CPA Exam FAQs

We've decided over here at Roger CPA Review to make CPA Exam FAQs a regular feature on our blog - hopefully CPA exam candidates, our students, and industry professionals find this a useful feature. We're always looking for new submissions - if you have a CPA exam question, please leave us a comment or send to staff@rogercpareview.com. Maybe you'll be included in a future post!



Q. I'm not graduating until May of next year. When should I start taking CPA Review courses?

A. We usually suggest that you start the application process as soon as your degree has posted to your transcripts. All schools are different, some post right away, others take several weeks; you may want to check with your school to see about how long it should take and find out if it is possible to expedite this process. Once your degree has posted, you will want to begin the application process as soon as possible. Always check with your state board to make sure you have all the necessary forms and are including the correct payment amount with your application. It can take several weeks for your application to be accepted so you want to get a jump on it as soon as you are able to. Once you receive your ATT (Authorization to Test), you're ready to start scheduling your exams! You should probably start your review course right after sending in your application and fees to your state board; that way, once you receive your ATT, you can immediately schedule your first part. Don't put it off! CPA exam preparation is critical to your success but only works if you do the footwork first!



Q. What accounting courses should I take in college to prepare me for the CPA exam?

A. This is sort of where your review course comes in. Your professors are charged with the duty of giving you the foundation that will help you in your career as an accountant; don't look at the CPA exam as finals, you are going to have to approach it completely different than you did the last four years you spent in college. While they are sometimes unpopular, auditing courses can help, as well as courses in Accounting Information Systems (especially with IFRS on the horizon; students with a fundamental understanding of XRBL and how technology works hand-in-hand with accounting will be considered valuable by prospective employers when it comes time to be hired). An effective CPA exam review course will provide you everything you need to pass the CPA exam, regardless of what you took in college.



Q. I graduated 15 years ago and worked in public accounting for about a year after graduation before moving to a different industry (mortgage). I've decided to finally pursue my CPA certification - what extra steps should I take?

A. Again, this depends on your review course. If you decide to go it alone, you are kind of going to have to start over from scratch. If you are going with a review course, any good review course will teach you everything you need for passing the CPA exam (this is where you doing your homework is absolutely critical). It doesn't matter whether you're fresh out of college, an industry pro who just managed to avoid certification, or embracing your accounting roots from college several years later; a good CPA exam review course will prepare you no matter where you are coming from.


If you have a CPA exam or CPA certification question, please let us know! We'll be featuring CPA Exam FAQs every week on our blog to address your questions and concerns.