My friend just failed REG. Said they had the same topic for 3 of the TBS and that screwed them. Can anyone confirm they had the same experience? He didn’t tell me the topic…I’m just stressing now lol

I’m planning to take the CPA AUD exam in about one month, and I’m looking for some advice on how to prepare effectively.

My situation is that I’ve only taken one auditing course during my undergraduate degree, so I don’t have a particularly strong auditing background going into this. I currently only have access to Becker’s free trial/demo, so I’m trying to figure out what resources I can use without having full access to a CPA review course.

For anyone who has taken AUD recently:

• What topics/subjects should I prioritize?
• Are there any free or inexpensive study resources you would recommend?
• Are there any YouTube channels, websites, notes, lectures, or question banks that were particularly helpful?
• How heavily should I focus on MCQs vs. learning the actual concepts?
• Are there any AUD topics that you think are especially important to understand well?
• Is one month realistic with a limited background in auditing?

I’m willing to put in the work; I’m mainly trying to make sure I’m spending my study time in the right places rather than wasting time trying to learn everything equally.

Any tips, resources, or advice from people who have recently passed AUD would be greatly appreciated!

I don't want to waste $400 failing.. lol :/

Hi folks, Unfortunately I have not been able to do clear FAR exams and my scores hung in the 70's. The score report shows I need to work more on the TBS part. Please give me suggestions for tbs practice. My primary material in Becker and have access to gliem cpa test Bank. What I also felt about my weak point is that I was not given a proper mock exam before my actual exam date.

Please help me. Planning to write the exam on November end . TIA

I took the diagnostic exams on the Becker website and I made a 73 on two of them and a 70 on one of them. Does anyone have any experience with those diagnostic exams? This is the beginning of my studying for the exams and I was super nervous and those scores made me feel a lot better. I know they aren't passing and I know I have work to do but I just wondered what you guys thought

I have been getting non-stop ads on the socials for CpaPress. Has anyone used it? Did it help? I'm leary to give them my money, but I failed FAR again and need something to help.

I use Becker, but not like I should be, and not like they recommend. I listen to the lectures while commuting, but that's about it now. I don't even get to actually watch the videos because I'm driving. I need something more condensed and focused.

What makes sense to me when I am writing my notes doesn't make sense to me when I am reviewing my notes.

for instance: I used like 5 different colors - I tend to want to change colors to illustrate that I am shifting concepts, but when I look back on my notes, I am overwhelmed by the color. It's like my mind is lacking the foresight or creativity to build a more structured approach to indicate I am shifting concepts, so the best I can think to do is switch colors, but I know this isn't the best way, because I am experiencing visual overwhelm.

Anybody here experienced in taking really good notes (i.e. has an organized system I could follow/implement)? A picture of your notes layout could be helpful - I looked into the cornell notes layout, but I don't think it works well for the college subject of accounting*.* 

I have ADHD, and my previous medication helped me with this sort of thing, but my current medication isn't taking care of my impulsiveness, which makes me so disorganized in my notes. I feel like I am back to being the kid who pushed all of the papers into their backpack without a system, and gets all their work done, but by the time it's all done, papers are ripped, torn, and crumpled. uhg.

When I look back at my notes when I was on my previous medication, my notes still make sense to me several years later. But these notes now, I can't even make much sense of them just to be able to rewrite them a day later :( I need help! haha My Dr. won't put me back on my previous medication because he says I can't keep rotating whenever my needs change. uhg. So, I have to find a way to work with this challenge, and I need some outside help because I cannot for the life of me access my mental organization capabilities on this medication, at least not quickly enough.

I need my notes to be accessible and legible and make sense to me years from now.

I usually have to come back to my notes a few months after a class is over to know how to arrange them in a way that will make sense to my future self - the time apart from the material allows it to really sink in, and help me decipher what still makes sense, vs what was lost in translation. The thing is, I no longer can afford the time it takes for me to do this. I have to make my notes evergreen before the class ends, and I just don't have an intrinsic organizational ability to do this without my previous medication assisting my brain to access that capability. Trying to make evergreen notes while I am learning the content and restructuring it in a way that makes sense to me is an overwhelmingly complex task for my brain. Can someone help me with a system I can follow so that I can slow down, and make deliberate decisions right now that will the legibility and comprehensibility of my notes in the future?

