South Florida CPA Exam Review Program
Personalized "One-On-One" CPA Exam Preparation and Review
2743 Madison Street, Hollywood, Florida 33020
Program Instructor - Andrew S. Rosz, CPA
(954) 922-8040
Personal Message for CPA Candidates - Page 2
How long is it going to take for me to pass the CPA exam?
This is a very common question that many new students ask regarding my CPA preparation and review program… “How long is it going to take?” Or more specifically, “How long will it take for us to complete FAR?” …or “How long will it take to complete BEC?” Although this may seem to be a reasonable question, I cannot give you a precise answer. Because this is not your typical CPA review program with established start dates and end dates. Rather, we take whatever time is necessary for you to become a master of the material so you can actually pass the CPA exam and do the job that a CPA is expected to do. As such, my personalized one-on-one format of teaching involves a complete and total preparation for the CPA exam. We take no shortcuts and we make no compromises in order to meet an exam deadline. Because for most students, a simple review of the material simply won’t work and candidates having only a basic familiarity of the material will not pass the exam. Rather, a complete working knowledge and practical application is required. So if you haven’t already learned the six columns of a Dollar-Value LIFO schedule, then a review is not going to work. Likewise, if you don’t already know the six present value tables by both name and by number, then what’s for us to review? You see, a review is not appropriate nor effective when you don’t already have a fundamental understanding of the material, and nor will a review lead to any lasting knowledge or retention of the material which will enable you to pass the exam. What is needed instead is a preparation. A complete and total preparation that does not require you to have any prior knowledge of the material. In other words, we learn everything that we need to learn in order to pass the CPA exam. And for some people, this can quite literally take years. But for others, perhaps only several months depending on how smart you already are and how quickly you are able to grasp new material and demonstrate competence with a given topic. Because we move forward and on to the next topic only once we have mastered the current topic. Accordingly, my program is very structured and we make no compromises. So, perhaps the best answer that I can give regarding “How long is it going to take?” Is… It will take as long as necessary for you to learn all the required material in order for you to pass the exam. I don’t set the bar; I simply teach you everything you need to know in order for you to pass the exam.
That said, the time required for a student to complete any given section of the exam is different for each and every student and depends on how many appointment times they have per week, and how many additional study hours they are able to do on their own, and how successful they are with their assigned homework, and how much of the material they remember from their undergraduate accounting education, and how much prior advance preparation have they already completed. So, it is quite literally impossible for me to say how long it is going to take. The CPA exam is not some college-level final. It is a professional certification which requires a long term commitment toward learning and developing into everything the CPA designation stands for. And when students have an unrealistic expectation and/or unreasonable time-limit or deadline for passing the exam, they are basically guaranteeing their failure before they even begin. So we establish no deadlines right from the onset. You will take the CPA exam only when I tell you that you are indeed ready to take the exam; and only once we complete all the required material. Fortunately, all that is required for you to succeed is your commitment to succeed and to work your way through all the required program material without compromise. And nothing more. The rest is up to me to teach you what you need to know. So, perhaps the only thing that I can assure you of is that there is indeed a finish line. It does exist, but probably not within your initial preconceived time frame. On a more reassuring note, many of my current and former students have already reached the finish line and most have become certified. But they are no longer the same individuals as compared to when they first started. All of them have changed. They are smarter, wiser, more patient, and very well-schooled in all matters of accounting. They have all risen to the challenge and they all deserve to wear the designation and title CPA. The exam simply won’t have it any other way. Because without a patient mindset and a mindset toward achieving a solid working knowledge of the material, most CPA candidates will never pass the CPA exam regardless of how much they study. Because most candidates simply aren’t initially smart enough to become a CPA, and they don’t understand the requirement of first learning to become smarter as a prerequisite to becoming successful. And this is precisely the problem that I must address with each and every one of my students. That is, the requirement to make each and every one of my students smarter, more analytical, more contentious, more detail-oriented, more intuitive, and more patient; right from the onset. Because the AICPA has very skillfully designed the CPA exam to exclude all of those “not smart enough” to become a CPA. So, unless we first learn to become smarter, and unless we adopt a commitment toward mastering all the required material without compromise, then we’re not likely to ever pass the CPA exam… ever.
