Blogging CPA

When speaking with new hires, interns, or students, a frequent topic of conversation is the CPA exam. For a lot of people the thought of facing the exam can be more stressful than the college and the whole recruitment process of the public accounting world. Rightfully so, it’s a mighty obstacle to tackle, but with the right attitude and a solid game plan it’s one you’ll be able to overcome.

A piece of advice I hear a lot is that in order to succeed you need to create a study plan and stick to it. I agree to an extent, but I think some people take this to an extreme and find themselves quickly burnt out. You’re likely working full time while studying for the exams, so in my mind it’s important not to be too hard on yourself.

At the same time, I’d advise against just “winging it”. For me, the strategy that worked was to create a schedule but to allow for leniency. What I mean there was I would commit to say X sections per week, and I would chart them on a calendar to get an idea of how I would tackle them, but it wasn’t set in stone. If I had a rough day at work and need a light study day I didn’t stress too hard about taking a night off, I just knew I had to shift some time to another day. To keep myself accountable I would update my schedule as soon as possible to avoid falling into a trap where I shifted everything into the last possible day.

This strategy kept me from getting burnt out between work and study. I allowed myself to spend time with family and friends, and to continue my hobbies, but I made sure to stick to my “big picture” schedule.

Everyone needs to find what works best for them. Some people thrive under a rigid schedule, and some people do just fine “going with the flow”. Just find what you’re comfortable with and stick with it and you’ll do fine. At the same time, if you find something isn’t working, don’t force yourself to keep doing the same thing. Try something new!

To anyone working through the exams, you’ll be through them before you know it! Best of luck!