6 Best CPA Exam Study Tips and Prep Strategies to Pass the Exam

There are a ton of different CPA exam study tips, tactics, strategies, and techniques, but I have to be honest: none of them are better than mine.

I developed these tips while studying for my first accountancy exam section. As I was about halfway through the process, I realized that I was spending way too much time reading things over and over without actually comprehending the information.

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Best CPA Exam Study Tips

So, I took a step back and analyzed my study habits and changed my ways. I implemented these CPA exam study tips and aced all four sections my first time, successfully becoming a Certified Public Accountant. Here’s the rock-solid study plan I came up with.

Keep It Steady

You can’t study erratically or occasionally; it just doesn’t work. You have to be in the right mindset to study financial accounting properly. Think about it. What are you doing when you study? You are trying to cram as much information into your mind at one time as you can.

This doesn’t happen occasionally. You need to set a regular routine and stick to it. A study schedule is crucial to effective exam prep because it allows you to prepare mentally for the dump truck of CPA information to unload in your head. You know when you are supposed to study and you can prepare for it mentally.

You should pick times each week where you study and do nothing else. My CPA exam study schedule looked like this:

Weekdays: 2-3 hours after dinner

Saturdays: 4 hours in the morning

Sunday: no studying

That was my study schedule and I stuck to it.

Get Rid of Distractions

One of the biggest mistakes that I was making as a CPA candidate was letting distractions keep me from studying. This sounds obvious, right? Well, distractions come in two forms:

Distractions that keep you from studying

Distractions that interrupt your study process

So, what is the difference? Well, the first distraction could be TV. You watch TV and delay studying. It keeps you from pulling out your review materials. The second distraction could be Youtube. It distracts you while you are studying. Distractions could be anything: girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband, kids, work, anything.

The important thing is to identify what is keeping you from studying and get rid of it. You shouldn’t have any distractions keeping you from your study materials and you shouldn’t have any interrupting your routine.

When it’s study time, it’s study time. If you focus 100% during study time, you can accomplish way more.

Find a Study Place

So, how do you get rid of distractions and keep a schedule? You find a study place. A separate study area where no one bothers you will kill two birds with one stone.

I found that creating a dedicated study area that is specifically used for studying helped me focus and helped people leave me alone. I was prepared mentally when I entered the study place so that I needed to focus and leave all the distractions behind me. There wasn’t a TV in the room and I left my phone behind.

Other people also were less of a distraction because they knew not to interrupt me while I was in that space. Consequently, I was able to complete the multiple choice questions on my practice exams much faster and more accurately!

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Take Study Breaks

Out of all my CPA exam study tips, this is one that a lot of people miss. You can’t study 24/7. Trust me. It’s not possible. If you try, you will get tired, lose focus, and just start wasting time. It’s important to build breaks into your study routine. For instance, on my Saturdays, I would break for 15 minutes halfway through.

Breaks will give your mind a rest and make you fresh and ready for more content. Just don’t let your study breaks get out of hand. They are included in my dynamite CPA exam study tips for a reason: to increase study efficiency. They aren’t supposed to give you a distraction.

Get Your Mind Right

This is probably the most important of my CPA exam study tips. It doesn’t matter if you’re diving into a comprehensive prep course or just looking at flashcards: get focused. Before every study session, stop for a second and get your mind right. Get focused. Take a deep breath and clear your mind of everything that’s going on in life, so you can focus on the task at hand.

I found that studying while I was distracted with other things was a complete waste of time. I would spend two hours going through materials just to not even remember what I went through by the end of the session.

Studying is a mental thing. It’s all about mindset. If you go into each study session with a focused mindset, you will be able to get through more material and remember way more than you would otherwise. Your mind has to be in it 100% or you won’t really get that much out of it. Get in the zone and prepare yourself before you start studying. It sounds cheesy, but it’s worth it.

Stay Motivated

I’m sure at some point during your study process you will start questioning why you are even doing this or if you will even be able to pass when exam day comes. I know I did; everyone does! It’s important to stay motivated and remind yourself why you are studying.

For instance, you might get a pay raise, bonus, or promotion. You might be competing with friends, classmates, or co-workers. This might simply be one of your lifelong goals.

Whatever the reason is, remind yourself of it over and over again. The CPA exam isn’t a sprint, It’s a marathon; you need to stay pumped and keep studying in order to get to the finish line.

Get Studying!

Well, that’s it. That’s all I have. Those are the six biggest tips that helped me pass the CPA exam on my first try. Well, that and an awesome CPA review course. If you haven’t picked out a good CPA study guide yet, check out my comparison guide and see which one is right for your learning style.

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Kenneth W. Boyd

Kenneth W. Boyd is a former Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and the author of several of the popular "For Dummies" books published by John Wiley & Sons including 'CPA Exam for Dummies' and 'Cost Accounting for Dummies'.

Ken has gained a wealth of business experience through his previous employment as a CPA, Auditor, Tax Preparer and College Professor. Today, Ken continues to use those finely tuned skills to educate students as a professional writer and teacher.