How to Study for the CPA Exam without Energy Drinks
It’s 8pm and the kids are finally in bed and it’s time for some more CPA Exam studying.
You have a choice to make.
Option 1: Throw down an energy drink or pound a latte and pay for it later when it’s midnight and time to shut down, but your body thinks it’s noon due to that chemical cocktail you were slurping down only a few short hours ago.
Option 2: Well, is there an option? Chris from VersatileHealth.com says yes and he wrote an article about the issue after I explained to him the study quandary people face when they are tired and need to get some solid hours of studying in.
Chris is a friend of mine and is Muay Thai instructor in California. He has trained several prominent MMA fighters and is passionate about health and wellness.
I hope you find the article helpful if you’re looking for some alternatives to staying awake during those late night study sessions.
-Jeff
What Section Should You Take First?
Different people have their own opinions on which section of the CPA Exam they should take first. Some say to take the easiest section (i.e. whatever section best fits your background best) first so that you have a quick win under your belt.
I have a friend who is a Certified Management Accountant and a Certified Internal Auditor and he took Business Environment and Concepts first because it fit his background better than the other sections. He sat for BEC, then Auditing, Regulation, and finished with Financial Accounting and Reporting.
My personal advice is to take the hardest section first, which is generally regarded as Financial Accounting and Reporting. The reason behind this is the 18 month rule. You want your 18 month clock to start after you have passed the hardest exam.
If you put FAR off until the end, and struggle with a few sections along the way, you could potentially be putting yourself in a position where the 18 month clock is going to expire and you have one shot at passing FAR before you lose Auditing or whatever section it may be.
Its best to get FAR out of the way first, in my opinion.
