I will respond as NINJA-ly as possible.
(Check your inbox – I just sent you something).
“Why We Chose It (Best Price): NINJA CPA Review works nicely as an inexpensive supplement to an online course. This is an efficient studying tool that can be used as your main course but serves best as an auxiliary study aid with an excellent online support community.”
– Investopedia
Brian Wright (Becker + NINJA)
Elijah Watt Sells Award Winner
“The questions and practice tests were extremely useful, they helped me find some weak spots I didn’t even know I had and gave me the extra practice I needed to get my best score of any of the exams.”
Table of Contents
- Introduction: Everyone Fails
- It's Time to Be Fun Again
- Starting is the Hardest Part (Maybe)
- How to Quickly Pass the CPA Exam with NINJA (and get your LIFE back).
- How Claire Passed the CPA Exam with NINJA Only
- (and battled some serious health obstacles along the way)
- Get Your NINJA Study Framework
- Free FAR Materials
Introduction: Everyone Fails
Everyone Fails. Well, most everyone 🙂
I know some crazies who passed the first time, and you may know some as well.
For us mere mortals…
70-75% of CPA Candidates fail at least one exam.
1 in 2 people taking any given CPA Exam section will walk out having failed it.
This leads to needless frustration, embarrassment, and thoughts of quitting altogether.
If you want to be different and pass, you're going to have to do something different.
Maybe you're sick of your course and want to ditch it completely.
Or – maybe you like your CPA Review videos, but want to switch to the NINJA Plan and swap out your course's CPA test bank for NINJA MCQ and add NINJA Notes, and NINJA Audio for some more firepower.
Either way, it's time to switch to NINJA, and this is tried and true path to follow.
It's Time to Be Fun Again
If you're reading this, it means one thing: you're neck-deep into the CPA Exam – or about to be.
If that's the case, then this is also likely true: the “CPA Study” version of you is not much fun to be around.
You stay up late studying.
You get up early studying.
You study over lunch.
Your friends have stopped asking you to go out on Friday night because you're studying.
Your significant other knows it's another lonely night binge-watching Netflix while you sit at the table and study.
Your kids know the answer to “can we go do (fill in the blank) today?” is a firm “no” because mommy or daddy has to study.
“But it's Saturday!” Yes – which means you'll be studying even more.
You're tired.
You're grumpy.
You're living on questionably-fresh coffee, snack bars, and whatever else you can find, because – who has time to go to the store?
The “CPA Study” you isn't fun.
It's time to get a study plan.
It's time to upgrade your study materials.
It's time to pass the CPA Exam.
It's time to be a CPA.
It's time to smile again.
It's time to be fun again.
It's time to get your LIFE back.
It's TIME.
Starting is the Hardest Part (Maybe)
Before we begin – let's talk about the elephant in the room: Starting.
“Starting” is the hardest part – both from a CPA Journey perspective, as well as on a daily basis.
It's much more fun to not get up in the morning and study.
It's much more fun to not start studying for the CPA Exam at all.
If you're new to the game, then the fact that you've purchased CPA Review materials likely makes you feel like you've accomplished something.
That's like saying you've started training for the Boston Marathon because you shopped for running shoes on amazon.
If you're a jaded CPA Exam veteran, then you know that these review materials won't study themselves.
(Although, if it makes you feel any better, when you do continuing education (CPE) someday, you can just watch a live webinar and not actually have to answer any questions (other than the “I'm still here” button that chimes every 15 minutes) and you get credit for it. Something to look forward to!)
The real progress begins now and the accomplishment is complete when you've scored a 75 on all 4 exams within the 18-month window.
Until then, the only difference between you and other staff accountants at the office who aren't pursuing the CPA designation is the fact that they are spending their money on fun things, unlike you, who is spending hundreds/thousands of dollars studying for a 14-hour accounting test.
Don't let perpetual “I'm studying for the CPA” talk trick you into thinking you've accomplished anything other than spending a lot of money.
