Many accountants studying for the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) exam make use of a CPA review course to help them prepare. A high quality review course reduces study time and maximizes the chances of successfully passing the CPA exam. With multiple courses available, it can be challenging to choose the best one. Below are some things you need to consider when selecting a CPA exam review course.
Every course will cover the same topics likely to appear in the exam, however tutors use their own ways. The best courses use experienced lecturers who can teach difficult ideas while ensuring students understand them. Leading CPA review courses generally make sample lessons available for free so you can see how the course is laid out. The portability of how course materials are delivered should be taken into consideration when evaluating a review course.
Keep in mind, access to course materials expires and you should note the expiration date before buying. The access expiry is usually only relevant when you access materials on the net, but the material can become redundant as topics may change. 2) Practice Questions
Having studied the course materials, the student normally receives practice questions to help absorb the knowledge into their memory and apply the key ideas they have learned to actual case studies.
When it comes to practice questions, a few CPA review courses take the comprehensive approach by making the student do virtually every question that has a minute of appearing on the CPA exam. It is not uncommon for students to run out of time and not succeed in covering some of the key questions. This hampers their exam preparation and chance to succeed.
On the other hand, there are those review courses which fail to provide enough example questions to adequately prepare the student for the exam. It is far from ideal.
It is possible to restrict options through considered analysis of previous exam papers and to concentrate on questions that appear frequently. 3) Student Support
All CPA review courses provide some level of customer service. Some review courses provide online message boards and forums to enable students to interact with instructors and with one another. Before buying a review course, make sure that it will provide the level of support you need.
CPA exam materials are regularly updated due to changes in accounting procedures. The update frequency of course materials can impact on your level of success as courses that fail to update regularly may teach outdated techniques.
However, price is only an issue if you do not pass the exam. This is due to the fact CPA certified accountants can expect substantial pay rises. Bear in mind it is possible that one or more of the sections results in failure if the 2008 Uniform pass rate is anything to go by - the average pass rate was between 47.49% and 49.10%. The cost of failing to pass the exam the first time is generally down to choosing an inferior review course or lack of commitment from the student.
Find out which CPA review course is the most highly recommended amongst the many CPA exam review courses on the market today.
Posted by ernie6sweeney
at 9:26 AM EDT
