In this SuperfastCPA podcast interview, you’ll hear how Ron put together his study process so that he started passing his CPA exams.
Ron has a bunch of great tips, strategies, and insights to share, so don’t miss this interview.
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 Intro
- 02:41 Why Ron Decided to Get His CPA
- 05:12 What Ron Liked That Made Him Decide to Become a CPA
- 06:04 Watched the Free Webinar First Before Deciding His Main Review Course
- 08:16 Why He Chose Roger As His Main Review Course
- 09:27 Ron Describes How it Was Studying with the Questions First Approach
- 10:57 Followed the PRO Course Down to the T
- 13:41 How Ron’s Flashcard Process Evolved
- 17:17 What Ron Felt Taking His First Exam
- 23:02 The Changes Ron Made After Failing His First Exam
- 27:02 Studied the Sims Near Exam Day and Ended Up Struggling
- 28:39 Don’t Compare Yourself with Others, But Ended Up Passing Both FAR and REG
- 30:52 Still Had to Do Some Things Before Getting His License
- 32:18 Even After Life Happened, Was Able to Jump Back to Studying Again With Ease
- 34:49 Took AUD Third and Had to Revisit the PRO Course
- 36:38 How Ron Dealt with BEC
- 39:54 What Ron Felt After Getting His Fourth and Final Passing Score and His Motivation
- 43:28 Ron’s Top Tips for People Still Struggling with their Study Process
- 46:09 Why Listening to the Podcasts Have Been so Helpful
Interview Transcript
Ron: [00:00:00] When I look back to it, really, when as I’m getting more, um, you know, embracing the process more and more, that’s when it clicked on me. You know, I know you have the guarantee that you’ll pass. No offense, but I didn’t believe you in the beginning because I’m like, no one can really guarantee that, but, you know, when it’s like, wait, come to think of it, the only way I can fail is if I quit, because if I keep going and doing this process, you know, I’m going to get this.
And so I just keep pushing. And so
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 Nate and I talk to Ron.
Now Ron has an awesome story. He originally got his accounting degree in the Philippines. And after receiving his degree, he really wanted to jump into his career and get a job and start working on that so he kind of put CPA to the side [00:01:00] and for a long time, he was just working.
Later on, he was working for a CPA and they mentioned that he would be a great CPA so he decided to kind of start thinking about it and wanting to pursue it.
And eventually he decided to do it and he jumped right in. He bought a review course after doing a lot of research. He also found SuperfastCPA pretty early on and started implementing the strategies.
And Ron is a great example of being totally immersed in the CPA exam experience. And one of my favorite things that he talks about in interview that I want you to look for is how he made flashcards. He made a really big effort to make simple and easy to use flashcards. And that’s something that I think a lot of people struggle with, with SuperfastCPA and the CPA exam in general is making good flashcards.
So make sure you pay attention to how he made flashcards in a way that was simple and easy for him to use.
And as you’ll see throughout the interview, he did really well on the exams, even with a few hiccups, he was always able to come back. And another thing that he really utilized was the SuperfastCPA forum. He loved the community that was there. So listen for that as well.
And [00:02:00] finally, he was even able to do this when his family had some health struggles and he kind of had to put CPA on hold a little bit for a time, he was still studying a little bit. But he was able to come right back, even with those health struggles and keep studying for the exams and pass the exams.
I think this is a great interview. And before we jump into the interview, I just want to give everyone a reminder about the SuperfastCPA training webinar on superfastcpa.com. It is only one hour. It is free. And we will show you how to pass the CPA exam without wasting months or even years of your time.
The link will be in the description of the podcast episode or in the YouTube video so make sure you go check that out. And with all that said, let’s dive straight into the interview with Ron.
Nate: So let’s just go back to the very beginning.
Why Ron Decided to Get His CPA
Nate: When you first decided you were going to do the CPA, where were you at in your career and what made you decide to do the CPA?
Ron: So, when I, um, obviously I had my degree years ago, uh, back in the Philippines and, um, when I graduated with an accounting degree, I, [00:03:00] you know, there’s an option to do the CPA, but that’s something I never really intended to do in the beginning because even going to college in the Philippines is just really hard to maneuver that.
And with no, there’s no, uh, student loans, stuff like that. So going to college is just really a financial burden. So when you graduate a four year degree, you first plan is to find a job and so going on, on CPA review and all that is more money and all that. So I didn’t really intend to to do that. But at the back of my mind, you know, it’s always like I want how it’s gonna be like years later.
You know, I just got into the career and just continue working, but never really look into that until and plus I ended up meeting cPAs that, unfortunately, weren’t very, uh, pleasant to deal with, so, like, I don’t want to be like them, you know, these are the CPAs, you know, I don’t want to be like them. Um, until I worked for a CPA, and she’s the [00:04:00] first one that said, you have the making of a good CPA, you need to pursue that and all that. At that point, I have to consider having to get my paperwork done from the Philippines and back here and all that stuff, so I know it’s going to be a big hurdle. But I start digging into it, asking, um, the, uh the South Carolina board of Accountancy to see what I need to do and all that.
