Pages

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Which order should I take the #CPA exams in?

Option 1: Consider your strengths. Customize your exam order to begin with areas of greatest knowledge. The goal with this approach is to build up confidence while progressing through each exam section. For example, if IT and business concepts are your strong point, start with BEC. If taxes are a breeze, begin with REG. If you are the guru of GAAP & GL entries, take FAR first. If you know GAAS inside and out, begin with AUD. When you prepare for your most worrisome exam, you will have taken three exams and be most comfortable with exam format, timing, and the Prometric process; your prep time can focus fully on material.

Option 2: Focus on your weakest areas to overcome fears. This approach times the candidate’s 18-month window to begin once the most challenging exam is passed, minimizing the chance for expiration of passed exams. Many suggest taking FAR first, because it has the greatest volume of topics and certain topics apply to other areas.

Personally, I prefer and applied option 1. This approach worked well for me and I believe people enjoy greatest success when focusing on strengths.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.