Pass the CPA Exam With These Simple Tips

Last Updated on Monday, 7 November 2011 12:24 Written by admin Monday, 7 November 2011 12:24

Passing the CPA exam can be a discouraging project, especially if you have heard of the vast number of people that have had to sit through more than one section multiple times before finally getting their CPA. What follows are several CPA exam tips that have helped me pass the CPA, and I’m sure that they’ll help you too. You will pass the CPA exam, eventually – it is inevitable unless you give up.

1)Adopt the Appropriate Mindset

It’s never easy to pass the CPA. This is a great undertaking that will call for lots of effort and time before you will accomplish. Numerous people fail more than one sections several times before eventually passing all four sections of the CPA. Prepare yourself for the likelihood that you may fail multiple sections before passing all sections, and accept that as a typical part of the journey of preparing for and passing the CPA. On the other hand, remind yourself of earlier achievements that serve as concrete proof of your mental capabilities, for example getting your college degree. Countless other people have persevered and passed the CPA exam in the end, and you will also.

2)Request Assistance From Family & Friends

Attempting the CPA is not a simple undertaking, however you do not need to do it by yourself. Start enlisting assistance from your friends and family members by explaining to them reasons why you need to pass your CPA exam and how difficult and time-consuming this project is. If they approve of what you’re trying to achieve, they may assist you with some of your present duties (e.g. household chores such as cleaning & cooking), and will understand if you can�t be present at every gathering.

3)Stay in Good Health

Poor health can have catastrophic effects on concentration, which in turn can seriously impact on your capability to study and think. Eat a nutritious diet, get enough exercise, and most importantly, sleep for at least six to eight hours each night, and take a 15-30 minute nap in the afternoon if you have to. Also, do not forget to set aside time for regular study breaks – these will help you to avoid feeling burnt out, and will also help your brain to absorb knowledge more easily when you resume after the study break. Preparing for the CPA exam can be quite exhausting. If you want to successfully pass the exam, you need to keep your mind and body in great condition.

4)Make Use of a Useful CPA Exam Review Program

The best CPA exam review programs available on the market today come with lectures on DVDs that explain difficult concepts so much better than printed words can. The best CPA review materials are even equipped with a list of practice exam problems to concentrate on, that have the highest likelihood of being found on the live exam. The best of these CPA exam review programs include phone support to allow you to call in to ask any questions that you may have, and get answers and detailed clarification from live instructors. Without question, investing in a good CPA review program can drastically reduce your exam preparation time and inflate your odds of passing the CPA exam.

5)Find People to Study With

Locate people who are also preping for CPA exams in your area and invite them to study with you. CPAnet.com has a forum where you can find study partners in your area. Set up a strict schedule and ask everyone to commit to it by not letting other obligations to interfere with the study schedule. Study buddies can help you to stay focused, and two heads are often better than one when it comes to working out tough questions or problems. When you’re feeling discouraged, your study buddies may be able to give you the emotional support you need to continue – after all, they�re in the same boat as you and will understand what you’re going through.

6)Take On One Section At a Time

Many people find it overwhelming when trying to tackle all 4 sections of the CPA exam simultaneously. There�s simply too much material to understand all at once. A better strategy would be to only focus on one single section at a time, pass the exam for that section, take a break, and then start studying for the next section etc. Another piece of advice would be to try for the hardest section first (the one that is most challenging for you – this will vary from person to person), because once you pass your first section, you only have 18 months to pass your remaining sections. Getting that most difficult section out of the way first will minimize your chances of running out of time and having the eighteen-month window expire on you.

7)Focus on Weak Areas

Reviewing materials you know well may give you that good feeling, but it probably won’t help your exam scores much finally. To get the most effective ROI for your time and effort, spend it on learning material you have the most trouble with. Flip through all of your learning materials, identify your problematic areas, and stay focused on them until you feel confident that you can handle them.

8)Taking Notes is Important

It is important to take lots of notes when you�re studying, so that you�ll have something to review during the last few days before the actual exam. Since your short-term memory is, well, short-term, materials you cover during those last several days will be remembered the most clearly on your exam day. This small window of time is simply not enough for you to review all study materials from beginning to end, so be sure you have a complete set of study notes that you can cram into your short-term memory during the last few valuable days before your exam.

9)Use a Timer

When doing practice questions, time yourself like you’re actually doing the exam. This will train your brain to perform under pressure and better prepare you for the actual exam. Moreover, by preparing in this way, you�ll be less likely to panic on exam day when you can’t come up with the answer to a problem.

10)Practice, Practice, and More Practice

Try to do as many practice problems for as many times as you can. By doing this, not only will you understand the material better, but you�ll also feel more self-assured about your odds of passing the exam – both of which will result in increasing your exam score!

Find out about how David Bryant has ultimately managed to pass three previously-failed CPA sections over the course of only ten months, with flying colors, in his blog here: Yaeger CPA Review

To browse unbiased evaluations of the different CPA review programs please click on: Yaeger CPA Review

Yaeger CPA Review Course – My Personal Judgment

Last Updated on Saturday, 29 October 2011 07:24 Written by admin Saturday, 29 October 2011 07:24

The Yaeger CPA review course was certainly not the first one I used. The other course I used resulted in passing only one section of the CPA exam. It was due to this event that I bought Yaeger’s Home Study Course, which resulted in helping me to pass all three sections with great scores.

The Yaeger site states that students who have revised using the Yaeger CPA review course materials have an 88% pass rate on the CPA exam. Dr. Phil Yaeger has helped people get ready for the exam for over 30 years. I liked the fact Dr. Yaeger and his team provided access to an instructors help line. It is an invaluable part of their student support system and is an 800 number. Needless to say, I made regular use of this service and even spoke to Dr. Yaeger a few times. The professors were patient and ensured all my questions were answered before finishing the call.

The lecture videos are totally absorbing and are taught by qualified lecturers. The videos kept to a a simple format where professors explained the concepts and supplied multiple choice questions and simulations. An advantage with the Yaeger system is they focused on materials with a high probability of showing up on the exam. Likewise, they would advise students to focus more on doing practice questions with high probability of being in the actual exam.

Also worth a mention are Yaeger’s cram DVDs which could be responsible for adding between 5 to 15 points to your CPA exam score. The cram DVDs vary in length (between 7 to 16 hours) but cover all noteworthy sections in great detail. These cram DVDs are aimed at highlighting the persons weak areas and adding strength to those areas right before the exam. I doubt it makes much difference whichever CPA review course you have, the Yaeger cram DVDs will assist with revision for any course and provide useful last-minute understanding.

All Yaeger CPA review course materials are are revised annually, including lesson videos which are re-filmed annually. Thus, the candidate can have confidence they are studying from the most relevant information.

Even with their high quality, Yaeger CPA products cost less than than many other CPA exam review courses. Overall, I am delighted with the Yaeger CPA review course and would recommend it highly to anyone wanting to pass the CPA exam.

Read more about how Dave Bryant’s finally managed to pass 3 previously-failed sections over the course of 10 months, with impressive scores, in his blog here: Yaeger CPA Review Reviews

To locate fair evaluations of the various CPA review programs please visit: Yaeger CPA Review