Written By Guest Blogger Christine L.
While studying for Financial Accounting and Reporting, I have found that when I take the preliminary multiple-choice quiz for a study unit, I either fail or get a score that is lower than the scores I was getting for AUD, the first part I took. However, by the time I have worked through the FAR study unit and the simulations (one in the Gleim Online program, one in the Simulation Wizard, and one more in the book) I’m doing quite well and getting passing scores. I follow the recommended steps in Study Unit 6 of CPA Review: A System for Success quite closely. I have also added some extra steps for myself, namely the two extra simulations mentioned above, and some extra daily quizzes in the CPA Test Prep Software. Unlike the online course, which is divided into study units, the test prep software lets you mix and match study units to make custom quizzes. For example, I just took a quiz based on Study Units 1 through 9 of FAR, which keeps me from forgetting things I learned weeks ago.
As I progress through the course, these extra quizzes are drawn from a larger and larger pool of questions. The extra quizzes also do a nice job of generating data for the performance analysis graphs, which tell me right away which study units I’m already scoring 85% in and which units will need some extra time. Another useful tool is the custom selection screen. I’m not currently using the options to show me “Questions I’ve never seen” and “Questions I’ve never answered correctly,” but when I start to get toward the end, I can check my performance graphs and use all those numbers to create even more targeted twenty-question quizzes.
So to sum up, my problems are all about balancing necessity, fun, work, and studying, but the study tools are huge. There are over 2,400 questions in the FAR test prep software alone, and that doesn’t even count the simulation tasks, let alone all the other study materials. Take some time to think about the options, get to know your study style, and use the system to meet the real goal, which is not just to pass the CPA exam but to lay the foundation for a great career and life as well.