The first thanksgiving that your relatives heard about your CPA Exam prep made for an interesting and intriguing update.
The 2nd and 3rd Thanksgivings of you talking about the CPA Exam, well, they're tired of hearing about it.
I'm not judging – I was you. I piddled (I like that word) around with the CPA Exam for two years until my wife lovingly said “hey – I support you, but let's either finish this thing or move on.”
I got to work, developed my own study framework (The N.I.N.J.A. Framework), and finally beat the AICPA – and the CPA Exam.
As proof that God has a sense of humor, NINJA has been the #1 CPA Review supplement for the last decade and is now the #4 overall course in terms of students and market share.
(Despite our affordable price and industry-best satisfaction guarantee, you won't read nice things about NINJA on these “rankings” sites. The reason? We refu$e to pay for ranking$. They really, really, hate us for that. Sorry guys. 😀 )
Thankfully, word has gotten around that NINJA works, which I'm grateful for.
Sorry for the soapbox. Back to you…
Don't get me wrong – it took you a lot of time, money, and sacrifice to get here.
I've been in your shoes.
I worked in public accounting and left the office each evening at 5 pm to take more college classes to get my 150 hours.
I did this for 2 years. TWO YEARS.
We won't even get into how stupid that GMAT was. Total waste of time.
I've been there. I get it. All of your extra efforts to get here are a moot point if you don't embrace the fact that the grind starts now.
Yes, you can have a solid career as a staff accountant, but you will never know the fruits of passing the CPA Exam.
It will forever be the gauntlet that you couldn't overcome – and it will literally haunt you until you die. That's not hyperbole.
Whether you pass or not, you will have dreams about the CPA Exam. I still have them to this day and I've been licensed for 12+ years.
My dreams are typically that I can't pass FAR and lose all my credits. Thankfully, I wake up, and it was just a dumb dream.
If you don't pass – you will have the same dream, except yours will be a real nightmare.
There is GOOD NEWS, however.
If you start, and if you grind, you WILL Pass.
I know of someone who took 23 exams.
23.
Today they are a licensed CPA.
Resist the temptation to pass judgment.
If they work tax returns 24/7 – then who cares that they struggled in Governmental Accounting, Business Law, COSO, or Audit Risk.
It doesn't matter to their clients.
You can absolutely suck at the topics in the CPA Exam, as long as you're an expert in your specific field.
No one will ever ask your scores or how many times you took the CPA Exam. I promise.
This is how you grind.
This is how you pass the CPA Exam.
This is how you become a CPA.
Let's get started.
How to Quickly Pass the CPA Exam with NINJA (and get your LIFE back).
“Few people are more familiar with the stresses of exam prep than Jeff Elliott, licensed CPA and the face behind Another71.com.” – Wiley
Follow these 5 (Easy) Steps. Starting is the Hardest Part.
You'll be a CPA in No Time.
Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS) | NINJA CPA Review | Another71.com
Nail the Concepts
Nail the Concepts with your CPA Review lectures.
Supplement Path: Start by printing out your NINJA Study Framework (you can enter your email and download that below if you don't have it).
There is a 4-week plan and a 7-week plan.
If you're studying full time – use the 4-week plan. If you procrastinated and are in “oh crap” mode – use the 4-week plan. 😀
Most people will use the 7-week planner. This is the perfect study plan for working full time and having a “life” while studying.
Aim for 20 hours a week.
If you're not studying 20 hours a week, you're not studying.
If something is confusing in your CPA Review materials, look it up in the NINJA Book or NINJA Notes (free demo downloads below).
Start listening to your NINJA Audio (included in NINJA Monthly – free demo download below). Never drive to work without it on. You can listen to fun things when you're a CPA. Let that motivate you. 🙂
If your commute is 1 hour round trip, then that's 1 hour of NINJA Audio per day (and that's for the commute alone … if you can work and listen to the NINJA Audio: even better.)
