NJSCPA Exam Cram Blog

Insanity

in·san·i·ty (n) \in-ˈsa-nə-tē\ -- Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

 

There are a lot of things I don’t understand about the CPA exam: why there is a time frame after which parts expire, why I can’t see my incorrect answers after my results are released, what the magical study method is that will allow me to pass this test…

I sat for BEC this past Friday. I do not have my results yet. I am both terrified and excited to get said results as, per usual, I have no idea if I passed or failed. My intuition track record is not so great, as I have taken this test more times than I care to admit and have always had the same general range of feelings about it. How many times can a person do something before going completely bonkers? Did I change my study method? Yes. Did I commit the time? Yes. Did I blah, blah, blah do every other single little thing that I could possibly think of? YES! Did I pass this test? I sure as hell hope so. (Can I say “hell” on here? I don’t know but I just did.)

I’m not sure why I have such a difficult time with this exam – more difficulty than most people, it seems. Honestly, I’ve never really had difficulty with anything in my short 23 (soon to be 24) years of living. Maybe that’s the answer in itself – the big man upstairs decided that I needed a good challenge (not sure if I can talk about that either). All I know is that all I do it work, eat, study, sleep and that there are not one but TWO empty Starbuck’s cups in my garbage can under my desk right now because I am so tired.

After having said all of that and feeling like my life is passing me by along with fun times and missed opportunities  (insert sad emoticon here), the fact remains that I am not a quitter and I’ll be damned if I don’t (eventually) pass this test. I say “eventually” because I am not going to beat myself up if I end up getting less than a 75 come Friday (or Monday or whenever these horror-provoking results are released). Maybe I will pass and this whole rant post will be for nothing. I guess I’ll have to let you know either way.

Lauryn

Cost Measurement

Two weeks of studying down and four to go until the big day. I don’t know how I feel about that. Before yesterday, I felt pretty good about the discovery of my new study method (see my last post), but yesterday I felt discouraged. I could not focus on anything. I got home from work, ate dinner and cracked open the review questions (per my normal routine) to discover that they were going in one ear and out the other. Today will be a lost cause as I have dinner plans directly after work (hey, a girl’s got to eat, right?). However, I have high hopes for Saturday morning. Saturday morning is probably my favorite time of the week. I am an early riser, you see. I tend to get a lot done while the rest of the world is still sleeping or brewing their morning cup of coffee. This includes studying for BEC. Here’s hoping.

The good news of the week is that I think I’ve found my problem area with this part of the exam. According to Wiley, it’s called “cost measurement”. After taking each 30 question quiz, Wiley gives me a report on my overall score and then my score by section. There are about 5 or 6 sections in each quiz (thanks to my method of mixing all of the chapters up), all of which I score decent on except for cost measurement. Must find a way to defeat this…will get back to you on that one.

I really think my new study method is going to work. Before this method, I would take a quiz on one chapter at a time. I think this is kind of a skewed method because you can cleverly get one answer correct because your last question was on the exact same topic. By mixing up the questions, this doesn’t happen. Also, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I keep scoring in the 70% range on my mixed chapter quizzes, which is exactly what I’ve been scoring on my exams. It’s that pesky cost measurement section that’s costing me the extra 5%!!

My game plan from here is to keep doing what I’m doing. I will probably devote a whole week solely to cost measurement. I may even take a few quizzes without including the cost measurement topic to gauge if that's really the hang up. If I score high on the quizzes with cost measurement removed, I can be sure it’s the problem. I will let you know how this goes once I get around to doing it.

In the meantime, if anyone has comments or tips on cost measurement equations, please share!

 

Lauryn

The final straight

Hello everyone!

 

Well here we are...the last 10 days of tax season are here!  Whether you're trying to cram in study sessions during a ridiculous workweek or are just choosing one of the two, the next 10 days leading up to the dealine are something akin to hell on earth.  Or hell in a cube if you happen to be a lowly entry level accountant like myself.  But in that same breath, it seems to be wonderful news because that means that we are almost done! 

The rigorous hours of working through the days and nights are finally within reach of being a part of the past, and if that's something that I can hold on to, then that's something I will hold on to.  Today's post is not about as much about passing the CPA exam or getting good evaluations at work.  It's more about the fact that we've made it through the past few months and can finally look forward to warm weather, short(er) hours, and happier times.  I hope that this does not dissuade anyone from becoming an accountant because I wouldn't prefer to be anywhere else right now if I knew that I would lose the rest of the year's experience.  Plus, the learning curve during tax season is unbelievable fast and will put you on the fast track to business genius.

