I was laid off in June 2009, and a typical response to what I planned to do with my newfound free time was, “I’ll study and sit for the CPA exam.” It’s now the end of January, and I’ve done neither.
To be honest, money was always a problem. The exam isn’t exactly inexpensive to take, comprising of four parts that each cost roughly $200 to register for. Then there’s the initial registration fee exacted simply to find out whether my education qualifies me. That second part always made me nervous, since my Bachelors degree is in Audio Engineering Technology. But, earlier this month, I finally sent my application and a check equivalent to my monthly car payment to the processing center in Tennessee.
On Saturday, I received an email from NTS Notification Service1 that I was too afraid to open. After all, as an organizer for WordCamp Boston, I was too preoccupied to concern myself with the notice, and if the message was a rejection, I didn’t want to distract myself with that nightmare.
Thankfully, when I finally opened the email this morning, my apprehension was met with the following relief:
CPA Examination Candidate:
Your state board has found you eligible to take the Uniform CPA Examination.
So, having received my Notice to Schedule, I now have until late July to sit for the first section of the exam. That gives me 18 months from now to complete all four parts. Clearly, my procrastination (a skill that could likely earn me a doctorate, at least an honorary one) must end.
How ironic that the notice comes just as I’ve involved myself in myriad other engagements ranging from freelance web design and programming to audio engineering.
- NTS stands for Notice to Schedule, the official clearance that permits me to schedule a particular section of the exam. ↩