My CPA Journey – One Week Before My Core 2 Exam

I will be officially one week away from my Core 2 exam tomorrow. I started the extended module in early Feb so it has been over four months. A lot has happened and changed since I started the module – the pandemic, the full work from home set up and the launch of my new niche site.

In a way, staying at home more has protected my mind from the chaos outside. Like many, I was obsessed with checking the news constantly in the beginning but eventually realized there was nothing to be thdone other than practicing social distancing. It took a while to get used to the new normal but I was eventually able to settle into a productive schedule (thanks to the Monday Hour One process).

What Have I Done to Prepare for My Core 2 Exam Since My Last Update?

I published my last update right after I finished the module workshop weekend. I was 6 weeks away from the exam then and came up with a plan that consists of reviewing chapters notes (a bullet-point version of the chapter readings I made during the module) and writing practice cases (the weekly assignments and practice exams on CPA D2L).

To my pleasant surprise, I managed to largely stick to my plan of studying for about 30 to 45 minutes every morning before work (set my alarm for 6 am, make coffee and start studying at 6:15 am). There were mornings where I ran out of time because I had underestimated the time required for the assigned task (e.g., review Week #4 notes). Instead of studying in the evening, I would just adjust my study calendar and push everything back one day. I tried my best to make sure I didn’t have to study after work to make up for it as I find myself not as productive in the evening. I reserved the evenings to work on my blogs as I find it more interesting (hence easier to focus on after a long day of work).

I did so well during the week but repeatedly failed to study as much as I planned to on the weekends. As a result, I ended up studying for about the same time on the weekends as during the week. Luckily, I still managed to stay on track because I had quite a bit of a buffer from starting 6 weeks before the exam.

At the end, I accomplished the following in the past 5 weeks:

  • re-attempted all 7 weeks of practice cases
  • re-attempted all 7 weeks of integrated problems
  • submitted Week #8 assignments for grading/feedback
  • reviewed all 8 weeks of notes from chapter readings
  • reviewed the first 3 weeks of notes from chapter readings (again)
  • reviewed notes from the Module Workshop

~ More CPA Posts ~
CPA PEP Core 1 – How to Study for the Module and the Exam
CPA PERT – Ultimate Guide on How to Get Your First Experience Report via EVR Approved
CPA PERT – Enabling Competencies Examples
Densmore for CPA PEP – Are The PEP Essentials Packages Worth It?
CPA PEP Module – Regular Module or Extended Module?

What Will I Do to Prepare for My Core 2 Exam in the Next 7 Days?

With only one week left, I plan on accomplishing the following:

  • review notes from chapter readings for Week #4 to 8
  • attempt the practice cases from the Module Workshop
  • quickly debrief the weekly assignments to create a comprehensive Core 2 case-writing guide (I am most excited about this and can’t wait to share)

I mentioned before that I want to just relax and not study the day before the exam. Depending on how this weekend goes, I might be able to do just that!

What Do I Wish I Had Done A Month Ago?

Nothing really because I am happy with myself for being able to stay on track. There were mornings where I wished I could just sleep in but I always managed to talk myself out of it (alright… I did sleep in for an extra 10 minutes).

I also think this study plan succeeded so far because I was being very easy on myself. As mentioned, I tried my very best to avoid studying in the evening as that would have led to burnout. With work being more demanding for the past month or so (for those of you who don’t follow my Monday Hour One weekly recap: I got promoted😊), being able to relax in the evening by working on my blogs or watching Netflix is a nice way to recharge for the next day.