Posted: 20 Dec 2009 at 18:53 | IP Logged
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So I found
out I just passed the CPA exam (yay!) and I just wanted to write out what
worked for me and random things that may help others who are looking for some
guidance. For some reason, I'm not like super happy about passing. I
think it hasn't hit me yet......Anyways!
Random
background information to keep in mind while reading:
My prep
tool was Becker, I was not working for three of the exams, and I was a 3.5 GPA
student. I luckily did not need any retakes and I took all my exams in 2
windows. . After each exam, with the exception of REG, I felt very unsure if I
passed.
My
Study Strategy:
- Watch all the lectures and
writing the notes that the lecturers told me to do.
- Go through the book and make
notes on white paper of what I thought was important.
- Do the homework questions and
mark anything that I got wrong or took longer than 2 minutes to finish.
- Do 1-3 for all chapters then go
through each chapter to memorize the material.
- Attempt to do all the HW
questions a 2nd or 3rd time.
- Do the final exams MCQ 3-7 days
before my exam. Did not touch simulations
My
random tips (they may work for you or not!):
- The test is generally not super
specific, so look at the %s that material is most likely to be tested and
study that. For example, for Audit, you know that most of the test is
going to be Planning, Substantive Procedures, and Internal control, so
focus on that first, then if you have more time to spare, do the specific
stuff.
- Try to take the exam in the
time between graduating and starting work. Youll thank me later.
- Get in the habit of studying.
Just tell yourself you have to study on x day and make sure you do it. My
biggest motivation was that I did not want to study + work at the same
time.
- Your time may be better spent
away from studying simulations. I touched FARE simulations, but after
taking FARE, I never studied the sims again. I felt the simulations were
not very representative of what would remotely be on the exam. This is
just my opinion, but I may have been lucky.
- When you take the test, give
yourself XX minutes per testlet and be STRICT about it. Once time is up,
move on. Its better to get through the test than to struggle over 1-2
problems.
My
results (ranked from hardest to easiest):
AUD 12
Days (6 weekends) 6 hrs a day 78 My best advice focus on planning,
substantive procedures and internal controls (A3, A4 and A1).
FARE 1.5
months 6 hrs a day 6 days a week 85 - My best advice Dont go nuts over
governmental/NFP.
BEC 5 days 8 hrs a day 80 - My
best advice focus on B3-5.
REG 4
weeks 5 hrs a day 95 My best advice I heard tax was a big part of the
test, so I focused on that and it paid off.
This
website was a big help! It made passing so much easier. I took from what many
others did, so I thought I'd at least share what I did.
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