Discussion:Sad but True, another ALMOST on the CPA Exam!

FARE (6 times), made a 65, 70, 72, 73, 72, finally passing with a 76
ARE (3 times), made an 80, then a 70, then passed again with an 86
Audit (6 times), 70, then passed with a 75, then took it 4 more times making a 73, 72, 61, and 72.
BEC or Law (3 times), passed the first time with a 75, then made a 67, then a 65.

That's 18 sittings total not even thinking about the thousands of dollars spent in review courses, books, and CPA fees! But man I learned a lot, it's not like I failed miserably!

As I was setting here drinking coffee and reading your post, it reminded me of a story I read over a year ago when I was retiring ... it encouraged me. I was depressed because I had not reached my career and financial goals, and never would because of age ... I even dreamed I apologized to my parents.

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

All the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself, adds no quality to the coffee in most cases, just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... and then began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee, and the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us." God brews the coffee, not the cups..........enjoy your coffee

Author: Anonymous

I found this true in my career, I did not have the titles , etc ... but that added nothing to the experiences of different cultures, jobs, etc. For you, the CPA is a cup, it does not add to your knowledge or enjoyment of the coffee ... accounting and tax work. If you are interested to what I wrote as part of a thank you for a retirement lunch ... here it is:

http://home.insightbb.com/~pad.bendt/Coffee%20and%20Career.htm

Just don't use a full page browser because the coffee cups will overlay the text.

Don't give up. It doesn't matter how many times you take the test. You only have to pass once!

Good luck.

Don't cry in your beer, and do not stand around and let people say.........oh,, poor o Donnie, you did your best and that is all that is expected (implying ....of you) which is a big insult to you.

YOU CAN PASS. GO.

And remember, having the initials doesn't make you smarter, it only makes people think you are. :-)

Wow, what a listing. I assume the time frame issues are what keeps you from being a CPA, having passed all four parts at some point. That is a lot of effort and money put into the process. I admire your attitude -- you learned a lot thought you don't have the title to prove it. If you are ethical, smart and dedicated to serving yoru clients well that will make up for the lack of accreditation.

Good luck!!!

I could think of many more things I would rather do than study. A few nights ago, I was thinking what a nightmare it would be to have to study again for that exam, and I don't have any children!

I'm actually looking forward to working with an EA. I haven't worked with one yet and am curious to see the distinction. I have worked with CPAs who know their stuff and some that could stand to know more.

I would not give up. I am currently working on the exam as well. I didn't do so well my first time attacking BEC and Regulation but after changing my strategy I did much better. I suggest you do the same. If you are getting the same results, it's obvious that the way you are preparing is not working. I would suggest that you re-evaluate your studying habits to see if you are learning the most efficient way for you and not some cookie cutter way for everyone else. I tried sitting down and reading all the B.S. in the Gleim books to begin with and it is not only overwhelming, but hard to remember and I found myself spending alot of time reading and still doing poorly on practice tests. I recently switched to a different format of studying where I practice a TON of questions and learn the concept while I am practicing the question. I have found that this technique has helped me and I still review the textbooks but not as much as I did before. Don't quit. If you quit you just spent a large sum of money with nothing tangible to show for it where if you continue you will spend more money but have something to show for it in the end and victory will be even sweeter.

Keep trying, it took me several tries to pass all 4 parts, I was old school 2.5 days, I missed passing all four parts the 1st time by 4 points! There was no grades betwen 70-75. I had 69, 69, 68 and 77. I couldn't even tell you what parts they were. All my classmates were telling me that they knew I passed b/c I explained theories/concepts to them! i was and still am a terrible test taker. The review course I took kinda focused on all aspects and then focused on what they thought would be asked.

you and this board have often made me start to think about taking the EA exam, I enjoy learning, b/c I still don't know it all.

i always though CPA meant 'Can't Pay Attention"

TexCPA

But than again "Every man has to know his limits" - Clint Eastwood (Don't know what movie it's from, I just like the qoute).

Peace

It took me like 18 years after graduating from college to finally pass the exam. But let me qualify that - for like 10 years I didn't take it and wasn't sure I was going to ever take it again. Finally, one year, I decided that if I ever wanted to be on my own, I'd have to be licensed (I was already an EA by that time-but also wanted the CPA title too). So I enrolled in Becker CPA Review. And for 4 years I kept going back to the classes. Each time I took it - my grades improved. Finally - after the 4th year - I hit a triple - only had to take Problems. Back then, you had to pass the remaining parts within 5 exams. As luck had it, May '88 was the first exam that tested the changes in the Tax Reform Act of 1986. THERE WERE 40 questions - (2 full test questions) - on the second half of the Problems exam. That put me over the edge to get the Problems part passed.

So - don't get discouraged - keep at it. Yes it's frustrating - but once you finally get there - you'll feel relieved that it's all over with. DON'T GIVE UP. P L E A S E.

Not everyone is meant to pass the CPA exam. I know many who have passed the CPA and (they) do not possess one bit of common sense. Look at the end game. If you are already an EA and have a goal to reach 1,000 clients what additional value will the CPA designation bring to the table? You can make a good living with a 1,000 clients.

Ofcourse there was always Don Quixote and his pursuit of the windmills!!