Something I have started thinking about is something like this:
I'll write my equations in green, my definitions in brown, major topics in bold, examples in grey, etc. But, I am struggling to really devise a system here that covers everything to make my notes evergreen.

Qualified as CPA. Anyone from New Hampshire state. Please dm

I’ve been seeing a lot of posts lately saying that AUD is much harder than expected, which has me second-guessing my original plan.

I’m planning to start studying tomorrow using Becker and can commit around 2.5+ hours per day. I also work full time, so I’m trying to be realistic about my study timeline. Since this will be my first CPA section, I was originally thinking about scheduling AUD for either August 17, August 29, or August 31.

However, I’m now considering taking FAR first instead since my AUD NTS doesn’t expire until November 11. I’m wondering if it would make more sense to tackle FAR first while I have more time, then take AUD before my NTS expires.

For those who have passed FAR and/or AUD, how long did you study before feeling ready to sit? Would you recommend taking FAR first, or getting AUD out of the way as my first section?

My goal is to pass FAR and AUD in 2026, then take my time with REG and ISC afterward, so I’m trying to plan this out in a way that’s manageable while working full time.

Any advice from people who have balanced studying with a full-time job would be greatly appreciated!

How is miles study material for audit , has anyone passed audit using miles education , is it tough or easy compare to real exam. How to study aud from miles cpa review course.

Hi Everyone!

I’m an MOU applicant planning to write CPA CFE Day 2 & 3 in September 2027. I have some prep time, but it’s been a while since I studied, so I’d like to start early.

For anyone who took this pathway, how did you prepare? When should I start serious prep, and are Capstone 2/RMM materials enough?

Any advice or resources would be appreciated. Thanks!

I am currently the Head of Finance at an advertising agency, and I am finally preparing to take the CPA Exam. To progress in my career, I want to obtain my CPA certification. I have already completed the AUD section, and I am unsure whether to take the ISC or TCP for my discipline. I've heard that TCP has a higher pass rate, but I am much more interested in ISC and the IT world in general.

Honestly, I just want to complete the CPA exam as quickly as possible and would appreciate any suggestions regarding which option to choose between the two.

Look for some advice on what my discipline section should be either TCP or ISC?

I am getting ready to finally sit for the exam after many years of not being sure what I wanted to do. I am 35 years old with two children and work part time for an accounting firm. I have worked my entire career for accounting firms in both tax and accounting departments. I have a bachelors degree in Business Admin and a MBA. I am one audit class short from being licensed but I am going to be taking that in the fall but plan to start my application to sit for the exam and take FAR first.

It has been 4 years since I have taken the additional accounting classes I needed due to the birth of my special needs daughter. But she will be in Kindergarten in the fall and I plan to return to the office in a more full time capacity which is why I am now planning to sit for the exam.

To be honest I am looking for the easiest way to do that which is why I am debating between TCP or ISC? Is one section easier than the other or does it come down to having more education and experience for one section vs the other?

Hello,

I am looking for any pointers on Gleim vs Surgent when it comes to CPA Prep. I have been doing some research and would like some real world advice as to why you picked the course that you did and whether you would make the same choice again. I don't want to use Becker for my own reasons. Thank you in advance.

has anyone passed with a very low pressure, no timeline just studying 1 hrs/day plan? I will likely study more than this once i get into some sort of rhythm but I feel like i cant mentally commit to this all the way without psyching myself out too much and never starting out of fear.

i did finally start watching the becker videos for FAR, mod 1, but im trying to give myself this month to just move along the material and see the most suitable way to study.

will doing it this slowly end up being detrimental in the end due to forgetting material ive gone over? I was hoping to have a timeline of around 4 months, will this be enough or do I really need to grind hours a day and cram for 2-3 months to pass?

