In this episode of the CPA Exam Experience Podcast, you’ll hear how Dylan was able to finish the CPA exams by studying the questions first, studying in the morning, and staying disciplined. Dylan also joined the SuperfastCPA coaching program to help him get through these difficult exams.
Dylan learned early on in his CPA process that even after finishing his Bachelor’s degree and his MBA, he didn’t know how to study for the CPA exam. It was a completely different beast. But with the right changes to his strategies and perseverance, he finally passed his final exam, AUD. If you are realizing you don’t know how to study, this episode is for you!
IMPORTANT LINKS:
Master your study process by attending one of our free study training workshops:
https://www.superfastcpa.com/study-secrets/
Episode Timestamps
- 00:00 Dylan Interview
- 04:31 Why Dylan Wanted to Pursue His CPA
- 06:13 Had an MBA But Realized He Didn’t Know How to Study
- 08:06 Intially Followed Becker to a T
- 09:24 Failing FAR is Why Dylan Got SuperfastCPA
- 11:52 Grateful That He Had the Coaching Program Guide Him
- 13:08 Why Dylan Decided to Get in the Coaching Program
- 14:16 Had a Very Hard Time Getting The Exams Done During the CPA Exam Changes in 2024
- 15:36 The Validation and Direction That Dylan Got from the Coaching Program
- 17:48 Started Learning Immediately How the Questions First Approach Works
- 20:34 Understood Better Listening to the Audio Notes with the Physical Review Notes
- 21:56 Convinced That the 48 Hour Cram Session Got Him Over the Hump
- 23:50 The Constant Practice with Questions Helped with Test Taking
- 24:55 Dylan’s Daily Study Process
- 26:41 Had to Restructure His Studying to the Evenings for His Newborn
- 28:31 Making Your Phone into a Study Tool
- 30:57 The Discipline and Mindset is What Keeps Studying at Night Bearable
- 32:29 The Five Second Rule of Getting Back in Focus
- 33:38 Dylan’s Exam Day Experience and Tips
- 35:33 The Practice with Learning for MCQs Pays Off When Taking the Exams
- 37:23 Sims Learning Process
- 39:51 Learning Concepts from the Sims
- 40:56 Had a Hard Time with AUD
- 43:40 Used AI to Help with Studying
- 46:50 So Glad That He Could Focus His Time on Family Now That He’s Done
- 47:33 Just Got Back into Working Out Now That He’s Finally Done
- 48:42 Found SuperfastCPA to be Invaluable Throughout His CPA Journey
- 50:39 Top Tips for People Still Going Through the CPA Exams
Interview Transcript
Dylan: [00:00:00] And I, I didn’t know that I didn’t know how to study. Like as sad as that is already having my MBA and all that education passed me, but this is a beast. Having four exams that are this large and it, this is a task but it’s definitely doable just knowing how to study, learning how to study, and just discipline of just doing it over and over.
And it will click. You’ll have that aha moment. Before you know it, you will be done.
Logan: Welcome to another episode of the CPA Exam Experience podcast from SuperfastCPA. I’m Logan, and in today’s episode, you’re going to hear me talking with Dylan.
Dylan is someone that I had in the coaching program and I was able to work with him through a lot of his process, and it was awesome seeing his progress to the point that he finished the exams.
Now Dylan has a very common start to a story that a lot of [00:01:00] people have. He finished his schooling, he got his MBA. And then when he started doing the CPA, he realized that he didn’t actually know how to study.
What worked for school was not working for the CPA exam. He even got Becker and followed Becker to the T and still failed his first exam, which was FAR and after a while of trying to figure it out, he eventually got SuperfastCPA.
And something that completely changed his process was the questions first approach. He talked about that quite a bit in the interview, where having that different mindset of focusing on the questions instead of watching lectures, highlighting the textbook, and then doing the questions. Focusing on the questions first made a huge difference for him as well as studying in the morning.
Dylan had a lot of great tips and I think his story is actually a great one to let people know that the SuperfastCPA strategy doesn’t cause perfection. It is just the best way to study, but there can still be setbacks.
Dylan still struggled with audit. That was his [00:02:00] big, you know, boogeyman. He had a difficulty passing that exam. I remember working with him in the coaching program and he was doing everything he could. He was doing everything right, but he kept getting like 73 or 74. He was just right there, and he just had some bad luck on exam day and that can still happen sometimes.
But he was able to keep going and he was able to pass the exams and it was a huge accomplishment. It was awesome to see him do that.
And another thing during this whole process, he and his wife had their first daughter and he moved across the country and he was still able to continue working on the exams and still eventually pass them.
And so that just goes to show that even with setbacks, if you have the right procedures, if you have the right strategies, no matter what’s happening in your life, you can keep going and you’ve just got to keep doing it. And then you’ll eventually pass the exams.
I think you’ll like this episode with Dylan. Before we dive into the episode, I just want to give one more reminder about our SuperfastCPA training webinar on superfastcpa.com. That is a free one hour webinar where we will teach you the key ingredients to passing the CPA exam.
It is [00:03:00] 100% worth your time, so make sure you go check that out so that we can save you months or even years of your time failing exams.
And after you watch that, you’re going to want to learn more. So make sure you also check out becoming a SuperfastCPA PRO member. PRO members get access to a lot of great stuff, especially the PRO course, where Nate explains in depth how to pass the CPA exams. It is basically a much more in-depth version of the one hour webinar.
So again, if you’re interested, make sure you check out becoming a SuperfastCPA PRO member as well. With all that said, let’s dive into the episode with Dylan.
Logan: Hey Dylan, I’m so glad to be on the call with you today. How are you doing today?
Dylan: I’m doing very well. How are you?
Logan: I’m doing good. Uh, it’s good to talk to you again. Um, you know, I’ll just say this right at the beginning. Uh, you were somebody that was in the coaching program, so I was able to work with you pretty closely at, you know, at different points of your process. Uh, so, but I’m excited to kinda like, uh, unpack the, your whole story today. Um, how does it feel being done?
Dylan: Uh, it’s [00:04:00] unbelievable being done. It, it feels like it didn’t even happen, to be honest.
Logan: Yeah. That, that’s how, I, I feel like that’s how a lot of big life things feel. Like, like really big important things. When you look back on it, you’re just like, I can’t believe that actually happened. Um, so yeah.