And so, um, then COVID happened. And so obviously everything stopped and actually it worked perfectly because like, I’m sure, uh, this is like common thread. Um, a lot of the ones that are staying at home, like I have all this time, you know, this is the perfect time to do that. So that’s what I did. And I did search for, um, how to do, uh, this process and I came across different, uh, there’s a lot online and actually sign up for one, that’s Superfast and ended up becoming more like a marketing thing because I keep getting emails and you know, you do this and you know guaranteed all that. So it just got really [00:05:00] old. So I stumbled upon Superfast so and after that the rest is pretty much history. So to answer your question, you know, it wasn’t really like a plan.
This is what I’m going to do. It just, it just happens so that goes.
What Ron Liked That Made Him Decide to Become a CPA
Nate: So what, what were you working in at that time, uh, with the lady that suggested you get your CPA?
Ron: Um, I was dealing with small business owners and that was really the 1st introduction for me to deal face to face with, um, small business owners. And I fell in love with that being able to partner with them and they have all these questions. They’re so passionate about what they’re doing, but obviously they don’t know any part of the accounting side of things. And that’s where they come to us. And, and so just being, just being able to explain things in there, you know, in their language, so to speak, in the ways that understand, it’s very, it’s very rewarding for me. Um, so that, that, that just kind of start that, that decide to, to be able to provide more to [00:06:00] give more to help small business owners.
Nate: Nice.
Ron: Yeah.
Nate: Okay.
Watched the Free Webinar First Before Deciding His Main Review Course
Nate: And, uh, so when you did start to study, you mentioned some program, but did you have a main review course you started with to actually study?
Ron: Uh, I did in the beginning because I did a lot of research and, um, and a lot of the feedback I got is, you know, sign up for free trials, a lot of them, like, they’ll give you two weeks, some of them will give you a whole month just to kind of see where it is, um, and the same time I was searching, you know, what people would recommend and all that.
Um, so I didn’t until, um, until I think I signed up for Superfast that your free hour, 30 minute.
Nate: The free webinar.
Ron: Yeah, yeah. So I think I actually already signed up for Superfast before I even did, uh, um, webinar. because I just, you know, just the whole, um, paradigm shift of how to approach it. It made a lot of sense, but [00:07:00] I know it’s going to be a challenge, because like a lot of people, my mindset is you read a book, you, you read, uh, you watch the videos and then you take the quizzes, the test. And so flipping it upside down is like, this actually makes a lot of sense. And the, the fact that, you know, the whole Superfast, very, um, um, very enticing, very inviting, because you can actually like, okay, I can do this in the sense such a month, and then be done with it. Not true. At least for me.
Nate: Yeah.
Ron: And that’s, yeah, that’s one thing I’ve learned really is, know, you can plan it, but you have to be able to be flexible enough to work around it and SuperfastCPA approach just makes it a lot easier to work around that.
Um, you know, I think one of the benefits that I’ve seen is in like, you would always talk about is you can actually live your life while still studying. Now, it’s not the full life that you used to like, I said, you know I’ll be driving and I, instead of listening [00:08:00] to music or some podcast I’d be listening to my study notes and when I get tired I listen to your interviews to kind of give me that, the push, that inspiration, that motivation.
So yeah.
Nate: Okay. Yeah.
Why He Chose Roger As His Main Review Course
Nate: So, uh, but eventually you got a full review course to study with each day?
Ron: Yeah, and interestingly because the way I decided to choose what I chose is based on I feel like the video, the teacher I’m not gonna plug it in because, you know, free advertising. But the, the, the guy who was, uh, the big push of it is the way he presents the lesson. It’s very lively, you know, it’s just like really short videos and, and it’s true,
Nate: You know, you you can say it. It’s, are you talking about Roger?
Ron: Yeah, yeah.
Nate: Yeah, yeah. I could. Definitely.
Ron: So, yeah, so that was one, one of the main, um, uh, selling point for me is the person of the [00:09:00] video, which is very true. You know, you, you, you won’t feel bored watching it because it’s very animated. Um, it makes a lot of sense, but when I applied the SuperfastCPA approach, I don’t want, I didn’t watch the video anyways, I would watch it when I’m struggling with certain areas but for the most part, you know, I just like use it to just kind of, you know, change things a bit, but not really for, you know, for the whole study.
Nate: Okay.
Ron Describes How it Was Studying with the Questions First Approach
Logan: So you, so you were saying that you pretty much had the Superfast strategies before you even bought rod, got Roger, then you got Roger. And what was it like to, to jump into studying? Like what was it like at the beginning? Yeah.
Ron: uh, when I started, I think the main thing for me that I have to really wrap my head around is the paradigm shift of you take the test and you don’t get hung up on the results in the beginning, the planting the seeds process and all that. And then you continue and [00:10:00] you add more, all that. Um, it’s, it’s something that, that I’ve never done before, obviously. And to a point, really, that once I get used to it, it’s, it became a system. It became like second nature for me to just go straight to the test. And when I, obviously, in the beginning, and you have to understand, too, when I started studying, I haven’t been in accounting school for years.
So a lot of the things either I’ve never heard of, or I have forgotten. And so the review parts not really review for me anymore. It’s like, you know, back to school. So just going straight to the questions and having the mindset of this is like a practice of the actual exam. I think it positioned with the point where you know I’m not, like you said, you’re not mastering it. You’re making yourself familiar with the material to a point where, you know, it gets thrown at you however it’s asked, you’ll be able to figure it out.
