friday night movie you want to see, say no to the beach on Saturday, say no to volleyball or knitting or happy hour or whatever else you get invited to after work.  It sucks, it really really does.  Buuut, if I would have started doing that in April and not the end of June, I'd be able to enjoy most of my summer weekends instead of stressing over this exam.  So do it now and think of all the fun stuff you can do once you're a CPA and buy your first SLK500 convertible or whatever the Becker guy says you should buy.

Well that is my rant for the week.  Anyone else have a CPA horror story?  Ohh, and I know I have said this before, but utilize mobile apps!!  CPAReviewForFree just came out with great apps for all 4 parts and they are only $10 a pop!  I believe most firms will pay for them, too! 600 questions with very thorough answers for ten bucks?  Luckily it's not too good to be true because it's still a nerdy study app.

Well kids, watch out for me at your local DQ this summer; I might have to get a weekend job scooping ice cream to help defray the $500 cost of retaking two exams.  Your parents will rightfully shake their heads and say, "See why you should study, you don't want to end up like her."

All in good fun,
Alyssa 

Comments

[Anthony]

Just got my AUD scores back yesterday. Got a 73... Before that it was a 70 before that it was a 72 and before that it was another 72... Stronger and comparable in all the multiple choice but weaker in the simulation... Talk about someone who is mad... 2 points and no idea of what I am doing wrong in the simulation... I'm not a violent man but if I ever met the CPA examiners in person we'd have to go in the parking lot and throw hands for 5 minutes... Anyhow up studying for AUD... Again...

[Curt J. Philipczak, CPA]

Let me first start with the fact I know exactly how you all feel.

I’ll skip the long speech about we have all been there. There are thousands of war stories about the exam. Bottom line, no matter what your grades, CPA exam takers fall into two kinds of people.

Those who pass and those who give up….. I only talk from my own experience. My CPA license was issued to me on July 2, 1998. Fourteen years to the exact date today.

I did not pass the exam on the very first try. I did not score any part over an 80. I did see other classmates pass the exam before me. My motivation, at that time, was that I knew I was as smart as my classmates that were passing the exam.

My only words of wisdom … “DON’T GIVE UP!” The exam is passable with focus. Don’t worry about the time you put in, the parties you missed, the life you think you missed by studying.

Being unhappy about your grades is a good start. That proves deep inside; you know you can do better. And yes, fourteen years later, it was worth ever moment to finally be a CPA!