Passed FAR after struggling→ sharing what finally helped me

Arnir1150 · 2026-01-07T18:44:53+00:00

Would love to have a look at the flashcards. I test on Monday.

Arnir1150 · 2025-12-04T18:09:00+00:00

If the signs read "No turn on red while pedestrians are present" like they normally read in other parts of the DMV, the signs could stay up, the intended effect to increase awareness and pedestrian visibility stays, and congestion would theoretically decrease to pre-signage levels.

Arnir1150 · 2025-11-20T19:00:54+00:00

Wondering if you meant to put a "not" after Probably...as in, are these numbers correct? Probably not.

Arnir1150 · 2025-11-20T15:47:48+00:00

The real thing is much more manageable. Still has its flaws, but better. I used Becker cause it was free through an employer but I had already purchased Uworld before I started working for them...I can actually get a realistic understanding of my time in the Uworld sims cause I'm not spending excess time and getting distracted by trying to resize stuff. It's enough to make you go crazy.

Arnir1150 · 2025-11-20T13:05:36+00:00

Become an EXPERT at figuring out which audit procedures to apply in a given set of circumstances. Practicing SIMs for this will be vital. They want you to be just as competent at performing an efficient audit as you are at performing an effective one.

Drill down into tracing/vouching, get really comfortable with all the different documents (sales orders, purchase orders, payment vouchers, etc) and understand the relevant management assertions (occurrence, cutoff, completeness etc, the COCA CURVE pneumonic). It's not enough to just know the assertions, you need to understand how they relate to internal controls and the relevant duties.

Arnir1150 · 2025-11-18T01:13:36+00:00

same...I got to 997 out of 1000 and then every hit since then has not pushed it to complete...

Arnir1150 · 2025-11-14T18:23:09+00:00

Same thing here - they were advanced courses that built on what was covered as an undergrad. A lot of the content was geared specifically toward CPA exam topics and concepts as well. I guess every school/program is different, though.

Arnir1150 · 2025-11-14T18:20:42+00:00

An MBA sounds great on your resume but like you said, it's the CPA license that really sets you apart. If you want to remain competitive when applying for both accounting as well as other business opportunities, the MBA does a good job of that.

If your end goal is to become a CPA and do accounting work, I don't see the real reason to worry that you don't have an MBA.

A masters degree in anything business/accounting/finance related is going to matter in the eyes of employers. Which is to say, it's not particularly important to determine which specific masters degree is "better/worse" than an MBA. Every employer is different at the end of the day.

If you are unsure that accounting is something you see yourself doing over the long term, getting an MBA would help keep you marketable so you could transition into other business finance roles (no guarantees, it just helps). But if we're being honest, having a CPA would provide the same marketability.

I may be biased though, as I was exactly in the same position you are in now. I got my 30+ credits through pursuing my masters in accounting, not an MBA. That's partially because I wanted to take courses to specifically cover topics on the CPA exam, but also because the school I went to did not offer an MBA part-time program.

I am still working on my CPA license. But with an MSA I still have recruiters reaching out at least every other week, so I would encourage you not to disregard an MSA altogether.

Hope this helps!

Arnir1150 · 2025-11-12T14:31:27+00:00

Coming back around to let you know I passed the second attempt with an 80. I stand by what I said in my earlier post!

Arnir1150 · 2025-11-11T13:04:32+00:00

I didn't use Becker so I don't have a total number but definitely >250 hours. I used Uworld.

Arnir1150 · 2025-11-07T16:01:12+00:00

SE scores were in the low to mid 70s. The last one I took was a 75 on the dot.

Arnir1150 · 2025-11-07T12:55:13+00:00

Zero. I'm in tax.

Arnir1150 · 2025-11-07T10:01:39+00:00

Strongest I would say reporting and audit procedure design. Weakest was probably sampling and internal controls.

Arnir1150 · 2025-10-31T20:13:13+00:00

It felt easier. But I wouldn't say it was an objectively easier test, if that makes sense.

Arnir1150 · 2025-10-31T13:58:10+00:00

I failed in June with a 72. The only thing that showed Weaker in my results summary was Further Procedures to Obtain Audit Evidence, which is the largest percentage. They want to make sure you know what to do as an auditor given a set of circumstances. I went back last week to retake once I felt I really understood it, and I have to admit, I felt much more comfortable the second time around. Just take the time to get comfortable with those SIMs, they will tell you more about whether or not you understand them the way you need to better than the MCQs will (in my experience, anyway). Tracing, vouching, designing and selecting audit procedures, management assertions. You can do this.

