CPA Exam

Welcome to my blog, where hopefully I'll be able to share some of my experiences with studying for, and passing (hopefully) the CPA exam. The CPA exam is broken down into four sections, all of which are tested separately in four smaller exams. The exams include Audit (AUD), Regulation (REG), Business Environment and Concepts (BEC), and Financial (FAR), and consist of both multiple choice questions, simulations, research, and written communication (BEC only has Multiple Choice Questions).

I decided to take the Becker Live review courses instead of just self-study with books and cd's because let's face it, I know myself, and if I didn't have a structure where I was required to show up to learn the material, I just wouldn't do it on my own. In addition, I know that when I learn from an instructor versus studying from a book, I tend to absorb 75-80% of the material without ever having to go back over it, thus the Live Becker classes worked for me.

If you are considering taking the Live Becker review classes, please check the class in your area to make sure it has a "real" instructor, instead of just a class aide that pops in the DVD, and calls it a "Live" class. Not all Live classes are created equal. In areas of the country with smaller interest in the Live classes, you get a group viewing of the DVD that comes with the self-study materials, with no interaction via an actual knowledgeable instructor.

If on the other hand, you live in a larger area and have a real life instructor, like I have in Sacramento, again, they are not all created equal. Do some research and make sure that the instructor you have is good. Ask to sit in on a class before deciding to shell out such a large sum of money to make sure the Live class is a good fit.