Dylan: Ne, never thought it would be done. And it was, it was a lot, but going through it never thought it would be done, but now that I’m through it. It’s amazing. Now I never have to question myself of can I do this? Will I do this? When, if,
Logan: Exactly. Yeah.
Why Dylan Wanted to Pursue His CPA
Logan: Uh, so let’s just kinda dive into your whole story cause I only know your story since you joined the coaching program, which was, you know, kind of early 2024. Um, and so where were you in your life, in your career when you decided to go for the CPA? Like what were you doing?
Dylan: So I was a corporate or just a corporate accountant, uh, just working in some random industry. Uh, I actually lived in Michigan at that, [00:05:00] at that time. Uh, in middle of 2022, my wife and I moved out to Orange County, California to
Logan: Okay.
Dylan: Try the next chapter of our life just to move.
Logan: Yeah, yeah, Uh, the opportunities and everything like that and, uh, that comes with that. And the CPA was part of the opportunities out here to grow and, um, that was a big motivating factor, is getting my CPA.
Dylan: So back when I was in Michigan, I completed my MBA then I purchased Becker to start my CPA journey. I remember seeing a Superfast ad on YouTube, and that’s before I even started studying and just seeing it, it’s like, oh yeah. I mean, of course that’s gonna, that’s just how studyings gonna be. It just, it just makes sense.
And then you go through the Becker program, like watching all the video lectures, going through the book, highlighting pretty much every word in every page, and [00:06:00] it takes so long and it’s, as much as you can make it an active activity, it is just passive and your mind wanders and it’s just, it can’t be the most efficient way.
Had an MBA But Realized He Didn’t Know How to Study
Dylan: And I took an exam, failed that exam, failed the FAR exam, and I just remember just being so discouraged. So then I look up something motivational for the CPA on YouTube, and I remember seeing these ones that are, I studied for nine days and I passed the CPA exam. And how, how you can’t even get through the material in that.
You couldn’t watch all of the videos in that time. Um, and not that Superfast is a shortcut by any stretch. It’s just a study process that works for my, my, my mind to be honest.
Logan: Yeah.
Dylan: then shortly after I purchased Superfast and started with the, the [00:07:00] strategy, and I mean, the strategy works. It really works.
And I, I didn’t know that. I didn’t know how to study. Like as sad as that is already having my MBA and all that education passed me, but this is a beast. Having four exams that are this large and it, this is a task, uh, but it’s definitely doable just knowing how to study, learning how to study, and just discipline, of discipline of just doing it over and over and over.
And it’s, it’s not gonna be the first time you go through the questions. You’re gonna not gonna get the score and you’re gonna struggle, but you keep moving forward and the discipline and compounding actions and it will click. You’ll have that aha moment. Before you know it, you will be done.
Logan: Yeah, uh, absolutely. And that’s, that’s like the, you know, it can feel like such a long process, but when you’re just [00:08:00] consistent in doing it every day, it makes it feel less daunting cause you’re, you know, what you need to do every day.
Intially Followed Becker to a T
Logan: And, um, you kind of talked, touched on that a little bit when you, so you got Becker first and were you basically, you know, before you got SuperfastCPA, were you just kind of following the Becker process?
Like watch the video, you said you highlight the textbook, you know, you were just kind of doing all that. Yeah, okay.
Dylan: Yep, to a T. Do the mock exams and sitting for the four hours straight to try to do a mock exam. And, and, and like you guys say, how can you remember what happened in section one when you get to the end? And to take a mock exam. That doesn’t it, it just doesn’t make sense in my mind. And that’s not how my brain works.
Logan: Mm-hmm.
Dylan: And that’s, it just, it does. I can’t remember every
Logan: It’s not how people’s brains work.
Dylan: And that’s fair, I mean, that’s, that’s why Superfast was created.
Logan: Yeah. Um, and, you know, the, and yeah, that’s, that, that’s like the, a big thing, and I’m sure we’ll talk about that more [00:09:00] throughout. This is just, you know, it doesn’t make sense, like you said, to do it one thing, one step at a time, but never go back and look at it again until you know, maybe a mock exam and then on exam day, you know.
How are you possibly gonna remember something that you studied 6, 8, 10 weeks ago that you never looked at again? Um, you know, that’s a, that’s a big thing and so you ran into that issue.
Failing FAR is Why Dylan Got SuperfastCPA
Logan: And you, you know, you were kind of seeing SuperfastCPA almost from the beginning. What was the, what was the factor that really spoke to you that made you want to purchase Superfast, SuperfastCPA?
Dylan: I failed FAR, I believe one time. And it, it is so discouraging. And that was a lower score that I got and, um, it was just super discouraging. And then I, I have failed other times and they were 74. I will tell you, 74 hurts.
Logan: Oh, yeah. I, I remember.
Dylan: Oh yeah. And you’re like, it’s just a lot. It’s just, [00:10:00] it’s just bad luck partly. It’s just the exam that I got, the questions that I got, and that’s just part of it at least.
Um, 74 feels better, I’ll be honest, than the lower score. It hurts. It hurts very much, but it, it, it does feel a little bit better. But consistently getting 74 or 73 like I did a few times that you’re just right there. Can I just get a win to get over this hump? And finally, obviously, did it. Just keep hitting and hitting and hitting and it will, it will knock down.
Logan: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I remember. I remember, uh, that was just so, it was grueling to like, cause you were right there, like just so close. And you know, we, Nate and I were, I remember like even getting on a call with you and we were just like, I mean, you know, the stuff, you know, we were all like, you basically, you just had to keep doing it, you know?
But it was just so frustrating. I remember, um, [00:11:00] but
Dylan: Yeah, you asked me about my process and I just repeated it back and you’re like, yeah, no, you’re doing everything. You’re, you’re putting in the work and putting in the hours and the notes and the flashcards and, yeah, it just, I, I chalk it up to un, unlucky a little bit and
Logan: Just luck, yeah.
Dylan: Yeah. Maybe focusing on the wrong items here and there. Um, one thing I remember is the, I, I call them flashcards. They’re actually note cards I sent you them at, to review. Do these look good? You’re like, these aren’t flashcard, these are note cards. Which I like the note cards in my mind a little bit more than the flash cards, just because I want the whole topic in the note card instead of just like a one question, which is fine.