Nate: Yeah.
Followed the PRO Course Down to the T
Nate: Um, so, [00:11:00] so when would you study? Were you following the kind of the PRO course strategy exactly, trying to do two hours in the morning?
Ron: Yep, I did it to the T. Um, in the beginning, um, I think a lot of the, um, you know, in, in, in the community, um, uh, Superfast, a lot of people try to, um, change it too fast, too soon, where they’re trying to, to, uh, customize it to their, to them, to their liking, uh, whereas they should, uh, which what I did is I did it first to the T. And then when I start getting, you know, used to it, they’re like, you know what? I’ll probably do. I do better this way with, you know, the number of questions or, or that. But I, I really didn’t change much. Um, I know 1 of the things that you suggested which is not part of the thing is, you know, you take the exam on Monday morning that way you have the weekend to study and all that I did in the beginning. But, [00:12:00] um, after a while, I realized I, it’s best for me to do it in the afternoon because I have that morning to get up because I get up at 4:30. That’s part of my, you know, my routine. I get a 4:30 do the 2 hour thing. Get ready for work. And then throughout the day I will do the, um, the notes when I can. Uh, the quizzes, it’s just like my net, my to do thing, you know, it’s just always in front of me. And then of course the, um, the the flashcards. I think that’s the one that I kind of struggled a little bit because, uh, that’s something that I’m not used to. When I did it in the beginning, I overdid it. I’m like making flashcards for just about everything. And then I’m like, I have this stack of flashcards, like I don’t even understand. So it’s another thing, one of those that I have to learn what works best for me. So, so yeah.
Nate: I, that’s a really good point where you said to start out with, I followed everything from the PRO course. And, uh, yeah, that’s, I mean, especially [00:13:00] if someone finds us and they’ve been struggling, I think that is super important because it just gives you this proven framework, uh, for every aspect of the study process. And, you know, once you start passing, or even when your study process starts working and is clicking and you know, you know, if you can tell if your study process is working, if you’re understanding the material and conversely, it’s very clear if it’s not working. Um, but yeah, I would really recommend people not make up their own version of the study process until they know they have something that’s working and then you kind of tweak things. So yeah, I like how you explained that.
How Ron’s Flashcard Process Evolved
Nate: Uh, so the, with the flashcards, you were making too many in the beginning, but how, so how did that evolve? Did you switch to normal notes or what happened with that?
Ron: In the beginning I was like, um, what would work best for me as far as where I am, um, would it work best for me [00:14:00] if I have actual three by five index cards or, you know, I have Quizlet on my phone as well, so I do that. One thing I realized, um, took me more time to put it together than actually use it for my benefit. So that’s when I realized, you know what, this is taking me more time to get, because sometimes I can get to OCD with, okay, the bullet points and like, I’m not sure if you’re familiar with Quizlet, because you can go too crazy with, you know, drop down and bullets and all that and in different fonts and the point where like I got lost to the system instead of actually using it for my benefit.
And so, uh, at the end, I actually just ended up using, um, flashcards and I would do acronyms. I would do, um, arrows or, you know, different variations of, of diagrams, you know, like formulas, um, you know, different things that even simple things like the simple formula for cost of goods sold or, or reconciliation. [00:15:00] Those things, um, it’s very helpful for me. So what I did is I would do something that I can easily glance. I don’t recommend this, but even when you’re driving, you just pull up a card, like you look at it like, oh, I know what that means, you know, like, you know, the, the, the, the variances, you know, greater than less than things like that, that I can just easily pull up and my brain tells me like, oh, that’s what it was. So that that helped me. So I didn’t make a lot of those because I’m just really pulling the ones that are like general idea that and, you know, it’d be helpful for me to, to, to remember because the part of it is, um, if, little, simple things like that, if I can do it in my head, I know it’s going to save me a lot of time during the exam, as opposed to trying to, like, you know, figure it out.
Logan: Yeah.
Ron: So that’s why that’s how the, that’s how the flashcard helped me.
Logan: Yeah, the, I, I really like what you said there, like of simplifying the flashcards because I think that is something that’ll, [00:16:00] most people, when they think of a flashcard, they don’t really think about making it simple, but that’s the best way to make a flashcard is to have like something so simple that when you see it, when you’re driving, even if you’re driving, you can just like, you’re recalling just a small piece of information.
It’s better to have, you know, five flashcards that are each on something simple than one flashcard that just has like a paragraph that you’re supposed to remember because you’re not to remember that.
Ron: Yeah, if I, if I put too many words in a flashcard, I’m already lost.
Logan: Yep. I like, I’m glad that.
Nate: And also making you’re flashcards very personal to you almost to the point of, you know, if someone else looked at them, they wouldn’t. Know what you Almost your own shorthand.
Ron: Yup, that’s exactly, yup, that’s true.
Nate: Yeah. If you’re just copying and pasting actual lines from, you know, outside of your, or directly from your review [00:17:00] course, it’s, you might as well be using the flashcards that came with your review course at that point.
And it’s not to, to write the flashcard in your own words means you are understanding it well enough to distill it down into your own words. So that’s half the battle.
Ron: Yeah, totally understand, totally agree.
What Ron Felt Taking His First Exam
Logan: So you got into it. How was everything like studying and getting to your first exam? Like how did your first exam feel?
