CERTIFIED: Almost there

Certified follows a group of aspiring CPAs while they prepare for and take the various sections of the CPA exam. We started following our candidates in May 2016, and this is part six of Janeen Smith-Hughes’ story. Read the other parts here.

By Jessica Salerno, OSCPA content manager

Janeen Smith-Hughes has now passed three of the four sections she needs to complete her CPA certification. She’s passed Business Environment and Concepts exam (BEC), Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) and Regulation (REG).

The last section standing between her and putting those three elusive letters behind her name is Audit (AUD). When she started studying for the CPA exam in July she made the decision to push AUD to the end after briefly reviewing the material. Studying for this section however, hasn’t gone as smoothly as the previous three. Now that Smith-Hughes has a full time job, she doesn’t have as much time to study as she had during the summer. She said she’s taking the time where she can in the evenings, in between caring for her family and young children, and then extra hours studying on Saturdays and Sundays.

She’s used MDS CPA Review for studying each section, and for AUD she’s using the online videos to study and learn. Smith-Hughes said in the beginning when thinking about which review provider she would choose, she knew she needed to find study material that would keep her engaged, especially when it comes to online information.

“I can’t listen to you for hours and hours and be bored,” she said.

With starting her new position at a staff accountant at a Columbus accounting firm, Smith-Hughes said she’s ready for a “new adventure again,” including the training and strategy she’s learning.

“I’m working with real clients now, who have real issues,” she said. “I get a lot of energy from solving problems, so I like working directly with clients.”

Sponsored by MDS CPA Review and Yaeger CPA Review.