IRONMAN to CPA. Sort of. (FAR #1)
Yesterday, I completed an Ironman. Sort of.
Thursday night before the race, I mean the exam, I went back through the Becker book, my notes with a glass of Shiraz, had some dinner and went to bed around 9pm. I was up at 6AM and headed out. I had a 1,000 calorie breakfast of a Dunkin Doughnuts bagel with cream cheese, muffin, and a medium full-strength RedBull. I wore shorts, sandals, and my IRONMAN World Championship polo. I drove into Tucson to the Prometric testing center, went through check-in and hit the loo one final time. I set up my transition, I mean my locker, with my 2nd medium size RedBull and RedBull F1 Jacket if I got cool during the race, I mean the exam.
I got finger printed, ID checked, screened for devices, and turned my pockets inside out. I wished a guy taking his Series 7 good luck. But I was here for the CPA exam part 1 of 4, the FAR (Financial Accounting and Reporting). The 4 hour test ahead of me would be the first official test after taking 4 simulated 4 hour exams over the last 2 weeks, heading into race day, I mean exam day.
On my mark, I breathed in, telling myself I could do this. I entered in my code and started the exam.
The FAR part of the exam has 25 multiple choice questions, then another 25 MCQ, then 2 Tax Based Simulations. There are optional 5 minute breaks in between that the clock doesn’t stop. Between these 3 testlets and the next 2 which have 5 and then 2 more TBS’s, is a 15min break that stops the clock. My test plan included MCQs in 2.5-3minutes, transition, and TBS in around 15-17 minutes based upon my Big Day Outs, I mean race paced simulations, I mean exam prep.
I started off and the first question was already one I wasn’t completely certain about. But I was in this. I was doing this. I recall competing in my first KONA looking down at the sea of Yellow Tangs and other fish while racing against the worlds best thinking “I’m racing in the IRONMAN World Championship”. I was here. Let’s race. Over the first 25 MCQs, I flagged a couple questions I wasn’t sure of and circled back before submitting this testlet; once submitted, you can’t go back. I finished in around 68 minutes. The next testlet went better and I felt more confident in another 68 ish minutes. 2 testlets later and I finished a little bit behind schedule with around 1hr20min to go. I took the break, hit the loo, slammed my RedBull and gave myself some pep talk. I wrote down on a piece of scratch paper provided, how to break up the next 5 questions at about 13minutes each, which would already be a challenge.
I started the next leg and was still trying to figure to wear or not to wear the provided headset. I also tried taking glasses on and off but settled on glasses on, headset on, and dealt with the pain of the frames pressure on my head.
On the last testlet I had about 25minutes to go and went to the easiest one first and then moved to the last testlet with under 10 minutes to go. Like 2 of my exams at home, I ran out of time.
Back in the recovery tent (my car) I scanned through my notebook and highlighted the areas that were tested and where I was not confident. I also gave myself an estimated score of 70-77… a 75 is passing. Scores are not instant, I’ll have to wait 2 months till July 31, 2024. Today, the next day, I look back with a 65-75 and if passed, made it by the required value. For perspective my first test attempts were 38 & 93, my second test was 66 and 91. Based on feel 65-75 is my most-likely position. Oh, and I went to CRUMBL for post-race food.
In the 2nd/3rd grade I interviewed my babysitter when growing up. She was a CPA and I wanted to be one when I grew up. In High School I did terrible on the SAT’s with my best score of around 1100. I went to Northeastern University and got a BSBA in Finance, Accounting, and Economics (minor). I was a 3.3-3.4 GPA student and NCAA D1 Student athlete for 2 years in rowing. In college I did terrible on the GMATs; I couldn’t’ even get into the University of Alaska with my GMAT scores; those scores are forgettable. I went to Bentley University and was a 3.3-3.4 GPA student getting a solid D in Derivatives while interning in Cash Management with Raytheon. I earned a Masters of Finance.
Over the next 17 years I built my career with Raytheon/RTX from analyst to Finance Manager building my team of 5 analysts and now managing $100M+ of sales per year. I became an IRONMAN finishing 19 Ironmans and achieved finishing the IRONMAN World Championship 3X. I also qualified for the 70.3 IRONMAN World Championship 2X. I have completed 50 marathons including (2) 50mile Ultras. I’ve qualified for the Boston Marathon and have run a 3:02. I’ve also travelled to 6 continents, 50 countries, and married my wife from Australia. I do hard things.
With the goal of moving to Adelaide, Australia in 2027, many of the finance roles require me to have a CPA, so I looked into it, realized I had enough classes, and Raytheon would pay the $2,500 for my Becker Coach. So I built a plan as a self-coached student athlete (repeating history 20 years later) and started studying the day after Christmas giving myself 5 months to study for 1 exam on May 24, 2024. The next day we’d leave for Cancun for our 10 year anniversary. The whole process could take up to 2 years.
My training led me to 245hours of documented study with 1hr 39min average study per day. This amounted to 11.5-15 hours per week. (Pretty comparable to the 15hours/week on average I train for an IM). Looking back at my race, I mean exam, I don’t believe there is really anything else I could have done. I gave it my all and stayed focused as much as I could trying to remember everything I learned over 5 months. Mind you, I also rebuilt our pond in the backyard, worked on a 5,000 piece puzzle, and actually trained with 600miles of running and 400 miles of cycling. I also balanced my mind by turning the office to a place of zen with Sirius Radio Zen played often, insense burning throughout, and installing 2 bird feeders outside the window.
I don’t think my 23 year old self would have been able to pass the CPA but I believe my 40 year old self will. My life experiences and knowing that I can reach the top 1% of the world in something has given me a confidence to say, “I am going to pass this test”. “I don’t care how long it takes, I am going to pass it.” It was this emotional, strength-based, focus, and dedicated perspective that got me to KONA after so many attempts. Even after getting my first spot through a roll-down, my 2nd spot was earned by taking 2nd in my age group at IRONMAN Arizona 2018. I can do anything I put my mind to; you just gotta put in the work “and be willing to take the hits.”
My wife had to take a 5 hour exam to become a licensed Physical Therapist in the USA. I helped her and supported her for months and coached her to treat it like an IRONMAN. She passed and has continued on a successful US based PT career.
I too have taken my own advice and there are so many comparisons to the CPA being like an IRONMAN. It’s one of the toughest exams to pass for a licensed certification. Dedication over months and years are required to complete. Very few attempt it and not all of those that do are successful. You can’t fake it. My favorite thing about attempting the CPA is the same about swimming 2.4 miles, riding 112 miles, and running 26.2miles. It’s all on me. There’s no one else to help me along. I have to do it myself. I’ll also get to “Brag for the rest of my life”.
Going forward we’re going to enjoy 7 nights all inclusive at Beach Palace Cancun, Mexico. We come back and I will start studying for Audit. I’ll continue to review FAR 2X per week to keep it in my mind and keep up that aerobic engine. IF I failed, THEN I will give myself another month or two to take FAR again in October a week before the T100, our first triathlon since 70.3 Santa Cruz, California in September 2023. Fiona and I will both compete with the worlds best at the T100 in Las Vegas. Swim 2KM, Bike 80KM, Run 18KM. In November before Thanksgiving I’ll take exam 2, Regulation (REG). Then we’ll head to New Zealand and I’ll compete in my 2nd 70.3 IRONMAN World Championship in Taupo. Australia for 2 weeks after that. 2025 will be about completing the CPA exam. I won’t race at all during the year but I will be, Sort of.
Happy 10 year anniversary FiFi. I love you.
Tucson Athlete 