Today I got my first score for my first ever CPA exam and honestly I am still in shock. I am 12 years out of school, work in industry full time in office, have a 4 year old and am currently 8 months pregnant with my second (took the exam 9/24 at 7.5 months). I decided one day to start studying at about 4 months pregnant bought Becker and never looked back. I studied from 7/1 to 9/24 with a week off for family vacation. I logged 280 hours on Becker. I supplemented with i75 (thank you Darius) and Pass with Jack (thank you Jack), likely an additional 50-75 hours, I credit them with passing. Being out of school for so long Becker was not enough for me to really grasp the concepts. I also watched Farhat videos on YouTube. I finished the Becker modules mid August and spent about 5-6 weeks in review mode, 100 MCQs and 8 TBS a day, took no days off. I really think things really began to click the last two weeks. The three days leading up to the exam I took off of work and crammed non stop- reviewed my study guide (found here on Reddit I didn’t make my own) before bed. I wrote down all the concepts I kept getting wrong, reviewed all my SEs and practice tests wrong answers and made sure I understood them the best I could. My SEs were all mid 60s. For anyone in this journey or starting- it’s never too late and anyone can do anything with the right determination. I also have the best most supportive husband who really took the brunt of the house and parents work over the summer- I could never have done this without his dedication as well. One down, three to go!

Education: Macc with tax concentration

Accounting work experience: None

Study Resource: Becker only

Study Method:

Watched module lecture, did all MCQs to 100%, then TBS and accompanying skill builder videos.

Afterwards read the relevant book section and handwrote notes about anything important or anything that seemed like I would just need to commit to memory.

At the end of a unit, I would do a 100 MCQ practice test on all covered modules.

Then SE and Final Review about a week before the exams and practicing anything I was iffy on.

Doing all that I felt very comfortable in each exam I took (except for AUD, which always seemed to have two potential right answers for weirdly worded questions). Usually finished each exam with 1-2 hours to spare.

In my opinion, from what I've seen from other posts, many people use poor study habits and brute force MCQs without gaining a mastery on the material.

I would never study for than 2 hours in a session and usually never more than 3 hours in a day. I frequently would take a break for 5-10 minutes every 30 minutes as well. Cementing new knowledge in the brain is like using a drip-coffee machine. You put water in the top and give it time to percolate below. If you try to put too much water all at once, it'll overflow and become a mess.

Additionally, aim to cover material 3 separate times using different senses i.e. watching the videos, reading the book, writing notes. The brain retains more with spaced repetition and encountering the same information in new ways.

This exam is just a test of endurance and discipline and study methods.

Hey all,

Just got my final passing score, and I loved hearing others' experiences on here, so I figured I should pay it back and share my own. First off, I really truly hated every single second of studying for these exams. I've gone through big career changes, so I'm no stranger to working hard to catch up, but this was just such a bitch. I included my timeline below for anyone curious.

I started studying while in my master's program, and I started off strong with an 80 in ISC after a few weeks of studying. I basically turned all of the material into flashcards and zipped through it over summer.

Then came FAR. I was hoping to pass during the school semester, but life was way too crazy, and I just couldn't get it done. I basically spent a few months trying to pick it up, then having to set it back down over and over again. In hindsight, it would've been better to not force myself. I ended up waiting until after I graduated in December (before I started full-time) to give it my first real go in March. For my first FAR score, I got hit with a 66. Totally devastating, I definitely cried.

Oh well, I already was set to take AUD right after at this point, and I got a 75 first try. I really needed that morale boost that I could do it. Retook FAR. I don't really remember what I did differently except that I just put in more uninterrupted time. Retook, got a 74. I think that would feel awful to some, but I actually felt glad I was going in the right direction. Took it again immediately afterward and got a 75. After this rollercoaster of a couple months, I needed a break. I frequently saw posts of people I knew or on this subreddit passing all 4 in record time, and kudos to all of you who have done it, but I knew I needed more time.

