The Gleim Blog: Helping You Pass Your Exam on the First Try!

Here you will find helpful tips for the CPA, CIA, CMA, EA, and RTRP exams. We'll post exam updates, helpful hints, CPE information, and the study habits of fellow exam candidates. If you'd like to write about your studies for the Gleim blog, please email us at gleimblog@gleim.com.

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REG Study Tips For The CPA Exam

December 12, 2012, by 3 comments

 

 

Written By Guest Blogger Cameron W.

I’ve been studying for the REG section since August 13th, and boy has it been a challenge. At least three or four times a week, I go straight to Starbucks after work and study until it’s dark outside. Now I am in my final review and completing as many 40-question multiple-choice quizzes in Test Prep that I can up until my test on Thursday. I have been getting frustrated because a lot of the material looks very familiar, but I keep second guessing myself. My friend who is student teaching gave me the following tips that I thought may help others:

 

1. Slow down. If you read these types of questions too fast, you could miss an important detail that changes the whole meaning of the sentence.

 

2. Break each problem down into segments. Don’t read a three or four sentence problem as a whole, break it down into as many parts as you can so that you know what is being presented.

 

3. Answer the question before looking at the answer choices. After you have read the problem, try to come up with an answer without looking at the answer choices. Then, find the answer choice that most closely matches the answer you came up with. Doing this will show you that either you truly KNOW the material or that you still have more studying to do.

 

4. Have a positive attitude. This is self explanatory.

 

I hope I helped somebody out there. I haven’t been getting high scores on my quizzes in Study Mode, but today is a new day. Hopefully, my scores will start rising rapidly and my studying will pay off by the time I take the REG section. Thanks and God bless.

 

 

Back On The Study Track For The EA Exam!

December 12, 2012, by No comments yet

 

 

 

Written By Guest Blogger KP.

I have been a little better at getting back on track with studying over the past week, considering how busy I’ve been. Everyone thinks I’m crazy because of how much I have been trying to get done over the past couple years with my work schedule, grad school, and this foray into the tax world. As I mentioned in my last post, I recently received job offers from two Big Four firms. I was asked to work in their international tax departments, and just last week, I accepted one of the offers. I will be starting in January. I have been so busy with work and school that I feel like it hasn’t even sunk in until just this past weekend. I have to say that I am very excited! It finally feels like all this work is paying off and that I am about to embark on a career that I have been working very hard for. I just found out that I will be flying out right away for a couple weeks of training, and I am excited to get thrown into it quickly!

That being said, I still want to finish the EA exam by the end of the year. I won’t graduate from grad school until May, so I won’t start studying for the CPA exam until the middle of next year. The EA exam has definitely provided a great base for me to continue growing my tax knowledge. As I have mentioned before, I could technically just have the EA and remain in my career. However, the CPA exam is all-encompassing and hits on other accounting topics and audit topics, so I figured that since I will be eligible to take it once I graduate, I might as well do it. Since I need to do some pre-work and studying before I fly out for training in early January, I will need to finish the EA exam by early December in order to start studying my pre-work materials. Therefore, I am shooting for end of November to schedule my last EA exam (which is Part 2 for me, since I took them out of order)!

 

EA Exam Part 2: Studying Corporations

December 10, 2012, by No comments yet

 

Written By Guest Blogger KP.

I am still not through the busiest part of my semester, but I did continue on with my goal of finishing one study unit a week. During the past 2 weeks, I have finished a study unit each week regarding corporations, and I feel pretty good about my progress. I do have one of my night classes ending next week, so I am hoping this opens some time for me to do more studying. I figure it should open up an additional 5-7 hours a week, which is much needed.

Since I now have the goal in mind to finish Part 2 (my last part) of the EA exam by early November, I need to start finishing two sections a week now. I also would like to have about 3 weeks to do a final review using Gleim’s system, as I tend to do the online part after I have finished reading the study units and answering the questions. Then, I use the software questions as my final review. With my other 2 parts of the EA exam, I was getting between 85-95% of the software questions correct at the end of my studying, so I felt pretty confident going into the exam.

Once one of my night classes is done next week, I am sure I will be able to complete 2 study units a week until I am done with the book. There are 20 study units total for the Business section, so that would put me on board for starting my online review and final review in early November. I will then schedule the exam for end of November. I am looking forward to finishing this exam and moving on with my new job. That hope is what is propelling me through this. I did find out my tax training for my new job will be in Orlando though, so that’s a plus! I will just keep that in mind to help me push forward with my studying (on top of everything else).

 

Busy days – Studying for the EA Exam When I Can!

