Posts by GleimBlog

CIA Exam Studying Update

April 29, 2013, by No comments yet

I spent most of Saturday going over Study Unit 6. For some reason, studying controls is always a struggle for me. I can never seem to grasp the whole concept. This week has been very interesting. We finally moved and are settled in our new place. The new house has a fenced-in backyard, which is great for our little basset hound, Brutus. The weather was nice on Saturday, so I studied outside for some time. While I was studying my books and drinking coffee, Brutus was sun bathing. He loves basking in the sun.

I tend to be a visual learner. I know this about myself, yet I sometimes forget. I have been relying heavily on the audios lately. However, for Study Unit 6, I watched the audiovisual presentation and jotted down some notes. This helped tremendously when it came time for me to answer the first set of questions. On one of my attempts though, I scored a 50% and was very disappointed in myself. This is material that I know, or at least should know and at some point in my career have been exposed to, so scoring in the a 50% is definitely not acceptable.

One area I really enjoyed studying was the “Business Continuity Management (BCM)” subunit. This is something that my team was exposed to last year, and I never really had a full understanding of what BCM was all about. I have really been enjoying studying for the CIA exam, mostly because I can apply a lot of what I am learning. It’s always discouraging when you find yourself studying for something that you will probably never use during your career.

I will be leaving for Florida this week and will be packing my Gleim CIA exam textbook for some reading by the beach. I plan on getting through Study Unit 7 and part of Study Unit 8 this week. I have my exam scheduled for the end of April, so I need to finish all of the study units by the end of this week. This should give me a good week to final review and answer questions over and over.

Happy Studying.

Bev

 

April Deadline to Sit for BEC

April 29, 2013, by No comments yet

 

Written By Guest Blogger Jennifer K.

Another week gone by, and I am now through Study Unit 7. I have not gotten as much studying done as planned, which is definitely putting my April deadline to sit for BEC at risk. Based on the past few weeks of studying, it appears that I am getting through only about three study units per week. This would result in completion of the study material in four weeks. It has been difficult for me to find time to study during the past few weeks. I have been operating as a single mom with my husband out of town taking care of a family emergency. He will be home this week though, which should free up a significant amount of my time.

During the past week, I had some time to review the audio files and found that I really appreciate the succinct nature in which the information is communicated. However, I continue to spend most of my time practicing the multiple-choice questions and reviewing the notes in the study guide. I have also taken to writing out my own note cards. They are an easy way to cram in some additional study time no matter where I am.

When I passed BEC back in 2009, I only spent about two weeks studying. However, I was not working at the time and was able to dedicate the entire two weeks to studying. Comparing my comfort with the material, I find that I actually prefer the reduced, concentrated study method. The longer you draw out the study time, the more likely you are to forget the information you covered in earlier study sessions. I am definitely hoping that with the return of my husband this week I will be able to follow my own advice and tighten up my study schedule. One of the best parts of studying for the BEC section of the CPA exam is that much of the material is practical and most likely relevant to your work.

 

 

Another Hectic Week of CIA Studying

April 29, 2013, by No comments yet

 

It’s been another crazy week for me at work. I have been trying to stay on top of my studying, and it hasn’t been easy. I only have about 5 weeks left until test day. Now that I’ve gotten my schedule down, I’m in study mode, staying in on weeknights and weekends to study. This week I’ve been trying to get my study routine perfected. I’ve never been one to drag out studying over several weeks, so it takes effort for me to plan out a study schedule. Even in college, I was the type of student who would cram around exam time. I’m actively trying to get away from this mindset.

I realize that it’s typical to say “I’m a procrastinator,” but I truly believe that procrastination is a science. The longer you procrastinate, the more dopamine your brain releases, and it gives you this rush. In turn, it gives me the feeling that I can do this, no problem. When I do this, it drives people around me nuts, but I feel like I work best this way. I also have a lot going on, so I have to prioritize. Sometimes, I can’t get to things until the last minute, but I always seem to accomplish what needs to be done.

I plan on sticking to my study schedule for the CIA exam. I realize now that the more I have going on, the more important it is for me to follow a set schedule. Studying sometimes gets put aside because of other responsibilities. For me, the important thing is to make a strict schedule. If I have the plan laid out in front of me, then I am more likely to follow it. So, for now, I’m going to follow the plan and I’m not going to procrastinate. But maybe I’ll start that tomorrow . . . .

Thanks,

Tracy

 

CIA Studying Week 3

April 23, 2013, by No comments yet

 

Written By Guest Blogger Bev. M.

Greetings everyone!

