Accountants have retained a gracious position in our country’s financial institutions. However, students often ascribe to excellency far beyond the approach of an average accountant. They aspire to hone their financial know-how and become certified public accountants (CPAs). However, achieving the designation isn’t effortless since it requires constant education, previous experience, and the requirement to pass an arduous examination. Unfortunately, several aspirants failed this Cpa Exam after making some errors discussed here. Avoiding these common mistakes can help you emerge victorious in this test and earn the rank of a certified public accountant. Without further thought, let’s describe these common mistakes, shall we?
Common Mistakes CPA Aspirants Often Make
What are the benefits of becoming a public account? You receive the prestige associated with this status along with career-related benefits. According to PayScale, CPAs made almost $70,000 on average. Don’t forget that certified public accountants are internationally recognized financial professionals. Therefore, this position doesn’t increase your earning potential and employment stability/satisfaction. Since it’s a stable career, aspirants often attempt to pass the exam but cannot succeed. So, which errors should students avoid to become successful CPAs? We’ve described here some common mistakes even a well-prepared person makes. Stay away from the below-mentioned errors to pass the CPA exam now:
They don’t manage properly:
Why do students fail the CPA exam? Firstly, they don’t manage their time properly. We believe people should familiarize themselves with the CPA exam schedule to learn about testing centers and expect their results. You can know about retesting and the sections one must attempt first in the examination. So, schedule your CPA exam now by learning all the steps involved in this unique process. Now, you have a deadline to prepare for it, which keeps you motivated enough!
They aren’t well-prepared:
Secondly, students fail because they haven’t prepared for the CPA exam. They don’t realize that it’s an extraordinary examination, unlike others they’ve previously attempted. Therefore, don’t become sluggish while studying for the CPA exam. Contact relevant teachers for assistance. You may also leverage online study guides to learn more about the correct approach to pass this exam. That’s how you can pass all four sections of this complicated examination, thereby emerging victorious.
The format seems unfamiliar:
You cannot pass the exam without becoming familiar with the format. You must know there are four sections of the CPA exam, and you get four hours to finish each section. The financial accounting and reporting section constitutes the most difficult portion of the CPA exam. These points are just the basics of this test, and there are many particulars with which you must be familiar. We suggest students take mock exams while preparing for them. That’s how you familiarize yourself with the format.
Not understanding the language:
These exams have an auditing and attestation section that evaluates the candidate’s familiarity with the process of auditing a company. So, it involves the particular language used in audit reports. Your chances of passing the CPA exam rely upon your fluency in this dialect. You must know how the four types of audit reports differ from each other. Learn about the clean or unqualified opinion and how it relates to other types. This language represents the hallmark of a worthy CPA in our country.
They get unusually intimidated:
Intimidation prevents people from passing the CPA exam. They become disgruntled at themselves for not preparing well enough for the test. The complicacy of the examination demotivates them as well as hurts their self-confidence. Thus, they consider themselves unworthy of passing the test. But we suggest students remember passing this exam isn’t anything unachievable. You can if you try hard enough! Dedicate yourself to the task and study according to the demands of the CPA exam.
They undervalue the examination:
While some students are intimidated, others underestimate the examination. Unfortunately, it can make individuals overconfident, leading to inattention while studying. We have seen many candidates regretting how they undervalued CPA exams. This perception often forces folks to overestimate how well-prepared they’re for the test. So, don’t take a college approach to this exam. It isn’t high school; prepare your MCQs. You can’t pass this exam just by watching video lectures.
They study but ineffectively:
Students have often prepared using the wrong material, so they’re well-prepared for anything but not the CPA exam! Avoid studying ineffectively, and don’t let external activities distract you from the task—research which specific questions are a part of your exam. Realize which topics you must revisit or which subjects you need to learn from scratch. That’s how you can stay well-read for your upcoming examination. Moreover, you can leverage questions to make your studies effective.
They aren’t motivated enough:
CPA examination candidates aren’t well-motivated because they don’t dedicate the required endeavors to pass it. You may fall into “study ruts” and stop paying attention to that CPA examination guideline in your hand because you bored. Take a break to recover your motivation whenever you feel distracted or energy-drained. Self-deprivation may prevent you from successfully studying for the test. Hence, find ways to stay motivated when you’re studying.
Wrongly applying accounting principles:
Applying accounting principles isn’t difficult when you’ve understood them correctly. But we’ve seen students either not recognizing these principles or forgetting to stay consistent while applying them. Students often show ignorance about cash and accrual basis during the CPA exam, so they’re unable to describe the financial impacts of these two principles. Similarly, the inventory evaluation principle also baffles certain students. So you must keenly study these principles to pass the examination.
Not memorizing taxation formats:
How familiar are you with the concept of individual taxation? Students must memorize the much-hated Form 1040 related to an American homeowner’s income tax returns. So, we believe candidates should print Form 1040 to memorize its content. This practice helps them attain competency in individual taxation. Glancing at this form multiple times can allow you to remember it by heart. So, make yourself competent enough in this topic, and you shall top CPA Exam pass rate.
They don’t review properly:
Since the CPA exam now computerized, you’re issued two double-sided, color-laminated sheets of paper called “note boards” . While you’re taking the exam on the computer, you may write down any piece of information on these sheets. That’s how you can easily calculate to find the correct answers to your questions. Remember to review your sheets of paper properly and click the right choice. So, you can avoid making mistakes during the CPA exam. This method can prevent errors in the test.
Conclusion
In 2020, it was reported that some 100,000 people attend CPA exams each year. Passing seems difficult, but it’s an achievable objective. Statistics indicate that almost 50% of attendants have passed in 2019 and 2020 in all sections. So, why did the other half fail? We’ve described above some mistakes they committed because they couldn’t succeed. They undervalued the difficulty of the examination. They didn’t manage their time while studying or studied the wrong material. Some students stopped by internal barriers (pressure or confusion), whereas others intimidated by the CPA exam. Make sure that you’re well-aware of the examination schedule. That’s how you can avoid failing the examination.