Laura is a new Another71 Facebook blogger as she documents her journey through the CPA Exam.

Mom, Wife, Repeat Test Taker…

Well it’s been almost five years since I started this madness of a journey to become a CPA. My first exam was REG on 2/27/07. I passed it and the 18 month clock started ticking and ticking and ticking.

During that 18 month window I took the various sections eight times not passing a single one.

Within this same timeframe my husband had gotten accepted to the University of Texas at Austin. Not only accepted into their business school but also into their M.P.A. program.

This meant moving from the Houston area to the Austin area while studying. I was not only studying but finding a new job, a place to live, and making sure that my then nine year old son was enrolled in a new school and Boy Scout troop.

On 2/24/09, almost exactly two years later I sat for REG again and passed it again. That darn 18 month clock start ticking again!! At this point in time I had taken and failed AUD, FAR, and BEC multiple times.

After taking FAR in July of 2009 I was tired of failing. The exam had beaten me 11 times and I only won 2. I was working so many hours, taking care of my family and making sure that all my ducks were in a row while my husband was studying full-time; I couldn’t take studying anymore. I was tired of missing out on life and I was tired of beating myself up for this exam.

I gave up on myself that July; I kept repeating to myself that I wasn’t going to be a CPA and there was no way I could pass any of these exams. I gave up….plain and simple I stopped believing in myself.

Now let’s fast forward to May 2010. My husband graduated from UT and at this point had already passed the exams with very high scores. I was so proud of him but so disappointed and jealous. Disappointed that I had given up on myself and jealous that he could take each of those exams and pass in a 3 month time period on the first try.

I tried not to be resentful but I know I was and I know he felt it. I felt the tears of pride roll down my cheeks as well as the tears of failure. I wasn’t use to not succeeding at what I set out for myself to accomplish and to have my husband dominate the exams made me feel so frustrated with my inability to pass.

We moved back to Houston and I made passing this exam a goal of mine again. Don’t get me wrong. I had initially thought if I didn’t pass FAR in November ’10 I was done and it wasn’t meant to be. Well call it divine intervention, luck, or I did just enough to pass by the skin of my teeth, but I passed FAR in Q4 2010. Since then I’ve passed REG (AGAIN!!) and AUD. So I’m 75% there; a place that at one time seemed unattainable to me.

BEC has become my nemesis. I have taken it eight times. You read that correctly – eight times!! I will be studying for it again for Q4 since once again I scored a 74!! That’s the second 74 I’ve received in BEC and it sure doesn’t make me too happy.

I look forward to letting you guys peek into my studying this time around and holding myself accountable to you as well as to myself. Any studying tips are welcomed and appreciated. Remember that even when this journey seems like it will never end there is always a small glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel even if it seems like it is 100 miles away!

Happy studying ya’ll!!!