As a student, you may be deciding between taking the CPA Exam right after college or waiting a few years before knocking it out. But consider this: recent college grads have the highest pass rates out of all CPA Exam candidates. We’ll explore why that is, and get you started on the right track to passing.
You’ve already learned CPA Exam content
The CPA Exam can seem intimidating, but, for the most part, everything on the exam is something you learned in a class. You likely took an audit and a tax class, and everything from Accounting 101 to Intermediate Accounting and advanced topics have been helpful in preparing you for the CPA Exam.
The best part about all this learning is that you’re not starting at zero. You’ve gone over all the information on the CPA Exam in depth in your classes over the last few years, and you’re primed for a final review before you take it. That’s where CPA Exam study materials come in.
At a high level, CPA Exam study materials are just a review of everything you’ve learned. It can seem intimidating to cram most of your last four years of college into a four-part exam, but Surgent’s exam materials can help you effectively review the concepts you’ve already learned that will likely be tested on the CPA exam. And it will even give you feedback on areas you need to work on.
You’re used to studying
You know how hard it is to hit the books after having the summer semester off; imagine taking a few years off, settling into a new routine, and then trying to get back into studying. Not easy. When you graduate from college, you’re used to learning on a daily basis and taking big exams. Having this study background makes it easy to transition into studying for the CPA Exam.
Also, since you just graduated or are going to graduate soon, you likely don’t have a huge amount of adult responsibilities and aren’t settled into much of a routine yet. Obligations continue to grow as you get older, and getting the CPA Exam out of the way now while you have more free time will pay huge dividends in the future. Not only will you not have to figure out when to study later on in life, but becoming a CPA will provide you with a higher salary both early on and later in your career.
But what if you don’t have an offer?
If you don’t graduate with an offer, it can seem like the best course of action is to focus all your time and energy into getting a job as soon as you can. However, this might be a great opportunity to work on passing the CPA Exam. Again, it’s an ideal time because you’re used to studying and the material is fresh in your brain. But passing the CPA Exam will also make you marketable to employers, and it will show becoming a CPA is a big priority in your life. Continue the job search while you’re studying, but don’t let not having an offer hold you back from jumping into review materials.
Remember, as a recent graduate, you’re primed and ready to immediately start reviewing for the CPA Exam. At Surgent, we’re here to help with engaged staff and adaptive learning technology. We’ll help you get on the path to CPA Exam success.
For more tips, including information on how to pass the CPA Exam in six Months, check out a list of our free webinars.
Liz Kolar, CPA, CGMA, has been teaching CPA Review for more than 25 years in the United States, has personally taught more than 2,500 live sessions, and has helped thousands of candidates pass the CPA Exam. She founded Pinnacle CPA Review and co-founded Surgent Kolar CPA Review.