Start reading the NINJA Notes (also included in NINJA Monthly) in your downtime, especially at work. It's ok if you haven't studied the section before. It will all start clicking the third time through, regardless of where you are in your prep.
NINJA Only Path: Same as above, except Nail the Concepts with the NINJA Book or NINJA Sparring videos (Free book demo below. You guessed it – both included in NINJA Monthly). If you like Sparring – stick with it and supplement any weak points with the NINJA Book. If you prefer the NINJA Book, then supplement with NINJA Sparring videos on your weak topics.
Intense Notes
Take Intense Notes over your CPA Review course lectures.
Supplement Path: First Time? Retake? 15th Retake? It doesn't matter. Take Intense Notes while watching your lecture videos.
Used the proven method provided in the NINJA Study Framework (download it below).
NINJA Only Path: Same as above – take Intense Notes over your Sparring videos or the NINJA Book.
Non-Stop MCQ
Non-Stop MCQ (Course CPA Test Bank or NINJA MCQ).
Shulem Rosenbaum (Wiley + NINJA)
Elijah Watt Sells Award Winner
“I used the NINJA Notes to summarize my notes and eliminate topics that aren’t tested heavily. I owe it to the NINJA Community. You have been my rock, and I hope to contribute the way you contributed to my success.”
Supplement Path: If this is your first time taking this exam, then do Non-Stop MCQ with your CPA Test Bank and then in the review phase (A – All Comes Together), then you switch to NINJA and work backward, beginning with your weakest topic.
If this is a retake OR you've found yourself memorizing your course questions, then switch 100% over to NINJA MCQ (NINJA Monthly strikes again!) for this phase. When it comes time to do the SIMS, switch back and forth, according to which software you like better.
Again … if this is your first time taking this exam, use your course CPA questions for N (Non-Stop MCQ) and use NINJA MCQ for A (All Comes Together) as you review. You can also mix in any CPA supplemental multiple-choice questions.
If this is your first time taking this exam and you're memorizing the test bank questions (which is really bad because it causes false confidence … you're scoring in the 90s, but on exam day, you score a 65 and can't figure out why), then switch over to NINJA MCQ 100% for both (N) and (A).
SIMS – First time or retake alike: switch back and forth between the two platforms.
NINJA Only Path: All NINJA. All the time.
Just Rewrite
Just Rewrite Your Intense Notes.
Supplement Path: We know you took killer notes over your course lectures … re-write those 😀
If taking notes just wasn't in the cards this time around and you did the best you could do, then we suggested re-write the NINJA Notes.
NINJA Only Path: Same as above. Re-writing the NINJA Notes is just as effective.
All Comes Together
It All Comes Together in a Final Review.
Supplement Path: If you're using your Course Questions in the Non-Stop MCQ phase, this is where you switch over to NINJA MCQ (if you've already switched, then keep using it here as well).
Start with your weakest topics first and work backward. You can let the software feed you questions, but since you're in a final review phase, I recommend doing topic-specific mini testlets and really drill down.
Do a set of 20 over your weakest area. If you're weak in several areas, then choose the one that keeps you awake at night first.
The one you DREAD seeing on exam day.
If you are hitting in the low-70s (70-75), then move on to your next weakest area.
The reason why you don't go for mastery here is that you have a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time for your review. It's better to get all of the topics into the 70s and then come back and hit them again vs get a few into the 80s/90s and run out of time before you can get to the rest.
For instance, if you're taking Financial Accounting and Reporting and your weak area is Bonds, then do 20 question mini-testlets until you're scoring in the 70s (which may take 3 or 4 sets) and then move onto your next-weakest area, which might be Leases. Repeat this with Leases, and then move onto the next one – which might be Governmental Accounting, etc.
As you head into your exam – hammer MCQ, and read the NINJA Notes every spare millisecond you have.
(Note – if you have 5 minutes to spare – DON'T spend it on Facebook…knock out two pages of NINJA Notes instead).
