According to Joe Hoyle, an expert with 27 years' experience in preparing CPA exam candidates, one of the keys to passing the CPA exam lies in each student’s preparation. Hoyle recommends spending between 250 and 400 hours studying for the four parts of this exam. You can start by browsing through the free review content found on cpa-exam.org. You’ll want to familiarize yourself with the candidate bulletin to gain a good understanding of how the process works and what is expected. You’ll also want to review the Content Specification Outlines (CSOs). CSOs define the scope of each of the four examination sections. Here you will find what subject matter is included in each section. It is best to read each CSO carefully before starting to study so you can make the best use of your time.
If you are required to put in 250 to 400 hours of study time to pass the CPA exam, as Joe Hoyle suggests, you will need to find the right study materials. The exam itself includes a combination of multiple choice, exams, simulations and research questions. Cpa.exam.org offers a multitude of free resources, including tutorials and sample tests. The site suggests that you review the tutorial so you can gain proficiency on how to navigate through the exam as well as reviewing the sample tests for a preview of the content you are likely to see on the examination. However, there also many courses and books you can buy to help you study. CPA exam study guides and text can run anywhere from about $100 to nearly $1,000. Courses are also available from a number of education providers. The best recommendation would be to thoroughly review the free materials first and, then, if you feel you need more preparation, consider purchasing texts or take a course. A few online resources are listed below.
The best preparation and the hundreds of hours of study time you logged will be wasted if, on exam day, you do not make the best use of your time. First, you’ll need to stay calm and focused. Avoid careless mistakes by reading each question carefully, and get a grip on what are the elements most important to the question topic. As you are carefully considering each question, keep an eye on the clock. According to CPA exam expert Joe Hoyle, some candidates finish too soon, wasting their allotted time, while others struggle to complete the exam and leave questions that they know blank. Success in passing the CPA examination is not in the preparation but what you do with it when you sit down to take the tests.