Pass the CPA Exam - How to Do It

Passing the CPA exam may be a frustrating project, particularly if you've heard of the multitudes of people who have had to take several sections several times before finally passing the CPA exam. What follows are several CPA prep tips that have helped me pass the CPA, and I'm quite certain that they'll help you also. Pass the CPA exam you will, finally - it is inevitable unless you give up.

1)Develop the Appropriate Mentality
Many people fail several sections multiple times before finally passing all sections of the exam. Multitudinous other people have studied for and passed the CPA exam at last, and you also will.

2)Request Assistance From Family & Friends
You can ask for assistance from your friends and family by explaining to them the reasons why you want to pass your CPA and how complicated this project is. If they're supportive of what you're trying to achieve, they may help you out with some of your current responsibilities (for example chores such as cleaning), and will understand if you can't be present at every social gathering.

3)Maintain Great Health
Poor health can cause catastrophic outcomes on mental acumen, which in turn can greatly impact on your capability to think & study. Studying for the CPA can be quite exhausting. In order to pass the exam, you need to keep your mind and body in good condition.

4)Get a Useful CPA Exam Review Course
The top CPA review programs available on the market come with lectures in DVD format that teach difficult concepts a lot better than books do. The better CPA review courses will even include a list of practice exam questions spend time on, that are most likely to appear on the actual exam. The best of these CPA review programs come with live support to allow you to call in to ask any questions that you may have, and get immediate answers and detailed clarification from live instructors. All in all, investing in a good CPA exam review course can really shorten your exam prep time and better your chances of passing the CPA exam.

CPAnet.com has a forum where you can find study partners in your area. Set up a strict study schedule and ask everyone to commit to it by putting studying ahead of other obligations. When the going gets tough, your study buddies may be able to give you the support you need to continue - after all, they're in the same boat you are and will understand what you're going through.

Most people find it overwhelming when trying to tackle all 4 CPA sections at any one time. There's simply too much material to cram into your brain all at once. A better way would be to only concentrate on studying for one section at a time, pass the exam for that section, take a break, and then start studying for the next section and so on. Getting rid of that most difficult section first will minimize your chances of running out of time and having the 18-month window expire on you.

7)Concentrate on Difficult Areas
Reviewing materials you know very well will make you feel good about yourself, but it probably won't help to increase your exam scores finally. To get the most effective ROI for your effrot and time, spend it on studying materials you have the most trouble with. Look through all of your learning materials, identify your weak areas, and focus on them

8)Take Ample Notes
Because you'll be using mostly your short-term memory during the exam, materials you review during those last few days will be the freshest on your mind on the day of the exam. This small window is simply not sufficient for you to study all materials from beginning to end, so be sure you have a comprehensive set of study notes that you can refresh your memory with during the last few precious days before your exam.

9)Get Out That Stopwatch
When you're doing practice questions, time yourself like you're actually doing the exam. This will train yourself to work under pressure and prepare you more effectively for the actual exam.

By doing so, not only will you understand the materials better, but you'll also feel more confident about your odds of passing the exam - both of which will result in increasing your actual exam score!

Find out about how David Bryant ultimately managed to pass 3 previously failed CPA sections over the course of just ten months, with flying colors, in his blog PasstheCPAExam.org.

CPA Review Course - How to Pick the Right One?

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Many accountants studying for the CPA examination employ a CPA review course to help them prepare. A good review course will minimize study time as well as maximize the probabilities of successfully passing the CPA exam. With so many different courses on the market today, it can be tough to pick the one that best fits both standards above. Below are some of the factors to be considered when selecting a CPA exam review course.

1) Course Materials

Although all courses cover similar accounting concepts, each instructor explains things differently. Good review courses are only taught by engaging instructors that are capable of explaining tricky ideas in an easy-to-understand demeanour. The best CPA review courses have available free lecture samples that you can judge before making the decision to buy. Another way to make an evaluation of the quality of a review course is by going to CPA exam preparation forums as well as product review sites to see what people say about the lecture quality of individual review courses.

Some questions and simulations software will become disabled at a certain time after activation. The best kind of course materials and software is the kind that does not need access to the internet to view or use, and thus doesn't expire. If you must purchase the type that does expire, make sure that you'll have ample time to digest the materials before it expires on you.

2 ) Practice Questions

Having studied the study materials, the student is mostly provided with practice questions to drill the knowledge into their memory as well as apply the ideas they have learned to actual case scenarios.

Regarding the subject of practice questions, some CPA review courses take the cover-all approach by making the student do every question that has the smallest chances of appearing on the CPA exam. While this may be the safest way to go, it can also be extremely time-consuming.



The ideal CPA review course will contain only questions that are most sure to appear on the exam. This will ensure the top rate of return for the student's study time by allowing the student to focus on areas which will likely matter the most.

Different CPA review courses provide various levels of customer support. On the other end of the spectrum are courses that have minimal support, and in the middle are courses that permit students to e-mail questions to the instructors. Some review courses provide message boards and forums to permit students to interact with instructors and with one another. Before buying a review course, ensure that it will supply the level of support you want.

4) Frequency of Updates

Due to changes in accounting-related legislature among other reasons, CPA exam study materials have to be updated correspondingly on a constant basis.

One factor that many people take into account, that has not been debated, is cost. However , considering the typical serious pay-raise that is experienced by many accountants after they become CPA-certified, it is advised that you choose a CPA review course based totally on its quality and level of support from the instructors, instead of on cost. Considering that the average pass rate for the CPA exam is only 47.49-49.10% ( pass rate for Uniform CPA examination in 2008 ), failing one or more sections is not improbable. You won't want to re-study for and re-sit sections of the examination simply because you made a decision to save a couple of dollars by buying a lesser quality review course. The only exception is when the course costs will be remunerated by your employer, in which case you'll wish to exploit this, even if it would mean having less options to choose between.

To find out my personal experiences with the Yaeger CPA Review Course please visit my CPA exam blog at http://www.PassTheCPAExam.org.