Monthly archive: February, 2012

Confidence is Crucial: The CMA Exam

February 29, 2012, by No comments yet

 

This post was written by guest blogger Melissa L.

Back in December I received my “congratulations” notice in the mail from the ICMA. I had successfully completed Part 1 of the CMA Exam during the September/October testing window. I had no doubt I would pass Part 1 and I am equally as confident that I will pass Part 2. Aside from confidence in my Gleim Review System study material, having a positive outlook and confidence in my own abilities help to keep me on task.

A positive attitude while preparing for and taking the exam aids retention of information and improves reasoning ability. The best way to develop this positive attitude is through a successful preparation program. A positive attitude tends to breed positive results. If I find I get discouraged because I am just not understanding a concept or am having a hard time remembering something, I take a breather. Sometimes they are longer ones where I may go for a run or work on a home project, but I make sure my activity is something productive and enjoyable so when I come back to studying I am refreshed and ready to conquer the material. Other times, I may just take a few minutes and grab a snack or talk to a friend for a few minutes. This usually alleviates my frustration and keeps me positive.

Just keep telling yourself you can do it, and as your quiz scores improve, you will gain the confidence you need to start believing you too will pass! Confidence is crucial to passing the exam.

The first testing window of 2012 is coming to a close. I hope all the candidates that are planning to sit in the final few days before it closes are reviewing their weak areas. Stay focused, stay positive, and finish strong!

Upcoming Change to the CIA Exam!

February 28, 2012, by No comments yet

 

Visit our CIA candidate forums here to learn about upcoming changes to the CIA exam!

 

Studying, Planning Breaks & Keeping the Study Momentum Going

February 26, 2012, by No comments yet

 

Studying does not have to mean not having a life, but it does mean when you are studying, you have to make it count.  When you first start studying, you will probably not know how long you can go before you start to lose focus.  Once you realize this, you will know where to plan your breaks and how many breaks you will need during your study time.  Breaks are necessary for two reasons.  First, if you realize you are starting to lose focus because you are studying for long periods of time, you are probably not getting all you can out of the studying time.  Second, they are a way to give yourself rewards.  Depending on how long your study sessions last, make sure every time you are running out of steam, you push through that extra 10 minutes or however long you’ve given yourself as a goal and use that reward of a break to push you through.

Unfocused study time can sometimes be as good as not studying at all.  You may read the same page 10 times, skip concepts or convince yourself you understand the material when you really don’t.  As a former “professional studier” and CPA candidate myself, I believe it’s better to study when you are most alert, awake and prepared to study.  Make sure to plan in those breaks to give yourself the best chance at passing the CIA, CPA, CMA, RTRP or EA Exam.

Further, when you’re in the home stretch (approximately one week before your exam), consider this the final push.  Do not let yourself focus on the light at the end of the tunnel (ie start getting back to normal life).  Force yourself to stick out studying until the exam date.  Unfortunately, I know people who have failed because during that last week they went on cruises, went to theme parks, concerts, family vacations, etc instead of committing themselves 100% to passing.  This can make all the difference in a passing score.  Two candidates who use the exact same study plan/accounting review materials can come up with two drastically different scores depending on their dedication and what they do in this final push.

 

First Week of Audit Studying!

February 25, 2012, by No comments yet

 

The following was written by guest blogger Anne R.

 

My first week of studying for Audit was mediocre. I have finished chapter 2, but had hoped to finish chapter 3 by now. However, I have a lot of free time today where I plan to get a head start on week 2 of studying. I started out with a great level of motivation, but I quickly let myself find other things to do that seemed more important. Isn’t it funny that when you should be studying, activities you don’t normally enjoy become so much fun!? For example, cleaning the house and cooking big dinners became distractions for me. Usually I procrastinate cleaning and do not enjoy cooking but it seems that studying is a great way to get other things on your “to-do” list checked off!

