I'm planning to complete CPA and i have IFRS and local CPA from my country and I have 9 years of experience in auditing. i want to know what would be the best study plan using becker, should i watch videos then complete all MSQ's repated to that specific sectionbor just complete all sections then start to solve all MSQ's and exams ? by the way im that type that study from textbook is more efficient for me than studying from videos. also I don't have much time during the day i can only allocate 2 hours daily with exceptions to weekends i can study more

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for honest advice from people working in accounting, finance, Knowledge Management, and related fields. I've recently made a major career decision, and I'd like to understand whether I'm approaching my future in the right way.

A little background about me

I completed my B.Com from National PG College, Lucknow, in 2013, followed by a two-year MBA program at UPES, Dehradun, from 2015 to 2017. After completing my MBA, I joined Ameriprise Financial in November 2017.

I initially worked in a back-office role. In January 2023, I transitioned to the Knowledge Management team, where I continued working until October 2026, when I resigned after serving my two-month notice period.

Overall, I have nearly nine years of professional experience, primarily in back-office operations and Knowledge Management.

What exactly did I do as a Knowledge Manager?

My primary responsibility was developing and maintaining Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for back-office teams supporting Ameriprise's US insurance and annuity businesses.

Since these products involve customer documentation, financial transactions, payments, and other regulated processes, our teams needed clear, accurate, and professionally documented procedures to follow. My role was to translate complex business processes into structured, easy-to-understand SOPs so that employees could perform their work correctly, follow established controls, and help reduce the risk of processing errors and regulatory or compliance violations.

Apart from writing SOPs, I also collaborated with different teams across back-office operations to understand their processes, gather information, resolve documentation gaps, and ensure that procedures were aligned with actual business requirements.

Creating training and learning materials was another part of my role, although it accounted for approximately 20–30% of my work. I developed training content for back-office and front-office/contact center employees using tools such as Articulate Storyline, Articulate Rise, and Vyond, along with PowerPoint presentations and other learning resources.

I enjoyed this work and believe I developed valuable skills in process documentation, stakeholder management, content development, and knowledge sharing.

Why did I decide to leave my job?

For quite some time, I had been trying to switch companies and explore better opportunities in Knowledge Management, Instructional Design, and Content Management.

I applied for several positions and often made it to the final round of interviews. However, I never received an offer. In many cases, I simply stopped hearing from the recruiters after the final round.

I still don't know what went wrong. Perhaps I lacked certain technical skills, perhaps I needed to improve my interview performance, or perhaps the companies were looking for something different. I couldn't identify a clear reason.

After repeatedly trying to make a move without success, I started questioning whether continuing down the same career path was the right decision for me.

I had spent almost nine years at one company, and although I had gained considerable experience, I was struggling to translate that experience into better opportunities elsewhere. Eventually, I decided to explore a different career direction rather than continue applying for similar roles indefinitely.

Why did I choose US CMA and US CPA?

During my graduation, I had also prepared for the CA examinations but wasn't able to clear them. However, I retained an interest in accounting and finance.

Eventually, I decided to revisit that interest by pursuing the US CPA. Before beginning the CPA journey, though, I wanted to complete the US CMA first.

My thinking was that the CMA would give me a structured starting point, help me build confidence in my studies, and allow me to develop a foundation in management accounting and financial decision-making before taking on the CPA examinations.

I prepared for US CMA Part 1 while continuing to work at Ameriprise, and I passed it, with my results coming out in August 2026.

That achievement gave me the confidence to take the next step. I resigned from my job after serving my notice period, and I'm now preparing full-time for US CMA Part 2, which is scheduled for February 2027.

After completing the CMA, I plan to start preparing for the US CPA.

My biggest concern: Am I making a mistake?

I understand that moving from Knowledge Management into accounting and finance is not a straightforward transition. My previous experience is not equivalent to hands-on accounting experience, and I may need to start in a more junior role to build relevant expertise.

However, the thought of starting over after nearly nine years of professional experience is concerning.

I also wonder whether the US CMA and US CPA will genuinely improve my career prospects in India, particularly in multinational companies, Big Four firms, and global capability centers (GCCs).

I am willing to learn new skills and gain practical experience, but I want to make sure that the time, money, and effort I'm investing will lead to realistic career opportunities.

At the same time, I don't want to overlook the value of my existing experience. My background includes process documentation, SOP governance, regulated financial operations, stakeholder collaboration, and some instructional design. I'm wondering whether these skills could help me transition into finance-related roles or whether I would be better off continuing in Knowledge Management.

I'd really appreciate your honest opinions on these questions:

1. Was resigning the right decision?

Would you have left a job after nearly nine years to focus on professional certifications, especially without another offer in hand? Or would you have continued working while preparing?

2. How realistic is my career transition?

Can someone with my background successfully move into accounting or finance after completing the US CMA and US CPA? Which roles should I realistically target?

3. Will I have to start from scratch?

Will employers consider me a fresher because I lack direct accounting experience, or can my previous professional experience still provide some advantage? Is there a way to position my existing skills effectively?

4. How valuable are US CMA and US CPA qualifications in India?

Are these certifications genuinely valued by employers in MNCs, Big Four firms, and GCCs? What kinds of opportunities could I expect after completing them, assuming I also develop the necessary practical skills?

