There is so much anticipation built up around beginning your CPA Exam studies and sitting for the exam. Most of us tend to ask our peers for advice to help us get a feel for what the experience will be like.
Beware though; not everyone’s advice is worth following, as it can be counterproductive. To avoid falling for any of these common mistakes, we have compiled a list of the World’s Worst CPA Exam Advice!
Caution: do not follow any of these guidelines. They are quite possibly the most terrible tips ever given.
If you’re graduating this Spring and have breezed through or are breezing through your Audit class, you don’t even need to study for the exam!
Having just graduated and completed an Audit course, you are definitely ahead of the game and it should offer you a slight advantage in recalling the material. However, the CPA Exam is an oversized compilation of everything you have learned in your higher education years. The span of information is broad and studying for each section is a must!
You can borrow your second-cousin’s boyfriend’s little brother’s 2012 CPA Exam study materials and still pass the exam. They’re pretty much the same as the new course updates that come out each year.
No! While most CPA Exam materials remain unchanged from year to year (double declining depreciation isn’t going anywhere), there are actually many parts of a CPA Review Course that do require updating.
For example, just last year, much of the AUD section was redrafted to reflect the newly established clarity drafting standards designed to make them easier to read, understand, and apply. This Clarity Project, as the AICPA termed it, went into effect in mid-2013. Had you been using 2012 materials, you would have completely failed to learn the new standards.
Fortunately, Roger CPA Review informs current students of updates as they happen, complete with new corresponding video lectures (when applicable), and updated PDF text files posted in student accounts to reflect the changes.
To ensure that you don’t miss any important industry changes that could affect your CPA Exam studying, sign up for our newsletter!
Pulling an all-nighter to cram for the exam will ensure that everything is fresh in your mind!
While your enthusiasm and dedication to studying is admirable, cramming is not everything. There are a multitude of other things that will help you emerge victorious from the big, bad CPA Exam. Is cramming helpful? Yes, but only when done correctly. In fact, many students use the Roger CPA Review Cram Course (included in the Elite-Unlimited Plan) after they are done studying to focus on the most heavily testing CPA Exam topics.
However, there are other important factors to keep in mind as well: eating a balanced diet, getting a good night’s sleep, and maintaining your activity level. Your brain needs to be taken care of, and since it is working overtime to study, these are all important to keep in mind.
Pulling an all-nighter will likely have more adverse effects than positive, so try starting your cram session 1 week prior to your exam date instead.
Study when it is most convenient: in between your busy work schedule, school, and/or family life.
Sticking to a study schedule is one of the most important aspects of staying on track and meeting your CPA Exam goals. If you simply study whenever you have some free time, you will either find you do not have any or would rather spend it elsewhere.
Strategizing your study time will guarantee that you are going to make time to hit the books. The Roger CPA Review Course comes equipped with customizable study planners available in 3, 6, 9, and 12 months to help you do just that!
Celebrate every exam success with full gusto!
Let’s say you just sat for your REG exam and received results that you passed! Time to go out, hit up happy hour, par-tay, and take a mind vacation, right?! Of course you should acknowledge this triumph, but don’t go too crazy. If you allow yourself too much freedom from the books, it will be that much more difficult to continue your CPA Exam journey.
It’s a long journey, and sometimes it is best to plow through with your head down (in a book!). You can save the lavish festivities for your final passing score!
We’ll leave you with one piece of actual good advice.
While the CPA exam journey can be a stressful one, you can do it! Stick to a solid study plan, put forth your best effort, and don’t fall prey to distractions. We hope our advice, or rather– anti-advice–will help you along your way to CPA Exam success! Comment below if you have more of the World’s Worst CPA Exam Advice.
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