And this is precisely where my personalized program of one-on-one mentoring stands above the rest… I not only teach you what to think, I teach you how to think together with all the structured and sequential thought processes of analytical problem solving and deductive reasoning. And quite frankly, this takes time… and practice. But we do achieve results and you do get smarter. A lot smarter and eventually smart enough to pass the CPA exam and excel within your chosen accounting career. And indeed, at the very beginning of our program, we feature a section which I call “Basic Accounting” but believe me, there’s nothing basic about this collection of intellectual and mathematical problem solving techniques that we learn first and foremost, and before we start covering specific accounting topics. For example, some of my basic accounting topics include unit factor technique, imputing interest on a non-interest bearing loan, present value topics, account reconciliation skills, the accounting cycle, adjusting and closing entries, and techniques for finding and correcting errors just to name just a few. I have found that any weakness in these basic accounting areas is the most common cause of failure on the exam and a direct result of a poor education and/or “not being smart enough.” So, as a first step, we learn to become smarter and more intelligent first. And we learn how to think in a structured way through a carefully selected series of preliminary exercises and activities. Once completed, we use these basic accounting skills to help us become successful with the more advanced accounting topics that follow. And then we practice those topics. And this practice effort will take time as well. Because this is not simply a review. This is a complete and total preparation for learning the essential skills and competencies expected of a licensed accounting professional leading to gainful employment opportunities in executive positions such as senior accountant, controller, and CFO.
As most CPA exam candidates come to me with only limited public accounting experience (or perhaps none at all), or perhaps a current career in the tax department of some small CPA firm, or lacking a formal four-year undergraduate degree with a major in accounting, a simple review program simply isn’t going to work. What is needed is a preparation; a complete and total preparation. And that’s precisely what you will get. Yes, indeed we will spend a considerable amount of time on financial accounting and reporting… and a considerable amount of time on governmental and not-for-profit accounting as well. And we will do whatever it takes to obtain a complete working knowledge of derivatives and hedging. And we will learn all that we need to learn to set the stage for success with not only the CPA exam, but to gainfully advance in your professional accounting career. Because the hard reality is that for most CPA exam candidates who try to go it alone and/or take short-cuts and/or make compromises in their learning efforts, the goal of becoming a CPA just isn’t going to happen.
So, try to think of it this way when wondering just how long it will take for you to pass the CPA exam… Consider… How long will it take for an average person to develop into a world-class athlete, or for an overweight person to achieve their ideal weight? Or how long will it take for a world-class surgeon to perform a life-saving transplant operation? Or how long will it take for an irresponsible teenager to become self-supporting, independent, and a contributing member of society? For all of these people, probably a very long time and probably a lot longer than one might initially imagine. But with commitment and patience, and an unyielding focus on achieving the goal, these seemingly impossible challenges do become possible. My office is full of pictures and plaques of current and former students who have risen to the challenge of becoming a CPA and/or executive career promotions. Because becoming a CPA is possible. But only for those who are unconditionally committed to doing whatever it takes to passing the CPA exam without compromise. So if this mindset accurately describes your attitude toward career and success, then my CPA preparation and review program is most definitely for you. And you will eventually become successful. And I will be there with you every step of the way.
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In conclusion... My reputation for teaching excellence and CPA review is well known throughout the entire South Florida academic and business community. Some recent "Student Testimonials" of both current and former students can be found here. Accordingly, both first-time exam candidates and repeat test-takers routinely come from far and wide to attend my personalized "one-on-one" CPA preparation and review program. We cover all the required material and the pace is swift. And for all my students who pass the exam, my CPA review program and professional guidance has often been the key determinant for their success. I therefore encourage all serious CPA exam candidates (who have yet to pass all four parts of the exam) to contact me at (954) 922-8040 so we can discuss the specifics of your particular situation. I’ll also let you know what appointment times are currently available on my teaching schedule.
Andrew S. Rosz, CPA, Instructor
South Florida CPA Exam Review Program
P.S. In the event that I am unavailable at the time of your call, please leave a voicemail message, and please be sure to mention that you have read all three pages of this personal message for CPA candidates by using the wording highlighted in red on the last page of this three-page personal message. This will let me know that we are both "on the same page" with respect to your insight in preparing for the CPA exam. This will also allow me to avoid repeating much of the information already contained on the website when I return your call to answer any additional question that you may have.To continue reading "page three" of this personal message for CPA candidates, and for a few additional suggestions regarding your CPA exam preparation, please CLICK HERE.
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