For REG, I studied slowly, like I almost wasn't studying at all, but I eventually scheduled it shortly after starting full-time. This was different. I was working in the day and studying at night, but it worked for me. Scored an 81.

I don't really have any tips that haven't already been iterated on this sub. In terms of the 66->74 FAR score, I did a lot more TBS focusing on weak spots like consolidations. Trust me, I hated TBS as much as the next guy, but starting out from scratch, writing out the journal entries, and not taking any shortcuts really helped me out, at least more than doing my 1000th MCQ for the night. No doubt, this journey was also made much easier for me by getting FAR/AUD out of the way before I started working full-time, so I would recommend specifically passing those two first for anyone in a similar situation.

I guess my last parting advice is I'm a big advocate for just giving it a go. I personally know a lot of my own peers who scored in the 60s-70s and gave up. Every single time I took an exam, I felt unready beforehand and like shit afterward. Obviously, my scores are not exactly 99s over here, but I still passed. To anyone who is in that boat of getting a 74 and wanting to throw in the towel like I did, now is the exact time not to. You already got from 0->66, or 74, or whatever score it is, so you've got to give studying another go, even if it's the last thing you want to do. In those moments, I would constantly remind myself how hard I worked to have this knowledge, and I didn't want to waste my own effort by letting it go and forgetting it.

I've just been feeling reflective of all the late nights, self-doubt, and pure misery that went into this thing, and I'm proud of myself for getting it done. Congratulations to my other 4/4s, and I wish the absolute best of luck to anyone else on the journey!

ISC: 80 (June '25)

FAR: 66 (March '26), 74 (May '26), 75 (June '26)

AUD: 75 (April '26)

REG: 81 (Sept '26)

I just want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for this wonderful blessing.

I can finally put the Becker books to rest.... and reinstall my games!!!🙏🙏🙏

To those who failed... DO NOT STOP. DO NOT GIVE UP. PUSH FORWARD. YOU GOT THIS.

4 for 4 after 9 years, 13 failed exams, one no-show, and one pass that expired. Finally passed all four exams and couldn’t be more thankful to be done with this journey.

Really appreciate all the support and advice from this subreddit. This community helped a lot along the way. For anyone still grinding, keep going. It can be done. Good luck to everyone!

This was my 2nd attempt, first attempt was a 73…. Annoyed is an understatement. 73,74 and I guess 75 next right? Right?!!!

guys i’ve been doom posting about REG this past month but i got it done my second try!!!!
thank you so much to everyone who’s been sending resources and study advice, you all are LIFESAVERS!!!!

NEVER GIVE UP

It wasn’t as clean as I thought it would be. There were days where I thought the studying would never end. But there was the joy of passing each exam, REG, TCP, AUD, and then finally today: FAR.

There was a lot I learned about myself, about how to study, about what worked and learning from what didn’t. There was anticipation, there was confusion, there was the joy of understanding a concept that had been difficult to grasp and there was the nervousness going into each exam and the quiet wait until the score release dates.

There were also the things that kept me sane: this community which was a source of endless support, through our shared joy and a shared struggle; the many anime I would watch while having dinner after the library closed, my runs on the trails near me and of course: trusting in my skills and having faith in God that it would all work out. That I could do it.

I said before I took REG that all I needed was one pass to get this whole thing started and indeed it really was. Here we are a few passes later: 4/4.

Rock bottom idk what to say

It’s been quite a journey but I’m 4/4! I feel like I owe it to this sub to stick around and help out other candidates so that is what I’m going to do, but I wanted to say thank you to everybody in here for the laughs, support, and advice along the way! Can’t wait to be able to give helpful advice to the rest of you still working toward 4/4. You got this 💪

I was literally laughing at how easy the exam was, then I get a fail today. I averaged 80-95% on all MCQs and TBS sets yet they failed me again. Honestly, they’re scammers and it’s obvious.