Of course, none of this is an excuse not to keep our heads on straight and remain focused on the goal of becoming a CPA (coolest person alive).  I hope that anyone who might be reading this makes it through the next 10 days well and becomes just a little bit cooler.  Looking forward to seeing you on the other side.

 

Happy Studying!

 

Taka

Two weeks to the due date!

Only two weeks to go until the last test – AUDIT!

RELIANCE on passing it is very HIGH;

CONTROLLED risk is very LOW, I still have another 6 mos. available before the end of the 18 month period;

DETERMINATION is at the MAXIMUM level

SUBSTANTIALLY I am very nerve wrecked!!!

 

Stay tuned for more.

Claudio B.

 

PS: congratulations Alyssa, see you on the other side of the finish line.

Feeling the Pressure

Hello future CPAs of America,

I want to start  by congratulating Alyssa on passing all four parts of the exam. I've often visualized receiving that final passing grade and wondered what it would feel like. What would my initial reaction be? Would I yell? Would I cry? Would I fall out of my chair with excitement? Would it suddenly start raining $$$? A guy can dream...

Anytime I've pictured it, I'm overcome with a sense of relief and accomplishment. I've invested alot of myself in this profession and obtaining the licensing I need in order to advance and be successful. As I now sit and wait for my grade to be released, all I can do is just  hope for the best. Soon enough I hope to know the answer to the question I've pondered many times in my head - what will it feel like to pass all four sections?

As the scheduled score release date approaches, the pressure has been building beyond any level I've felt before throughout this entire process. Knowing that only one section now stands between myself and a lifetime of opportunity has been nerve-wracking enough. Additionally, everyone from family, to friends, to co-workers have continued to monitor my progress with the exam and ask for any news or updates. While I have no doubt they have the best intentions, it's been adding more pressure to that which I already place on myself and it's overwhelming!

For all of the time I've spent daydreaming about the possibility of passing, I've also tried to prepare myself for the chance of failing this last section. And while it would most certainly knock me down, I've failed tests before and I know I will get back up and finish what I've started. It's not a matter of if, but when. Best of luck to all my fellow CPAs in progress!

Mike  

 

The Moment of Truth

Hello everyone!

 

Well it seems like half of the aspiring CPAs in the state of NJ took a section of the exam on January 14, and that means that just as many people received their scores for that test in the last week.  It's always a wonderfully exhilarating yet terrifying experience to go online and check your score.  Once you put your section ID and date of birth in, that score button seems like it may be your best friend or your worst enemy, and unfortunately you can't tell the difference until you've already clicked it.  Facing this situation myself this past week, I took the leap and clicked only to find that I had scored the worst number known to man (or woman)...a 74. 

 

It's certainly a tough thing to accept going into my first tax season that I've missed my last 2 sections after so breezily passing the first 2 sections last summer/fall.  However, as some of my fellow bloggers have done already, I will push through the next few months and keep some of the material fresh in my mind so that come April and May, I'll be ready to take on the beasts that are audit and regulation so that I can be done once and for all with this delightful test.

 

I also want to take the time and congratulate Alyssa on her passing of the last section and her progress on becoming a CPA(Coolest Person Alive®)!  She is one of many who I'm sure have received good news this week, and I know that I and many others will use that as motivation to make it through.  Soon enough we'll be finished too!

 

Best of luck to all who are studying/working/finishing school right now and keep on studying!

 

Taka

On My Way to a CPA?

Between work, the CPA exam, the holidays and life, the last few weeks have been pretty hectic. And just as I feel things are starting to fall back into place again.. enter, tax season. Yay!

With everything going on, it's been hard for me to keep up on my blogging and I'd like to start by apologizing to our readers for my lack of posting. Now, let me take a moment to recap where I am with the exam.

Early November I received some great news in winning my battle with the AUD portion of the exam. Now being 3/4 on my way to a CPA, I was determined to sneak in a FAR attempt before the window closed. I tried my best to cram for this portion, as it is the most voluminous of the sections, and I must say I was a little surprised to see I had scored a 72 when I got my grade.

While I was disappointed that my journey will drag on a little longer, I was relieved in the sense that I felt I was on the right track. I've been hitting the books the last few weeks in preparation of my next FAR attempt on 2/4, which could potentially be my last exam..fingers crossed.

