CPA Exam!

Most people don't know anything about the CPA Exam. The tests you hear of more often are the GMAT, MCAT, LSAT, or the GRE. Hey, I didn't even know what a CPA (certified public accountant) was before college.

The CPA Exam is divided up into four sections. I have taken two and am taking one more tomorrow. Each section ranges from 2 1/2 - 4 1/2 hours. I graduated in December, but since February I've been studying for this exam and taking different sections of it. Once I really got serious about it towards the end of the March I've been studying at least 4 hours a day (usually not including Saturday and never Sunday).

The reason for this whole post is because I found out that I passed both the sections that I have already taken!!! I'm so excited about this!! Each section costs about $200 to take. My future employer, Ernst & Young, will reimburse me for my first attempts. So that gives me extra incentive to study hard and pass the first time (as if grueling exams wasn't enough). I took Regulation (taxation and business law) in the middle of April, so it's been a long wait. I had major doubts after taking it whether I had passed. The other one I took is called Business and Economic Concepts and found out a few days ago I passed.

Tomorrow I'm taking Auditing and will have to wait a few more weeks to find out the results. June is a blackout month and you can't take tests then, so early July I will take the last one (and my most feared), Financial Accounting.

P.S. I heard that only 10% of those who sit for it (which you have to have an accounting degree to do so) pass all four sections their first time. I'm not quite sure where I heard that statistic, but it makes me feel better nonetheless. And I do know that less than 50% pass each time they take a single section of the exam, so the 10% stat would make sense.

Happenings

Just an update on what's going on in our lives:
-Christina worked for about three weeks substituting in the Provo School District after her student teaching ended.

-She then decided to accept a summer job from APX Alarm in their call center. Not the most enjoyable work, but a lot more consistent than substituting, which would have ended in 2-3 weeks anyway.

-I'm still working 1-5pm at a small CPA firm. If I ever put it on a resume I'll write down "Office Assistant," but I'm really the secretary.

-I have taken 2 out of 4 sections of the CPA Exam. I finished the second one, Business and Economic Concepts today and am pretty sure I passed. I took Regulation (covering tax and business law), and have no
idea if I passed. I may not find out for another month. I hate the suspense! You can retake sections individually if you don't pass. Each section is between 2.5-4.5 hours.

-We will be leaving Utah the end of July and going to Washington for three weeks, then to Brazil.

-I'm playing intramural racquetball and softball. I won my first racquetball game this week. Somehow I got on a really good softball team, and we have won our first two games 26-2 and 29-4.

-Christina and I have started hosting a games' night every Thursday at 8:30pm. Let us know if you're interested in coming. So far it's only married couples, but it doesn't have to be.