I am planning to finish 2-3 chapters a week, allowing for some extra time in March when my husband’s family and my mom are coming to Spain to visit us. I know I won’t get a lot of studying done those two weeks! Right now I have plenty of time to continue at a slow pace, which is what works best for me, but I do not want to fall behind. Over Christmas, I had to spend 2 weeks cramming 10+ hours a day for BEC. It was worth it, because I passed, but it was not fun at all. With AUD, I would like to be 100% ready, review included, when I get on a plane May 1st to come to the states. This way I can immediately sit for the exam and then enjoy time with friends and family.

When I first started studying for the CPA exam, it seemed like everyone had a 4 or 6 month plan to study nonstop and pass quickly. I think this is a great plan, but it didn’t work for me. I struggle to look months in advance and realize I will have no social life and will study 6+ hours a day. For me, since I decided to take my time and slow down, I have been passing exams. As I said, the first strategy “gets it over with” quickly, but for me it has been better to take some time off in between tests so that I can stay motivated. I can study for 2 months if I know that at the end of that time, I get 3 weeks of no studying.

If you decide to take it slower, make a plan of when you will take all four parts, and be sure to include some breathing room in the 18 month window so you don’t lose any parts. For me, I took REG in July 2011, then I didn’t study until I found out my score. In September, I started studying for BEC, which I took January 4th. Again, I took a break until I found out my score. This week I have started studying for Audit, which I will take the first week of May. Since FAR is my last part, I will immediately start studying for it after I take AUD. I think motivation will not be a problem because I will be so close to the finish line! I plan to take AUD the first week in July, which means I will have taken all the parts in 12 months, leaving 6 months of breathing room in case I do not pass AUD or FAR. Do whichever plan works best for you, but don’t be afraid to take it a little slower if it means passing the exam, staying focused, and not being quite as miserable during the process.

Live RTRP Review – PASS The RTRP Exam

February 20, 2012, by No comments yet

 

Gleim has collaborated with Banner Center at UNF to provide a live review course in the Jacksonville area. This comprehensive RTRP Exam Preparation review course is designed to help candidates pass the RTRP Examination. If you are a candidate or know a candidate in the Jacksonville area, who wants to pass the RTRP exam quickly and needs the added value of a live instructor, contact the host for details. Share this opportunity with your non-certified peers, as we want to help them get certified in 2012 as well.

Banner Center for Financial & Professional Services at UNF – RTRP Live Review Course
Starts: March 9, 2012
Instructor: Harri Eloranta
Phone: (904) 620-5041
https://www.ce.unf.edu/CourseStatus.awp?&course=11WFRTR101B

If you would prefer self-study rather than live classes to pass the RTRP exam, visit us here.

MCQ Questions & CPA Studying

February 20, 2012, by 1 comment

 

This post was written by guest blogger David G.

This week has been a good week for studying.  I am completing the study units a little bit slower than what I thought, but I am getting a great understanding and a better retention of the material than I imagined.  One thing that is helping actually started out as a question in my mind of whether I was doing the right thing.  On the Gleim online multiple-choice study quizzes, I take the first multiple-choice quiz before I ever start studying each unit.  Most people end up getting a low score and for me it was difficult to see how this was going to help me.  In fact, I felt really bad that I made such a low score, but what happens when I take the first test is that I can see the areas that I need the most help with as I study the unit, so that made the low grade was a little easier to deal with.  I like the summaries where I get the history of the grades that I have received and I can see the improvement as I go along.

 

This coming week may prove to be a little more challenging than what I have been dealing with concerning my study time.  I will be starting to work later into the evening because tax season is starting to kick into high gear.  I think I will have to adjust my routine in order to get my studying done each day.  Oh well, I’ve always been a believer that one must be willing to change in order to survive.  Time to fix a cup of coffee and get back to studying.  One final thought – studying for long periods of time is tough on the body so I have been taking a few minutes to get up, walk around to stretch my legs and let my mind take a quick break about once per hour and it seems to be working out great for me.

ICMA & The CMA Exam Essay Questions

February 20, 2012, by 4 comments

 

This post was written by guest blogger Melissa.