Last week was not a very productive week for me, but I am hoping to change that this week. I got an offer on my house two weeks ago and all the paperwork finally went through. It was tough because I could not commit to a place to live until everything was finalized. I only had one week after everything was finalized to move out. Let’s just say that it was a stressful week. With all the chaos going on with work and my personal life, I was only able to get through Study Unit 5. My goal of getting through two study units per week was derailed; however, I plan on getting caught up this week.

Study Unit 5 has been very interesting. As always, I answered multiple-choice questions prior to reading the book. I learned a few things about internal auditing in Study Unit 5 that helped me understand the differences between Assurance Services and Consulting Services. I have decided that Consulting is the area in which I want to work. That will definitely be my next career move.

Another thing that I noticed while I was going through the online material was the section that pops up after you review the questions. I really like how Gleim pinpoints any problem areas. It’s a reminder not only to read the questions carefully but to also pay attention to the answers. I plan on answering all the questions and then moving on Study Units 6 and 7.

This weekend, I will be home alone, which means I can pull all-night study sessions if necessary. I am thinking about sitting for the exam on April 10th, but that could be a little too ambitious. We will see how this week goes with studying, and then I will schedule my CIA exam accordingly.

Happy studying.

Bev

 

Tax Season & EA Exam Prep

April 16, 2013, by No comments yet

 

 

Written By Guest Blogger Katherine S.

 
Even though tax season is at its height, I took the time to study my Gleim EA materials. I am so glad that I did! I did a review of filing requirements and discovered some very important information relating to dependents. I always seem to learn something new whenever I study filing requirements.

I appreciate the gradient approach to learning with Gleim. The first quiz is always very enlightening, and I usually discover that I have a lot more to learn than I thought I did! After taking the quiz, I go through each missed question and get the correct information. I’m finding that this is a great way to learn. I acquire a much better understanding by looking at each question. There may be details that I missed, which then become clear to me. This ensures that I will not miss a question because of those details next time. It also gives me a more interesting and interactive method of learning. I am able to keep my interest at a much higher level than if I were just reading the material and not interacting with it.

The quiz also prepares me for the next section and gives me a higher awareness when I study the overview. I enjoy this material because it covers general information and is easy to assimilate. I don’t get bogged down in the details. I go through the main points and get some basic understanding of that section. This, again, is a great approach to learning. I know I would not do as well if I just sat down and read the study section.

Reviewing my results right after the quiz allows me to find all the correct answers to the questions that I just missed a second time. This makes my awareness of those questions very high. Again, I feel that I will not miss these question the next time I see them.

I am very impressed so far with this method of study by Gleim and look forward to becoming an EA this year!

Katherine S.

Idealistic CPA Study Plans

April 16, 2013, by No comments yet

 

The reality is that it will always be easy to find a reason not to study.”

 

Written By Guest Blogger Jennifer K. for the Gleim CPA Blog.

Things didn’t go quite as I had planned over the past week. Of course, I have to admit my plan was a little presumptuous. I wanted to get through nine study units over the weekend, leaving me halfway through the study material. This ridiculous plan is part of my attempt to complete the last two parts of the CPA exam, which I need to do by July 2013. In July, I will lose my REG exam credit if I have not passed all four parts by that time.

To all of you out there preparing for the exam, please use my situation as a warning to stay focused on your CPA goal. In hindsight, there really is no reason to spend more than 18 months to pass all four parts of the exam. My reason/excuse is that life got in the way. The reality is that it will always be easy to find a reason not to study.

Despite studying enough to get reasonably good results on the multiple-choice and true/false questions, I find that I don’t have the depth of knowledge required to compose good responses for the written simulations. I continue to enjoy the ease of the Gleim Review System. I like the easy online access, but I feel like I need to make more use of the audio files. I have a few friends who have used the Gleim Review System and they all swear by the audio files. My attempts thus far have been focused primarily on the multiple-choice questions and the knowledge transfer outline. The audios I have already listened to online are broken down into small, easily digestible segments. They are a great way to reiterate what you read in the book and knowledge transfer outlines. I believe repetition is key to absorbing the amount of material required for these exams. Repetition was definitely a factor in my passing REG and FAR.

Over the next week, I plan to see if I can finally complete the other seven study units I had meant to complete this past weekend. While it may put me a week behind, it is far better to delay the exam a week than risk a wasted exam window.

 

 

Beginning To Study For The EA Exam

April 11, 2013, by No comments yet

 

Written By Guest Blogger Katherine S. For the Gleim EA Blog.

