AIBU to not do my final chartered accountany exam?

[butcanicount]

NC for this but I am a regular poster.

Basically I have 1 final chartered accountancy exam to do in order to be fully qualified but I haven't done it. List of excuses coming:

Final year in 2017 I passed all exams bar one which I failed by 2% - had it rechecked no go

2018 - mum was in ICU I was told to 'prepare' myself. I didn't do the exam

2019 - I was in a MH hospital for 3 months

2020 - with covid they put the exams online, I tried to get extra support due to dyslexia, they couldn't do anything because I can't find my official diagnosis

2021 - twice more in MH hospital approx 4 months total, had 3 miscarriages also

2022 - had a baby

2023 - thinking maybe I should try do the exam again.

My work place, everywhere I have worked since finishing my training time have employed me as an accountant. Positions are advertised and paid as fully qualified accountants. But I have never lied, they know I am 1 exam off, but that I have done my 'time'. So it hasn't has any impact on my career, I work in industry not practice and with how my MH is I have no desire to ever be the top of the ladder, I am on a 'nice wage' and happy. But every so often I think I should try again to qualify. I don't even know if they would let me re-sit at this point. DH is worried that the stress would be too much for me. Also we are hoping to have another baby next year

YABU - do the last exam
YANBU - It's not affecting anything do not do the exam.

That's great, so much less stress than when I qualified and you had to pass all papers in each professional stage in one sitting or retake the whole stage (with a small concession that if you only had one very marginal fail you had one attempt at that paper again to pass the stage).

The time pressure was huge as well as I think you only got six years from starting your training contract to pass all the exams . It was all in all a very macho and stressful set up and very glad it has changed now.

@OnGoldenPond that is still very much how it was in Ireland when I started.

Thank you everyone for the comments above.

It has lit a fire under my bum. I have applied to get all my transcripts. I could apply to the board to try and get another sitting, but the person I spoke to thinks it is unlikely. Also I would need to sit the paper next summer, I am due a baby next June. So I'm not going to apply.

I'm waiting to hear back from ICAEW and CIMA.

CPA - I may have 2 exams or I may have 4. I would have 3 years to complete them

ACCA - I would have exams and I would have 7 years to complete them

Forgive me but I don't understand why you'd rather switch to a new qualification that means doing five or however many exams - rather than taking one single paper?

That anxious voice in your head telling you that "you can't do this" doesn't have your best interests at heart. Don't let it sabotage you.

I think you've built this up and up and up in your mind and it wouldn't actually be anywhere near as bad in reality as what you've built it up to be. Just look at how much you've already achieved - you're clearly extremely capable.

@user1846385927482658 if I apply to the board to re-sit the exam.

1 the person I spoke to thinks it is very unlikely to be granted.
2 - if they do grant it, I would be trying to sit the exam a few weeks after giving birth. They only run their exams once a year, in summer.

I could leave it until next year and apply to them to do the 1 paper and see if they will let me. Or I could switch boards now and if with CPA it is just 2 exams I could possibly have both of those done before DC arrives.

The other issue is there is a time limit on the exemptions with CPA if my exam passes become more than 10 years old I won't get as many exemptions. ACCA seem to say it doesn't matter. So I could wait another year and try get ACA to let me re-sit then switch

Thanks, it is nice to hear you think I am capable. I have built this up to something enormous in my head. Also DH was very against me doing it. But I told him last night I need his backing. He was just worried I would put myself under too much stress.

But I am going to finish. I don't want to spend the next 35/40 years saying 'well I am nearly qualified'