It’s just a personal preference. There’s nothing wrong with it. Um, it’s just you just have to keep going. It is possible, everybody that’s doing it.
Grateful That He Had the Coaching Program Guide Him
Dylan: And I’ve, I’ve joined the coaching program and I’m very grateful for you guys. Honestly, just to be able to talk to somebody, [00:12:00] talk through this, does this make sense?
Am I on the right track with my studying or am I just spinning my wheels studying the wrong way or the wrong items? And that, that was invaluable joining the coaching program. I, before that, I did, I tried to make a cp, uh, CPA like study group meetup, trying to get other people that were studying to collaborate.
That was, that didn’t work at all. They, they were looking to me as like, I was the expert and I like, no, I’m looking for some, I’m looking for information.
Logan: Yeah, I, I’m not saying that CPA study groups don’t work, but I do feel like it can be hard to make it work because in the end, everybody has to understand the material themselves. You can’t rely on the group at all. Uh, I mean, you can maybe rely on them to help you understand something, but in the end, you’re the only person who can go in and take the exam. So it’s a very individual process, which [00:13:00] is why it’s so difficult and so lonely. Um, but I’m glad that we were able to, you know, be there with you in the coaching program.
Why Dylan Decided to Get in the Coaching Program
Logan: So, what made you want to join the coaching program? Cause you had purchased SuperfastCPA. Did you purchase SuperfastCPA and then purchase the coaching program or what, what was the sequence there?
Dylan: No, so I purchased Superfast and then probably, I would say almost a year later, I purchased the coaching cause I, I didn’t even know it was available, to be honest. I think you guys sent out a, uh, just a little marketing email. I was like, this is, oh yeah, I’m doing this for sure.
I need somebody to talk to. I need somebody to make sure that this is, this is what I’m wanting to do or this is what I, how I’m supposed to do it. Because at the time, I wasn’t in a large firm, so I didn’t have other CPA candidates or newly CPA, like new CPAs, uh, to understand what I was doing, what I, I had older [00:14:00] CPAs that took it in the eighties, so it was a completely different world back then a completely different exam back then. So that, that wasn’t helpful for me. I needed real world, new experience to guide me through.
Logan: Right.
Had a Very Hard Time Getting The Exams Done During the CPA Exam Changes in 2024
Logan: So, so that was, so you had already had SuperfastCPA and during that time were you taking exams or did you kind of put it on the back burner? Like yeah, you were?
Dylan: Oh yeah, I was studying and taking exams the whole way. Just I, I have to keep moving forward. In 2024, they changed the score release dates, so it was, you take exam and then you wait months. So that was my biggest year of trying to get this done. That was hard. Taking multiple exams before you get the results, and then you have to essentially start from scratch.
That was a very, very hard year with those extended release windows that really messed me up. [00:15:00] Unfortunately, I just,
Logan: Mm-hmm.
Dylan: it’ll make you spin your wheels even more. So luckily they got that back on track. Reasonable, uh, score, release date windows, and it’s so much more helpful.
Logan: Oh yeah, yeah, 2024 was, that was, I, I had just started working for SuperfastCPA, like a couple months, uh, before the end of 2023. So I mainly was helping people, you know, in 2024 when I was really starting to work here. And yeah, it is, that was the worst. It was horrible. Like I hated seeing people have to wait like five or six months to get their exam scores. It was just super horrible.
The Validation and Direction That Dylan Got from the Coaching Program
Logan: So with, so when you joined the coaching program, um, what do you remember, like, what was the difference maker like, cause you did start passing exams after a little while being in the coaching program. So what, what would you say was like the thing that was able to change?
Dylan: So with the coaching program, I mean, everything is perspective based anyway, I, I believe in the world.[00:16:00]
So I’m, I’m listening to the video of how to study, watching all of the PRO videos and tips and everything like that, planting the seeds, and I have my perspective of how I interpret what you’re saying or what you’re meaning and how I’m applying this.
And then the coaching program really just solidified, am I thinking of this right, or am I not thinking of this right? And then you sending the, um, Excel spreadsheets for planting the seeds and the tracking and everything like that, and, oh, try this, try that. And just, just clarifying what is supposed to be done.
I, of course, put my own tweaks on things, but the more information, the better. Um, especially just trying to clarify because if I’m going in the wrong direction, I can run and run and run in the wrong direction and not know where I’m at, unfortunately. So that’s the biggest advantage of the coaching program is, you [00:17:00] know, you’re, you’re directing people down a path that is the correct way or something that works for them.
I mean, it’s more individualized. That’s, I think it’s huge.
Logan: Yeah, I like, um, I, I, that’s something that I do enjoy about the coaching program is, you know, of course SuperfastCPA is a method that we try to have everybody do it pretty much the same. But being able to work with, you know, individuals like yourself where we’re kind of like tweaking things piece by piece, uh, until you are done. Uh, like that was really cool to see that process of, you know, you starting out and then, you know, you were in the coaching program for a year and a half or two years, and we were just working our way through it until we figured it out. And then you, you know, and, and then you, and then you were passing exams.
Started Learning Immediately How the Questions First Approach Works
Logan: Um, now as far as the, like, SuperfastCPA process, when you started with SuperfastCPA, um, did you kind of just start doing everything that was in the [00:18:00] PRO course? Cause you know, before you were doing Becker to a T what were some of the changes that you made? When you were, when you first got SuperfastCPA? Not just the coaching program, but like SuperfastCPA.
Dylan: The questions first approach is everything. How can you tie, and in my mind, how can you tie and understand and link what you’re reading to a real world experience when you have no, not really real world experience, but a scenario experience that, such as the, uh, multiple choice questions or the sims, you have to, you have to have that to tie in your mind to make that connection.
If you don’t have that, you’re just reading words that mean nothing, to be honest. You’re not gonna link it, you’re not gonna remember it. You have to have that to tie the concepts together cause these are all just mostly concept based. Um,
Logan: Yeah.
Dylan: The question first approach. You, you have to. Yeah, you’re not gonna score well at first, but you, doing that gives you the [00:19:00] foundation and, oh, I remember this one question that talk about bonds and how bonds work.
