<p>taxguy, I’m basing it on the multiple and various experiences I have had in accounting. Not once have I ever felt stressed or tired from working in accounting. Tax research is one of the fields I have not had any experience in. I have academically excelled in accounting in college. Destroyed the CPA. I have experience in tax returns, compiliations. internal audit (documentation, flowcharting, and evaluation of controls), audit (2 busy seasons intern/full time at Big 4), and corporate accounting/finance (What I currently doing). I’m going to be honest. It’s not very difficult at all.</p>
<p>Dawgie, I am impressed if that is your experience. Most folks I know find accounting challenging. Maybe you are just one REALLY smart dude.</p>
<p>Maybe you should try representing clients with multiple operation in states and oversea, in front of IRS, to see if that’s challenging enough. :)</p>
<p>I would recommend that you check out the below 2 articles for advise on how difficult the CPA and CFA exams are, how to pass them, how to get the review materials at a steep discount, how to sell the materials once you have passed to recoup most or all of your money, and a lot of other useful information.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>[How</a> Hard Is The CPA Exam? - InfoBarrel](<a href=“http://www.infobarrel.com/How_Hard_Is_The_CPA_Exam]How”>http://www.infobarrel.com/How_Hard_Is_The_CPA_Exam)</p></li>
<li><p>[How</a> Hard is the CFA Exam? - InfoBarrel](<a href=“http://www.infobarrel.com/How_Hard_is_the_CFA_Exam_]How”>http://www.infobarrel.com/How_Hard_is_the_CFA_Exam_)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>maxellis - nobody thinks Level I is hard. It’s just quantity of material. Level II is a huge step up in difficulty. You also have to realize that each step of the CFA has the same or lower pass rates than the CPA, except that the only people eligible for Level II and III have already have survivor bias for the people who passed the previous tests. Additionally, there’s only two Level I testing dates and ONE Level II and III test per year. So if you don’t pass, you’re SOL and have to basically go through another 6 month studying cycle. Yes, this does mean the minimum time frame you can obtain a CFA in is 2.5 years.</p>
<p>I haven’t met a single person who thinks the CPA is harder than the CFA, including all the CPAs I know. The CPA is a lot more of a pain to maintain afterwards though, with the mandatory credit requirements.</p>
<p>This thread is two years old, and its just some spammer that is raising it and another one from the dead with the same post. </p>
<p>Anyway, CFA>CPA from someone who has done the CPA and is doing the CFA, although if you have to ask which one you should do, you should probably do the CPA. CFA is relevant for a lot fewer people.</p>
<p>CFA is much harder than the CPA. This is even up for debate.</p>