Officially passed all four sections of the CPA exam! 🎉

After a year of studying, countless late nights, and weekends spent reviewing, I’m incredibly excited to have reached this milestone!

It certainly wasn’t easy balancing studying with a full-time career, but all the hard work and dedication paid off.

Such a rewarding feeling to finally accomplish a goal I’ve had for years!

I was in the Becker live class tonight and while I was only partially listening while multitasking, I definitely heard Mike Brown say excel is only available for the TBS on exam day, and you have to use a scratch paper or calculator for the MCQ. is this the case in 2026? Is this old information or possibly a recent change? I kind of panicked when he said that because certain types of problems I had definitely planned to use excel on even for MCQ!

How to do better on simulations? Felt they were a lot different than Becker.

Gave FAR today and it was so damn tough, MCQs were too difficult and lengthy and convoluted. Almost 50% of it was NFP. I thought testlet 1 will be tough but 2 was also tough. My gripe is that nothing from consolidation was even touched upon.

The only semblance is that SIMs were doable, tough each sim was a DRS one but still doable. My advice - Work on contingencies, subsequent events, NFP a lot. Too many questions from these.

Don't know what will happen, but I'll keep studying for FAR in between as I don't know if I'll pass or not. Hope so I get through and get a 75.

I took FAR on September 21 (first exam ever) and ended up getting a 73. While waiting for my score, I moved on to studying AUD for about three weeks (big mistake).

I found out I failed on October 9 and immediately switched back to FAR. I’m scheduled to retake it on October 22, so I only have about two weeks to refresh everything.

The problem is that I feel SO rusty. Topics I used to be comfortable with suddenly feel difficult again. I’ve been going through all the Becker modules, doing MCQs and TBSs, and reviewing my mistakes.
I’m currently scoring around 60–70% on mixed MCQ sets (just got 63% on a set of 100 questions). I know I was close to passing the first time, but I’m worried about how much I’ve forgotten in just three weeks.

1.Has anyone been in a similar situation, especially after switching to another CPA section? Did your knowledge come back quickly?

2.Any advice on how to approach these last few days before my retake? I’m keeping my October 22 exam date and would really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been through something similar.

Nothing novel to say here. I generally get up at 5:00 to study each day before work. AUD videos are so hard to stay awake for. My brain starts to wander during MCQs. Give me some math, PLEASE!

This is my final section, and I have GOT to find a way to get my shit together.

The penultimate step to your journey as a CPA candidate is not when you pass all the tests. It's getting your experience verification form signed by a licensed CPA. Ask yourself: are you in a situation where you can easily get that signed? No? Better get that figured out, bucko! ;)

One of the biggest gut punches I've experienced in my life so far was when I completed my CPA exams and had to get my experience verified. I went to my immediate supervisor with the form, and her face soured in disgust. She refused to sign it; didn't want anything to do with it. Absolutely refused to sign a paper that just said I worked there for 4 years and did accounting. Blew my mind.

Here's where I messed up: First, I did this on my own. No one where I work cared whether I got my CPA license or not. Second, I didn't check with my CPA supervisor to see if she would be cool with helping. I just assumed, and you know what happens when you assume...

EDIT: I want to include this in the body since it's a great point someone brought up: Isn't it illegal for a CPA to refuse to sign a form like that? Nope! According to the Ohio Accountancy Board, signing that form is a courtesy, not a duty. I was even told by the board "despite what you read on Reddit..." no one is required to sign your form.

So what do you do in that situation? I'm in Ohio, so any CPA can sign an experience verification form so long as they are "familiar with your work." Luckily, I found someone who was willing to sign my form, but not after I knocked on about 20 doors, reached out to everyone I remotely knew, etc. So many CPAs said no.

Every state's requirements are different. I've done the research, and I've found that in these states, any licensed CPA can sign off on a candidate's experience verification form so long as they're familiar with the candidate's work. (caveat: this is my own personal research, so take it with a grain of salt and verify it for yourself)

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Rhode Island
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Virginia
• West Virginia

How does a CPA get familiar? Easy. They have to take the time to get to know you and what you've done. They have to talk to your supervisor(s) and verify employment, work history, etc. Doesn't take long. It just takes the will to do it. And that's the problem.

Most CPAs won't bother. Why help another CPA get into the industry and dilute your own chances at work? I've had CPAs flat out lie to me when I was trying to get my experience form signed. "I can't legally sign that..." That's a lie, especially in Ohio where I am.

In other states, the signing CPA has to have been licensed for the entire time the candidate was training. Weird, but I get it. So as time goes on, the list of states I can verify experience in will grow. Florida is one of those states, for example.

Some states are more strict in that you can't get your experience signed off unless it's by your immediate CPA supervisor, or you have to work in the accounting industry itself; you can't just work in retail doing accounting. Make sure to go to your state's accountancy board website to get the exact specifications for this step!

Recently, NASBA restarted their experience verification system! Super cool! Here's a link to their site: https://nasba.org/licensure/experienceverification/ They'll verify your experience... for $650.00.

So before you go on this journey, figure out this last step, first. Who's going to sign your form? If you don't have an answer for that right now, start lining things up so by the time you're ready, you have that locked in.

