Secret Keys to Passing the CPA Exam

I found out I passed the CPA exam in it's entirty the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. It was the best feeling. Still is actually. I still feel as though I am living a dream everytime I think about it. A smile will appear across my face with the realization that I finally achieved my goal after years of trying.

When I say years, I mean YEARS. It was a goal that I was trying to achieve since 2006! 5 years later I finally did it. It was a very long journey for me. I hope it doesn't take everyone this long, but if it seems to be taking forever for you to reach the finish line remember you are NOT alone.

I shared this information with my #twudygroup family after I found out I passed but some other friends did not. Everyone said that my story and journey were beyond motivating. I want to help motivate other candidates who are going through this journey that seems to never end.



As you can see from the graph, I my first Notice to Schedule (NTS) was issued on April 7, 2006 and my last NTS was issued on June 30, 2011! I sat for my final exam on November 12, 2011! That's 5 years 8 months that I studied pretty much non stop!

My first passing score ever was FAR. Followed shortly by REG then AUD. A long time elapsed before my passing BEC score, as you can see. In the time between passing FAR the first time and finally passing BEC I lost my FAR credit followed by REG credit shortly after. It was heart breaking. Yes I curled up into a ball and wanted to be invisible to the world when I lost the credit I worked so hard for. But not for long. I was too strong to let that bring me down. The most time I took away from the studies was 3 nights. I emerged from my own world, told myself to keep going, and applied to take the lost sections again! Then I started studying again, every morning, every night and every free second I could find. I listened to audio review all day, every day at work. I had to make sure my studies were first in my life.

If I didn't keep at it I would have lost AUD as well. My ultimate goal was to NEVER have to take BEC again. (Me and BEC were archenemies since the day we met!) I knew I passed the others and could do it again and I did. I "purposely" (not so purposely) let REG expire while I was trying to pass FAR the second time. It was a hard decision. I set up a timeline and I knew I just didn't have enough time to study and remember everything that was tested in FAR in the short amount of time before REG expired. I knew I passed REG once and could do it again. While it was heartbreaking to see "expired" next to my passing score, I know I made the best choice in my journey. It paid off, I passed FAR and REG without any other credit expiring.

The whole CPA exam process is a very draining process!  It took everything I had to pass. It takes hard work and dedication. I gave it my everything. Shoot for that magical 75!

Here are what I believe are the secret keys to passing the CPA exam:

• Don't over study. All you need is a 75
• Don't ever give up even if you feel you don't have anymore to give, give more
• Believe in yourself and abilities
• Hard Work
• Dedication
• It's a marathon, not a sprint. Be in it for the long haul.
• Don't get discouraged.
• Join #twudygroup They are the BEST motivational friends! (Plus we're fun!)

After I figured out the keys to passing I was able to do it! Here is the proof! My final scores!

Now I'm in a waiting game with the State of Pennsylvania. I will keep you updated on my application status. Good Luck studying.

Motivation: Best Friends I have Never Met

Most of the time I am self motivated. I can talk myself into doing just about anything that I really desire. I wake up at 5 am every morning to work out and/or study. I tell people I can't do the fun things that they are doing so I can do what needs to be done. I was able to multi-task during postseason baseball (well just the Division Series since my Phillies were eliminated then) by having my laptop in front of me, completing multiple choice questions, but the games were on the big TV behind my computer. I studied during commercials or when things weren't going well for my team. I am able to watch what I eat to make sure I don't break my calorie bank for the day and ruin the good of my morning workout. But sometimes, I need help. I need people to help motivate me.

Years back I met a wonderful group of friends on the community boards of a weight loss website. It started out with about 15 or so of us emailing back and forth all day every day. Currently there are about 7 of us who are still able to "talk" all day. There are several others who I keep in touch with via Facebook, text messages, cards, etc. When one of us is doing good with our weight loss journey most likely the others are as well. And the same is true if one of us is having a bad week. It just seems to rub off via email.  We help motivate each other. Tell one another to "put the fork down!" Or "Great job working out this morning!" We have what we call our "daily challenges." We let each other know how we did the day before with our eating and exercising. We give each other advice on how to get back on track. Don't get me wrong we are not a bunch of girls who sit around and talk about our weight. We are so close. We are a bunch of best friends who talk about everything and anything under the sun. We let our true voice be heard. We are there to celebrate in the good times and cry with each other in the bad times. They have really helped motivate me to keep me on track with my goals. These are some of the best friends that I have never met.

Earlier this year, I was lacking motivation to continue studying for the CPA exam. I had just received a failing score and credit had expired. I needed something to get me back on track to reach this goal of mine. I just didn't think I had it in me to do on my own. I was getting frustrated and very down on myself for the "failure" and lost credit. (Just for the record, I don't ever refer to a non-passing score as a failure. I study my hardest and sit for the exam. That is not a failure. It's a speed bump!) There is no one I know around me day in and day out that is currently studying for the CPA exam, so having a talk with them about how they are dealing with the situation, well that wasn't an option. I did talk to several of my work friends who are already CPA's and they do help motivate me but not the way I needed to be to stay on track. I googled "CPA candidate blogs." I wasn't a big blog reader.  I came across an amazing CPA candidate blog, SleepOnCPA. She was so inspirational and I felt like I finally found a "friend" who was going through the same things as I was studying. I didn't feel so alone anymore. I kept following it for a few months. I had noticed that she had a post on the side of her blog to follow her and #twudygroup on Twitter. Well I didn't have a Twitter account so I made one. I started following her and figured out what the heck #twudygroup was. (Recently Roger, CPA posted a blog about #twudygroup) After I followed SleepOnCPA, I started to follow other CPA candidates. Suddenly, I wasn't alone in the slightest. I had friends all across the country who were in the same situation as I am. Other candidates waking up early to get to their study time in, staying home all weekend curled up with their CPA review materials, cursing that they don't understand something, etc.

The best part about #twudygroup is that I am fully emerged with other candidates who are in the same situation. We have all become #twudygroup friends. When we don't understand a concept, someone is right there to help you understand it. We share resources, knowledge, and study tips. So when I am exhausted, burnt out and want to give up there are about 15 or more people telling me not to quit. They remind me daily that I can do it. I can reach my goals of becoming a CPA. They give me the desire to study. I am excited for the day I can let my #twudygroup friends know that I am a CPA! #twudygroup friends are some of the best motivating friends that I have never met!