The ICMA began including essay questions on both parts of the CMA because the essays are an effective way to test a candidate’s ability to evaluate a given set of data, make a judgment given alternative solutions, or justify a selected course of action. While these skills can be tested with multiple-choice questions, the written-response questions more closely reflect a real-world business environment where a written or oral response would be expected. Furthermore, it is important that professionals, including accounting professionals, have adequate written communication skills. The essay questions assist in verifying that CMAs possess all of these skills.

 

So, when I personally set out to prepare for the CMA exam, I made sure to complete an essay from each study unit. Then, during the final days of my review, I focused on essays in my weaker areas. That was why it was great to have the essays in the book, in the Gleim Online, and in the essay wizard because I had plenty of options for practice and the flexibility to focus on weak areas.

 

My goal was to have no surprises about HOW to answer the essays when I actually sat for the exam I knew how to navigate the questions and review them, I knew not to include unnecessary information and to keep my answers relevant, and, and I knew that if my answer was best presented in a table format I just needed to make sure my response was clear and to not spend extra time trying to make it pretty. I also knew how to tell if I had a question that required the use of the spreadsheet tool and how to use it if needed.

 

Speaking of the spreadsheet tool, do not be fooled by the look of it. While the spreadsheet tool may resemble excel, it does not behave exactly like it. PRACTICE answering questions with the spreadsheet. Based on my experience and the feedback I have received from fellow candidates, I cannot emphasize this point enough! If you find yourself on exam day getting an essay question that requires using the spreadsheet tool you are going to suffer if you have not previously practiced answering questions with it. It is better to sacrifice time in your daily schedule prior to the exam getting acquainted with the spreadsheet tool rather than to lose valuable time during your exam.
Something else I did during my preparation for Part 1 was while in review/study mode for the multiple-choice questions I would think of how I should answer the question if it were an essay. If my answer was similar to that of the answer explanation then I knew I was on the right track. By doing this, not only was I learning the concepts and preparing for the multiple-choice questions, but I was also preparing for the essay questions.

 

So, on exam day you are going to get two essay scenarios with multiple questions in each scenario. You will have a minimum of an hour to answer the written response questions. These essay scenarios are worth 25% of your overall score. The key to scoring well is to first understand why you have to answer essay questions and then practice, practice, practice.

 

Please feel free to comment or share your tips on how to prepare for the essay questions. I enjoy hearing from other candidates.

 

 

Live Review Courses – PASS the CPA Exam

February 20, 2012, by No comments yet

 

Gleim has partnered with organizations across the country to provide live CPA Review courses in select areas. These comprehensive CPA Exam Preparation review courses are designed to help candidates pass the CPA Examination. If you are a candidate or know a candidate in any of the areas below who wants to pass the CPA exam quickly and needs the added value of a live instructor, contact the hosts for details. Share this opportunity with your non-certified peers, as we want to help them get certified in 2012 as well.

Upcoming Reviews:

Emory University – Atlanta, GA
Starts: February 20, 2012
Click here for more information
Note: This Live Review Course is already over. However, a new course is available in 2013. Please visit Emory’s website to learn more about CPA live reviews with Gleim!

EthicQuest CPA Review, Business Environment Concepts Section – Springfield, VA
Starts: March 2, 2012
Contact: contact@ethicquest.com or enroll online

Florida Southern CPA Review Course – Lakeland, FL
Starts: March 12, 2012
Instructor: Dr. Will Quilliam
Contact: cpaprogram@flsouthern.edu or 863-680-4279

Ongoing Reviews:

Certify Utah, CPA Review – Salt Lake City, Utah
http://www.certifyutah.com/
Contact: info@certifyutah.com

Mind Merge, CPA Review – Saudi Arabia
http://mindmergeinc.com/certifications/accounting/cpa
Contact: Tel +966 3 896 1700
Note: This Live Review Course is already over. However, please check their site to learn about our products, and upcoming Gleim live CPA reviews.

Progress for Training, CPA Review – Egypt
Contact: info@progress-eg.net  or 0020224157910, 0020123193726, 0020101471433, 0020123684655

If you would prefer self-study rather than live classes to pass the CPA exam, visit us here

Starting Studying for AUD!