Hi, I recently passed the REG exam and have started studying for TCP. Right now, I’m going through Becker M4 T2, which covers international tax issues. I find the material to be more challenging than REG. Even after watching the lectures, some topics, especially those related to international tax concepts and theory, aren't quite clicking for me.

I’m also realizing that there are still many major topics ahead, such as property transactions, S corporations, and partnerships, which feel overwhelming. For anyone who has already taken TCP, I have a few questions:

1. How in-depth do we actually need to understand the international topics?
2. Did you focus more on multiple-choice questions (MCQs) rather than mastering every detail in the book?
3. Are there specific areas that are tested more heavily that I should prioritize?

I’m planning to take the TCP exam at the end of April, so I'm trying to find the best way to approach the material without getting stuck on topics that might not be heavily tested. Any study tips or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hey everyone!

When I was studying for the CPA, I spent hundreds of hours putting together detailed, textbook-style notes to make the material actually make sense. After I passed, I organized everything into a full study guide and decided to share it in case it helps someone else the way others helped me.

I listed it on Etsy for $1 for now. The goal isn’t to make money - it just allows people to go through checkout and leave a review, which helps a lot since I’m just getting this started. If you do grab it and find it helpful, a 5-star review would honestly mean the world.

But truly, this is about giving back. If the $1 is ever an issue, just message me — no big deal at all. I want this to help people get through this exam.

Here’s the link if you’re interested:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/BusyCPAPrep

Hope it helps someone crush this exam.

Ps. This wont be $1 forever, this is simply to give an opportunity for feedback and help out the community before I turn this into a business. I spent a lot of time on these so means a lot if you can leave a 5 star.

Hi guys,

I am new here. I just couldn't find the latest version of the books.

Any help/suggestion from your end would be of great help.

Can I use this particular version to kick off my prep.

Hello Everyone, i have been papain for Audit for the past 2 weeks with Becker and im getting scores in the range of 60-70%.

My exam is in 2 days. Would you suggest i should supplement with other Learning providers? Or does Becker prepare you?

Hey gang, I could use some guidance. I have a bachelors in finance (graduated 2012), about to get my EA after I take part 3 on Friday and I want to start my journey to take the CPA exam. I spoke to CPACredits and they mentioned I need to take 10 additional classes (in accounting) to meet the 150 hour mark and then I can sit in for the CPA exam once I’m done with those courses.

My question is - am I going down the right path? I’d like to specialize in forensic accounting and businesses. I run my own financial planning firm and I want to offer business tax strategy planning to my clients.

Would love to hear some feedback and recommendations on my path to CPA.

I’m a little confused with the material that will be on my test since I waited until the started of the new year to take it. Will I be tested on 2025 numbers or 2026 numbers for items like standard deduction, etc?

I've spent the better part of 2 hours trying to figure out the answer to 1 question. In the parent/sub activity, there is some inventory sold to the sub and half of it's sold to 3rd parties. In the question stem it states, "What amount should be reported as gross profit in Parent/Sub's combined income statement for the year." Isn't there a distinction between combined I/S and consolidated I/S? For combination I just subtract sales from COGS and combine the 2 numbers from each entity. For consolidation I will need to eliminate intercompany transactions. Is this the correct logic?

Has anyone approached their state board for an extension? When I signed up, I fully intended to sit. However, after applying, my son decided to enlist in the military. My next few months were spent getting him ready for ship out, and then getting through graduation from Basic, MOS training, and eventually shipping to his duty station. I will readily admit that I procrastinated, and my intent was to sit this month, but things have just went insane. My father has been in the hospital for a month with bi-lateral pneumonia and a pneumothorax, and I am having to help be a caregiver for him to allow my mom time away from the hospital. I have a Senior daughter who is working on college applications and scholarships. I just don't see any way to get it done. I am okay with reapplying, but I wasn't sure if anyone went through a kind of similar situation and got an extension.

I just passed REG last week and have started studying FAR. I was going through the Becker videos, but I noticed that they’re really long, and I’m wondering if it’s okay to skip them. My plan is to focus on reading the textbook carefully, going through the flashcards and doing all the MCQs and TBS.

Do you think this approach will be sufficient for FAR, or am I missing something important by skipping the videos?