Accounting professionals hoping to excel in their field and advance their finance careers tend to focus on one route: achieving the CPA designation. Becoming a Certified Public Accountant can open up numerous job opportunities and give accountants the opportunity to pursue higher wages. However, it’s not easy to achieve this prestigious distinction, and many in the accounting field find it takes years before they can boast those three letters next to their names. The most intimidating factor of obtaining CPA status is taking the CPA Exam. This rigorous test puts accounting professionals through the ringer, and is known for being an extremely strenuous endeavor.
Create a Rigid Schedule
In order to prepare for the CPA exam to the best of your ability, you’ll need to dedicate plenty of hours to rigorous study. In order to stay on track, it’s a good idea to craft a study schedule, months in advance of when you plan to sit for the exam. Organization is key. Studying while working and maintaining personal relationships isn’t always the easiest endeavor. Making your study time a priority from the get-go can serve you wonderfully as you prepare for the actual exam, and improve your chances of passing on the first go-around. You may consider carving out certain hours each week that must be used for exam preparation. Whether it’s two hours a day or five hours twice a week, giving yourself at least 10 hours of study time a week will make it easier to retain information and prevent the test date from keeping up on you. It’s also important to get away from work and home when studying. Consider renting a shared office space from Sharedesk.net and have a dedicated area for your preparation.
Keep It to Yourself
Once you’ve decided to pursue your dreams of career advancement and commit to completing this long spanning program, be careful about who you tell. While it’s an exciting endeavor to be sure, it can also be more difficult than anticipated. The stress of studying and taking the exam alone can be enough to make anyone want to pull their hair out, and combining that with the eager questions from family members and friends about your progress can be disheartening. Instead of shouting out your plans to the world, stay quiet about your goals. It’s common for even the most experienced of accountants to take the exam multiple times before passing, so don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.
Purchase Study Materials
Don’t count on your personal experience and college studies being enough to get you through the CPA exam. This test covers a wide range of topics, and goes in-depth to certain themes. Be sure you’re better prepared by investing in study materials. Depending on how many times you take the test, with exam fees and study materials combined you shouldn’t expect to pay more than $3,000. That’s a small price to pay for the opportunity for a better salary and higher title in your company. The best CPA exam guides offer resource materials and mock exams that you can take over and over again in preparation.
Take Practice Tests
Far and above one of the best ways to prepare for the CPA Exam, or any certification test for that matter, is to take mock exams with sample questions. Don’t take these sample tests at your leisure; set up days that mimic the hours you’ll have when sitting for the actual exam. This will help you plan out how much time you can spend on each question, and provide you with important insight into your strong and weaker areas of focus. If you’re looking for ways
If you’re considering taking the CPA Exam, there are many strategies that you can use to you advantage to better your chances of succeeding on your first attempt. Keep these tips in mind and be on your way to career advancement.
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