And then you can dig in and research and understand bonds more. But if you don’t have that foundation, you’re, you’re not linking anything to get a greater understanding.
And it doesn’t always, you don’t always have that aha moment right away, and that’s fine but the more you hit it and then you listen to the audio notes or the, review the study notes, I printed the study notes, just hard copy so I could have in a binder.
And I know you have the audio and video that like, uh, bounce through, but I found it more advantageous for myself to print it out, have the audio going on one half, two times speed and just follow down. Well, it just, it locked it in so much more for me. So just the audio alone cause I could be driving and the audio alone [00:20:00] just wasn’t, it didn’t work for me.
I mean, everybody’s different. I mean, at this, everybody’s mind works differently, and that’s completely fine. Um, I just, I, I, I needed that to make it lock in. And then you will have those aha moments that are,
Logan: Mm-hmm.
Dylan: They just click. Everything clicks. You ties it, you tie it to a real world example and it just makes sense. You understand it. Now you can move over.
Get a question from any possible perspective or angle to understand it, and I think that is huge.
Understood Better Listening to the Audio Notes with the Physical Review Notes
Logan: Yeah, so, so what you’re saying there, just to make sure I’m understanding you there, so you printed out the review notes physically, um, which I did that as well. I really liked having the physical review notes personally.
Uh, but you would then listen to the audio notes while reading the physical review notes instead of doing like the follow along notes in the app or whatever, is that what you’re saying?
Dylan: Exactly. Exactly.
Logan: Okay. And, and,
Dylan: And that’s just what I needed.
Logan: A lot of people were doing that [00:21:00] before. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Like the follow along notes were came along because people were doing that exact thing. Um, so I mean, you were still just, you were just basically doing the following notes in a way that worked a little bit better for you.
Uh, and you said this before, is the reason for that because it just helped you, like having it physically tangible in front of you. Did that help you kind of focus more on it instead of having it on your phone?
Dylan: That’s exactly right. I, it helped me focus and the little, uh, blip that is jumping from word to word.
I just found it too distracting. Yeah. Especially when you have it on two times speed. It’s skipping some, even though it is reading it, but it’s going so fast. It can just skip the little words and it yeah, just a little distracting for me and just having the physical paper.
I know where I’m at. Following along. It’s just, it just helps me focus, and again, that’s just how my mind works. Nothing wrong with that.
Logan: Mm-hmm.
Convinced That the 48 Hour Cram Session Got Him Over the Hump
Logan: And so, when you, I kind of wanna talk about some different [00:22:00] pieces of your process. So when would you do that in your day? Like would you sit with the review notes and listen to the audio notes every day? Like, what did that look like?
Dylan: Not every day. I would, I mean there towards the end, I could knock out the entirety of it, especially when the, the smaller ones that only have a couple hundred pages, not
Logan: Yeah.
Dylan: 500 pages. Yeah. Some of ’em are just massive. And you did just take more time. I remember I made a spreadsheet of, I, I did the math, of course, of how long each one take, each section takes, on one and a half x, two x, and so I could do, okay, I have an hour.
What section do I need to focus on? What section can I get through in this amount of time? Just conceptually, I needed that to break out my time. Uh, so I, I didn’t do it every day. I would do it every other day or typically once a week. Uh, I made sure I got through the audio notes.
And then getting towards the end, the, the cram [00:23:00] session. Definitely get through it at least once. Minimum. Minimum once. And I will, looking back on when I did fail, if I didn’t do that, I would fail. I, I just, I’ve made that correlation. Oh, I’m not, I I’m just gonna do my own note cards and no, do, do reading through or have all listening to it all the way through gives you the whole exam in a nutshell.
And you’re gonna get pickup pieces from it and it’s. That is I, I feel like that is a huge contributing factor of why I passed.
Logan: So, so you’re talking about the audio notes in general and the review notes in general, but you’re also talking about the 48 hour cram session. Is that right? Like right before the exam, you would listen all the way through or we read all the way through so it was all right there in your mind, right? Okay.
The Constant Practice with Questions Helped with Test Taking
Logan: And uh, and did you have, I, I mean you kind of already said this, but did you have multiple moments during the exams where you’re like, I just listened to this, or I just read [00:24:00] this? Did did you have some of those moments?
Dylan: Oh yeah. Yeah, you have those aha moments on the exam. Oh, I got this section. I have this question. No problem because I just listened to it or I just, yeah. And then the, the mini quizzes again are fantastic. I love that they’re a little bit toned down just cause you don’t need a calculator to.
Logan: Mm-hmm. Yep.
Dylan: Do anything with it. I mean, you’re, you’re take a couple minute break, you knock out five questions and you move forward. It just, it just helps refresh and compound that information in your mind. There’s so much information that you’re trying to retain and understand that you, you need these things just coming at you in different ways to get through it. You, you just have to.
Logan: Yep. Yeah, you, you just have, well, no, yeah, you have, you have to have that constant review like all the time cause then it’s just like second nature when you get to the exam.
Dylan’s Daily Study Process
Logan: And I kind of wanted to ask, what was your typical day [00:25:00] like? Like, you know, would you, I’m assuming, I know you studied in the morning, so what time would you wake up, you know, where would you study? How would you do your mini quizzes throughout the day? Just so we can kind of see how you structured your day so that you could be successful.
Dylan: Absolutely. Uh, so actually in 2024 we had a child, my daughter. Um, so that definitely throws a wrench in life and studying, um, best thing in the world but, uh, yeah, it, it takes a lot of attention. So before she was born, I would get up at four or five and study for a few hours, get ready to go to work.
Weekends, obviously longer. My wife was amazing. She gave me the time to study and even with us moving, us moving across the country, she was amazing to give me the time and the grace. Uh, I will say it was a struggle cause I, I mean, happy wife, happy life, trying to balance that and moving across country to a different world.
I mean, it’s just [00:26:00] something you have to balance.
But yeah, I, you say get up early, get up early, knock it out. You’re still fresh. Yes, it sucks. Everything sucks. Just do it. Knock it out. Your day is done. You, I’m a huge mindset person, so it just, it sets you off on the right foot in the morning. You already feel so accomplished.
Logan: Yup.
