Becoming a licensed accountant comes with many hurdles. The biggest of which is the CPA Board exam. It’s the last challenge that you’ll face as an up-and-coming accountant. Once you get through it, things are basically good sailing.
You’ve probably heard many horror stories of how hard the CPA Board exam can be but look at it this way: millions have passed the exam. You can too. With that, we’re going to share a few tips on how you can pass the Board exam.
- Join A Review Center
Review centers are very popular with Board exam takers. That’s because these are effective learning institutions that help you better equip yourself as an exam taker. Joining a review center not just helps you learn more about the topics concerning the Board exam, it helps you study alongside peers as well.
This might seem like a minor thing but studying alongside other exam takers is a great way to relieve the stress and pressure that comes with the journey. You’ll be making some friends along the way too.
When looking for a review center, the most important thing to look for is the passing rate of the center. Top-notch centers are very transparent about this.
- Take Mock Exams
Studying helps you get the knowledge you need beforehand. However, what’s even more important for you is to get an experience of what the CPA Board exam is really like. While you can’t get the exact exam ahead of time, what you can do is take mock exams instead.
Mock exams basically emulate the experience of the CPA Board exam. The questions are just as tough so you’ll at least have expectations beforehand. You can take as many mock exams as you want to. In fact, we recommend taking at least 2 to 3 times before the actual exam just so you’re prepared.
- Don’t Pressure Yourself Too Much
Putting too much pressure on yourself will actually do more harm than good. It won’t let you perform at your best. Most importantly however, you might even end up pushing yourself too far that you actually perform poorly at the exam. At the end of the day, you’ll have more opportunities even if you fall short.
The CPA Board exam may be the last chapter in your journey to becoming a licensed accountant but don’t let that fact scare you. Pray, stay calm, and know that there are always going to be people behind you every step of the way. The less pressure there is, the better you’ll be when exam day comes.
- Give Yourself Time To Rest
Perhaps the biggest mistake you can make is using up all of your time to study. This is a bad idea as the brain can only take up so much pressure and work coming from you. A good routine would be to study at least 2-3 hours per day. Rest in between if you can.
By giving your body sufficient rest, you can study more efficiently and let more knowledge into that head of yours. Don’t forget to stay hydrated and well-fed along the way too!
- Set Your Goal
Setting expectations is a must for any accountancy journey. Keep in mind that it doesn’t end in you passing the exams. In fact, that’s just the beginning of it! By setting your goal, you’ll be keener on moving forward and you’ll have a better idea of how you can do that as well.
A great way to set a goal is by looking for firms where you can be an accountant upon getting your license. If you want to establish your connections and your position in the world of accountancy early on, reach out to us at UNA.
Join our team as a junior accountant! With our help, you’ll not only grow your experience, you’ll also grow your connections as well.
Becoming a licensed accountant is a hard journey but the rewards at the end of the line are well worth it. With these tips, you can pass the CPA board exam with flying colors. Don’t forget to stay calm, pray when you can, and stay confident. At the end of the day, you’ll be surprised at how well you can do in that exam.
