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Each week I pick one question from the “Ask Jeff” mailbag. The author of the question will receive their choice of Wiley CPA Software or a NINJA ASSASSIN/ASSAULT study combo for a section of the CPA Exam.

The rest of the questions will be answered in the weekly CPA Reviewed Podcast.

Q: I have heard you say that averaging 70-75% on the Wiley Test Bank questions means that you are prepared to sit for the exam. Is this average the same for all sections of the CPA Exam?

I ask because I struggled to get up to that 70% average for the FAR material (and passed with a 78). I am easily averaging in the 75-80% range for AUD, and I sit for it in a couple weeks.

Based on this, do you think I can pass AUD? Or do people normally average higher on AUD Wiley Questions, and I need to get my average even higher before exam day? - Blake

A: The 70% MCQ threshold is arbitrary and everyone is different. With that said, I firmly believe that if you do a random set of 20 CPA Exam multiple choice questions over a topic and you score in the 70-80% range using the Wiley software, you should move on to another topic.

Of course, this is predicated on the assumption that your exam is merely days away. If you score 70-80% on a topic in Week 1 of your study plan (which I advise against doing MCQs until you have watched all of your lectures in keeping with the N.I.N.J.A. Study Framework (you can get a detailed look at that here … it’s a free download, btw), then you will need to do more questions on that topic as you head into you final week of study prep because you will have forgotten those questions in all likelihood and need to refresh.

The 70% threshold is not a hard and fast rule, but I recommend this when you’re one week out from your exam:

1. Pick your weakest topic – let’s say it’s Internal Control for AUD.
2. Read/Study the Internal Control section in the NINJA ASSASSIN Study Guide (it’s concise and only 11 pages long).
3. Work 20 MCQs over Internal Control using the Wiley software. See how you score.
4. If you scored less than 70% – do another set of 20 and keep doing them until you’re rocking 70%+.
5. Move on to your next-weakest topic. Audit Sampling? Repeat steps 1-4.

I advise this plan of attack regardless of the exam section.

My experience – as well as the experience of many others – is that the Wiley MCQs tend to be harder than what you see on exam day … which is a good thing.

If you can handle the Wiley MCQs, you should be in an excellent position to do well on exam day.

-Jeff

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