Jason is a NINJA CPA Blogger.

Dear Fellow NINJAs,

The past year has been a trial for me and those around me. As many of you know, you don’t take the CPA Exam by yourself.

Sure it’s you and only you sitting in that little computer station in Prometric. But the hours of study, the level of stress, lack of observational awareness (dishes in the sink piling up, laundry needing done, etc.) … it affects everyone and everything around you.

I started my journey with a self-study program, two failing scores in the 50’s in AUD made me quickly realize that I needed something more hands on – something to hold me more accountable (pun intended).

I did some research and found that there was a professor in Dallas that taught a program that had nothing but good reviews. After spending my companies allowance for coursework on the self-study program I decided that if I was going to do it, it was going to be 1) expensive and 2) on me. I decided to go for it.

The class started with BEC and after taking it once I got my first passing score – a 78. I was thrilled but didn’t have much time to celebrate because I was already in the class for the next exam, FAR.

The score came back a 68 – a setback. Luckily I couldn’t dwell too much on it because I was already in classes for the next exam AUD. Now with AUD I was scared because of my previous 2 failures in the 50s’. It was also about this time that I became a NINJA Blogger.

With my coursework and the NINJA Notes and Audio I passed AUD with a 77, a step forward. Again I was in full swing for the next course which was REG, and I thought, well since I’m in a new window I can retake FAR.

The scores: 68 REG, 71 FAR. Again a failure, but having two passed I was determined as ever. I went to the Final Review for FAR and along with the NINJA Notes and Audio passed that in Oct with a 78, and did the same thing for REG, passing with a 76.

So to recap my scores have been

AUD- 54, 55, 77
BEC – 78
FAR – 68, 71, 78
REG – 68, 76

I hope you notice lot of failure in between times of success. If I can pass, a guy who graduated with a less than stellar GPA, then you can too. All it takes is hard work, dedication, and the right study materials.

-j

Signing off.