December 10, 2012, by No comments yet

Written By Guest Blogger Danielle C.

Studying was slow going this week, but time was running fast. Besides studying, I also had final exams and some work to complete. I read the study unit on Basis and I felt like I got it rather quickly. It was short, so I was hoping to get another study unit done as well, but that did not work out. That’s okay though, I am on a break from my classes this week, and work should not be too busy. My priority for the week is studying for the EA exam. My plan is to cram in the rest of the study units this week and next week and then review the week after that. I am hoping to sit for the exam in three weeks. That is my goal, and I am determined to stick to it! I am going to register for the exam at the end of this week so I can be sure to get a seat and to allow myself enough time to review.

I have been exhausted at night and having a hard time staying awake to read the material or answer multiple-choice questions. However, I have found that reviewing the audiovisual presentations helps. I am still tired, but reading the material and having someone read it to me at the same time helps tremendously. I am left falling asleep or listening to the presentation, which leaves me thinking about the material as I doze off. I didn’t think I would remember much of it, but I did, and I felt much better about it!

I do not have much else to report. I wish you all the best in studying, and I hope you are better at sticking to your plans than I am!

See you next week!

Danielle C.

 

First Week with Gleim CPA Review

December 10, 2012, by No comments yet

 

Written By Guest Blogger Amia M.

Hello everyone. I hope your studying is going well. This was my first week studying with Gleim for Regulation. I must say it was an adjustment (which is a good thing). My old CPA review software required that I listen to a four-hour lecture video and highlight this and underline that. So, it was not for me. What I love most about the Gleim way is the logical approach that is laid out. You start off with a multiple-choice quiz to gauge where you are, which is then followed by a review of the questions you missed (with thorough explanations). I decided to not only read the explanations for those questions that I missed, but also to write the explanations down so I could better understand the concepts.

The audio review is great because you have the choice of either watching a presentation or downloading and listening to the audio. The audio review is very convenient because you can take it with you. I listen to the audio review on repeat at work. I take my lunch to work where I can connect to the Internet and access my Gleim online classroom. I am able to complete the true/false quiz on my lunch break. After work, I read the knowledge transfer outline and complete another multiple-choice quiz, simulations, and more multiple-choice questions. For me it helps if I keep the CPA exam in the forefront of my mind. Having handy study materials available when I need them is paramount and will help me to pass the CPA exam. Time is the one thing in this life that none of us can get back. Therefore, we must utilize each precious minute. Each study unit that I complete gets me one step closer to passing Regulation and completing the CPA Exam. Until next time, keep pressing forward.

Mia

 

Update! CMA Exam 2013 Exam Changes

December 7, 2012, by No comments yet

Effective January 1, 2013, the CMA exam will discontinue the use of the spreadsheet tool in the essay portion of the exam. As of November 1, 2012, Gleim has removed the spreadsheet function from all essay questions in CMA Gleim Online and CMA Essay Wizards, both are integral components of the Gleim CMA Review System.  Your Gleim Online and/or Essay Wizard has been updated automatically.

For those essays that require a computational answer, candidates should create simple tables and show calculations within the word processor space provided. You will be able to practice doing this within the Gleim Online and Essay Wizard as part of your exam preparation.

Please call your Personal Counselor at 800.874.5346, ext 498 if you have any questions.

 

FAQ:  CMA Exam Removal of the Spreadsheet Tool

We’ve already received some great questions regarding this change!

Q:  Do you happen to know if this means that the essay questions will be all verbal/written response with no calculations? I took part 1 last spring and plan to take part 2 in January.

A:  The essays will be completely written responses, however, these responses may still require calculations. Instead of using a spreadsheet to do the calculations you will be required to write them out in the space provided. Gleim will update our CMA courses to remove the spreadsheets where calculations are required so you can get experience writing out the calculations as you will be required on the actual exam.

Q:  Does that mean there are more MSQ, or the Exam time will be decreased?

A:  No. The exam time will still be a total of 4 hours with a maximum of 3 hours to answer 100 multiple-choice questions and 1 hour to answer 2 essays. Remember, if you finish the 100 multiple-choice questions in less than the 3 hours provided you can carry over your time to your essay questions.

Q: Can I see a demo of what the essays look like on the CMA Exam?
A: Gleim emulates the exam environment and has updated its courses to reflect the discontinuation of the spreadsheet tool. Use the Gleim Online and Gleim Essay Wizard to gain valuable experience in the exam environment. You can always complete a FREE trial of our Gleim Online.

Gleim CMA Review will keep you up-to-date regarding all of these changes.

 

Messy House? You’re Probably Studying for the CPA Exam.