Ron: Um, you know, like I said, because this whole CPA, um, journey is like something that I pushed aside and also like, you know, I was really wanting it, but there’s also fear of failing the whole nine yards and the whole process. And so when I finally got my, um, my first NTS, I was too excited out of my, you know, beyond, beside myself that to me just being able to sit down. It’s like, I’m already a CPA. So I know that’s that’s far from the truth, but just the just the fact that I’m able to sit in and being able to take the exam was just, [00:18:00] you know, especially for someone who’s had been, hasn’t been in school for a long time. And, you know, you just live your life and have a career and all that.
Going back to that mindset is just like, man I can actually do this. So when I take, took my first exam, I wasn’t even thinking of like, I’m gonna pass this. I just so excited to be able to take the exam because I, I, I put so much, uh, which is, you know, it’s, it’s true because the, the, the professional, being CPA is, is very highly regarded, you know, you know, uh, which is thinking about it, you know, you don’t meet a lot of people that say, Hey, I’m such and such, I have MBA. No one say that. But when you say, I’m a CPA, that’s all you have to say. Same thing. You know, I’m a lawyer. I’m a doctor. It already sets the tone for you. So I have that such, um, such high regard for the profession that when I took the exam, I feel like I’m already part of it. Which I was in a part, but I’m also need, I still need to pass the exam.
So I didn’t do very well. But that’s also where [00:19:00] the strength of SuperfastCPA for me is, when you fail, when I failed, I already have a game plan. What I need to do next. You know, I already have, um, what I need to, obviously, as we all know, you know, when you get a, um, a not pass, a failing grade, it doesn’t really tell you which one, which questions you didn’t correctly answer, you know, it’s just so broad.
And so it’s almost like, it’s not really helpful at this, not for me, but when I go back to my study course, I can look back and say, yeah, these are areas that I kind of like flew through it, or I kind of, um, really, wasn’t really being brutally honest to myself that I know I didn’t really get it I just because in out of familiarity or maybe or something that yeah, that’s fine you know, so I have to that to do that with me to evaluate how my study quality really is how the planting the seeds in that area really work. And I’m the only one who can answer that, you know, I can’t [00:20:00] go back and say, well, I didn’t really have all the materials, but I know if, um, Nate, if you probably remember, but the 1st time I got my failing grade, my 1st response was maybe this review course is not sufficient. Which I’m sure that’s not uncommon.
Nate: Mm hmm.
Ron: You know, you question, you know, maybe there’s not enough material here and your response to my email was, you know, I would hate to recommend you to go a different route because you’re probably going to get the exact same thing.
You just, just just different layout, just different, you how they do it.
But it’s the same material. So I stuck to that and really dig in to what is the planting the seeds and what areas that I’m actually not utilizing. Um, I, like I said, the flashcard is my weak points. Um, but I continued on with the test, um, the, the quizzes and then my usual two hour study time in the morning, and, um, I think, you know, when [00:21:00] I look back to it, really, when as I’m getting more, um, you know, embracing the process more and more, that’s when it clicked on me. The only way that I can really, um, fail in this process is I quit, you know, I know you have the guarantee that you’ll pass. No offense, but I didn’t believe you in the beginning because I’m like, no one can really guarantee that, you know, when it’s like, wait, come to think of it, the only way I can fail is if I quit, because if I keep going and doing this process, you know, I’m going to get this.
And so I just keep pushing. And so when, when I finally get my last, uh, passing section, you know, immediately went back to the community. And just keep like, you know, encouraging people, just keep pushing, you know, the only way you’ll, you’ll you’ll fail is if you quit. So don’t quit, just keep pushing and, and SuperfastCPA format already made, you know, already laid it out for, for you to, to just follow [00:22:00] that, especially after you fail that process of the re-review and, you know, using the two hour come four hours and using, I’ve done it many times and so it’s just so cool to be able to know that, you can go back and have a plan. There’s no, I mean, you, you know, you can take your time, lick your wounds and feel bad and, and be angry at everybody. But then you, when you wake up, you’re like, you know what, I’m going to keep doing this. And you already have something in front of you that you can just follow.
Nate: Yeah, but also what you said is, was so important after you got that failing score. Um, yeah, there’s, there’s the plan that, you know, we provide via the PRO course, but you had to evaluate your own, like your, are the parts of the process to you and which ones are not working or which ones do I need to put more effort into?
Or why wasn’t this portion working? Like you mentioned the planting [00:23:00] the seeds and then the flashcards thing.
The Changes Ron Made After Failing His First Exam
Nate: Uh, so as you, when you did that, what were, what were the changes you made or what did you try to emphasize as you went forward after your, the first failing score?
Ron: Uh, once, the first thing I noticed is I can easily fool myself to think that I’ve got this portion or what question, but not really understanding the concept.
Not really understanding the material itself. You know, there again, it’s not mastery. I’m not trying to master it, but I need to be able to, to really grasp it to a point where I, I can put it in my own words, you know, if I were to explain it to a kid, I can explain it in, you know, in a way that I understand it. And so with, um, you know, obviously, as you know, the whole process is just a multiple repetition of the same thing. And sometimes the software, whatever study course you’re using, it can shoot the same [00:24:00] question to you, like, 4 or 5 times. And so it can make you think that, you know, your, your, your test, uh, result might go really good, but a big portion of this probably repeat questions.
