Testimony
B Siva Kumar
Becker CPA Student
Hyderabad, Spring, July, 2008
Date of Presentation: 29th March 2009
Caveat
� This presentation is a representation of the
experience of one individual in preparing and
writing the CPA Exams. This experience
may not be relevant to all the students.
� Please make your best judgment in
understanding the relevance of this
presentation to your own preparation.
My academic and professional background
� B. Com – April,1990
� CA – November, 1993
� ICWA-Inter, December, 1993
� CPA - February, 2009
� Post-CA experience about 16 years.
� My current employer: Pragnya Trustee and
Investment Management Company Private
Limited
The Time Lines
� Date of Commencement of classes: 20th July 2008
� Date of Closing of classes: 19th October 2008
� Date of completion of exams: 28th Feb. 09
� Total time taken from start to finish 223 days or 7.43 months.
21-Mar-0928-Feb-09Finance
23-Mar-0923-Feb-09Auditing
26-Mar-0919-Feb-09Regulation
18-Mar-0914-Feb-09Business
Result DateExam DateSubject
The Results
85%Average
78Finance
93Auditing
77Regulation
89Business
ScoreSubject
Business Result
Regulation Result
Auditing Result
Finance Result
Primary Requirements
(All are equally important)
� Dedication
� Hard work
� Time Management
� Family Support and Understanding
� Sacrifices
� No Movies, TV, Long Drives, Avoidable Shopping
� No pleasure trips
About my preparation
� Material Studied – Only Becker Material
� Tools used – Becker Software Tools
and CPA-Exam.org for Simulation
� E-mail support received from Becker
Website
� Very good guidance received from the Becker Counselors and Faculty
Things to do during classes
� Attend all the classes without fail
� Redo any classes offline if required, in consultation with Counselors� Install the Becker Software immediately after the very fist class.
� Finish the first time study of each module immediately during the week following the class.
� Finish all the questions in the Becker CPA PassMaster. While doing this make sure you mark all the difficult and / or time consuming questions. If have surplus time do a second review during the classes itself.
� Within a week of the final class you must have completed the PassMaster completely if you have been prompt in completing the weekly work.
� Note all important points in a separate document.
� Record all your scores and time in PassMaster� Practice all Simulations available in Becker Software.
� Pay the exam fee only after you have obtained 90% in the Final Exams in Becker Software.
Things to do after the Classes but before
the Exams
� Make sure you have reviewed the text
material at least three times.
� Make sure you have worked out the
PassMaster at least three times.
� Make sure you have completed both Final-1
and Final-2 Exams in each of the subjects
(total 4 * 2 = 8 Exams) with 90% score.
� Practice Simulations available on cpa-
exam.org.
Things to do during the Exams
� Space the Exams to suit your budget and level of preparation.
� If possible rework all the difficult questions identified during your earlier preparation.
� If possible do a final review of the text books.
� During the exam sessions, first finish all the questions with answers that are theoretical and then answer the questions with numbers as the answers.
� During the exam sessions, balance a trade-off between the cost and benefit of reviewing the answers.
� While attempting the simulation first make an attempt without referring to research material. Then refer to research material only if you feel it is necessary. This may help you save a lot of time.
Acknowledgements
� The Almighty for the kindness and blessings. � Becker for the excellent software, text books, classes and the support.
� George and Molly for the counseling and moral support.
� Prem, Amit and Praveen the Becker Faculty for all the guidance and encouragement.
� My wife Suhasini and kids Saumya and Sindhuja for bearing with me during the entire period of about 8 months.
� Kalyan, my friend for all the support and encouragement given before, after and during my stay in the US.
� My friend, Paul Wiley, Manager, Untract Early, CPA Firm, USA for all the encouragement.
� Pragnya, my employer for giving me the necessary exam leave and not burdening me with weekend work.
� Fellow students for all the encouragement.
THANKS
&
ALL THE BEST FOR
YOUR PREPERATION
AND EXAMS
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