If you study, you will pass – Roger Phillips.
These six words of encouragement kept me going after failing three parts of the CPA exam in a row. The CPA exam doesn’t care what your GPA, work experience, or failures were in college. All that mattered was studying to understand the material well enough to pass the CPA exam.
I decided to take five months off from the CPA exams to study studying. I returned with all the necessary tools and finished the last three parts of the CPA exams in six months. My study routine for each exam was the same, passing three parts with Uworld Roger CPA Review and one with Becker CPA Review.
Here is what I did.
Studied based on my learning style
Studying based on my learning was a substantial contributing factor. There are three types of learning styles:
- Visual: watching, color-coded notes, seeing charts and graphs, concept maps, and flashcards
- Audio: listening, reading notes/textbook out loud, and summarizing the main point
- Kinesthetic: hands-on, frequent breaks, and taking notes
I am a mix of all three learning styles, so my study plan was based on it. There are online tests to determine which learning style you know best if you aren’t sure.
If you see something and go, what the actual fuck is she doing? That’s great you know the study technique doesn’t work for you. Skip it. But I think it’s important to see other people’s study routines to see what you can incorporate into yours that may help you pass!
Study routine
Lecture videos
I powered through the lecture videos by watching them without pausing. At around twenty minutes, most videos are short, so I found it very doable.
I would follow along with the ebook while taking bulleted notes on my second computer screen. Writing down notes is the best way to learn as a kinesthetic learner. Visual learners might benefit from highlighting the lecture book. At the same time, audio learners might want to cut all other distractions and listen.
Multiple Choice Questions
After watching the lecture videos, I would review all the multiple-choice questions once. It helped me determine my weak areas by reading the book or rewatching the lecture videos. Then, I would complete all the questions until I got a 100% understanding of all the material before moving on entirely.
A mistake I made when I failed was focusing too much time on lecture videos. I would pause it a bunch and re-listen to it until I grasped the concept. Only to discover there was only one question that didn’t dive deep into the topic. Waiting until I finished all the multiple-choice questions to gauge my weak areas was a big time-saving hack.
*Related: Four mistakes you make when studying for the CPA exams.
The review material uses the AICPA blueprint to guide creating questions at the skill level you need to know for the CPA exams. The multiple-choice questions test application, remembering, and understanding skills. While simulations test application, analysis, and evaluation. It isn’t easy to gauge which skill level the material is tested until completing the multiple-choice questions.
Note-taking
Paper method
Now, it’s time for my note-taking strategy. I wrote down the multiple-choice questions and answers I got wrong. I would see which keywords stood out in the correct answer to circle it and write down the explanation. Each time I got a question wrong, I would mark it as:
- First time: write it down
- Second time: underline it
- Third time: highlight it
- Fourth time: put a star next to this
My notes for each chapter would be about one page and helped me quickly determine my weak areas. On a separate sheet of paper, I wrote mnemonics, formulas, or other topics to review the whole exam on one sheet of paper. It would be the information I brain dumped the first ten minutes I arrived at the computer to sign on for the test.
Electronic note-taking
My sister passed a part of the CPA exam-taking notes electronically. I love her method on Excel and want to share it with you.
- Column A: write down the questions
- Column B: write down the correct answers and change the font color of keywords.
- Column C: write down the explanation
You can turn these notes into flashcards by hiding columns B and C to recall the correct answer to learn actively.
If you aren’t a good note-taker or need additional notes, I recommend using Another 71. I printed my book and got it bound to carry to review. There is ample space to take your notes on it as well.
Simulations
I would complete the simulations repeatedly until I got most of the questions correct. I didn’t aim for 100%. Instead, I tried to understand the concept well enough to move on. I used all my resources, such as the Excel spreadsheet and research tool.
I made the mistake of saving simulations until review week for FAR and was soo overwhelmed. It was the reason I failed by two points. I discovered the analysis and evaluation of the material in simulations aren’t in the multiple-choice questions. So, I completed simulations at the end of each section.
