Believe That You Can Pass!

Passing the Uniform Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination is not easy. Ever since 1917, the CPA exam has been challenging candidates. With a first-time passing rate of 12 to 18% on the pencil-based exam and a less than 50% per section per exam section passing rate on the computer-based test (CBT) it is assumed that most people will fail one or more sections on their first attempt. 

Time Management of Your CPA Exam Prep

As you begin your CPA exam preparation, you obviously realize that there is a large amount of material to cover over the course of the next two to three months. Therefore, it is very important for you to organize your calendar, and maybe even your daily routine, so that you can allocate sufficient time to studying.

Slaying Your CPA Study Dragon

The calender is filled with chapters, topics and tasks to complete before sitting for the next CPA exam. Realistic daily study goals are set. Now it's time to slay the dragon. It will take dedication, focus and a bit of selfishness...More

Planning for the CPA Exam

An overriding concern should be an orderly, systematic approach toward both your preparation program and your examination strategy. A major objective should be to avoid any surprises or anything else that would rattle you during the CPA exam. ...More

Common Pitfalls on the CPA Exam

... 2) Watch for wrong-choice indicators; words like, “always,” “never,” “only,” “under no circumstances,” “identical,” etc. These words are usually there for a reason ...More

The Very First CPA Exam

Since the CPA Exam was first offered over a century ago, hundreds of accounting topics have had to be revised, updated, added or removed from the CPA Exam content.  Students have had to adjust their studying to adequately prepare for these changes...More

The Most Important Choice You'll Make

I know the single, most important factor in whether or not you will pass the CPA exam. It’s not the type of review materials you choose, the quality of your college professors, or your natural accounting abilities, although those are all important. ...More

CPA Exam Basics

CPA Exam Basics Contributed by Lambers CPA Review   I. The majority of the computer-based CPA examination (70-80 percent) is made up of multiple-choice questions. Each section of the exam will consist of “testlets” which are the multiple-choice questions, and two “simulations.” Part Four, Business Environment and Concepts (BEC), has no simulations, only multiple-choice questions. BEC simulations will be added later. A... More

A Tale of Two CPA Exam Candidates

A Tale of Two CPA Exam Candidates By Paul Lambers Over the last 44 years thousands of students have taken the Lambers CPA Review program and reached their goal of becoming a CPA.  Most students put their lives on hold for a year or so, study hard, then take and pass the exam.  Every so often a student has a unique story on how they passed.  I would like to share a few of these stories with you.  In the first story the student&nbs... More

Five Tips for Passing the CPA Exam

Passing the CPA exam will not be easy, but if you follow these five important rules, you will significantly increase your chances. 1. Make a study schedule.   You must make a detailed schedule of your CPA exam study plan.  If you have three months before your test date, schedule what you will study every day and every week.  Hint: you’ll want to periodically schedule up to a week of review time of previously studied material... More

Mental Requirements for Success on the CPA Exam

Mental Requirements for Success on the CPA Exam Contributed by Lambers CPA Review The CPA exam is a test of your overall technical competency, a test to measure judgment and intelligence in the application of accounting principles, auditing standards, and procedures to practical problems, and to evaluate professional ethics. You are being tested on a basic level of knowledge in a broad spectrum of areas. Your preparation should be geared to obtaini... More

Keys to CPA Exam Success, Part 2

Keys to CPA Exam Success, Part 2 Contributed by Wiley This is a continuation of last week’s article “Keys to CPA Exam Success.”  Read part 1. Your primary objective in preparing for the CPA exam is to pass.  Other objectives such as learning new and reviewing old material should be considered secondary.  The six attributes of examination success discussed in this article are essential.  You should study the att... More

Keys to CPA Exam Success, Part 1

Contributed by Wiley CPA Review Your primary objective in preparing for the CPA exam is to pass.  Other objectives such as learning new and reviewing old material should be considered secondary.  The six attributes of examination success discussed in this article are essential.  You should study the attributes and work toward achieving/developing each of them before taking the examination. 1. Knowledge of Material There is a distinct... More

Material Tested on the CPA Exam, by Section

As you prepare for the exam, it’s important that you understand the breakdown of the material covered in each section.  A good review course will naturally guide you through that, but you will probably need to tweak your schedule slightly based on your background, strengths, and weaknesses.  For example, in college I was not able to take a Government and Non-profit Accounting course, due to scheduling conflicts.  Since this is app... More

Scheduling and Sitting for the CPA Exam

Contributed by Wiley CPA Review. While there are some variations in the process from state to state, the basic process for sitting for the CPA examination may be described as follows: ... More