5 Great Tips for the CPA Exam

Tips for Taking CPA Exam

  • Keep Knowledge Fresh in Your Mind
  • Use Review Audio Course
  • Space Them Out
  • Make a Test Schedule
  • Focus on Material Presented

There are several really great tips for the CPA exam. Accountants who will be filing with the SEC are required to take this four-part Uniform CPA examination according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While many people say this is a very hard test to pass, there are steps an individual can take to make it a little easier.

1. Keep Knowledge Fresh in Your Mind

We often hear students say they wait until the last day and then cram for a test. While this may work well for simple high school or elementary school tests, this is probably not the best course of action for the CPA exam. This exam is long, hard and covers a lot of area. Your best option is to study regularly and restudy to keep the knowledge fresh in your mind. Even if you think you know everything you need to know, don’t be afraid to review it again and again.

2. Use Review Audio Course

There is a downloadable audio review course you can use to study for the CPA exam. This is probably one of the best tools you can use for the CPA exam. U.S. News & World Report recommends the online course as a great resource to prepare for the CPA exam. Download the course and put it on your phone, tablet or whatever mobile device you use. Listen to it while you go about your day whether you’re doing laundry, jogging, working out at the gym or just out for a drive.

3. Space Them Out

This four-part exam is just what the name states: a four-part exam. You have 18 months from the time you take the first exam to finish the other three. Don’t try to take them all at one time. Space them out so you can adequately prepare for one exam before you have to worry about studying for and taking the next exam. Trying to cram and retain too much knowledge at one time can prove to be problematic.

4. Make a Test Schedule

This is another great tip for the CPA exam and one that proves helpful to many candidates. Research what you can expect from the exam in terms of what is all on the exam and how long each testlet should take you to complete from beginning to the end. Make a schedule of each test along with a time frame. After taking a sample exam, you’ll have a better idea of how long it actually took you vs. how long it should have taken you. You’ll then have a good idea of areas that may require more review and study.

5. Focus on Material Presented

When we hear about multiple-choice questions, we often assume they’re going to be easy. This is not the case with the CPA exam. Just studying the multiple-choice questions will not adequately prepare you for the real test. The CPA exam consists of various tasked-based simulations (TBS). These are designed to demonstrate the candidate’s skills and knowledge beyond just guessing at the right answer. When preparing for the exam, study as many of the TBS questions as you can.

Accountants generally experience good career opportunities. They can open up even more opportunities and higher wages by becoming CPAs, which requires taking and passing the CPA exam. Following these five tips for the CPA exam can take away some of the stress and make it easier to pass.

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