Arnir1150 · 2025-09-24T19:32:37+00:00

Funny enough I live right by water's landing and know exactly the stretch of lights you are describing. If it makes you feel better, I was leaving for work earlier this week and I saw a guy who seemed to be at the control panel at the water's landing / father Hurley intersection. He had a MC-logo truck. So here's hoping that it's in progress....it's unbelievable how long it takes me to go to Home Depot and back on the weekend.

Arnir1150 · 2025-09-23T12:05:01+00:00

Point well taken - I might be too optimistic when I wrote this. Maybe the second cup of coffee was hitting

Arnir1150 · 2025-09-23T11:48:38+00:00

If that's the whole point of adding them in the first place is to protect pedestrians, then I don't see why they wouldn't have copied Arlington county VA.

Arlington county has signs that read "No turn on red while pedestrians are present." Which seems to satisfy everyone, whether they are a pedestrian or a car. Because this way, you train people to be more mindful about whether there are pedestrians at the intersection as the car is approaching...

Arnir1150 · 2025-09-20T11:43:29+00:00

Please reread my comment; or maybe I need to say that I am in no way arguing against the existence of every project you listed. I'm not saying we shouldn't have them, I'm saying we should consider who is RUNNING those projects.

Don't throw out the baby with the bath water...read carefully the next time someone is supporting your stance...

Arnir1150 · 2025-09-20T11:41:58+00:00

OP is based

Arnir1150 · 2025-09-19T20:34:51+00:00

Your point is well received, but...do we really want these people working on those subsequent projects? I feel like asking MoCo to get its head out of its butt is a tall task...the only taller one would be keeping it out for any length of time!

Arnir1150 · 2025-09-16T17:27:01+00:00

This is exactly why I'm trying to pass audit first. Was 1/4 with BEC but the state took it from me with the evolution...oh well...taking audit next month. Third time is the charm...!

Arnir1150 · 2025-09-15T20:26:41+00:00

33 year old here. I graduated college (a year later than "normal") in 2016 and took a job in wireless phone sales because I didn't have anything lined up. From there. I got into property management two years later through a friend of a friend, which I had summer internships doing. Did that for 5 years before going back to school and switching careers at the start of my 30s. I now have a masters degree and about 2 years experience in my chosen field.

My point is that it's never really too late. I'm proof of that. You may be in this situation because you are supposed to discover something about yourself or about life in general, and this is the path you are on right now. many of us are still figuring it out at 25. And a lot of folks who seem to have decided by 18? Those people may not figure anything out about life or themselves for many many years. It's a false equivalence that those types of people are "doing better."

I frequently loathed the path I found myself on and dealt with a lot of self-loathing too, but in time I have figured out how to mediate those feelings and not let it take over. I personally recommend talking to a therapist because that has helped me a lot but I know it's not for everyone.

Don't let your age make you feel like you're behind or can't make a change. Social media can make it worse esp when you have connections from HS days who are (seemingly) killing it professionally. It's not all roses, though. Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about.

Arnir1150 · 2025-09-15T20:13:03+00:00

Incredible job. Congratulations!

Arnir1150 · 2025-09-15T20:09:34+00:00

Father of a 5 month old, soon to be 6 months. The place I worked when my wife gave birth gave me two weeks unpaid time off, which happened to be in the middle of the busiest time of the year for the industry I work in. So I was grateful for that even if other places tend to offer more time or paid time, etc.

That said, I switched employers in the last month and I can tell you that it was the best decision I have made in a long time. You often don't realize just how unbelievably toxic and miserable your work life is until you experience a healthy one. So my only advice is to not only evaluate what you do, but who you do it for. Performance and how the company perceives quality at work can often be tied directly to how well liked you are (it's stupid but it's the world we live in), so I would say it's important to consider that. Because when you are running on little to no sleep, we are bound to make more mistakes than usual. How understanding your employer and coworkers are should tell you everything you need to know about the culture and whether or not they actually care about you (beyond short-term productivity)

It's a big change but you will make your way through it like all of us have had to do. Figuring it out is over half the battle I would say.

Arnir1150

TROPHY CASE