I also want to wish the best of luck to all of my fellow writers on the Exam Cram Blog, in their studies, as well as their upcoming busy seasons!

Mike 

 

(Hopefully) Happier New Year

It's no secret that I have been majorly slacking in the blog post department as of late. I believe, at the time of my last post, I was waiting for my BEC score. If you'll remember, I scored a 69 on BEC during summer of 2011 and a 70 on it during October 2012, so I thought I could bounce myself over the extra 5 points by studying for a few more weeks and re-taking BEC in November 2012. I received my score some time in December and was greeted by a big, fat 68.

I didn't really understand how that was possible. After basically not studying at all for the test in 2011 (you know, post-college graduation, pre-full-time job stupidity), and studying my a** off for the test in October, I couldn't really fathom how I could receive practically the same score. I was really angry, I think. "Why does it matter if I study or not, then?" I thought. So I decided to put BEC aside and continue on with my plan to take REG in late November.

I failed that one, too. And along with that attempt comes a similar story of how I "barely studied" during the 1st go-around and "studied so much I had no life" during the 2nd go-around and still got virtually the same score. After receiving this "F", I decided to abandon my plans of taking FAR in late January. I had no hope left inside of myself with which to conquer "the Beast".

I believe that leaves us to where I am now: slowly building my confidence back with plans to take my next exam after tax season and most likely some time in May. I am thinking BEC (I know, I'm a masochist -- but aren't we all? Taking this exam?). I figure I will only have a month and a half to study and BEC is the shortest exam, so it just makes sense.

My plan is to give myself a little bit of a breather (...during tax season...oxymoron...) and to read my BEC text whenever I have a spare minute. Nothing crazy, just as a refresher until I start seriously studying in late April.

I am very happy (albeit, rather jealous!) for all of my fellow-bloggers that have had recent success with this exam. I have faith that I, too, will pass this thing. With 3 parts left (BEC, REG and FAR) and 1 part expiring in exactly 1 year (AUD). I really have to get my head on straight and start kicking some exam butt!

Now that you are all caught up, this is where I tell you that suggestions are welcomed, even though I am pretty sure I've tried everything short of hypno-therapy (...although that doesn't sound like too bad of an idea right about now). I hope you will forgive me for my absence.

I'm back.

Lauryn

I am still very much around !!

Hello Everyone,

Its been a while, and I know it... After I lost my Reg credit in January, I actually lost hope to be very honest. I got all in my work and just lost all determination..for real. I felt I have been battling this up-hill task for some time with no end in sight. I also had some family struggles to deal with this year, but thanks to all your postings I have found my determination and I am now looking for a much needed break -up relationship with the CPA exam.

A big welcome to all the new bloggers, I tell you - reading your postings has given me a lot of confidence, I am so happy you are all taking this challenge with vigor. It's gonna be over before you know it. Like I mentioned earlier, I got my determination back in the fall and now face a very uphill task. I took Reg on the 19th of November. I am taking BEC on the 29th of November, and I am taking FARE on the 8th of December.

Yesssss, I Know.......it's like a death sentence, and guess what???? Audit expires soon. I have been buried in my books for 3 months non-stop, but I am not giving up again till this is over. I have given myself the next six months as a contingency plan to part ways with this uphill task.

I end my post today by saying --- We all go into the CPA exam with 100 points seeking to defend at least 75 to pass, it is possible to achieve if you keep trying.

 

Take care!!!

EEA

Studying and Sandy

Well first of all I just want to recognize the fact that many people, CPA candidates included that have been affected by the weather in the past week.  I luckily lost power for only a few days, but I know others who are still running without it.  Point is, each person writing and reading on this blog is somehow affected by this.  So don't hesitate to go out sometime in the coming weekends and volunteer in any way you can.  There are plenty of people who can use the help now.

 

That's all for my public service announcement.  Now, on to the CPA side of things.  It's a bit difficult to study in the dark as I've come to find out for myself, so this week has been a bit of catch up.  From what I hear, A4 is the most important section in Becker's materials, so I'm headed for a long weekend ahead.  Good thing is that I'm about halfway done with audit!  Plus my BEC score should be up in a few days so I'll be intent on finding out how well I did there (some scores have been released today so if you're waiting, check now! - see link below).

https://ncd.nasba.org/gwprdv2/servlet/hgwcs01

 

Happy studying! :)