Posts tagged: CPA EXAM

Skipping the Written Communications

May 8, 2013, by No comments yet

Written By CPA Exam Blogger Jennifer K.

I think I have finally settled into studying with the Gleim program. I am working on Study Unit 12 and hope to get through Study Unit 16 this weekend. Earlier on, I did not completely follow the study elements of the Gleim program the way they are prepared. I thought this would save me time. Over the last week though, I decided to follow all parts of the study plan (except the written simulations) in the order that they have been presented on the website. Following the plan in the order in which it is prepared has actually reduced the amount of time it has taken me to complete the study material.

I am still not working through the written simulations because they cause a bit more angst and interfere with me concentrating on the subject matter at hand. I am planning to complete the 20 study units in the program and then work on the simulations as part of my final test preparation. The final week before I take the CPA exam, I will run several complete test simulations, including the written portion.

As I progress, I will make sure to stop and take a few practice tests, which will include questions from all the study units I have completed up to that point. I am hoping that this will give me enough reinforcement of the subject material. I am definitely finding that the Gleim study material is increasing my comfort with the subject matter. I’ve also noticed that following the exact sequence of studying provides me with sufficient repetition of the subject matter and improves my recall. I really like the convenience of the online program. I have found it extremely convenient to log in to the Gleim website and take a quick 20-question quiz any time and any place. I am really starting to feel good about the exam again and I am ready to complete my studies in BEC.

 

2013 Q1 CPA Exam Pass Rates Released

May 7, 2013, by No comments yet

 

CPA Study Tips – What to do when you’re in a study rut

May 6, 2013, by No comments yet

 

Written By Guest Blogger Denise H. for the Gleim CPA Exam Blog.

Studying for REG has been going well for me, but I have definitely cranked it up a notch this past week and a half. I have also decided to take the multiple-choice quizzes after I have read the knowledge transfer outlines instead of before. I made this change because the low scores were very discouraging. This approach also gives me a better idea of what areas I really understand and what areas need a little more work. I am currently getting through an entire study unit (and some of the next one) each night. I expect to complete all 20 study units before this weekend so that I can begin my final review. Some of the things that I was struggling with earlier are starting to make more sense now as I complete the later study units. I’m hoping that the review this weekend will go smoothly.

After some unproductive study hours, I realized that a change of environment was just what I needed. Luckily, I live in a college town, so the library is open until midnight Sunday through Thursday. It has been enough of a change that I can still come home from the library and study for a couple of hours without falling asleep or being distracted. In the past, I have studied in dead silence because any music from the radio would distract me (I love to sing along). But I found these custom music stations that play easy-listening music. They offer a wide variety of music, from relaxing/soothing to a blend of jazz or rock (and a fair number of them have no vocals). If I find I am getting drowsy while studying, I just change the channel to one that isn’t as relaxing. Studying with headphones on at the library has kept me focused so much so that I am finding myself putting them back on when I get home. This focus is helping me get my daily studying to-do list done. I am no longer frustrated or discouraged with my progress, nor am I stressed about how close my exam is.

 

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.

 

 

Anxiety, Stress, and Misery: Sacrifices of a CPA Exam Candidate

April 3, 2013, by No comments yet

 

Written By Guest Blogger Jaime C. for the Gleim CPA Blog.

Another hectic work week ends with only a moderate amount of studying complete. Since I’ve been blogging for a while now, I feel like I have already written about all of my tips, tricks, and updates.

I am excited to take the exam. Once it is over, I will start to breathe easier and be able to have fun without the guilt of not studying. My studying anxiety has really ramped up recently. I am constantly thinking about studying and squeezing in all of the material before the exam. I have not told many people that I am working toward the CPA again, and no one is pushing me to get this accomplished by a certain time. I have started to wonder why I am doing this to myself . . . anxiety, stress, misery. Blah!