So it’s not really benefiting you. So to me, I have to go back to, to those questions where like, did I just memorize that? Did I just remember that that’s the right answer? Or do I really understand that? Um, and so when it’s asked differently, and I don’t know why it is, but the questions in the actual exam sometimes are asked so differently than the review course, but if you know, if you understand the concept, you know, what’s being asked. And so that’s, that to me, that’s really, um, a key that allow me to, to pass it eventually. And, and also going back to that, knowing what’s being asked. I know you said it many times as you’re, you know, I think you already have, um, like you already created a video where you study the planting the seed [00:25:00] part. Didn’t have that before. So, um, it would have been very beneficial, but yeah, just understanding what is it in the planting the seeds process really look like and I think it, it will, it will different each person, you know, some people can easily grasp, you know, this complicated situation, but others might struggle in other areas.
And it’s totally okay. You know, you just kind of, um, you take your time. You, you know, you know, your weaknesses basically is knowing where you’re weak at. And, and I know this is something you too, because in the beginning you didn’t have that, um, the, uh, the buckets where you have, where you, you, in the restudy, you, you put different areas where your weak points are. Yeah.
See, to me, that’s, that’s, that’s golden.
Uh, didn’t have that in the beginning. I was like, man, you know, this is just really helpful because it, it allows you to, to, to, um, to pinpoint the areas that you really are struggling in and you have to just be brutally honest where you really are struggling [00:26:00] instead of just kind of, you know, flying through it and just, you know, I’m doing, doing well now and part of it too, because it can get very frustrating and, and, and, um, exhausting to having to get hammered on over and over again, the same thing, like, why I’m not getting this.
And so it’s just, it just takes a lot of patience to do that.
Nate: Yes, that’s, uh, that’s just a huge key distinction, kind of everything you said there, being honest with yourself about, did I kind of just memorize this? Even if you can perform the steps, do you really understand why you’re doing each step? You know, cause you can understand the, or you can memorize the actual answer to a question, but you can also kind of memorize the steps to a specific question. So really, you’re always really trying to ask yourself. If I saw this type of question, even if it was presented differently, do I know how to work through this? Like, do I know what’s going on here? The what and the why? Um, yeah, [00:27:00] a, that’s a huge thing. Um,
Studied the Sims Near Exam Day and Ended Up Struggling
Ron: I was going to ask, you said about my 1st exam is, um, I totally misunderstood when I was new with the whole process. Um, I know the big focus of SuperfastCPA is mastering the multiple, the MCQs, you know, which is great with that’s, you know, I think that’s that’s golden to that. You really have to nail it down because, you know, you’re dealing with timing. You’re dealing with the big portion of that’s like 50, you know, depending on which exam we’re taking. That’s a big portion of that is the MCQ. So nailing that is vital. But when I first started, I completely misunderstood it. And took it as the SIMs are not important. And so I left the SIMs part until closer to the exam.
And so that’s the part where I had to struggle because, you know, you’re, it’s not MCQs anymore. You have to put numbers, you have to analyze the whole thing. And there’s several things you have to look [00:28:00] at, uh, uh, work papers and all that stuff. So, so I think that’s part, something that I had to re-evaluate when I went back after the fail. First fail is like, okay, I need to spend as much time as I could with Sims and be comfortable with it and try to use everything that the study course offered to be able to, to really utilize it. A big part of it’s just familiarization. It’s just being able to see what the problem looks like, you know, which one you can attack first, depending on the number of, of the support, supporting materials and all that. So it doesn’t, um, it doesn’t overwhelm you.
Nate: Yeah. Okay.
Don’t Compare Yourself with Others, But Ended Up Passing Both FAR and REG
Nate: So you, so after that, your first fail, um, what happened from there until you, uh, you know, passed, got your first passing score.
Ron: So I mistakenly, uh, and this is not a thing. First mistake that everybody should be aware of is, you [00:29:00] know, when you take this process, do it on your own. You know, I keep comparing myself with others like, oh, they, you know, they took this first or, uh, they had, they, they got all, they applied for all four NTS, you know, all that stuff and almost like I’m trying to keep up with everybody and the thing is this whole process can be a sprint for some, it could be a marathon for others, but for you, it could be totally different.
So it’s very tempting to keep looking at others and how you’re faring over that. The point is, you just have to pass the exam. Usually, that’s the one goal and so, it doesn’t matter how others do it or how you do it. You have to look for what works for you. So, for me, in the beginning, I got, I applied for two NTS for, um, audit, not, uh, REG and, um, uh, FAR. And I did both. So, here I have two NTS that’s going to expire at the same time. So, and I’m going, I’m doing it through tax season, so I didn’t [00:30:00] obviously didn’t plan it well. And so when I, when I took the FAR first and it failed here, I’m already studying for, for, uh, REG. And so it’s like back and forth with each other, uh, eventually, um, and I had to tweak, obviously evaluate and, and and I wish I just took it one at a time. But I’m already there, and uh, so at that point I ended up just keep trying, and I ended up passing both at the same time. And Nate was like, you’re halfway done, you might as well, you know, get your, pick your, pick the frame for your certificate and all that stuff. So, which, you know, mentally I did.
