In many instances the questions given in the multiple choice portion of the audit module have more than one correct answer. The request made of the person sitting for the exam is to choose the “best answer”. This requires the test-taker to read each question and answer carefully and choose the answer they believe an auditor would likely want to make. Study for this portion of the auditing test by identifying important keywords and concepts like disclosure and presentation, obligations and rights and allocation and valuation. Practice applying these concepts to real life situations. When taking the test, read the question carefully and identify the keywords and concepts it is concerned with. This will aid in sorting through the answers to find one an auditor would choose.
The communications module of the auditing portion of the CPA exam is geared toward writing well and is not focused on content. Write answers in clear, complete sentences, assemble well-organized paragraphs and use correct grammar. Do not use bullet points, lists or abbreviations. Remember that auditing is about communicating with a colleague or a client in order to explain or clarify general accounting concepts and laws. When responding to the essay questions, write to the audience and avoid jargon. Ask an editor, educator, writer or someone well-versed in grammar and writing to review practice essays and give advice on strengthening skills.
Follow time allotments for questions in the auditing module that require research. It is easy to go over the allotted time when using the research tool contained in the test and lose track of the time needed to complete the rest of the questions. With that in mind, choose to tackle the research questions last. When studying and taking practice tests, practice moving quickly in the allotted time frame by using semi-relevant research text instead of digging deeper to resolve a research question. Digging too deep can eat up precious time and cause questions to go unanswered while semi-relevant text can answer the question, adding points to the final score instead of losing points.