Patti is a new NINJA CPA Blogger.

The week has finally arrived.

This is the week that I sit for FAR.

I have not taken any other parts of the CPA exam yet. Understandably, I am nervous. Actually, nervous doesn’t even begin to describe it. Terrified, stressed, pressure to pass. Those all accurately describe me. Throw in the fact that this is my first busy season and the workload is starting to pile up.

This sets the stage for those horrible mind games – you know the ones I’m talking about. Where that voice in your head starts telling you that it doesn’t matter, you’re not going to pass anyway. Of course you missed that question, you don’t know any of this.

You second-guess all of your answers, you’re missing MCQs you should know. Not to mention (if you’re like me) that you were never a good test taker.

Yeah, I’m at that point of this process.

That’s the funny part with mind games and the CPA Exam. Last month (heck, even last week) I felt confident. I felt like I knew a decent amount. Enough to at least get that coveted 75. FAR was a beast but I had prepared myself with enough to slay it with the sword of knowledge.

Today I feel like forgot my sword at home and I’ll have a better chance of surviving with my dignity if I hide behind this pillow.

In the end, it’s about beating the mind games as much as passing the exam. In fact, I believe they go hand-in-hand. I know I’ve prepared to the best of my ability. I’ve studied my entire weekend away for months, sacrificed early mornings and late nights to try to prepare myself.

In the end I know I’ve done all that I could’ve possible done to have prepared without truly knowing what I got myself into. All that’s left to do is believe that I can pass (and listen to NINJA Audio in the car and do as many MCQs as I can stomach).

Being committed to and believing in my goal of passing the CPA lends itself to successful studying – which in turn leads to successful test taking. At least that’s what I keep telling myself it does.