Nate: Yeah.
Logan: Which one is it on the wall back there? Sorry.
Ron: Yes, yes, after that. Yeah.
Nate: The top one?
Ron: Top one. Yep.
Nate: Awesome in, uh, in South Carolina, that where you’re at?
Still Had to Do Some Things Before Getting His License
Ron: Yeah, yeah, so I got my, um, I, I passed my last exam, um, the end of 2022, but then [00:31:00] we’re going through tax season of 23 and I think that’s when you reach out for an interview and we tried to make it work and all that. And so, but I didn’t get sworn in and you know they have, in the, in, in South Carolina, you get invitation if you want to be to participate in the, in the swearing in and I’m like sure why not.
So I did and I didn’t get sworn until October of last year.
So it took that whole time because the other thing too is I knew part of my this journey is going to have to. Um, make up for, um, few units for to make up for that required required, um, education, educational background and also work background and all that.
So, I’m, I’ve already been planning on that and I had that, I knew that plus the, um, the ethics exam, but at that point, you know, my goal is to just pass this exam and then just tackle it as I go with, with that. So now, in, on hindsight, I could have, you [00:32:00] know, taking the extra units, the required units alongside it, but I’d rather just focus on the exam and just be done with it and then just continue on with the rest.
That’s why it took longer for me to get the actual you know, the CPA, uh, licensure.
Nate: Gotcha. Okay.
Even After Life Happened, Was Able to Jump Back to Studying Again With Ease
Nate: So you ended up passing, um, FAR and REG together basically. And then how did, uh, audit and BEC go? Did you just, you kind of had the process down and then those were relatively smooth?
Ron: Well I wish I could say that. I had the process down, but this is another thing, another beauty, another strength of SuperfastCPA is, in the middle of that life happened. So my, my middle daughter, um. After I, as I was studying for FAR and REG, and then I passed them, um, my middle daughter had health issues that she started developing seizures. And so we had to, during that time, we had to deal with hospitalization and doctor visits and all that. So life [00:33:00] really got in the way of, you know, of the process. And, you know, I knew at the back of my mind, my clock is ticking with, you know, with, and again, because I passed both the same time, they’re going to expire at the same time. And so I’m just, I just can’t get myself to a point where I’m going to have to do those two again. So I tried to, you know, try to make it work even with, with, the life issues and all that, but it was so hard. So I had to like, you know, wait, took several months. I didn’t, I didn’t completely stop, but I can’t get, I can’t get to, to the point where I was as far as, you know, getting up and, and doing the whole thing because I’m running around different things, doing different things and in the middle of that, there’s some, um, some job changes as well. So there’s a lot of things happening while all this is going on.
But when I finally able to get back SuperfastCPA format is already there. So I just get back to the routine of, you know, getting up early. That’s the hardest [00:34:00] part. And then doing the planning the seeds and, and, you know, doing, doing my, um, my notes and, and the, the quizzes. And it, it just, you know, it’s a lot easier to go, uh, to jump back in. I didn’t have to start from scratch and, you know, and during those times, the one thing that I didn’t stop that I continue doing is the mini quizzes. So I feel like at least I, you know, it’s still going fresh. And then when I can drive, uh, at that point I was working from home, so I don’t have drive time anymore. So my whole listening to the audio notes is gone. So I would do that when I’m mowing, when I’m doing the kitchen or whatnot, I have something plugged in my ears, listening to Nate’s voice and just over and over in my head, so.
Nate: Yep. Okay.
Took AUD Third and Had to Revisit the PRO Course
Nate: And, uh, so once you kind of got back in the groove, uh, which one did you take third?
Ron: I did, uh, audit third [00:35:00] and surprisingly, this is, it’s, uh, I actually enjoyed it and I struggle with it because in my, um, study, in my routine, I’ve been getting the greatest compared to, to REG and, and FAR as far as my scores. So it built my confidence, you know, made me think like, you know, I’m, I’m ready because I don’t really have any reason not to think that way, because again, just basing on what I’ve experienced with FAR and REG. And with audit, I feel like everything is just coming easily for me. I know it’s the, the wordiest exam. And so just going through the process of understanding what the question is, what they’re asking for, that was the chance.
But, you know, like I said, in my, in my scores are great. So, when I failed the first time, I was so surprised. I’m like, what am I missing here? So I had to actually go back to the, uh, PRO videos to say like, what am I missing here? I think at that point you already have [00:36:00] the, uh, the buckets approach. Can’t remember. And so I was able to apply that and just really narrow down what areas am I really missing here. And so, um, after that process, I can’t really recall what, what it was that’s causing it, but, um, and sometimes I’m, I’m wondering too, if are the questions in the, in my review course a lot easier than the actual exams are, you know, so, um, so when I was able to, to kind of figure it out, it’s, it made more sense and I was able to get back on it, and then I took BEC.
Nate: Okay.
How Ron Dealt with BEC
Nate: And how, how does, so where you didn’t, uh, where you didn’t go to, you didn’t go to college in the United States, right? Like you.
Ron: Correct.
Nate: Yeah. So BEC is kind of like a conglomeration of the business core, like what most do in their undergraduate. So did you find that pretty difficult or [00:37:00] how was BEC to you?