Dylan: Um, to just have that behind you, it doesn’t mean that you can’t do more, or not. Um, but just having that done is massive while you’re still fresh and then you’re thinking about it throughout the day. It’s not weighing on you at, at night or all day long while you’re working and I need to still put in hours.
Had to Restructure His Studying to the Evenings for His Newborn
Dylan: And, um, but that being said, my then after my daughter was born, I did switch to the evenings cause she like a clock, six, seven o’clock, she is up. She had an alarm clock in her diaper or something, and she was up every single time. So there was no getting up really before that. [00:27:00] Uh, so I did switch to the evenings when she went to, so when we put her down, I went and studied for the rest of the night until I went to bed and it, it worked.
mean, restructuring your day differently and that’s completely fine. Everybody’s life is different. Priorities, um, so I, I, I don’t think that the evening or night studying was a bad thing, but that’s just how, that was my main study session. The mini quizzes, I mean, sitting at my desk. Pop a, a quick mini quiz on and knock that out.
I didn’t do too many review notes at my desk or at work just because I couldn’t. Um, but on lunch I would do the, as I said, the, the physical notes and the audio notes to um, get through 20 minutes, half an hour, whatever I could with that time. Um, go into the chiropractor, knock out a few, um, [00:28:00] uh, mini quizzes.
Go to the gym, try to
Logan: Yeah.
Dylan: Walk on the treadmill, knock out some mini quizzes. Just, just sneak it in whenever you can. You, you can make the time as, as much as busy as we are. I mean, social media is, takes up so much of everybody’s time. You get that time report at the end of the week of how many hours you’ve spent.
I mean, you, you can make it, you can carve it out. I mean.
Logan: Yep.
Dylan: It, it is possible. It, it’s possible.
Logan: Absolutely.
Making Your Phone into a Study Tool
Logan: And, and you don’t even like. In reality, I would say for most people, you don’t even really have to carve out the time it’s already there. You just need to change what you’re doing with your time. Like you were saying with social media. Replace all your social media time with studying, and magically you have an hour or two of extra study time throughout the day on your phone, you know?
Uh, so I’m a, I’m a big, big proponent of that, not just for CPA, but [00:29:00] in life, for life in general but did you find that, that, um, that that helped a lot, like, you know, kind of changing your mindset to, like, my phone is a study tool.
Dylan: I did, I did. So yeah, I deleted all the social media off of there, not even to temp myself cause of course, I mean, you get the dopamine hits and it feels good to scroll through social media and watch those dumb little videos but I mean, that’s why they’re addictive. It is what it is.
Um, but if you get that distraction outta your way and just focus on this. I mean, once you’re done, it feels so much better than watching any of those videos anyway. And you’re gonna get so much more from it. It, it feels amazing to be done. It, it is again, it feels like you didn’t even do it at all, but you did. I don’t feel like a different person, to be honest, from finishing it, I feel like the same person, which I was thinking that there was gonna be some revolutionary halo that was gonna be above my head, but there, there just wasn’t.
And, uh, [00:30:00] no, it, it’s amazing to be done and it is worth it, just the discipline to just put this before social media and it, you will get done. And it, it took me longer than I care to have been doing it. But, uh,
Logan: Yeah.
Dylan: Just cause, I mean, failing exams, people fail. I mean, there’s a reason why the pass rate is so low.
It just, it’s, it’s a hard exam. It’s a grueling exams. I mean, there’s four of them that you have to knock out. Uh, luckily California got rid of the ethics one, so I didn’t have that fifth exam, even though I’ve heard it was super, super easy.
Um, I, I don’t know if other states still have it. Um, but just knowing,
Logan: I’m surprised that they got of it.
Dylan: I know. I am too, but, uh, I’m not mad that they did just because I didn’t wanna be taking another exam.
Logan: Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, it’s totally different. At least like, to anybody who’s listening, the ethics exam is not even, not even the same at all. But it is nice that you didn’t have to take it.
The Discipline and Mindset is What Keeps Studying at Night Bearable
Logan: So going back to your two hour study [00:31:00] sessions, cause I’m legitimately curious about this. Um, did you notice a difference in the effectiveness? Switching from morning to evening or like how did you make it so that your evening study sessions were still effective even though you were probably tired from the day?
Dylan: It doesn’t really matter about the time, I don’t think. It’s really about the focus and energy that you’ve put into it. I mean, if you’re sitting back trying to just passively doing it, I mean, you’re gonna get what you get out of it. Uh, but you really just, you have to be engaged. Slap yourself around.
Stand up. I mean, I stood up a lot just trying to, morning, night, it doesn’t matter. Keep yourself awake. Keep yourself alert. Just be engaged, sitting, standing, moving around, taking a walk. You have to get your blood pumping to just focus and you just give yourself a second. I mean, I, I’m a huge mindset person, as I said.
Uh, and there’s different tips and tricks of how to [00:32:00] steer your focus back into what you need to. A five second rule, whatever. Um, and I, I did all of those things. You just, you, your mind will wander. Everything else in the world is gonna be way more interesting while you do this, you’re gonna wanna look up every random thing that pops in your mind, but limit that as much as you can.
Um, and just try to just steer your focus back into this and just keep directing it back to this. You just have to.
The Five Second Rule of Getting Back in Focus
Logan: And, uh, if, if you don’t mind me asking, so I’ve never really heard of the five second rule, like specifically what kind of things, like, you don’t have to go crazy in depth, but like what kind of practices would you do to try to kind of keep yourself focused, uh, you know, like what worked for you?
Dylan: I just, I mean, you, you see yourself wander, mind wandering. You step back for a second and just count back, countdown from five and say, this is just my, okay, recenter, refocus. [00:33:00] Let’s go. Let’s get this done. I, I did that in the exam too. I see myself, uh, getting a little bit overwhelmed and maybe frustrated, and I just need to center myself again, and so I’m not just bouncing around in my own head. I need to, okay,
Logan: Mm-hmm.
Dylan: Count myself down. Okay, now let’s do this. And, for me, it worked. And yeah, there’s different tips and tricks and
yeah. Yeah, there’s no one size fits all, but.
Logan: Yeah, I mean, everybody’s a little bit different, but in the end, uh, you do need to, everybody needs to be able to go in and answer the questions, which you were really good at.