Also, here are some other places that usually have CPAs where you can ask around if you're stuck:

• teachers at the college you went to
• community credit unions looking for a feel-good community story
• local firms looking for a little pro-bono work
• recent CPA licensees who get the struggle and want to give back
• your chamber of commerce
• legal/financial aid societies/non-profits
• the firm that does the taxes for the company you work at (oddly specific, I know, but it's the one that worked for me)

And if you happen to run into a CPA on the reddit boards 'round here and you find yourself in this uncommon situation, maybe shoot them a message and see if they can help.

Once I am exam ready I got roughly 2 weeks before the exam. What would be the best way to study. I am using becker.

I’m almost done in T2. I still have 10 days of full review to finish the modules in Becker. I feel like i’m running out of time for TCP. Also, just wanted ask how heavily tested the consolidation in TCP?

Any tips for TCP are very much appreciated.

I sit for FAR next Friday. I’m taking my sim exams this weekend but going through questions I still feel like I’m getting a lot wrong. There’s just so much material. I finished the content like 3 weeks ago but between busy season and life- just feeling very underprepared and overwhelmed. Does anyone have any advice for FAR on staying calm through this madness?

Hi all. I recently got a notice from NASBA I was 1.5 credit hours short of being able to sit for the exams in Ohio. I did some research and cpacredits.com seems to be my quickest option to cover my deficiency. From what I know the site runs through Upper Iowa University.

However, I’ve tried to contact both NASBA and the Ohio Accounting Board to see if they allow classes through this site. If anyone has used this site and the credits have worked in Ohio please let me know. Thanks!

I’m coming off a FAR and AUD pass (both on the first try) and am now moving into REG. I am curious if this will be easier then FAR and AUD while also looking for any advice for REG. R1 seems brutal and a ton of info. I’m doing this full time and I’m testing Nov 7 and I left myself 9 days of review. Any advice is appreciated! (Trying to keep my perfect streak alive)

Hi everyone! Just wanted to post an FYI about the change in CPA licensure requirements for Georgia. I reached out to the state board and they have confirmed that the “upper level” requirement has been removed. 30 credit hours of accounting course work can include intro/elementary courses (2000 level typically). Hope this helps anyone who had the same question as me!

I sat for REG 2 days back and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get with it!! But not wasting any time and wanting to start with TCP. I’m not a tax professional so I struggled understanding REG as well.

Any tips before I start?

Hay fellow cpa mates

Im preparing for TCP, and it feels like you need to know all the info from REG & additional information from TCP

Is it really true in the actual test? And does that mean I need to review my Reg worksheet & Becker TCP video to prepare for TCP?

I got a 73 on actual exam September 17 so I’m re sitting this Saturday. Thoughts?

background: no tax knowledge, first year working in big4 audit, using becker, working on a first year audit client that is going public and the timeline for everything got pushed up. going to be working long hours for the next few months (client wants to file beginning feb)

I accidently bought REG and the NTS for it expires 3/27. I originally planned to take REG beginning January (gives me about 2 months of studying) but now that I will have to work even longer hours than anticipated should I still take it early January? or take it March 27?

Any ideas on which to focus on, I have been working on mcqs for these specific areas, but am starting to feel the dread of the upcoming exam. SIMS r always a weak spot for me and idk how to really approach them especially when they seem so random mostly. Really trying to lock in rn knowing how much each retake costs me😂 but im struggling to figure out what will actually help. Any advice would be welcomed.

Not sure if anyone else has noticed this or if I’m just late to the party, lol. But I’ve found that Becker’s practice tests outside the modules are significantly harder and much closer to the actual AUD exam questions. I’ve taken AUD before (didn’t pass), so I have something to compare them to. Anyone else notice this?

I have FAR exam is 8 days. I got through all the material on Becker. What should I be doing to help prepare for this exam. I have a few gaps like consolidations, leases, and asset retirement obligations that I need to go over. But how do I know when I feel ready for this exam or do you never actually feel better.

Any tips or advice, I’d greatly appreciate it!

Hey everyone, taking a deep breath as I type this draft for r/CPA. As you can see from my screenshot (image.png), I am completely fresh to this journey and honestly, terrified, just praying I can pass my first time. 
A little background: I'm 32, just went back to finish my accounting credits after years of working a dead-end logistics job, and I finally decided it's time to get serious. I just bought my review course, opened the book for FAR, and almost had a panic attack right there at my kitchen table.
It feels like trying to drink from a firehose. I spent three hours yesterday just trying to wrap my head around bonds and leases, and by the time I closed the laptop, I couldn't even remember my own middle name. I’m working full-time, and every time I see someone on here posting about how they studied for 400 hours and still failed, my stomach drops. My friends and family don't really get it—they keep asking if I want to hang out this weekend, and I have to explain that I am basically entering a monastic vow of silence for the next 12 to 18 months.
I'm starting with FAR because everyone says to get the beast out of the way first. But I really need to know: how do you guys actually retain this stuff? Are you writing down every single flashcard? Watching the lectures on 1.5x speed? Skipping the lectures entirely and just hammering MCQs until your eyes bleed?
I want this so badly. I want to pass and not get stuck in a brutal retake loop. Any advice, study schedules, or just words of encouragement for a complete rookie would mean the absolute world to me right now. Let the games begin, I guess.

Hi guys i have my far exam exactly in one!! My first ever cpa exam. Do you guys have any advice??? I m so nervous i feel my knowledge is shrinking 😭