CERTIFIED: The end is in sight

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 seven of Donald Jungquist’s story. Read more here.

By Jessica Salerno, OSCPA senior content manager

To prepare for a test for months, then come away from it confident you did well is a good feeling. That was Donald Jungquist’s mood after he completed the Audit (AUD) section of the CPA exam.

“That was the first test I took where I walked out, and I haven’t worried about it at all since,” he said. “I didn’t have a care in the world after I left there.”

Jungquist is an auditor, so he was already approaching this section with a strong knowledge of the material. But even with his background he said that the period before taking the section was stressful, because work made it difficult to find the time and energy to devote to studying. He took a week off before the exam to prep as much as he could beforehand, and he’s looking forward to receiving his score.

“I just felt like I nailed the test,” he said. “And there were lots of questions where I knew I knew the right answer and I was really prepared for it.”

He’s now taken three sections and passed two, crossing Regulation off the list with a score of 77. So far he’s met his goal to pass every section on the first try. His latest score and confidence after AUD has been encouraging, giving him assurance that spending so much time studying has been worth the effort.

Jungquist said he’s even started to notice a difference in his confidence at work and is feeling more well-rounded in his knowledge base. He said when someone new starts he can’t help but think about everything he’s learned since he first started, and how far he’s come since then.

Now he’s prepping for busy season, so the CPA exam and studying will be on hold temporarily. The last section he has to conquer is Financial Accounting and Reporting, which he plans to take in the summer.

“I’m looking forward to it, actually,” he said. “I can’t wait to get this over with.”

Next time: Results of Audit and FAR

Sponsored by MDS CPA Review and Yaeger CPA Review.