Cesar is a guest blogger sharing his journey to pass the CPA Exam.

Dear NINJAs/CPA Exam Takers,

This is the first blog I have ever written and I couldn’t have chosen a better topic. I have read many blogs and truly felt the pain of some of my fellow bloggers/CPA exam takers; however my journey is little different.

Many of these blogs explained the number of times candidates have taken one or more parts of the CPA Exam or how difficult their lives are because of this exam. As I write this blog, I even remember a candidate welcoming me to the “slow moving train through hell” CPA exam experience.

I am not here to express how difficult my life is or how many times it took me to pass a part of the exam. I am here to change your views about this test.

We all have incredible obstacles in life and trust me I have my own. Yes, it is a tough exam and very difficult to conquer, BUT there are many CPAs out there. Many have passed it and if I can pass it, you can too!

One thing you must ask yourself is, “Am I prepared or unprepared?” This must be an honest question that you ask yourself before taking the exam. If you hesitate in any way, your chances are slim to none. I may sound harsh or arrogant here, but at the end of this blog, I promise that the light will be brighter at the end of the tunnel.

Even though I have tasted failure, I have not tasted defeat. The human mind is a powerful tool and perseverance is key in passing this exam. Failing a part of the exam is no one’s fault but yours. You are in control; you must be in control of your preparation, your goals, your commitments and your outcome.

Any excuse you have, throw it away and don’t write/dwell/speak about it either. Once you realize that you are in control of your preparation, you will quickly realize that this test is very doable! Am I prepared or unprepared? Would you step in a boxing ring with Mike Tyson without being prepared? Would you surf the biggest waves in the world without knowing how to surf? You wouldn’t! Why sit for this exam unprepared?

What do I mean by prepared? If you are not passing your test bank questions or your practice exam in your review program, you will not pass the exam. Do not believe the hype! The actual exam is harder than the review exams.

I am sure many of you would disagree with the previous statement but nothing prepares you for the actual exam. You must have a firm grasp of the material being tested and be ready to solve any curve ball question they might throw at you.

Think of it this way, in my former life, I was a pro tennis player. I would train 10 to 12 hours a day preparing for the upcoming tournaments. I didn’t know whom I was going to play against or how this unknown opponent was going to execute his strategy. But, I trained for the worst.

I trained as if I was going to play two players at the same time. Yes, that’s actually how I trained. Why you may ask? Because when I asked myself during the heat of the moment of a match, “Am I prepared or unprepared?” I knew I was prepared.

Combine your studies with other programs. I used a video review course along with the NINJA Combo, which adds the test bank and other features. The more you train, the better you get! So combine your review courses. Go further and beyond what is required!

So, are you prepared or unprepared? You will become a CPA. Just be prepared!