CPA Exam Review News Blog

What are the AICPA Blueprints?

Unfortunately, almost nobody knows about these little guys. College professors certainly don’t. I guess they figure the CPA candidates will learn about the blueprints when they take a CPA review course. Well, guess what, most CPA review courses rarely, if ever, even mention the blueprints!

Meta-Analysis -The AICPA has released an exposure draft on proposed changes to the CPA Exam, which would add content to the Exam to improve its relevance, as well as remove content, thought to be less pertinent. These proposed changes are described in detail in the AICPA’s Practice Analysis Report, with expected implementation in July of 2021.

It's tax season at work, and you are also progressing towards your CPA certification, so it's completely normal to feel some stress right now. But how much pressure are you shouldering? Is it damaging your quality of life?

Don't look back on this season of your life and realize you missed some great days because you were always stressed out.

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.”