NJCPA Exam Cram Blog

WAHOOOOOO!

I can not even describe the incredible feeling of finding out that my hard work has paid off and I was successful on REG. Last night at 1AM I found out that was the case. I have now passed FAR (07/01), AUDIT (07/20), and REG (08/08). I will be taking BEC on Monday (08/31). Needless to say, but this has been a packed summer of studying. I am very excited to have these exams behind me, and am trying to focus on finishing my studies for BEC. Congrats to those who found out their scores today and did well! I'll write again after BEC! Good luck to all!

REG Down, BEC Friday!

This morning I got the best news, I passed REG! I am so happy it is unreal. I'm so appreciative of all the support I've gotten along the way and every success, I believe, is another reason to thank God. 

As much as I want to run outside and scream, studying for BEC has kept me in line. BEC is on Friday. I'm very nervous and am focusing on my final review as much as I can. I am very relieved that BEC is not all cost/managerial accounting. The economics sections really add some variety to this exam. More details to come after Friday, wish me luck!

The Anxious Wait Begins Again

For those who don't know, scores will be posted at 1AM eastern time tonight if the AICPA received your test data from Prometric by August 14th. Below is a countdown clock that NASBA so kindly provides. I'm beginning to see a theme with the CPA process. On exams, your clock counts down (which is like watching the blood drain from your body), and in waiting for your scores you get an Evil Countdown as well. 

 

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

 

Hopefully tonight's results will go well for everyone. I am more nervous than I had been for FAR and Audit in receiving my REG score tonight. It was harder than I had thought it would be even though I prepared as well as I thought I could have. The wait for the score is the worst part. I am attempting to stay focused today as I have to keep studying for BEC which I will be taking a week from today. I am feeling okay with the material. I went to a Becker Final Review session for it this past Friday. The final review is very helpful because it summarizes the key points, and it also provides you with additional questions and in the case of BEC writing prompts for the Written Communication section. I'd highly recommend attending one of the Final Reviews or ordering the lectures on line if you have the opportunity to because they have helped me greatly and may help you as well.

 

Good luck to everyone studying and taking exams, and finding out scores. I hope to post some good news shortly after 1:00AM. 

FAR down, REG taken, BEC now

Last week I got great news, I passed FAR! Later in the week I took REG which I do not think I had the same level of success on. I will be finding out about REG just days before taking BEC. August will be a rough month for CPA studies. I find I am really looking forward to October, when I actually start working and at least have some knowledge on all the topics in case I have to retake any parts. So far BEC has been more challenging than expected. I always hated managerial/cost accounting, but I forgot how much I hated it until opening this book. If anyone has any advice on how to tackle this, please keep me posted! 

What A Feeling, I Can't Deny

Sitting, wide awake at my computer desk, it was 12:59 AM. I had time.gov open with the synchronized world clock, literally counting down the seconds until 1:00 AM would strike so I could log onto NASBA to check my scores for my first two exams. I had heard many horror stories of how the website would crash when the scores were released and I was just hoping to get on to the site at exactly 1:00 to find out my fate. Luckily, I was able to get through the site relatively quickly and enter my Section ID and my Birthday to find out my scores. I PASSED BOTH FAR AND AUDIT! It was an instant relief to know that all of the hours put into studying have paid off so far. While I have missed out on a few fun nights with my friends this summer, and haven't gotten to do everything that I would like, it was all instantly worth it when I saw my scores. I know that I will have plenty of time in the future to celebrate with them when all four parts are done! I am definitely going to use this momentum as I study for the rest of this week and get ready to take REG this coming Saturday. I am very thankful for the Becker Fast Pass course and for my Education at Lehigh University because they both prepared me incredibly well for these tests. Now, I'm half way home, and I will put as much focus into this next month to get the next two parts done as well! I hope everyone else who checked was as fortunate as I was; however, if you did not see the score you wanted, do not be discouraged. Use any setbacks as motivation to propel you to future success. Good luck to all who are studying, and getting scores back! Until next time...

Still Studying

So continues another week of studying. This past week I attended all of Becker's live classes in Woodbridge. For those of you considering going to live classes, I would probably recommend it. The class forces you to pay attention, however I would recommend reading the chapter in advance because not all topics are covered in class due to time restraints. 

This weekend I took a nice little break from studying to see the movie Paper Towns. I think watching movies is one of the best ways to relieve stress while studying for the CPA exam. The nice thing about movies is that if you select a good one, you can get so engulfed in the story line that you completely forget about taxes and business law for an hour. I would recommend Paper Towns, and to anyone reading this I would love some movie suggestions!

2 Taken 2 To Go

This past Monday I took Audit. I think I was very well prepared for the exam. In my opinion, the Becker Fast Pass class that I took to prepare for Audit was more challenging and gave me a wider variety of questions then the actual exam did. I worked my way through the Multiple choice rather quickly, and then had close to 2 hours to work on my simulations. I am very eager to get my scores for both FAR and AUD to see if I am truly 50% of the way done. Now I have begun studying REG. While it is a shorter exam than both FAR and AUD, I do not anticipate it being any easier. I will be taking this August 8th, so from now until then, it is all studying. I will update you all when I hear back about my first test (I believe August 4th). Good luck everyone.

Onto REG

Hi All,

This week I took FAR. The exam itself was quite challenging. This was my first time sitting for any part and I did not really know what to expect. The testing facility was very plain and pretty much what I had expected. There were a few things I had to go through before taking my seat, such as getting fingerprinted, putting all my valuables in a locker, and getting my picture taken. Although the exam was very difficult, I think Becker did a good job preparing me for it overall. This week I have switched gears and am now beginning my studies for REG. Until next week!

In the Words of the Great Bon Jovi....

...Wooooahhhh We're halfway there!! [Needless to say I'll still be living on a prayer the rest of the way]. While passing your first exam is a huge relief, passing REG felt like I had a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders. The finish line is in sight now. I have the goal of finishing all four exams before I start work in September. FAR is in the middle of July and AUD will be in late August. I'll keep you all update on the progress the rest of the way. 

Onward to Victory

My dad, a fellow CPA, always told me growing up "if you have your CPA license, you'll have a job for life".  I heeded the old man's advice and instead of becoming a fireman, an astronaut, or a doctor I decided to become an accountant. But let's be honest, doctor was never going to happen.

Let me do the obligatory introduction. My name is Conor Higgins from Randolph, NJ. I graduated from Bentley University in 2014 and am currently pursuing my masters at Notre Dame; and by currently pursuing I mean almost at the finish line (currently in the midst of finals). As of now I have BEC passed and am scheduled to take REG at the end of May. I truly am living up to the expectations of the "Cram Blog" this go around and will have to put in some quality time over this next month. 

Maybe my posts will fall on deaf ears, maybe others will take solace from the fact that they are not alone in the process. It's refreshing to know that the trials and tribulations on the path to the CPA are endurable. I'll update you with my progress, achievements, and failures along the way.