I want to express my immense gratitude to everyone in this community who helped me stay grounded throughout this journey. By some stroke of luck, I managed to achieve a perfect score on my first attempt, which is something I couldn't have done without the support of this community. Here are my exam scores, listed in the order I took them:

FAR: 84
AUD: 77
BEC: 87
REG: 75

This entire process took its toll on my relationship, but I'm incredibly thankful that my wife stood by me every step of the way. From navigating the complexities of buying a house to enduring my first real tax season, and amidst the excitement of my wife's pregnancy, it's safe to say that this journey presented its fair share of challenges. Completing it all within a year and before our baby's due date on June 27th feels like a monumental achievement. Scoring a 75 on REG was a huge relief for me. Although I initially thought I aced it and felt a tad disappointed, I'm overwhelmingly grateful that I won't have to face that daunting exam again.

For anyone currently undertaking this process, my advice is to always keep the bigger picture in mind. Remember that everything in life is temporary, and if you truly desire success, you must be willing to make the necessary sacrifices. My study strategy may not have been the most efficient, as I mainly focused on drilling multiple-choice questions until I was exhausted. However, I highly recommend taking your time with each question, ensuring not only that you understand the correct answer but also why the other options are incorrect. Investing that extra effort will provide a deeper understanding, which is crucial because exam questions rarely mirror practice material.

I relied on Roger CPA for my study materials and found them to be excellent, particularly the quality of their multiple-choice questions and explanations. The only exception was the AUD exam, for which I supplemented my studies with NINJA, as I found it to be the most challenging of them all.