Dylan’s Exam Day Experience and Tips
Logan: Uh, I actually wanted to kind of ask what was your exam day experience like? Like do you have any exam day tips that you learned?
Dylan: So I, I know you guys say the morning works the best. I, I did mostly mornings. Um, I did a couple evening ones like noon. I don’t know which one is better per se. It is nice having the [00:34:00] time to review your notes and go over as much as you possibly can before you walk into the exam room cause once you walk in, you’re not, they wand, they wand you look at every piece of jewelry.
Uh, yeah, I, that was intense. I didn’t realize that people could even get away with anything, but they were checking my wedding ring. Wow. Yeah. These are, these are legitimate, uh, worries that people have and people have probably done it. That’s why they have to do these precautions. Um, but there’s just taking the time to get through your, uh, study notes, flashcards, whatever you have.
The night before I always narrowed down my flashcards to what I really needed to go over the next day, right before the exam. I don’t need to go over everything, the topics that I’ve already mastered, I don’t wanna waste my time on it.
Um, I don’t know if morning or evening is better. Monday is a, definitely, I agree with you guys on that. Uh, Monday [00:35:00] exams is huge. You have the whole weekend, no distractions to just focus and focus and focus and uh, I think that was very helpful. Other than reading through the exam notes, reading through your, uh, flashcards and notes, and like I said, narrowing those down the night before, before you go to bed to, so the morning you, or morning or evening or whatever time you have the exam to go over that pertinent information is, that is one of my big tips at least. But I feel like that, like everybody does it anyway.
The Practice with Learning for MCQs Pays Off When Taking the Exams
Logan: And when you did it and when you were in the exam, how did it feel like, how did your exams go? Were you always kind of like running, running right up to the limit? Or how quickly were you finishing the MCQs? I’m just kind of curious about that.
Dylan: Yeah, so MCQs, I mean, based on what you guys teach us is multiple choice questions first. I mean, you’re getting through those with half the time. Pretty easily. Um, and I do feel comfortable [00:36:00] with getting through, or I felt comfortable getting through them because of that. And, then you can flag, you can flag the ones that you’re questioning and go back because if you have time on that, the sims, some are quick, some are longer.
You just, there is no knowing what you’re getting. Some exams I finished with an hour remaining. No problem. Uh, other ones I was running up to the, to the timer, um, and getting it done. But I mean, I, I finished every single one there without, without a doubt.
Um, I do remember being on, let’s say the second sim and then you still have five left, let’s say and, oh, I really need to buckle down and get through these things. Like I spent too much time on that first one. And then you just, you just muster up and you get through it. It’s amazing. Just crank, crank, crank, crank, crank it out, and you’re not questioning yourself. Honestly, [00:37:00] most of those, most of the time that those are right when you don’t question yourself as much and run yourself into circles.
Logan: Absolutely, yeah. Yeah, that’s, uh, I mean, that’s a big tip that we talk about. This is just for any test really. If you know what you’re doing, like if you’ve been studying, anytime you second guess yourself, usually you’re gonna make yourself choose the wrong answer instead of like, if you go back and change an answer.
Sims Learning Process
Logan: Um, and kind of along with the questions and everything, what was it like with the sims? Like how did you prepare for the sims, uh, you know, before test day?
Dylan: I would go through the sims on, uh, in Becker, um, ty, I mean, 10 is the max. I would typically do 10. It’s more of, I don’t know if it’s planting the seeds is what you guys call it, but I, I would just do 10. I mean, the basic ones I’ve already done or easy or whatever, I would just skip, and it doesn’t matter if I got a 60 or whatever, because you can factor all of those, that [00:38:00] number of questions out anyway, so it doesn’t, I mean, the, the score in Becker doesn’t matter. That, that’s my whole point. It, it, it doesn’t matter. It does matter closer to the end. But if you’re factoring out questions or, I know Becker grades at least sims different than the real CPA exam.
Let’s say you get one line wrong, the whole entire question is wrong, um, is different than how they do it in the real exam, and that is, I mean, who cares what score? It’s doesn’t matter. It’s not the real test. It’s just, it’s a mock test to get the concepts down to understand what steps, how you do these things.
Yeah, I, I did do sims quite a bit and I do recommend them. Uh, downside days there are less sims, so you’re gonna see the same ones and then just blow through it because you remember.
Logan: Yup, you can memorize it or whatever.
Dylan: Oh yeah, you, you’re just wasting your time. If you go through and just plug in what you remember, the exact number. You don’t have to do the [00:39:00] math then.
I mean, you’re not, you’ll make yourself feel better with getting a score, but it’s not doing anything.
Logan: Yep. Yeah, that’s something that we talk about a lot is especially in like we’ve been talking about it a lot in the forum, is the illusion of understanding, and I’m pretty sure we talked to you about that, is just, when you go through, it’s like you think you know what you’re doing because you’ve seen it before.
So you’re like, oh yeah, that makes sense. Oh yeah, yeah, I got it. And then you just move on without really digging in and really making sure that you understand it deeply or understand the concept. Um, and that’s definitely a trap that people fall into with the sims a lot. They’ll like do a big old sim and then they’ll look at it and instead of diving into it and like really trying to understand the different pieces of it. They’ll just be like, oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, I get it.
That that makes sense. And then they’ll just move on to the next sim.
Learning Concepts from the Sims
Dylan: Right. But if you, and the biggest thing is perspective. Who’s, for these questions, they change perspective a lot. If you’re looking [00:40:00] at it from this angle versus that angle, what they’re asking, these are completely different questions. You, you’re not gonna remember it because you answered it correctly from this angle.
You have to understand the concept and the differences. To be able to fully move forward with that concept. If you don’t have that and thinking you’ve already mastered it because you’ve got the one question from one perspective and, and that, that was my point on the, the flashcards, just having that one question or one perspective was difficult for me because I wanted the whole concept from any angle that they could throw at it.
They love trying to trick you these questions. I mean, that’s what.
Logan: Oh yeah.
Dylan: Get a huge kick out of trying to trick you. That’s the whole exam. I mean, they, there’s a reason why it’s so hard. It’s a massive barrier to entry. Um, but it is possible. And once you get it done, you’re done. You just have to understand the concepts. That’s the biggest thing.