February 16, 2012, by No comments yet

 

This article was written by guest blogger Anne R.

 

I attended the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!) and received my undergraduate degree in Accounting. I then attended the University of Central Florida to obtain my Masters in Accounting. During my year at UCF, I participated in recruiting and was offered a full time position at a large national firm in the tax department of the Orlando office. That summer I got married to the love of my life and then begin my first job, which I really enjoyed.

I had planned to take the CPA exam upon graduation, mostly because everyone in public accounting said that is what you are supposed to do. I was very distracted with wedding plans, a new husband, moving to Orlando, and a new job. My firm had purchased another review system’s materials for me and I studied, but did not give it 100%. I failed BEC 3 times (70, 72, 74), passed AUD on the first try with a 79, and failed FAR twice (70, 73) over a period of two years. I was very frustrated because I was spending a lot of time studying, and all my scores were just barely falling short. Finally, in the summer of 2011, I decided to take REG (after all, I was working in taxes). My husband and I agreed that if I didn’t pass REG, I would take a break from the CPA exam for a while. For some reason this motivated me, because I knew I could pass. By this time, my other review system materials had expired, so I researched and asked around to decide which review program I should purchase. Two of my colleagues had passed all four parts of the CPA exam the first time using Gleim, and it was also the most reasonably priced option, so I purchased it. I studied the hardest I had ever studied, and passed REG with a 76. This was scary to me, because I had worked so hard and only passed by one point! I knew I needed to work harder. In January, I passed BEC using Gleim with an 86! I feel like I have finally found the determination and motivation that I need to pass. I now know how I need to study and what it takes to pass an exam.

In the fall of 2011, my husband was offered a contract to play professional basketball in Spain. I quit my job, and we moved to Avila, Spain. I really enjoyed working in the tax department of a public accounting firm, and I definitely want to work in that area again in the future. I am taking this year to finish the CPA exam, and possibly work in taxes again this summer when we are home. We are in Spain from August through May, then in the States for the summer. I took REG before we left for Spain and BEC when we came home for Christmas. I plan to take AUD upon returning in May, and FAR in July.  I have just started to study for AUD this week. We’ll see how it goes!

Life & CPA Studying: Another week goes by

February 15, 2012, by No comments yet

 

This article was written by CPA Exam Candidate/Guest Blogger David G.

 

I have completed another week of studying for the CPA exam.  I attempt to study two hours every evening after work, but I do not always complete that number of hours each day.  I started out with the idea that I would have a certain routine and I wouldn’t have to vary from it.  You would think that after having five children and working in a labor intensive environment for many years would have taught me to be more open minded, but I guess some people like myself never learn.  Anyway, I come home and take care of whatever I need to and then settle in for studies and most of the time I do get my scheduled hours in, but I accept the fact that things may come up.  The important thing for me to remember is that I have to stay focused and always get back to my plan.

 

I have found a study friendly activity that works well for me during the daily studies.  I always study well with music or activities going on around me.  As a matter of fact, I’m one of those individuals that you see at Starbucks or Panera Bread that are just sitting there engrossed in their book, computer or smart phone.  So, to make me fell comfortable and good about having to study, I have found that during this basketball season it’s convenient to turn on a game in the background, with the sound off and I still feel like I’m involved or around something.  It works great for me because I’m a football and baseball fan and not so much a basketball fan, so it doesn’t hold my interest.  This means that I don’t have to pay attention to the game and I can just look up every once in a while and see it playing.  A bad thing is that I am starting to enjoy seeing the Orlando pro team, especially when they are winning in the final seconds, or going into overtime.  I guess if I start to get too interested in it, I’ll have to find another mindless show on TV to turn on – not hard to do.

 

I want to mention a bit of information concerning last weeks letter of acceptance to take the exam.  I found out that I don’t have to schedule the exam as soon as I receive the letter, as a mater of fact, I can wait until close to the time I want to take the exam and then schedule it, but I’ll schedule it weeks before to help me stay focused and motivated.  I’ve also been told that it is advisable to go through all of the material once, before trying to schedule it.  I think that is a wise idea.