I must remind myself that the CPA designation will help my career and increase my marketability. However, the journey to get there is not enjoyable. It was not enjoyable back in 2006 when I was pressured by my employer, and it is not fun now that I am taking it on my own accord. However, I am willing to endure this journey to reach a personal goal. A baby on the way drives me to hurry and get past AUD and on to the next section. Studying for AUD has opened my eyes to the insane amount of procrastinating I am capable of. It is also helping me to adjust my study habits for the next section of the CPA exam. The TV seems to suck me in, and before I know it, the evening draws to a close and it is time for bed. The spring time change will help me out with longer days and the feeling of more hours in the day to study.

 

BEC Studying: Week 1

March 21, 2013, by No comments yet

 

Written By Guest Blogger Erica T. for the Gleim CPA exam blog.

I’m no stranger to studying for the CPA exam. For the longest time, I was studying for REG but just kept hitting setbacks. I finally had a monstrous meltdown and decided to give it a break and move on to the next section. I was really having a hard time grasping the material. Perhaps it was the less than effective studying habits that led me straight down the road to being certifiably crazy.

This time around, I have taken my current schedule into consideration. I am a staff accountant and I have to work wild and crazy hours during tax season, so that is one area where I cannot cut time. I have realized that for the next few months of my life, as I prepare to take BEC and AUD, my social life will be nonexistent. This was a tough pill for me to swallow, but I do understand that it will be worth it in the long run. I will be happy to make that sacrifice for the time being. My exam dates are scheduled for April (BEC) and May (AUD). I have scheduled out 3-4 hours each day from now until the exam to use solely for exam preparation. It has proved difficult to stay on track with this study plan, but with the help of my family, I’ve been able to stay dedicated to it.

I feel a lot more confident going into this section than I did when I was studying for REG. I feel like this material is a little easier for me to understand. I am so thankful for that. So my advice to others studying for the CPA exam is to block out your time and use it efficiently. If you just try to study here and there when you get a chance, you’ll never get it done. This does require sacrifice, but it also cuts down on the chaos in your life.

 

CPA Studying – Audio Review

March 12, 2013, by No comments yet

Written By Guest Blogger AVH

One of the tools I really appreciate is the audio download. I put mine onto a little mp3 player, and it follows me wherever I go. I can listen whenever I’m traveling in the car, while doing housework, and any time I’m waiting. This is pretty much the same pattern my son uses for reading a book. Yes, somehow he’s figured out how to vacuum and read at the same time.

Gleim audio as the background “music” for my life has its amusing moments, mostly because I can’t give it my full attention. First off, it’s the same audio I’ve already heard in the audiovisual presentations, so I’ve heard it once already. Second, I’m using the subliminal support it gives by letting it run while I’m doing other things. Like an elevator conversation, there are phrases that pop up in-between focused thinking. The man’s voice and woman’s voice trade off, which helps me to avoid audio fatigue, and many times my mind picks up things like this:

“Mom, can I borrow the car?” Ordinary negligence may arise from an accountant’s act or failure to act given a duty to act. “Yes dear; please be home before 11:00. Did you swap your laundry?” A client must prove the elements of negligence “Have you seen my backpack?” “No. Look behind your door.” Gross negligence is failure to use even slight care. “You got a package from the delivery company today. I put it on your bed.” “Oh! Great. Thanks.” The loss may have been caused by the client’s own negligence or by a third party.

I wear my headphones loosely when doing housework. In the car, our mp3 player is plugged into the stereo. It may seem like a waste of time to listen when I’m doing other things, but combined with my steady computer and book work, it’s invaluable. Many times a phrase sticks in my head through the day, and helps me to do better the next round in Study Session mode. I appreciate the many layers offered by Gleim CPA review – computer, book, audio – so that I can saturate myself in the material. How do you use the audio?

 

Studying Through My Vacation

March 5, 2013, by No comments yet

 

Written By Guest Blogger David G.

