CPA Exam #2

This morning, I had the pleasure to take my second CPA Exam test. This test was the Auditing and Attestation one. It was a little bit of a different experience than my first test. I'm not sure if it was just because I had gone through the process before and so I knew a little bit of what to expect or because I felt better about the material I was going to be tested over. 

From when I started studying for this test in December, I immediately found the information for this test easier than the information in the Financial Accounting and Reporting test that I took in November. This was just based on the fact that I was instantly scoring higher on the practice tests right off the bat with the Auditing information than I really ever consistently did with the FAR info...

But as time went on, and I got a few days away from the tests, my confidence was dwindling. I just felt like there was so much information that I hadn't jammed into my permanent memory yet and that could very easily be jumbled up in my mind with one tricky multiple choice question. So in the few days before the test, I tried to jam as much information into my long term memory as I could.

This morning, I got up and went over a few of my notes and then did a few more practice questions before I had to get ready and out the door. I was supposed to be at my test by 7:30, but since I had arrived at my first test at 7:15 and was the first one there, I decided that I liked that, so I wanted to do the same thing this time. But silly me, I turned the "wrong way" out of the parking garage and went the way as if I was going to work out of habit instead of going the way that would have been quicker, in my opinion. So it took me a little longer to get there than I had expected because I had to go through more stop lights and was on a much busier street. I got there at 7:20 or so and was the third person there, so I had to wait for the two people in front of me to check in and get the full 'airport security' procedures done, which only made me even more nervous. 

I finally got in to the testing room and into my seat and I had 4 hours to complete the 90 multiple choice questions and 7 task based simulations (long hand, non-multiple choice questions). Going in, I had set a goal to get the 90 multiple choice questions done in 1 hour and 58 minutes so I would have a full 2 hours do to the last 7 questions. I met that goal and had approximately 2 hours and 11 minutes to do the last 7 simulations. I wasn't feeling so great about the multiple choice questions. There were a few that I knew that I got right but the amount of them that I wasn't so sure about was a little to high for my liking. After going through the simulations, though, I felt a little better just because I had so much time to finish them, I had time to go through the provided accounting literature to read up on the questions and be certain that I was getting the right answers. I even finished with 29 minutes left to spare!

So, all in all, I am feeling just OK about how the test went. It really could go either way, and I don't want to be too confident about passing just for the fear that I would not actually pass and then it would be an even bigger punch in the face. It is totally a real fear inside of me, that I didn't pass. That would be horrible and embarrassing and I wouldn't want anyone to know! (Not that I really could hide it) The scores are released in about 2 weeks, and that will be another nerve-wracking day. I dream of passing this exam so I can say I'm 50% of the way there and there will only be 2 more to go! (BLAH!!)

Only 53 days until test #3!

Here are some fun shirts that I just happened to come across on the internet. Some of them might not be funny if you're not super cool like us accountants though =) I hope you find as much enjoyment in them as I did.

Hopefully someday soon, I can say that!

Can you sense the sarcasm?

I told Trent that I'm going to get him this shirt :)

I am DEFINITELY getting this for our future child!!