CPA Exam Review News Blog

Busy season is rapidly approaching, and if you're reading this, then you're either studying for the Exam, or you're preparing to start. Regardless, entering into the busy season poses some unique challenges that you'll need to analyze and overcome to continue making solid progress towards earning that license.

Congratulations on passing all of the CPA Exams, taking the ethics exam (if applicable in your jurisdiction), getting the experience necessary to become a CPA, AND successfully navigated the paperwork. You’ve earned it!!

Now that you have put in all that time, how can you make the best use of your license? Do you know what is necessary to make sure your license doesn’t lapse? 

It's time for another question from the Instructor Inbox! Collected from our Instructor Hotline, message boards, and chats with Phil, we take student questions and Instructor answers and post them to help other candidates. 

At Yaeger we talk with students who have just taken their exam every. single. day. Unsurprisingly, we tend to hear the same things over and over again, things that students wish they’d known ahead of time or planned more for. Here are five head-slapping "I should have thought of that" moments - things every students should know about  before going into Prometric.

If you don't read this whole post, remember this: Even if you don't use us, use the blueprints. They're important. They're a great tool. They will help you pass the CPA Exam and become a CPA.

When studying for any one of the CPA Exams, the sheer quantity of material available to be tested (and therefore material to study) can be overwhelming. Meanwhile, it's no secret that the intensity of the exams is a simulation of the real world and a practitioner's life in accounting. You WILL need to know this information in your life as a CPA. Luckily, you'll have reference materials available for use after the Exam. That's is why I will tell you to study to the test - and be specific. As specific as possible! And no, we don't mean "buy our materials because they're the best" (this is not a sales pitch); it's a declaration. I'm taking a stand, and it's not about my review school or me. I'm sick and tired of candidates not going into the Exam adequately prepared.

Wondering how long it will take to study for, and pass, the CPA exams? Finding that everyone has a different metric, or they’ll only tell you once you’ve signed up for their course? Well, let’s dispense with all the bait and switch. Here’s what I recommend.  

You spent hours upon hours of overtime for your company over the past few months. Hours you could have spent catching up on your favorite shows on Netflix, out for dinners and drinks with friends or training for the half marathon everyone else is running next month. At the time, all of this was part of a plan – that it would all add up to the pay rise you were hoping for at your performance review. You did your due diligence, you outlined multiple positive impacts you made for your company during the peak season, you presented a measurable financial impact, but the answer was, “Sorry, not at this time.”

Picture this – you have decided to start studying for the Regulation (REG) section. You’re beginning to feel confident, getting a handle on the material and then you start reading about taxation changes that are on the horizon. As stated in an earlier blog this year, the CPA exam is ever-evolving and it is important to keep up with changes to ensure that you’re studying the most up-to-date materials available. Luckily, you’re in good hands with Yaeger CPA Review as we rework and rewrite our books to the AICPA Blueprints. But I know you’re wondering – what is changing, and when is it happening?

When people think about the CPA at their company they aren't likely to think of someone who leads through spoken word. As a CPA it is unlikely too that this is a requirement for your everyday job. Many CPA's can get by communicating through emails, powerpoint presentations, and handing the numbers off to whoever asked for them. However, in person communication can be something that sets you apart.

There are plenty of reasons to limit talking in person or public. From time constraints to fear of speaking in front of others, down to the simple necessity or lack thereof, it is easy to find an excuse to communicate as little as possible. But the truth is you can extremely bolster your value by simply learning to be a better communicator.

There are a few ways to immediately improve your value as a communicator

Let's face it. You have about a million things you "should be" doing. Pressure is raining down on you from every direction and it can feel a little bit overwhelming. What's hard is that the pressure isn't bad. You should be trying to make the world a better place, stand up for what's right, use less plastic, get 30 minutes of cardio in a day, adopt a dog, and on top of it all take time for yourself so you're not stressed.

There's an easy way to take control of this feeling and, maybe most importantly, be intentional and content with your decisions.