Studying through my vacation was extremely tough. It was more difficult than I imagined it would be, but I was able to keep my head above water. I read all twenty study units, made notes, and continued to review while also enjoying the company. During all this, I was still able to set aside some time every day to study, even if it was only for just a few minutes. The best studying opportunity for me was at my mother-in-law’s house. She teaches accounting and is familiar with the CPA exam. So when I got to her house, it was acceptable to spend time alone reading in a separate part of the house. That was the best visit that I have ever had there.

 

I hope to be ready to sit for the Audit exam in two weeks. When I finished reading the study units, I also took the true/false exams for each one. Several of these exams resulted in scores that really had me concerned, so I reviewed the section again and retook the exam. Each time I did this, my scores improved. I make an effort to read the explanations for all the answers in each study unit, even the ones that I get correct. This seems to help the information stick with me a little better. The questions are the same when you retake the true/false exams, but if you read the explanations and understand it, you are gaining the knowledge that you need.

 

This has turned in to a long process, and I am ready to get on with it. I long for the time that I can come home after being gone at work for 12 hours and not have to study or worry about not studying enough. I’m beginning to respect the CPA title a lot more.

 

 

6 Weeks Away From The CPA Exam

February 26, 2013, by No comments yet

 

Written By Guest Blogger Jaime C.

I’m not sure where the last seven days went. Just like healthy eating and exercise, I usually have the best intentions for studying on Sunday night. However, real life always seems to get in the way on Monday and carries through the rest of the week. We had an ultrasound this week and got to see our healthy little child. While I have felt great during my first trimester, work has not gotten any easier in the past few weeks. I continue to be without a tax accountant and perform the work of two people. We had a few interviews, but none of the candidates have worked out so far. I sure hope we can get someone in quickly to help share the workload.

As I mentioned in one of my previous blogs, the company I work for is potentially going to sell the company to another party. The potential buyers are coming to the office tomorrow to visit our facility and meet the managers and staff. We joke that we will be interviewing for our current positions. It sure would be nice to confidently say that I am a CPA. Soon, very soon!

My scheduled exam date is six weeks away. I was reading over my blog history and see a trend of excuses for not studying. My next blog posting will not be an excuse for failing to study during the week. I pulled out the six week study schedule from the Gleim counselor and have the perfect amount of time to get this all in. This will ensure that I get the necessary review for study units already covered as well as make it through all of the material. I worked with a gal several years ago that would use just the book to study. She would start reading at the beginning and go as far as she could. For one section, she passed without reading half of the material. I’m not sure I’ll be that lucky. So, here’s to a great week of studying!

 

 

Saturday Scheduling For The CPA Exam

February 25, 2013, by No comments yet

 

Written By Guest Blogger Jaime C.

I decided to take a look at the available testing dates and times and finally scheduled my AUD exam.  I am so happy I did not wait any longer to schedule it.  The testing center in my city offers testing times on Saturdays, which works great for my schedule since I will not have to use a vacation day from work to sit for the exam.  When I tested in 2006 and 2007, Saturdays were not offered.  When I logged on to the Prometric website this afternoon, there were only two Saturday spots left, and both of them were a few weeks later than I had wanted.  I signed up for the earlier of the two Saturdays available.  I imagine there are many other CPA candidates looking to schedule on Saturdays, too.  My recommendation is to schedule early.  This will allow you to choose from a larger variety of testing dates and times before they are all taken.

Now that I have my CPA exam scheduled and an end date in sight, I should be able to keep the procrastinating at bay.  I continued to use the CPA Auditing Audio Review this week.  While I prefer to listen to some hip hop tunes while working out at the gym, I now listen to the audio downloads.  To be honest, it doesn’t make my time on the elliptical fly by, and I sometimes have to rewind because my mind starts to wander.

I also started a new study unit this week. Unfortunately, my initial multiple-choice online test score was only 40%.  I was shocked to get such a low score.  However, I marked all of the questions for review and found that while I was in a hurry, I read some of the questions incorrectly.  As a result, I learned that I need to slow down and make sure I understand the whole question correctly before answering.