I took notes the same way I did for the multiple-choice. By writing down the question, answer, and explanation for the simulations, I missed.
Why does this study method work?
There are two types of learning: passive and active.
Passive learning is getting the material presented to you, such as:
- Reading
- Video or audio lectures
- Taking or highlighting notes while listening to lectures.
While active learning is interacting with the material, such as:
- Flashcards
- Simulations
- Practice exams
- Multiple-choice questions (MCQs)
You should focus more on active learning when studying for the CPA exams. To be exact, a ratio of 1:3 to 1:4 for passive to active learning.
What does that mean? Sixty to ninety minutes of active learning for every twenty minutes of lectures. About thirty to forty minutes of active learning it occurred after the lecture videos. The rest will go towards review week.
Review of my study process
- Watch the lecture video while following along with the ebook and taking notes.
- Complete the multiple-choice questions until I get 100%, and write down the questions I got wrong.
- Complete the simulations until I get most of it right and write down the questions I got wrong.
- Read or rewatch lecture videos in weak areas.
After I finish the study material, it’s time to review it.
Review
There are two parts of the review process: ongoing and final review. Let’s dive into it.
Ongoing review
While I put aside a review week, it was an ongoing process. I would complete at least fifteen multiple-choice questions for the sections I studied on my phone to review daily. Other times, I would read my notes before bed.
Final Review
My review method was the same regardless of whether I reviewed for four days before AUD or a week before FAR.
Practice exam
I would set aside a whole day to take the practice as if I were in the testing center:
- Quickly write down all the mnemonics and notes after I enter the launch code.
- Keep track of my pace by tracking my time on my paper.
- Take a 15-minute break between testlets and do jumping jacks in the bathroom or lobby.
Then, I would review the practice exam after a long break. I would take my notes by writing down the questions and answers I got wrong.
Once I finished, I ranked the sections from weakest to strongest to create my study plan (EX: A3, A2, A4, A5, A6, and A1).
I would review one section at a time, starting with my weakest areas:
- Complete 33 multiple choices to mirror a testlet in the exam
- Finished 2-3 simulations at a time
- Rewrite the notes I created for 30 minutes a night.
I would do this for each section until I correctly averaged an 80% score for the multiple-choice and most simulations. My strong areas didn’t take me as long to go through. I would repeat this process with another practice exam.
I noticed my weak and strong areas changed as I studied based on the time I spent on the material. That’s okay. Since you are reviewing the material quickly, it will be fresh in your head by the time you get to the exam.
Then, I would set aside time to take the AICPA practice exam. It took me about two hours because it wasn’t a complete mock exam. But I prioritized this because I always had one multiple-choice question and simulation pop up on my actual exam. I took the AICPA practice exam at least twice during review week.
The day before the exam
I get major test anxiety, so I take the whole day to get my brain into the right space. Otherwise, I would be nervously tossing and turning in bed all night. I wouldn’t do any active learning at all. I knew I had put in the work for weeks and was ready. This was my routine:
- Read my notes out loud.
- Take a nap (yes, I still nap).
- Prepare for exam day by ensuring my paperwork is in my car and breakfast is prepped.
- Watch Legally Blonde. If Elle Woods could get through law school, I could pass the CPA exams.
- Do Yoga
- Listen to a guided meditation and go to bed early.
That’s my entire study routine to pass the CPA exams using Becker and Roger CPA reviews.
*Related: How to pass FAR in five weeks as a mom
You can pass the CPA exams!
Stick to it once you have figured out the study routine that works best for you. Focusing on your weak areas and using active learning will help you truly understand all the material to pass the CPA exam. Remember, if you study, you will pass. You got this!
Grab my free time blocking planner to create your study schedule. Getting a killer study course to go with it will help, too. I used Becker CPA Review to pass FAR and Roger CPA Review to pass AUD, BEC, and REG.