I just received my Gleim EA Review materials and have begun my studies. I was very happy to find out that I will be able to take an Exam Rehearsal for EA prior to taking the actual exam. In addition, there are over 3,600 EA questions that can be used and studied within practice exams throughout the EA study materials. I am already feeling relieved. In past studies, I have discovered that the more you go over the materials and the more you can practice, the better you understand the material. It has to be more than just memorizing facts. I have found that in order to be successful, you really need to gain an understanding of the material by going over it more than once and using the information. I like the fact that I can do more than just read a book. I know that the practice exams will make a big difference for me. I am truly excited about studying and using this system!

The Gleim A System for Success book explains the complete process of studying and preparing for the EA Exam. It is always nice to have someone “hold your hand” when embarking on a new adventure, and that is how I feel having these materials. From what I have studied so far, I can see that the materials are well presented in an easy to understand format. The language is not unnecessarily complicated.

I am currently extremely busy because it is tax season and I am a tax preparer. I have already prepared 200 tax returns this tax season. I have been asking the more experienced EAs and CPA in my office many questions. I look forward to the day when I don’t have to ask them any questions. I believe getting through the Gleim EA Review will accomplish that for me. I have always worked to be the most competent I can be and I am counting on these materials to help me accomplish that.

I took my first practice exam recently. It was very eye-opening, and I now have a better idea of what is expected and what I need to study. I was able to grade my exam immediately and study the questions that I missed. Over the next few weeks, it will be hard to get my study time in (while preparing taxes), but I plan to study as much as possible. I know I will need to be disciplined to get through it!

 

 

Challenging Week For CIA Review

April 11, 2013, by No comments yet

 

 

Written By Tracy C. For the Gleim CIA Blog

Studying this week has been a real challenge. It’s been an extremely hectic week, and I haven’t made as much progress as I would have liked. I have had a lot going on at work and it has forced me to shift my focus somewhat. I only managed to get through Study Unit 1 this week. I should be able to get back on track this weekend and next week. I just need to regroup over the weekend and get my focus back. One of the biggest issues I have had over the last year and a half is figuring out how to juggle client work, non-client work, studying, and a personal life. It seems to be the biggest issue most young professionals face now. I think I’m still in the process of figuring out how to make it all work. However, I am surely getting there.

Even with my hectic schedule and time limitations this week, I’ve been able to squeeze in studying wherever I can with Gleim’s easy-to-use format. This is my first experience using Gleim to study for an exam, and it is by far one of the most user-friendly study formats available. I like that my study content is accessible online as opposed to being software based. I have a work laptop and a personal laptop, so being able to access my study content from either computer is very helpful. This also allows me to do a little studying while eating lunch at work. I also like the fact that everything is clearly laid out for me. My life can get very crazy sometimes, so it’s great that I can log in and see right where I left off and where I need to pick back up. My goal for this weekend is to wrap up what I need to on Study Unit 1 and to get through Study Units 2 and 3. My exam is scheduled for mid-May so I am at about the six week mark for study time. I think that I have given myself enough time to study and I have complete faith that the Gleim CIA Review System will prepare me for the exam.

 

Tax Preparers – Articles Of Interest

April 10, 2013, by No comments yet

 

As busy season comes to a close, here are two articles EAs or EA candidates, and RTRP candidates may find interesting:

 

 

 

Welcome EA Guest Blogger Katherine S.!

April 10, 2013, by No comments yet

 

Written by Guest Blogger Katherine S. for the Gleim EA Blog.

 

I decided to take the EA exam after meeting other Enrolled Agents with successful tax preparation businesses. I could see the immense value of having such a credential. I also saw a co-worker fly through her studies with Gleim, so I knew I could do it too!

 

I recently purchased the first part of the study materials and was very impressed with the ease and thoroughness of the course as I went through it. The opportunity to take practice tests was extremely helpful! I loved the way I could study by reading, listening, watching, and taking as many tests as needed. I was even able to contact a Personal Counselor at Gleim (with a fast response time) to clarify some of the materials!

 
I have work experience in tax preparation and have recently begun my 6th tax season. I am currently a CTEC in California. Prior to becoming a tax preparer, I ran small construction businesses with my husband in Oregon and Washington. With our kids grown up, I decided to go back to school and learn as much as I could about my new career in accounting. I attended Eastern Oregon University from 2009-2010 with a major in Business. I soon found out that getting a full degree in accounting was not necessarily what I wanted and saw that there were other opportunities to get where I wanted to go.

 

I have a very good idea now what it takes to obtain a CPA certificate. I also know that I would rather work in tax preparation, helping clients overcome their problems with the IRS. I also know that the fastest way to that career is obtaining an EA certificate after studying with Gleim. I am very excited about my new career and know I will make it as a tax professional. If I ever do decide to become a CPA, I know having an EA certificate will only make that journey easier, and I know that I will be back with Gleim getting the help I need to obtain that certificate.