I’ve always wanted to start studying for the CPA Exam, but felt like it was the unconquerable giant of my professional career. I love accounting, but couldn’t bear the thought of putting in all the hours necessary to study for the CPA exam. And then there’s the issue of failing…what would I do if I failed? I couldn’t quit, could I? How would I face my CPA friends?
My journey toward studying for the CPA Exam started at the request of a previous manager.
He encouraged me to take baby steps in an effort to at least give one good, professional attempt at it. This manager obtained his CPA license later in life and stressed to me it’s not about when you get it. Just as long as you get it. This is when I started researching various CPA Exam review courses.
I landed on the Roger CPA Review website and just knew this course was the best style for me.
I am not the world’s best learner and my attention span is terrible, but numerous reviews showed that Roger’s teaching methods would be perfect for my learning style. Because of this, I dove in head-first, bought the course, and registered for the FAR exam.
I remember getting the books and instantly regretting my choice to start studying FAR first.
The FAR review book was bigger than all the books I’ve read in the past 10 years combined (I’m not a big reader). But since I had already made the commitment, I decided to try and squash my anxiety. One of the first things I remember from the course is Roger saying, “If you study, you will pass!” So I did just that….I studied every day and I studied really hard…and I passed FAR with a 90!
The methods I used to pass are all laid out by Roger in his study planner.
I followed those very closely and eventually I realized that not only was I understanding the material and answering the questions correctly, but I was also actually remembering the information weeks later. I watched all the lectures closely, took vigorous notes, answered all the questions for that section, and then read the textbook.
One of the most important things I remember from Roger during that section is to not only pay attention to the correct answer, but also understand why the wrong answers are wrong. The course provided in depth answer explanations as to why each answer was correct or incorrect. Most people think it’s enough to just learn why you got an answer wrong. But it also helps to know why you got an answer right. This helped me SO much during the FAR exam.
Another key area for me was to follow the study planner.
I selected the 9-month study planner and determined that when I had a day off, I was actually going to take the day off. No books, no questions, no lectures. Understanding that this is a long process and that I needed to enjoy it was instrumental in passing FAR.
In conclusion, finding a study method that works for you and dedicating your time and energy to stick to it is the most important thing you can do to successfully prepare to pass sections of the exam, in my opinion. Also, don’t neglect to take free time so you don’t get burnt out on studying. And as Roger says, “If you study, you will pass!”
–Derrick Wheeler, Guest Blogger for Roger CPA Review