One question many CPA candidates tend to ask concerns what order to take the exams. The old adage was B.A.R.F. and not just because it makes a fun acronym. The idea was that a candidate would start with the “easiest” test first and work their way up. The general belief was that BEC was the easiest then AUD, REG and FAR. The…

2014 is upon us and that means the start of a brand spanking new CPA Exam testing year!  The AICPA has just announced it's anticipated timeline for the Q1 and Q2 testing windows.  Here they are and below that you'll find some links to keep handy especially when score release rolls around.

RESOURCES

= Jan/Feb 2014 Testing…

As I’ve delved into studying, I’ve developed a routine that I think many will find beneficial. I start with the audiovisual presentations. These provide me with a quick overview of the topics presented in each study unit. I prefer using the audiovisual presentations first so that when I’m reading the book…

Unless you have a photographic memory or amazing recall abilities, don't wait until the last minute to study.

Having gone through several years of schooling and taken bar exams (and passed), I have developed some study habits that have helped me successfully pass these exams. First, I do not procrastinate. I know people who start…

Three down, one left to pass.  

Not knowing these results caused a slack on studying for FAR.  Thankfully I build in some down time in my study schedule for an event, and am not too far behind schedule.

Now that I have passed BEC, I am motivated to get back on schedule and tough it out for this last exam.

Roger CPA Review posting "The CPA Exam Hack:…

When I took the BEC portion of the CPA exam, it was important to budget your time for answering questions. When looking at the questions, look at what they are asking for. You might get a paragraph of information that has no relevance to the question at hand. Skip right to the question first (last sentence) then read the rest of it. This can help budget your time better when you are studying and taking the exam.

Good luck to all!

Mitch

(still trying to get my…

I took the CPA exam many years ago, right after college.  I didn't study at all, thinking I would "wing" it.  Of course, I failed all 4 parts.  Since I got a job in the auto industry, I didn't feel I needed a CPA designation, so I never looked back.

I switched careers about four years ago.  I work as an auditor for the government in Specialty Tax, so I feel I would benefit from obtaining the CPA designation, especially since my work experience would actually go towards getting my…

Failing BEC with a 74.  I keep checking to see if my some miracle they changed my score to a 75.  But no such luck.

I took this failure HARD.  It took me longer to get back to studying than it normally does.  I was SO CLOSE. But I finally got back on track.  I waited for my score to come out to determine if I was going to re-study for BEC or start studying FAR.

I set…

I have given myself 8 weeks to study for BEC, which will be my third attempt.  The first time I didn’t have enough time to review. In my second attempt, I let little things trip me up in the exam and didn’t execute time management well, which led to leaving a WC completely bank.  I scored in the mid 60s in both attempts so I’m somewhat close. 

Having committed egregious errors in my first two attempts, I know not to repeat them.  With this in mind, I will nail down the details to…

Hello CPA Exam Club Buddies!!

I hope that studying is going well for all of you! It has been a week since my AUD exam, and even though everyone tells me not to do this (including myself), it has been extremely difficult not to obsess over two things: the experience itself; and my resulting fate (success or failure).…

I PASSED REG...  I was SURE I had failed, I had no confidence WHAT SO EVER that I had passed that exam.  I Didn't want to check the scores and was going to wait until after I took BEC on Thursday, but I broke down and checked it today.  It took a minute for me to realize that it was actually a passing score.

ROGER IS GREAT (rogercpareview.com).  I owe this passing grade to his review system, his study tips…

The written communication of the CPA Exam has undergone many changes in recent years. From a pen and paper exam graded by humans, to an online version graded by a computer, we’ll walk you through exactly how to ace this portion of the exam.

I took my son to daycare first thing in the morning, as I wanted to use all the time I could to work multiple choice (MC) questions.  I heard that traffic was backed up for MILES all over town, there was a backup to get home and I had not brought my books with me.  I decided to stop at a restaurant and listen to Roger CPA Review lectures on my droid phone while I waited, instead of sitting in traffic and getting stressed out.

When the traffic finally died down (3 hours later), I was…

Things seem to be going better this time around.  Today, I scheduled REG (Feb 7th), and BEC (Feb 28).  Some other things have come up in my life, but I am going to use them to focus myself and not let them distract me from my studies.  

I am following Roger Phillipp (Roger CPA Review) advice.  I am doing all the homework twice before I move onto the next section, and completing the TBS. It seems like it is easier for…

From CPA Exam Club http://www.cpaexamclub.com/  | Follow CPA Exam Score Release News at the CPAnet Forum for further important updates regarding score…

CSO Update Effective January 1, 2013

On October 1, 2011 the AICPA Board of Examiners (BOE) approved changes to the CPA Exam Content Specification Outline (CSO) that will be effective on January 1, 2013. The changes include; general improvements for clarity; the removal of redundancies…

Got the BEC Scores today. And as expected they were borderline. Managed to get a 75 but still feel happy. I wonder if they have grace marks?

So BEC done and dusted. I mean just the exam. It went well I suppose. I had not even practiced a single  computer practice test so had to struggle with the time limits. But I didn't miss any of the questions. I was able to finish the last of the three memos with one minute left to re-read. But yes some questions involved lengthy calculations on which I wasted a lot of time.

All in all you do need a some timed practiced tests before the actual exam. Results are expected around Sep…

This past week while studying for BEC, I found myself saying a recognizable phrase over in my head – “Just Do It.” While I knew that Nike was responsible for this phrase I became intrigued as to why they coined the phrase and how I started saying it. I did a little research and the phrase is actually around 24 years old this month. I read a statement regarding the slogan by Nike U.S. advertising director Chris…

Price elasticity of demand is a concept that is tested on the Business Environment and Concepts (BEC) exam and it's one that can be rather tricky. The price elasticity of demand is the measure of how sensitive demand is to a change in price. Like many of the concepts on the BEC CPA exam, it is important to know the formula and how to interpret the results. Let's go ahead and look at the two formulas that you may use to calculate price elasticity of demand.
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