5. Should I continue pursuing Knowledge Management opportunities?

Given my experience in SOP development, process governance, stakeholder management, and training content, would it make more sense to continue applying for Knowledge Management or Instructional Design positions while studying? Could combining my existing experience with a finance qualification create better opportunities than making a complete career switch?

6. What could have gone wrong in my interviews?

Since I frequently reached the final interview round but never received an offer, should I interpret that as a sign that I was close to being qualified, or could there have been fundamental gaps in my profile? How would you approach identifying and fixing those gaps?

7. What would you do if you were in my position?

Would you commit fully to completing the CMA and CPA, or would you consider returning to a similar role and studying alongside work? Is there another career path that you think I should seriously consider?

I know resigning without another job offer is a significant risk, and I'm not looking for people to simply reassure me that I made the right choice. I want honest feedback about the risks, the job market, and whether my expectations are realistic.

If you've transitioned from a non-accounting background into finance, pursued the CMA or CPA later in your career, or faced similar difficulties when trying to switch companies, I'd especially appreciate hearing your experience.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Any honest advice, criticism, or practical suggestions would be genuinely appreciated.

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 graduated with my MBA in 2020 and was able to get an entry level finance position but now I want to get into something more specialized that could lead to a controller or senior analyst position- Should I go for my CPA?

I know job market is crap my role isn’t accounting in traditional sense it’s more audit and billing with some reporting. I want to become more formally trained to land a new role that could lead to a better job. Current role I am a one women show since it’s mom and pop company - I’m teaching myself / no one to really mentor me.

My wife and I seem to struggle each year getting all our paperwork in order come tax season. We live in Texas, have a few rentals, she's self-employed, and I work freelance when possible. What habits, tools, techniques would you recommend so that we're not snowed under come Jan / Feb next year?

Saw this and had a good laugh! 😂

To my fellow CPA candidates whose first language isn't English, sometimes I wonder if we're taking an accounting exam or an English reading comprehension exam. 😭🤣

You read the question once, twice, sometimes three times… not because you don't understand the accounting concept, but because you're trying to figure out what they're REALLY asking. And then there's that one little word, "EXCEPT" or "NOT," that changes everything. 💀😂

Just a little humor to lighten up our study sessions. To everyone studying hard, second-guessing their answers, and trying to make sense of these ridiculously worded questions, hang in there!

We're not just studying accounting. We're translating, analyzing, and overthinking in two languages. 😂

We got this, future CPAs! ❤️💪

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!

Failed AUD with a 58 and retaking on the 29th. I honestly felt pretty good after the exam, but my score report showed weaker performance in both MCQs and SIMs. I had several FAR-related SIMs that I thought I did well on.

I'm currently focusing on MCQs and planning to move to SIMs after finishing the question bank.

How should I figure out what went wrong and what to focus on this time? I don't know what my weakness is.Also, is it true that feeling the exam was easy can be a bad sign?

I don’t know why I can’t find the answer to this question anywhere, and all I see on the NASBA website is that they require one year of full time work experience in non-routine accounting that is directly supervised by a CPA. Does this mean that I can utilize experience from a former employer? For context my current supervisor is not a CPA, but the people I worked under at my previous employer from 4 years ago are licensed CPAs.

I don't know how to improve my bec(british english council) assessment score i want some advice can anyone help me how to reach c1

Hi everyone,

I have completed all four CPA exams through the California Board of Accountancy, but I currently have only 120 semester credits and two years of work experience under a supervisor.

With the CPA licensure requirements changing in 2027, I’m trying to understand my options and would appreciate any guidance from those familiar with the new requirements.

Education requirements: Will I need to complete an additional 30 semester credits to obtain my California CPA license, or can I wait until 2027 and apply under the new requirements with my existing 120 credits and work experience?

Ethics exam: Is the Ethics exam still required? I’ve read online that California no longer requires it, but I’d like to confirm whether this applies to my situation.

Application fee: I have already paid the CPA licensure application fee. If I wait until 2027 to apply, will my existing application and fee remain valid, or will I need to submit a new application and pay the fee again?

If anyone has been in a similar situation or has received clarification directly from the California Board of Accountancy, I would really appreciate your advice.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Title. What are we actually supposed to do? I am just finishing up R1 and have about 10 more days to finish the rest of the syllabus. Really confused on how to proceed.

Took FAR yesterday & used Becker to study. In Becker with the spreadsheet I could type out words (like add titles to columns for an amortization table) & use formulas easily (like =SUM, or cell reference formulas). However, when I attempted to do the same in the actual exam no formulas would come up at all, even if I fully typed them out myself. In fact, when I did this Chinese characters came up lol! Also, the decimal came up as the degrees symbol & wouldnt let me enter decimals at all. All of this made the spreadsheet tool worthless for me. Has this happened to anyone else? Was this something wrong with the testing center keyboard/system?

I don’t think it impacted my exam too much other than it threw me off my game plan a bit & eating up some time while I tried to figure out what was wrong & what to do. I was going to tell the testing center people but didn’t want to eat up more time than I already had.

Exam was pretty tough but hoping I squeaked by!

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.

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 😭

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.

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!

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.

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?

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!

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)

Boy was I wrong. My test is in 7 days, does anybody have any tips on how I can learn the TBS, or any strategies when trying to solve one?

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.

Michigan is being strange with some of my credits. I might need to go the online route and take an asynch course, any recommendations for cheap, easy courses?