Had a Hard Time with AUD
Logan: And, and kind of along with that, uh, as we’re kind of [00:41:00] getting closer to wrapping up here. I remember the audit was a beast for you.
Uh, and do you think that part of the reason audit was so hard was because of that? Like, it’s so conceptual and so like it’s, there’s always, almost always like two answers that could be right. Uh, and they’re always trying to trick you. Do you feel like that was a big reason that audit was such a pain?
Dylan: That’s exactly why AUD was such a pain for me, and I would get a 74 and a 73 and it’s like, come on. I, I couldn’t have just pushed it over a little bit. I couldn’t have, I got one more question right. Um, but you’re, you’re right. It’s just the concept and the perspective. And I remember so many people saying to me, oh, audit’s so easy.
Audit’s so easy. Maybe for some. Not for me. And it is completely different from all of the other exams. Uh, when I, so I took FAR first. Um, passed that, and then that was when the 18 month rule was still in place. So it did expire and I had [00:42:00] to retake FAR again. So finally I passed audit. Yeah. I finally, I passed audit and then I had to jump back into FAR, and it was a, I mean, that was a cakewalk compared to audit.
It’s just, it’s numbers. It’s, it’s, they don’t lie. I mean, the audit concepts are just. They were so hard for me. It’s, I don’t know why, but they were so hard for me. It just, it is what it is.
Logan: Yeah. Yeah. Uh, audit is, I actually think that in my opinion, it’s usually audit or FAR that I usually see people struggle with. FAR because it’s kind of so big and so calculation heavy or audit because it is so conceptual and so it just, like you said, it is completely different from the other exams. It’s probably the most unique exam which is why a lot of people struggle with it cause they, they do FAR, they do REG, you know, maybe they, at this point now, maybe they do BAR or TCP all kind of in the same, but then there’s audit and it’s [00:43:00] just totally different than all the other exams.
Dylan: I mean, FAR when I did it the first time, there was 10 section or 10 modules. Uh, now there’s six. I was like, I had to retake it obviously. I was like, yeah, whatever. It’s only, it’s almost half of what it was before and awesome. Yeah, FAR, FAR is hard, don’t get me wrong. Uh, but audit, at least for me, was so difficult and knocking right on the door of 74 with it.
I, I do know it, I do know most of it, at least like.
Logan: Yep.
Dylan: But you just have to keep hitting and it, I mean, you’re gonna struggle there. You just have to keep moving forward and get it done.
Used AI to Help with Studying
Dylan: Um, using AI is a good tool. It’s not authoritative, and it will give you wrong answers. Um, so that is difficult. Uh, numerous times I would actually correct AI as you know, the textbook actually says this and it’s like, oh, you’re right. Thank you, [00:44:00] but so that, just keep that in mind. It, it’s a tool. AI is a tool and it works great. Um, I was taking the notes that you had us do in the Excel spreadsheet, um, and essentially copy and paste those into chat GPT and just say the format and restructure into the different categories and it would do a great job of that.
Don’t delete any words, just recategorize. And it did a fantastic job for that at least.
Logan: Yeah, AI, like you said, is, is a great tool. I’m always very cautious of it, specifically with when people are studying because you cannot trust it to be, to, to, to do, to know more or to be as exactly correct as the questions are.
Cause the questions are exactly what you’re going to need to know on exam date.
Like exactly, that’s exactly what the AICPA wants you to know. Whereas the AI it might, you know, go outside of the scope or it might say [00:45:00] something kind of wrong, or it can, but it can be useful to help you understand concepts in a little bit of a different way. Or like you said, to structure some things, but yep, I’m glad you said, you know, be careful, you know, it is just a tool.
Dylan: Yeah. You can’t learn everything. You cannot, I mean, I’m sure, I’m sure some people can pass the CPA exam with you only using AI, but I would, you’re, they are very, AICPA is very specific with how the questions are structured and the concepts, so you really need a, a main, and I, I mean, supplementary, you’re, Superfast is fantastic.
I recommend it to everybody and you guys are fantastic. Coaching program if you need it, coach, not coaching program if you don’t. Um, but I loved the coaching program. I loved Superfast. you guys helped me get over the hurdles and pitfalls of the CPA exams that they’re just, they’re there. I mean, there’s some crazy smart people that are gonna blow right through the exam. No problem. But I mean, [00:46:00] I, I wasn’t one of those people.
Um, it’s just, it’s, it’s like, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever done. Even having the education and experience that I have, it’s completely unlike it. And it’s, I’ve learned a lot about myself and about life, and I’m so, I’m so glad I did it. I mean, very proud of that and it’s, I’m done.
Logan: Yeah. Yep. And you’re done. And, uh, and I definitely, I, I really enjoyed seeing your progress through it and it was cool to, like, I remember getting your, your message, your, your, kinda like your final message saying like, that you passed. I was so relieved that it was, that you’d passed cause because of all those, because of the 73’s and the 74’s, I was like, come on. Just, he, he knows his stuff. I was just like hoping that you’d be done and it was so awesome to, when you finally told me you were done.
So Glad That He Could Focus His Time on Family Now That He’s Done
Logan: With, uh, have you guys done anything fun or exciting, uh, ever since you passed or has it been more just enjoying that you’re done?
Dylan: Just enjoying the family [00:47:00] time, loving every minute of that, of course. And just, yeah, and nothing big yet. We do have a couple trips planned, but uh, those are later on after tax season now, now that, with that ramping up. Can’t do anything, uh, can’t do anything right now, but, um,
Logan: Yeah.
Dylan: I’m just, I love my family time. I love just being able to do that and not have to be stuck studying and there’s so many other things to focus on now.
Logan: Yes. So many more things to do. right, that are enjoyable.
was there anything? Yes.
Just Got Back into Working Out Now That He’s Finally Done
Logan: Was there anything throughout the process that you kind of made it a priority to keep doing, even though you were so busy, like. Did you work out? Did you spend time with, you know, what kind of things were you, did you kind of make a priority to still do? If you have any of those things.
Dylan: So when I, when I first started the CPA journey, I was working out, uh, consistently cause that was important. After a couple failures and how long this thing has taken, I did take a break [00:48:00] from that, uh, for the last little bit. I’m back into it now and it feels amazing working out. As, as I said, mindset, anything you can do to keep your mind right is so important.
