CPA Exam Blueprints

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The blueprints for the Uniform CPA Exam are created by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), which comprises all the knowledge, skills, and content topics that candidates will need to demonstrate in order to pass each CPA Exam section. It is meant to help candidates get ready for the exam and ensure they have the basic skills and knowledge needed to become CPAs. In addition, the CPA Exam Blueprints cover upcoming exam changes.

New blueprints are released periodically by the AICPA. The current blueprint is effective until the end of 2023. However, a new blueprint was released in January, 2023 that will go into effect starting January, 2024. This is part of the CPA Evolution, in which the CPA Exam will incur significant changes to the exam structure, content, and format. Here we will discuss both the current format and upcoming changes to the CPA Exam.

How Do I Use the CPA Exam Blueprints?

The CPA Exam Blueprints lay out the rules and regulations candidates need to know when preparing for the CPA Exam. The AICPA describes the blueprints as “a brief explanation of what the exam will test you on with a correlation to the skill that is being tested.”

  1. Candidates can use the blueprints to do a lot more than just check the quantity of content that needs to be covered. The blueprints help you to plan your exam preparation, make your own study schedule, and prepare yourself so there are no surprises on exam day.
  2. Plan one section at a time, as opposed to all four sections at once. This will help you concentrate your study efforts. You should also change the schedule as you hone in on your study habits. Our recommendation would be to prepare for difficult topics first, as it is a time intensive process.
  3. You can save a lot of time by focusing on content topics in accordance with the score weightage and representative tasks laid out in the blueprints. Give importance to topics which carry more weightage. This in turn, will enable you to dedicate an appropriate amount of time to each topic.
  4. You should also remember that you cannot solely rely on the blueprints. Studying with a strong, comprehensive review course is key to CPA Exam success. A CPA Review course might seem costly, but studies show that candidates who take a CPA review have higher pass rates than those who do not. Ultimately, the investment is well worth the money and effort.
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Free eBook: 2024 CPA Exam Evolution