December 6, 2012, by No comments yet

 

Written By Guest Blogger Jaime C.

Our house is never as clean or organized as it is when I should be studying for the CPA exam. The newness of studying and preparing for the exam has worn off. I had set pretty high expectations for myself this week and did not meet those goals. I had plans to study a few hours each night, but by Thursday night those plans had fallen through. I had plans to study all of Saturday and Sunday, but those hours passed me by too. I had an epiphany today. I realized that the whole idea of studying and learning the whole book of Audit is overwhelming and that I need to set realistic, short-term goals for myself. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

I received an email from my Gleim Personal Counselor this week asking why I plan to take the Audit exam in late January. She said that with my availability of study time, I should be able to sit for the exam the last week of November. I pulled out my calendar and added up the days and hours. This plan appears extremely reasonable, and it’s comforting to know that I wouldn’t have to study through the holiday season. However, I am not completely convinced that my discipline will have me ready by then. I want to make absolute certain that I can pass on the first try, especially since the exam material is changing next spring. Normally I am not one to question the experts, but working 50+ hours a week gives me anxiety and I’d rather have a little extra time to study the material.

This brings me back to setting realistic goals and meeting weekly expectations. Tomorrow I plan to work all day, hit the gym for an hour, and study for two hours. Rather than plan the whole week and feel guilty when my expectations from Sunday night are not met, I will take one day at a time and celebrate each daily accomplishment. Since the house is nearly spotless, there aren’t any excuses to miss a great study session.

 

CPA Review: A Few Weeks Left

December 6, 2012, by No comments yet

Written By Guest Blogger John E.

I now see the light. I am within weeks of sitting for the exam and have begun my final review. I am planning on locking myself away and throwing away the key until test day. I know that the REG section is going to be tough. The historical passing rates for REG rival that of FAR. We are talking low rates mind you. I really want to ace this exam and not leave the testing center with any uncertainty. As REG is my last section before attaining my license, I simply want to go out with a bang.

I will admit that I have had to put in the extra effort to stay on schedule. It is so tough right now because I have family members excited about me possibly passing the fourth and final section of the exam, yet none of them realize how difficult it is and how much is required to pass this thing. It seems like so many plans are being made for me; however, I have to stay on track with my studies and cannot be sidetracked. Just because I passed the other three sections, doesn’t give me a free pass to slack on the fourth. Sometimes you just have to put your foot down and say “I can’t.”

Another major distraction I am facing right now is the great fall weather we are having, the weekends of college football, partaking in fall festivities, and most importantly the desire to spend time with my daughter and wife. At this time, I still have six study units to complete from the Gleim review system. Once I finish these study units, I will jump into a comprehensive final review in the last two weeks before the exam. Three and a half weeks to go. I cannot wait until I leave the testing center. Hopefully for good.

 

View the Gleim Live Q & A Webinar About the CPA Exam

December 4, 2012, by 4 comments

 

Below is our live webinar – which we have archived and made public for you to watch.  We answered questions from CPA exam candidates and went over our brand new 2013 CPA Review System.

There is a raffle, so be sure to watch the webinar and enter to win a prize that will help with your studies!  Please make sure to enter the raffle by this Friday, December 7, 2012.

We look forward to doing these in the future.  If you have any questions you would like answered in a future webinar, please contact us.

Thank you to all of those who participated in the live webinar and asked great questions!


 

Only 1 Day Left to Enter! Gleim CPA 2013 Review System Contest!

December 3, 2012, by No comments yet

 

CPA Review Giveaway!

Yesterday (12/3/12) we released our brand new Gleim 2013 CPA Review System!

In honor of this new edition, we are holding a contest for one lucky person to receive an entire CPA Review System for free! This lucky candidate will receive our 2013 system for all four sections of the CPA exam (FAR, BEC, REG, and AUD).

 

How to Win: 

Before December 5th, 2013, send an email to gleimblog@gleim.com detailing how you study (or plan to study) for the CPA exam and how receiving the Gleim materials will help you to the pass the CPA exam.

Please also include a picture of you studying for the exam (or studying in general if you haven’t  started studying for the exam yet). The best study story and photo will win a Gleim 2013 CPA Review System!

 

Student studying on her lunch break

 

The Fine Print:

The winner will be decided by our unbiased team of accounting experts. The Review System has no return value and may not be returned for cash if won. Gleim may use your story and/or photo to help inspire other CPA candidates on our social media and blog. In the case of an international winner, no physical products will be shipped (texts). An international winner will have access to the texts in the online system only.  Gleim must receive a minimum of seven entries to award prize to winner.