I’m graduating with 120 credits in May. Should I study/take the CPA exam right out of college when I first start working, or should I get my masters and get the 150 credits and then take the exam? What did everyone else do and any advice?

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I’d suggest to take it now. Once you pass all 4, credits won’t expire (if you lack experience or education requirements).

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I graduated with 189 credits in humanities (history, art , and philosophy) and have to come to understand the degree doesn’t matter. It’s what you can confidently fake. ☺️

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Depends on your state board. Some states you need 150 hours to be eligible to sit for exam

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In NY right now, moving to South Carolina but both is 120 to sit for the exam

Study now

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Study now while it’s fresh. Also if you can avoid it don’t take a gap between undergrad and masters, just use that time to get your credits but also to keep taking exams

Take it now, I did it the summer before I started working. Best thing I ever did, my roommate basically was stuck studying for a year+ after work burnt out when I just crammed it through April-August.

^second.

Also the order you should take it in is FAR-AUD-REG-BEC. Audit plays off of FAR, so if you take audit before FAR you might lose points on some sims. Generally starting off with a tougher exam is better as well, since your clock doesn’t start ticking until you pass it. It would suck to be failing FAR and have the other three expire.

I went BEC-AUD-FAR-REG - my logic was get my feet wet with the “easier” exams and build some confidence and study habits heading into the harder ones. I think FAR and REG really just depend on the person, I felt good about FAR and knew the one I’d most likely have to retake was REG since the tax stuff didn’t come as easily to me but I took them all in short enough order where I effectively gave myself a year to keep trying at REG. Luckily didn’t need it, but I think as long as you go in with a solid strategy you can’t go wrong

Where do you work?

Go get your MS in tax or information systems, computer science, data analytics ( get your ms in something useful not accounting)

Then use becker Rodgers some sort of
CPA review material

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