Brent is a NINJA CPA Blogger.
Only a few weeks remaining before my first attempt at REG, which will hopefully be the last CPA exam I ever take. Preparations for this exam began back in September and I have been working hard up to this point.
I will be allowed 3 attempts at REG before AUD expires in May. My goal is to put the time in now and pass it on the first go around so that I will not have the added stress of having to retake an exam already passed.
The material that the REG exam covers has its challenges but the majority of its topics regard items that are presented to me on a daily basis (after January) relating to individual & corporate taxation. My scores working the multiple choice sections in my review material for REG have been higher than that of any of the other past exams. This gives me confidence but I know there are certain areas of this exam that my review materials may not put much emphasis on that might show up on exam day.
To be fully prepared for this exam, I have watched the lecture videos twice and will continue to work the multiple choice questions up to exam day. I have printed the MCQs and organized them by topic, presenting the ones I struggle with most at the beginning so that they will appear first when I begin my final review.
Each of the CPA exams seems to have its own set of topics that really dig deep into many small details that you are required to understand. Well REG goes beyond that of any other exams because almost every tax rule has an exception or phase out.
My experience with the exams is that you never know what type of questions you will be presented with and even the simplest question can be a struggle to answer by carelessly skipping over a small detail while preparing. Sometimes many of the wrong answers can be eliminated allowing a better chance of selecting the correct one.
To combat this issue with REG, I have paired my review material with NINJA to enhance and reinforce my understanding of each topic. The standalone review material that I have used for each exam has provided me with the essential information that the exam covers along with questions that are similar to those on exam day.
Adding the NINJA materials on top of this is really what gave me the edge to the pass. The NINJA Audio is the tool that I have implemented most in my review. The use of the audio lectures has allowed me to return to previous topics that I have covered and reemphasize the important details that may show up on exam day.
Having a different stand point can make some topics easier to relate with and understand. I also feel that I am able to remember things more clearly.
My journey of the exam CPA began last November and has numerous ups and downs. The exams require a tremendous amount of time and effort and are very challenging. The most important piece of advice that I can share with you is never give up and continue pushing forward knowing that you will succeed.
The time we are putting in learning all of this information is not solely to pass a test, it is knowledge that is going to strengthen our abilities in the accounting profession. There is nothing standing between you and passing grade except for yourself. Stop making excuses and get to studying!
