Has Anyone Passed the CPA Exam Using a 5 Week Intensive Course?

Posted on by Adrienne Gonzalez

This may come as a shock to the youngsters out there but a long, long time ago, you had to study for all 4 CPA exam parts at once, sit for them in a weekend (you could only go twice a year) and hope that you got at least a 50 or you'd fail miserably. Nowadays, you kids have the luxury of taking your exam parts throughout the year (note for the old-timers: flexibility does not equal easy) but for those of you who want the Old School experience, maybe the following is for you. Oh, and if you have a question for our team of drop-outs and degenerates, get in touch.

Hello GC,

I have searched the GC website trying to find some answers or advice that people may have on this 5 week intensive course by Becker. I couldn't find anything so I decided to email you guys to see if I would have any luck from the GC readers. I'm sure the study courses are covered by most big firms but those hotel prices are out of hand-ridiculously expensive especially for a broke college student. I just wanted to try my luck and see if anyone had any hints or advice… if anyone would even recommend torturing oneself by taking this route. BTW- big fan of the site.

Thanks,

Wintern2012

Remember that thing I said about how it used to be back in the day? Why the hell would you expose yourself to this kind of punishment now if you don't have to?

I was still working in CPA review when these intensive courses started popping up; I thought it was a bad idea and I think it's a bad idea now. Unless you are going to schedule 4 exams back to back, I almost guarantee you will have to re-study most of what these intensive courses cover later on down the road. Which means additional costs for an already broke college student trying to do the grown-up thing and foot their own bill.

Granted, you'll get the foundation but to polish off what you know, you'll likely have to purchase or access additional review materials to brush up on everything you went over during the intensive course once you're actually sitting for exams weeks or months later. While there are the freakishly talented exceptions who barely have to study to pass, for most people, any more than 2 sections per testing window and you're asking for trouble. As previously stated, if there is no pressing reason for you to attempt to sit for four parts in a single window (spouse is going to leave you, boss is going to fire you, parents will disown you…), why put yourself through it?

Now, if there are any such exceptions out there who have done this course and found it to be incredibly insightful and useful, please help our friend out in the comments.

 

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1. A good support system Maybe you’re lucky and your significant other has been supporting you all the way through this adventure to licensure but chances are he/she is pissed that you’d rather spend your evenings cuddling your CPA review book than them. Fine, don’t worry about them, worry about yourself and surround yourself with like-minded candidates who can support and inspire you. It can also be helpful to have someone to sit next to you on the pity potty when your scores come back less stellar than you’d hoped. Whether your support system comes from your social circle, coworkers or online forums, find one and use it.

2. A plan No kidding, you need one if you’re going to pull this off. That means scheduling your exams well in advance, plotting your course by creating a detailed study schedule and figuring out how to balance studying and everything else in your life. The better you plan ahead of time, the better you’ll do. I don’t have any figures supporting this so you’ll just have to trust me.

3. A Notice to Schedule I’m sure you already know you need an NTS if you’re going to get anywhere. What I mean is, if you’re actually going to take the exam you’ve got to start the application process as soon as possible and make sure you’ve met your state board’s requirements. Find out how long it takes well in advance of actually applying by reading up on your jurisdiction’s requirements and understand how long things take in your state. You can get a lot of this information first-hand from the CPAnet forums or by following the #CPAexam on Twitter. First-hand accounts from actual candidates will offer you more value than the official word from your state board, though their estimate may be somewhat realistic too. Schedule 45 days before your exam so you have one less thing to worry about when studying. If you’re having trouble figuring out how to apply or if you qualify, check out NASBA’s Accounting Licensing Library for help.

4. Faith Oh so cheesy but it works. If you believe that you can get through this, one way or another you will. If you doubt yourself every step of the way, you’re going to suffer appropriately. So it’s generally a wise idea to have some faith in yourself otherwise you’ll be needlessly miserable through most of this entire process. Faith is whatever you define it as, only you know what it means for your particular belief system. Adjust accordingly to your personal circumstances.

5. Discipline You don’t need talent, nor a high IQ, nor a good GPA to get through the CPA exam. You can be marginally skilled in your career and only somewhat intelligent to pass but if you do not bring discipline to the table you’ll never get through it.

Optional additions: a good CPA review program, a reliable caffeine connection, a miserable bastard or two to commiserate with, and/or a good distraction to reward yourself with after you’ve put in your study hours.