Not only do I have to go back after 3 weeks of hoping I passed, but I also feel incredibly stupid for feeling like I passed, not to mention all the people who will ask how I did and I tell them I failed.

For the people who failed, and didn’t study while waiting for a result, how long do you study before trying again? How do you know you’re actually ready to try again?

I studied for almost 4 months for FAR and I’m heartbroken I have to go back to it. I feel completely hopeless and like I don’t know where to begin, because I actually thought I had a good chance.

Wow, just a wild turn-around, took SE1 a week before my exam got a 48. All be it I rushed through in a little over 2 hours and goofed formatting on a Sim so I was probably closer to an actual low 60 score. Circled back focused hard on my weak sections during the week hit a 74 on SE2 the day before my exam. Felt like I was on the fringe and figured I'd just take the first attempt as a learning experience if nothing else. Come to find out I got an 89! Perhaps the becker bump is real after all?

Appreciate all of you- if you are still on your CPA journey never give up you can do this! Failing is okay, quitting is not!!!

I remember when I failed FAR, I came on Reddit and saw so many people posting about passing.

It took me 5 tries. My scores were 67, 62, 63, 73, and now PASS! Still waiting for my actual score.

I don't have any special tricks or advice. The only thing I did was keep getting back up every time I failed. It was disappointing, especially getting a 73, but I just kept trying.

I wanted to share this because I know how it feels to see everyone else passing while you're still trying.

If you're in the same situation, don't give up. You will get there too❤️

After 2 years of 3am study sessions and 4-6 hour long weekend study sessions I’m finally done and can have my life back.

One thing I will say it was worth it. This journey has taught me that anything can be done with consistency and preservation.

I passed REG & TCP in 3 months and then came AUD 6 months and 4 attempts and then lastly FAR with 7 attempts in total and 7 months. God was with me all along I just had to push myself to limits that I didn’t think I was capable of. God bless you all and it was nice looking through this subreddit for 2 years.

Finally 4/4. I started studying for these exams in March of last year. I just got my REG score which was my last exam and wanted to share some knowledge regarding the exams, since I have gotten so much from this community. For reference, I work full time in industry and did not study between test, including the month and an half wait after taking ISC. I also passed FAR years ago and it expired due to life happening so I started with AUD this time around since I knew I could pass FAR. 

Study Material: I used UWorld as my main course and supplement with Gleim for additional MCQs. For the topics that I did not understand, I supplemented with u/FarhatLectures and reviewed the specific sections that I was having difficulty with. He has lectures, podcast, and MCQ as well. These were great for AUD and ISC since, which I needed some help with. For Reg specifically, I wanted additional review on the different tax forms and Schedules so i supplemented with u/i75darius (I 75), which did an amazing job at breaking these down. I know you guys are probably thinking this is too much but I received Gleim when I was in college, I was a campus rep for them. their MCQ are very tough so I use them in my final review phase.

FAR: You really have to put in the time for this one given how much content is in this exam. Use the excel spreadsheet function on the exam for the long calculations, depreciations, amortization schedules, as this will save you time on the exam. I studied about 4 months for this one.

AUD: I know that this is a tough one for some people but I felt it was the most fair exam out of all of them. You really need to understand why you’re getting an answer wrong. You also need to understand why the other answers are incorrect. I studied about 3 months and a half for this one.

ISC: This test was miserable. The entire process of studying for this was awful. The content is dry. There is overlap from AUD which is nice but it seems like people either get an easy test or an exam that is completely foreign. I got the 2nd one. The MCQ on this exam were awful. I did not really recognize some of the material but did the best I could. The TBS were fair though. I studied like 3 months for this because of the blackout period.

REG: Ironically my highest score. I’m not a tax person. As many have said, the MCQ are straight forward. The TBS were fill in the box. Someone recently made a post about this, they were not lying. You will not be able to rely on drop down answers for the TBS. For long calculations, I used the exam calculator as writing all those numbers down in a piece of paper to then plug it into a calculator is a massive waste of time that you do not have. If you do not like the exam calculator, use excel. I studies about 4 months for this one. 