It’s just gonna help this journey because this journey is grueling. Uh, mindset is everything. And, and working out is one of the best things that you can do for your body, for your mind. Um, so definitely recommend not cutting that out cause I don’t think that was a great thing on my part. But, uh, seasons of life, your, everybody has different seasons of life.
You have to make sacrifices here and there, and you just have to do what you have to do to get it done.
Logan: Yeah.
Found SuperfastCPA to be Invaluable Throughout His CPA Journey
Logan: Uh, so I’ve really enjoyed talking with you, Dylan. Just a couple more questions as we wrap up, uh, first question, is there anything that you knew you wanted to share? Like before we got on the call, you were like, I wanna talk about this, but we haven’t gotten to talk about it yet. Is there anything like that?
Dylan: I think I’ve [00:49:00] touched on all of my points that I had written down. Um, our biggest thing is, I mean, Superfast is invaluable for this process. Uh, discipline is invaluable for this process. Uh, you’re gonna have tweaks to your own study process, not necessarily study process, more of, uh, note taking or your,
Logan: Mm-hmm.
Dylan: Because you have your main study and then, but you’re gonna have to be touching on these points and this information after the fact. That’s something that,
Logan: Mm-hmm.
Dylan: Everybody will do a little bit differently, whether that be flashcard, note cards, the printed out, uh, notes, the audio notes, the mini quizzes, but just having more options and just doing them.
It’s easy to get distracted by all of the information and then all of the options, but just take a path and start running down it to, to get that information. It’s not gonna hurt going, doing more mini quizzes than study notes or vice versa, [00:50:00] but at least you’re doing something in the right direction, which is, I, I think that’s everything. You, you, you have to do it. And I, I
Logan: Yep.
Dylan: Firm believer that, and you guys do a fantastic job. It’s on your phone with the mini quizzes, with everything.
It’s already, everybody’s always on their phone, has it, have it with them at all times. So utilize that tool. It’s, you guys, have you guys figured out a major part of this whole journey and again, super grateful for you guys.
Logan: Yeah. It was, I mean, yeah, it was awesome to see your progress through this and I’m grateful to have been able to work with you, Dylan and uh, tho those are some great tips right there.
Top Tips for People Still Going Through the CPA Exams
Logan: Now, the last question I always ask, so you maybe just said some of this, but even if we’ve already talked about it throughout the interview, what would be your top two or three tips to people who are still going through the CPA exam?
Dylan: Just follow the study process that Superfast lays out. The questions first approach, uh, to make that link in [00:51:00] the real world connection of, um, in, in your study materials, the different questions cause they’re gonna come at with different perspectives. To understand those concepts, you, you have to have that questions first approach.
You can read every textbook in the world, but if you don’t have any that, if you can’t apply that to anything, it doesn’t mean anything, at least in my opinion. Um, but the questions first approach, multiple choice questions. If you can crank those out and have that good understanding, especially on exam day. Get through that with half the time left. Then you have the unknown sims that you’re, nobody knows what sims you’re gonna get. So, uh, that’s a massive one.
The audio, the audio notes, study notes, the mini quiz, like I said, with all of that options that you have on phones is, and like, and like I just said, you, it doesn’t matter which one you use or your study notes or your flashcards, digital flashcards are [00:52:00] definitely, um, great in my opinion, but just keep hitting them.
It doesn’t matter how much time you spend or not, just keep hitting those points and it will compound and get you through this journey.
Logan: Yep, exactly. I, I mean, that’s like you said, that’s the whole point that we have all those things. You know, people will naturally gravitate towards the audio notes or the mini quizzes or the review notes. But the most important thing is that you’re constantly reviewing. You’re constantly studying, and, um, I’m glad that you were able to implement that.
Dylan: Yeah.
Logan: So yeah, I mean, uh, by the way, are you licensed yet? Are you, is that, or are
Dylan: Should be this week. Yeah, it looks like they, uh, california CPA said that they have it and they’re reviewing it right now and should be this upcoming week, I would imagine. I can’t wait.
Logan: That’s awesome. Well. Yeah. Are you, I don’t, in California, do they have like a thing that they send that you can put on the wall?
Dylan: I, I believe, I believe they do. I believe they do. I could be wrong. [00:53:00] We’ll see. Either way, I’m gonna print it and I’m gonna put it on the wall.
Logan: Because in Utah? Yeah. Yeah cause in Utah it was just a, like a little PDF that was like this big, and it was, and it’s, it’s like, okay, well. All right.
But, um, that’s, I mean, that’s so exciting that you’re, that you’re about to be licensed. So, uh, I mean, thanks for getting on the call with me today, Dylan. It was great talking with you.
Dylan: Absolutely. Thank you very much. Appreciate you guys.
Logan: All right. That was the episode with Dylan. I really enjoyed it and I really enjoyed working with him in the coaching program. He was someone who was doing it well. He was doing it right. There was still just some struggles. Audit was really hard for him, but he still made it through. He kept going and I liked working with him, and it was awesome to see him finishing the exams.
And don’t forget that for him, something that made a huge difference was doing the questions first approach and studying in the mornings. That made a huge difference for him, and it made the whole process much more manageable, even though it still took some time.
Now as you watch this episode or listened to this episode, if you are realizing that you also don’t know how to [00:54:00] study, because the CPA exam is completely different than anything you’ve done before in school or anything else you’ve done, then again, you are in the same boat that Dylan was in and that means that you should check out becoming a SuperfastCPA PRO member. And the best place to start is by going to our SuperfastCPA training on superfast cpa.com. There is a one hour free webinar where we will teach you the key ingredients to passing the CPA a exam.
And that’s a great place to start where you can take those principles, start applying them, and if you start seeing some success, or if you want to just go straight in and become a PRO member, that’s even better.
Again, if you’re realizing you don’t know how to study, check out the webinar, check out becoming a SuperfastCPA PRO member.
It will completely change your process.
Now before you go, make sure to like and leave a comment in the YouTube video, or if you are listening in a podcast app, leave a rating in your favorite podcast app.
I hope you enjoyed this episode. I hope it was helpful, and I will see you in the next one.
[00:55:00]
