Joe is a NINJA CPA Blogger.

After setting my test date up for the end of May I really began to cram and finished about three solid weeks of studying.

I began waking up early and studying an hour before work every morning, was studying an hour at lunch, studying index cards with definitions whenever I could, listening to NINJA Audio on my commute, and studying two hours each night after the baby went to bed.

Unfortunately, after three weeks I was stuck with a work assignment that had me working late hours and a few weekends.

I was getting no additional studying done as work quickly consumed any free time.

Luckily, this assignment will be over in a few weeks and I will get my life back, well my life that will allow me to study for 20+ hours a week without completely burning me out.

After some careful consideration, I decided to push my test back, to July 8. This will give me a full 8 weeks to prepare for the exam, hopefully with no further work interruptions. I have pushed the my planned exam date back several times now, however I feel that I am even more prepared to tackle it.

Every day I have spent studying I have learned something new. From the time I began studying months ago I have learned things about myself and my study routines that will help me pass this exam. I know what areas I need to focus on more and the areas where I should not spend too much time.

Most importantly, I have been able to determine a routine that is most fitting to my situation. Over the past 4 months, I have learned exactly how I need to approach studying for this exam. During my latest study sessions, I was nailing MCQs and scoring 80% + on my review questions.

I was retaining information and scoring well on simulations that I had never done well on before. I had a confidence that I never had before while studying for this exam.

Life can be hard while studying for the CPA exam. Having a full time job just adds to the pressure and can become a roadblock in achieving your study goals. However, I believe the key to success is proper planning and giving yourself plenty of time.

Anyone with a full time job can pass this exam, however life happens and there will be roadblocks that prevent you from studying along the way.

I am looking forward to finally putting this exam behind me and enjoying my summer. Good luck to all you NINJAs out there, and remember, never give up and make sure that you are sick of MCQs!