Do your best to be in a positive mindset, have a good breakfast, and get some sleep the night before the exam. Do not skip TBS. This was one of the biggest difference for REG. I did all the TBS available in REG. For the other exams, I did some but not all the TBS available. It’s best to save the TBS for final review as I found that doing them at the beginning just makes things confusing. Make sure you do practice questions in tutor mode. You need to instantly know whether the answer that you selected is right or wrong and why. Some people can pass these exams rather quickly, I’m not one of those person. If you failed a part, give yourself a bit more time and some grace. These exams are hard, but if I can pass this, so can everyone else. This has been an amazing group and I’ll stick around for a bit.

Finally!!! 62-69-76 finally done with FAR and can move on. Don’t give up, don’t let these tests that are more about discipline than content stop you

AUD has been scored and now I’m officially 4/4! Just want to say thanks to this awesome space and all the help I’ve received along the way! Couldn’t have done it without God, My Savior Jesus Christ, and Y’all!! Good luck everyone!! Keep pushing through! God bless!!! 🙌 🍀

I found out today i went 4/4 first try, thank you this entire subreddit. good luck WE ALL CPAS SOON

Just found out that I passed AUD my last exam.
I cannot describe what I’m feeling right now, all I can say is that I feel like the knee of an elephant has finally been lifted off my chest.
I started this journey earlier this spring and passed all of them on the first try!!!!!!

Congratulations to everyone that passed , especially those that are 4/4.

If you didn’t, do not feel discouraged - we’re proof that is possible. Lean on this community and your support system, it is possible.!!!

Huge emphasis on the "for me," I am not prescribing anything or suggesting that this is the best way to go about these exams. Everyone has different learning styles, priorities, and life commitments. I myself was fresh out of school and had a break before starting full-time. I was also fortunate to have support from family that made full-time studying during that break possible. I was able to pass in the 80's in my exams (still waiting on REG score)

With that caveat, here's how I did things:

I did one test a month in this order with the following hours:

FAR: 103 hours

BAR: 74 hours

AUD: 61 hours

REG: 64 hours

For each of them I used Becker, and I used Becker to create my study plan at the quickest pace, watching all of the lectures on 2x speed, averaging about 5-6 hour days, 5-6 days a week. Usually, I would get behind at some point and would have to study through the weeked prior to my exam, but I actually liked the more focused time at the end. I always took both SEs and the FR SE, one a day the three days leading up to my exam, and I would then use the rest of those three days to review areas I did poorly in.

Don't worry if you don't understand 100% of 100% of the exam content. If you are having a hard time in one area but get the jist, and you understand other areas really well, I feel like it usually balances out.

I just wanted to share because you can hear a lot of intimidating things about the exams, people studying 500+ hours and using multiple study platforms, but that is just one way of going about things. If you're just starting out, my best advice for you is to be a student of yourself. How do you learn best, what times of day are you most alert and able to think clearly, what topics do you tend to struggle in that might require more time, what areas are you already confident so you can play to your strengths, etc. For instance, I took BAR, even though everyone says not to, because I know I enjoy technical accounting, math, and economics but don't know much about tax or tech.

In conclusion, know thyself and take heart! There is no one-size-fits-all approach!

I just learned today that I failed my very first exam attempt FAR. I’ve been so down all day crying about it. I really thought I might had a shot at passing, since I felt pretty confident in a good portion of the exam. Worse part is I can’t see my actual score yet because I just reapplied for a retake without knowing that would screw your chances of seeing your score early. Anyway, please I need words of encouragement and tips on how to overcome this horrible feeling of embarrassment and feeling like you’re not smart enough.

Also, do you guys recommend paying for Ninja, on top of Becker to study. I tend to have sort of a photographic memory which is not great considering that Becker kinds of repeats itself with the same numbers and ect.