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Now that you have a study plan in place, you need to be able to stick to it to become a CPA. Interruptions will come up, so you want to make the most of each minute you have to focus. Use these CPA Exam study tips to help you conquer the exam!
Commit 100% of your concentration during study times. Remove all distractions, especially the TV. Find a quiet place, and turn your phone on silent. Better yet, put your phone across the room. Research shows your phone impairs learning.
Don’t try to study and multitask – you’ll be wasting your time. But do try to make the most of your available time. Take advantage of study-on-the-go review options, such as listening to audio lectures when you’re driving, exercising, traveling, cleaning, etc.
Online review courses allow candidates to study in non-traditional places as well. Watching a short video or taking a quick quiz while waiting at the doctor’s office or nearby park is a great way to review when you normally wouldn’t be able to.
The purpose of a diagnostic quiz is to quickly identify what you already know and what you don’t. Completing a diagnostic quiz before diving into each study unit of your CPA review lets you focus your study time.
You can determine your weak areas for a topic in as few as 20 questions, and if your review course is adaptive, you can let it do most of the work for you. You can then use this information like a blueprint to show what you need to focus on. Don’t forget to review your strong areas, but spend more time on the areas where you are struggling.
Many studies have shown that writing things down helps them stick in your memory. While taking any kind of note is better than not, it helps to write your notes by hand rather than type them. This article from NPR goes over some of the differences in note-taking.
Make full use of outlines, handouts, examples, or any other material to which you can add your own notes. This will reduce the amount of time spent actually writing while giving you many of the same benefits.
Using pre-made flashcards can be helpful, but be sure to revise them to suit your needs. Don’t forget to add cards you need and to remove the ones you master!
When writing notes, explain the concept in your own words to make sure you completely understand it. To pass the CPA Exam and become a CPA, you must be able to remember, understand, analyze, evaluate, and apply the content in the CPA Exam blueprints. You can’t get away with simply memorizing the definitions and formulas; you must have a solid grasp of the concepts and be able to apply them.
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SOLUTION
Gleim’s Premium Review System has digital flashcards so candidates can get the best of both worlds. Access your flashcards from anywhere and easily dismiss the cards you no longer need. You can also use them as templates for writing your own cards for your toughest topics!
The only way to gauge how well you understand the material is to practice. Completing short Multiple-Choice quizzes or Task-Based Simulations is the best way to see if you can apply what you have learned.
The closer your practice questions are to the actual exam, the better you will be able to perform on exam day! The AICPA has developed CPA Exam questions to test at a deep level of understanding, so their question formats may be different from what you are used to.
Familiarize yourself with patterns in actual CPA Exam questions, but do not memorize them! The CPA Exam is non-disclosed, so you will see different questions on the actual exam than in any review material you have. Focus on the concepts behind the question and not the question itself.
Looking for more tips? Check out our full list!
Need help on the multiple-choice?
Check out our tips for the multiple-choice questions!