Ron: You’re right. BEC just so much, um, almost like, like a concise version of your four year degree course, basically. You’re doing economics, you’re doing all these things and, and then plus the written communication and all that. Um, and there again, you’re, back to the mindset of comparing to, you know, what others say, how others experiences are, you know, you, I think the common, um, um, observation would be this is the easiest supposed to be. And so I knew enough not to go in there because I already done 3. Um, I knew enough not to go in there thinking, oh, it’s just going to be easy. Um, but that was, that wasn’t easy, though. It was, it was still a challenge to not think of it as easy because it’s completely different. So, um, it didn’t, I didn’t really struggle much with the fact that my, my undergrad is from the Philippines because the format there is pretty much designed after the US.
So there’s not much difference. So, but where it was [00:38:00] challenging is, um, just trying to getting, quiz or ask for something that you’ve learned two decades ago.
And so, so just kind of the material with a Superfast is. It’s, it’s a good format to just kind of pick and choose what, you know, what they could ask and, and I actually ended up, um, signing up for, um, uh, free trial of, uh, Becker just to see, because there again, I’m, I’m, I’m here with, with doing well in my, my course, but then like, why am I struggling here? So, when I got the free trial for Becker and I just did BEC, the questions are totally different. I know the answer. It was just different. So it gave me, I think it, it pushed me to think differently when a question is asked, I may know the answer, but if it’s asked differently,
Nate: Mm hmm.
Ron: it, it, it trips me off. And so after that, it, um, it, it gave me more, more perspective it, met more [00:39:00] perspective to how it needs to be answered, but also the, um, the written, uh, exam, um, my, my, my course didn’t have a format of what, what the examiners are looking for.
And so if you just have to be concise, you have to, you know, you can’t, you shouldn’t use this and all that. That was, that was very helpful for me because when I first took it, I was just so thrilled that this is my last one. I actually put a note to the examiner. Thank you so much for all this, like, wait, that doesn’t count. So that’s probably why I didn’t make it the first time. But, but then when I did it again, I already knew that, you know, you have to be precise with the answer you have to, you know, you can actually copy and paste all this because you are actually capturing the exact wording of the question and then you just expound on it. So it was, it was very helpful. So I think that’s what pushed it for me to get the passing grade.
Nate: Awesome. Uh, so yeah.
What Ron Felt After Getting His Fourth and Final Passing Score and His Motivation
Nate: So after that whole journey, I mean, what was it like to get your fourth passing score and just [00:40:00] realize you were done?
Ron: It was it was unreal. It was like, I can’t believe that. Is it, is it over now? At the back of my mind? I’m still kind of like, um, well, I still have the ethics exam. I still have to do the schooling. I still have to all that. But I knew if I did that, um, if I was able to do that, I can do anything. And I know, uh, I don’t, do you still do the goals in the beginning?
Logan: The sheet, yeah.
Ron: Yeah.
Nate: Yup. That’s still in there.
Ron: That is very important for me, for my, this whole journey, because I knew I have something that’s bigger than me that’s, that I need to look forward and I, I intentionally didn’t put anything there. It has anything to do with material, you know, like more money or all this stuff. The one thing I, and I actually tried to look for it before the interview, but. Life just, you know, couldn’t find. But I still remember the first one I put there is, I want to do this because I want to show my [00:41:00] kids how to persevere.
Nate: Yup.
Ron: You know, despite whatever life throws at you that you can, you can persevere, you know, what perseverance really look like. Um, and so, you know, when I first started with this, I, the first thing I Googled is like, How old is too old to take the CPA exam? It’s almost like the answer is like, there’s no age limit. You can take her, you know, regardless. Um, and so I knew it’s going to be a big, um, big task to do. And so when I jump on it, that’s the first thing I wrote in that goal is, I want, I want to do this so I can show my kids what it looks like to persevere and have that page piece of paper in front of me in my little corner where I study. So I can always keep looking at it and looking back. It’s really, really what pushed me to, you know, the times when I don’t really want to get up at 4 30, you know, rolling out of the bed in the middle of winter, just so you can study.
Nate: Yeah.
Ron: It’s the [00:42:00] worst feeling ever, and then you go out there, you feel like everybody’s just going on with their lives, and life’s just going, and here you are, you’re stuck with this, trying to study, this concept in, in CPA exam. And that’s also where the strength for me, the benefit of the community. You should go in there. And you’re really interacting with people of the same mind, they’re in the same concept, the same mind frame, you know, you’re basically just, you know, mystery loves company, right? So you’re just like, Hey, we’re here together, you know, we’re all bleeding, but we’re fine, you know, just keep pushing. And it’s, it’s pretty cool to, to what, to see all the wins and all the, you know, all the people, what they’re doing, what clicked on them. And then come alongside with those that are really struggling to say, you know, man, I, I fail again. And they just, and to me, that’s just my heart when I, like, when I see someone like that, I just, you know, private message them or put a, a comment in their post and say, the only way you’ll fail is if you quit.
So [00:43:00] don’t quit. Just keep going, going at it. So to me that’s, that’s really the joy of, of the community. Something I don’t think any otherwise has that to offer.