I passed all four parts of the exam on the first try in 1975. My problem was getting the required experience (California required 500 hours and everything on the Form E checked off, and not more than one or two tax accrual reviews counted). I went to work for the Franchise Tax Board and managed to get about 100 hours and a partial Form E checkoff in 7 years. Then I went to work for a Big 8 firm in 1982 as a tax manager and let me tell you, getting audit hours was like pulling teeth (how would you like to accrue manager rates on your audit job WIP for work that could be done by first-year staff?). I managed to get another 100 hours or so.

When I changed firms in 1987 I decided to throw in the CPA towel. I would never need a certificate for what I do (multistate tax consulting) and I didn't have 300 hours left in my life to do tick-and-tie work. I've been told that now the rules have changed and if I pursued it, I could probably get my certificate, but I'm not sure it's worth the effort.

I don't do tax prep but if I decided I wanted to do that, I'd go get an EA and be happy. If all you are going to do is tax work, EA will get you everything you need. The CPA exam is full of stuff you will never use.

A guy at my old firm finally passed. He is 62 years old. Let that sink in for a minute.

A young accountant I mentored finally passed last year. I told her to quit bitching, whining, and moaning and keep taking the damn thing until she passed. I was pretty mean to her about it as well. I ran into her recently and she told my wife I was pretty mean to her about taking it again. She said she never would have passed if I hadn't kept pushing.

The greatest feeling I had in my life outside of my kids being born was the day I got my "thin letter" in the mail. I couldn't tell people fast enough.

You will never know that feeling if you quit.

So quit being a damn wimp and a quitter. You will get no sympathy here. Don't let your family down.

If you have kids, why don't you go home and look them in the eyes and tell them daddy is a quitter because a little online test has whipped his sorry ass? That should set a good example for them don't you think?

Was that mean enough for you?

Seriously, sign up and take the damn thing again. You WILL pass. Everyone who has ever passed the thing has thought the EXACT SAME THING you are thinking right now.

AUD - 69, 75 (and then it expired), took it again and now just waiting for results FAR - 54, 64, 74, 80 REG - 49, 66, 73, 72, 71, 73 BEC - 69, 64, 62, 75

I started taking this exam two years ago. I would like to think I am almost there. I hope to get my results for audit in September and if I pass I will just have to take REG for the seventh time. This process has been very depressing as it has cost me dream jobs and promotions. I refuse to give up given that I have spent so much money and time in this process and I know it is just a matter of time.

One of the things that have inspired me to continue is reading John Wooden's quote regarding persistence is stronger than failure (I realize this example in the book is not as drastic our examples but if Mr. Lincoln can do it than so can we). I believe by not giving up I will eventually reach my ultimate goal. See below and hope you have passed.

Persistence Is Stronger than Failure Abraham Lincoln is acknowledged as one of America’s greatest presidents. Here is a brief summary of his career:

1831 - Failed in business

1832 - Defeated for legislature

1833 - Failed in business again

1834 - Elected to legislature

1835 - Sweetheart died

1836 - Had nervous breakdown

1838 - Defeated for speaker

1840 - Defeated for elector

1843 - Defeated for congressional nomination

1846 - Elected to Congress

1848 - Defeated for Congress

1855 - Defeated for Senate

1856 - Defeated for Vice President

1859 - Defeated for Senate

1860 - Elected President of the United States

Few people have suffered more personal, professional, and political adversity than Abraham Lincoln. He persisted in the face of failure and emerged victorious.

Another president, Calvin Coolidge, described it very well:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

The model Mr. Lincoln gave us with his persistence is one we can remember in the face of our own setbacks. And what is most wondrous of all is that persistence is a quality that we ourselves control. You, and only you, can decide whether you will stay the course.

AUD - 69, 75 (and then it expired), took it again and now just waiting for results FAR - 54, 64, 74, 80 REG - 49, 66, 73, 72, 71, 73 BEC - 69, 64, 62, 75

I started taking this exam two years ago. I would like to think I am almost there. I hope to get my results for audit in September and if I pass I will just have to take REG for the seventh time. This process has been very depressing as it has cost me dream jobs and promotions. I refuse to give up given that I have spent so much money and time in this process and I know it is just a matter of time.

One of the things that have inspired me to continue is reading John Wooden's quote regarding persistence is stronger than failure (I realize this example in the book is not as drastic our examples but if Mr. Lincoln can do it than so can we). I believe by not giving up I will eventually reach my ultimate goal. See below and hope you have passed.

Persistence Is Stronger than Failure Abraham Lincoln is acknowledged as one of America’s greatest presidents. Here is a brief summary of his career:

1831 - Failed in business

1832 - Defeated for legislature

1833 - Failed in business again

1834 - Elected to legislature

1835 - Sweetheart died

1836 - Had nervous breakdown

1838 - Defeated for speaker

1840 - Defeated for elector

1843 - Defeated for congressional nomination

1846 - Elected to Congress

1848 - Defeated for Congress

1855 - Defeated for Senate

1856 - Defeated for Vice President

1859 - Defeated for Senate

1860 - Elected President of the United States

Few people have suffered more personal, professional, and political adversity than Abraham Lincoln. He persisted in the face of failure and emerged victorious.

Another president, Calvin Coolidge, described it very well:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

The model Mr. Lincoln gave us with his persistence is one we can remember in the face of our own setbacks. And what is most wondrous of all is that persistence is a quality that we ourselves control. You, and only you, can decide whether you will stay the course.