Nate: Yeah. And I, I mean, I, I appreciate you being active in the, uh, in the forum that helps a lot. I mean, for the forum to be helpful, you know, it requires a certain amount of users to actually use it and be posting and stuff. So, so yeah. Um, well, yeah, we kind of went through everything.
Ron’s Top Tips for People Still Struggling with their Study Process
Nate: The last thing we always ask, even if it’s stuff we already covered, what would be your, uh, what would be your top three tips to people that are still struggling and trying to figure out their own study process?
Ron: The number one is do your thing, you know, it’s your thing. You run your pace, set your pace and and stay consistent. Um, it’s very tempting to compare and look around and see how people are doing, you know, um, just, just, keep at it. I think that’s, that’s the main [00:44:00] thing. There’ll be a lot of times where you feel like you just want to give up, you know, just the only way you’ll fail is if you quit, so don’t quit. The other thing is, um, um, really utilize what SuperfastCPA offers, you know, from, from the notes to, to the, uh, the, the quizzes, the all, all the way down to the community. You know, it’s such, um, such an encouragement knowing what someone else understand what you’re going through and it’s okay to break away from Nate’s notes, but use that to listen to podcasts so you can get some, you know, your fire can be lit up and it will be fired up again. Like, yes, I can do this because there’s so many stories out there that will just really encourage you to just keep going. And that’s the part that’s really hard on, this is how it can take too long for you for others and some, you know, faster than others. And again, it goes back to point one is just do your thing. [00:45:00] And, um, And then just set that goal, to me having that goal in front of me, knowing that why am I doing this? Because when things get too tough, too hard, that’s when you’re really going to go back to why am I doing this? You don’t know how many times I ask myself. Why in the world am I doing this? You know, why? And, uh, having those goals in front of you is just really a great reminder.
Nate: Yep. Yeah. I like all that. Uh, someone on one interview mentioned that same idea to just kind of immerse yourself in everything that we have to offer, like the podcast, the, I mean, just everything like that’s part of the strategy itself. Watch the PRO course videos, follow the strategies until it clicks for you.
Obviously, our study tools let you rack up study time all throughout the day. But I, I do think that the podcast are so helpful that it’s almost as valuable as, uh, you know, study time [00:46:00] itself, maybe a half hour, an hour a day of listening through the podcasts. So, yeah, I would agree. Well,
Ron: And I,
Nate: It was, go ahead.
Why Listening to the Podcasts Have Been so Helpful
Ron: I would just say, I’ve, I’ve actually remember, um, things I learned from the podcast, from the interviews, like, oh, I’d never look at it that way. And so it may not be directly related to the actual studying planting the seeds, but having that mind frame of like, Yeah, that’s that actually makes sense.
Or yes, I can totally relate to that. You know, there’s so much strength to knowing that you’re, you know, you’re not at it alone and someone else has been through it. And it’s very encouraging.
Nate: Yeah, that idea that, yeah, everything connects, but yeah, that’s true as well.
All right. Well, yeah, it was, it was fun to do the call Ron, finally meet you, hear your story. Um, even though it didn’t work out last time, but now we’ve done it. So yeah, I’m glad you found us eventually and that it, you know, it worked and now you’re a CPA.
So congratulations.
Ron: Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, I [00:47:00] still go back to the community from time to time and just, you know, put fire on those people.
Nate: Yeah. Yeah. I’ve, Yeah. I’ve seen you in there and I appreciate that too. I know that most people, as soon as they’re done, they’re like peace. I’m never
Ron: Yeah,
Nate: I’m never visiting this website again.
Ron: Yeah, you know, I gained a lot of from people’s feedback. And so it’s not fair for me to not, you know, pay it forward, especially for some, as a matter of fact, when I run into people, that’s taking the exam too, at the Prometrics, uh, you know, we would, while we’re waiting, like, so what, you know, what section are you doing and we’ll back and forth.
And I always say you need to look up SuperfastCPA, man. Only way to go.
Nate: That’s funny.
Ron: I don’t know if they ever tried it.
Nate: I can pay someone to just hang around all the pro metrics and corner people when they come out. That’s hilarious.
Ron: They’re desperate, man. They need that. Here’s a lifeline. It works.
Nate: That’s funny.
Logan: All right, that was the interview with Ron. And I’m [00:48:00] sure you found that super helpful. And I think it was an awesome interview. I loved that he was able to totally get immersed in the SuperfastCPA experience. Studying in the mornings, studying throughout the day, making awesome flashcards and especially being a huge part of the forum.
People listening have maybe seen him make posts on the forum and he was a great resource to other people. And he also received a lot of help from the forum because that’s what the SuperfastCPA forum is about, is about helping each other and helping each other answer questions.
And his story goes to show that no matter where you are in your life, no matter what problems you might experience during the process, like maybe even health struggles with the family. You can come back and you can pass these exams.
As I close out this interview, I just want to give everyone one more reminder about the SuperfastCPA training webinar on superfastcpa.com. Again, it’s only one hour, it is free, and we will show you how to be effective and efficient with your CPA exam study process.
Also make sure to share this podcast with anybody you know who’s going through the CPA exams. This podcast is the best free training resource out there for CPA exam candidates.
[00:49:00] If you liked the episode, make sure to leave a rating in your favorite podcast app or like and comment on the YouTube video.
Thank you for watching or listening. And we’ll see you in the next episode.