Everywhere you go – car, gym, sitting at your desk at work, it's NINJA Audio, NINJA Audio, and … you guessed it NINJA Audio.
(I get it – the content is boring, and my voice won't be confused with Morgan Freeman anytime soon but hit Play anyway. You can listen to your Spotify Playlist of 90s Pop Hits AFTER your exam).
NINJA MCQ … NINJA Notes … NINJA Audio on repeat…even up to the minute you leave your vehicle and head into Prometric (what if the extra 3 minutes of some nuance of Corporate Taxation was the difference between a 74 and a 75 on exam day?).
3 Days out from your Exam – Watch the NINJA CRAM (Yep – also NINJA Monthly).
THEN … walk through those Prometric doors with confidence, barf out all of that knowledge in your head, and go sleep for 3 days.
You've earned it.
NINJA Only Path: Same as above. The supplement path and the NINJA Only path are basically the same here because when you supplement, you've switched over to NINJA completely at this point, with the exception of some sims from your other review if you really want to mix it up, but it's not necessary.
How Claire Passed the CPA Exam with NINJA Only
(and battled some serious health obstacles along the way)
Get Your NINJA Study Framework
Matt Durette (Becker + NINJA)
Elijah Watt Sells Award Winner
“I used NINJA MCQ for each of the exams as a supplement to Becker, which was provided by my work. I asked advice from my brother, who had passed the exams a few years prior, and he suggested to work through as many MCQs as I could, so I did just that. I worked through all the Becker MCQs, then did about 50-60% of the NINJA MCQs. I thought the NINJA ones were more difficult than the Becker questions, which was a good thing. I was trending about 7-10 points below my actual exam scores for each of the sections. The NINJA product was great because it showed me where I was weakest, and I was able to focus on that section until I felt really comfortable with it. I would say the NINJA MCQ were essential to my success.”
Free FAR Materials
NINJA CPA Review is the most-popular study supplement on all of CPA Exam land.
You have no doubt seen NINJA copycats prowling around, but don't be fooled by their shenanigans. 😀
NINJA is the ONLY AICPA-Licensed supplement with a full CPA test bank, review book, audio course, study notes, live tutoring, and a 30-Day Money-Back No-Drama Guarantee.
Competitors may copy our marketing, but that's where the similarities end.
Here are Free FAR Materials for you to check out, as well as how each of these NINJA Study Weapons can make your life easier while balancing work, family & friends, and the CPA Exam.
NINJA Notes
The most popular CPA Exam Notes of all time (for the last decade, anyway) are the NINJA Notes. No other review supplement comes remotely close.
The NINJA Notes have been used by 100,000+ CPA candidates to pass their exams since 2011. What makes the NINJA Notes popular is their straight-to-the-point, all facts/no fluff, attitude.
Weighing in at around 100 pages per section, they are short, sweet, and pack a punch.
There have been people who say they have passed using just the NINJA Notes (although I don't recommend this approach).
How to use NINJA Notes with your Course: You should read the NINJA Notes multiple times heading into your exam week and once on Exam Day. If you didn't take notes over your CPA Review materials, then re-writing the NINJA Notes is highly recommended.
How NINJA Notes will help you Pass: Not everything on the CPA Exam is in the NINJA Notes, but everything in the NINJA Notes will be on your CPA Exam. I guarantee that there will be at least one critical topic in the NINJA Notes that “clicks” with your brain better than in your study materials, which will save you crucial points on Exam Day.
NINJA Audio
Want to study on the go? Smart Move.
A CPA Exam Audio allows you to study when you otherwise couldn't.
It's the ultimate study hack.
At the Gym? Study.
Driving? Study.
Doing Laundry? Study.
Watching your Kid's Game? Study.
Staring at a Spreadsheet and pretending to Work? Study.
Like the NINJA Notes, the NINJA Audio is the top CPA Exam Audio in the land.
In the decade+ that I've been doing this, I've rarely seen other audio courses mentioned.
You will get annoyed when I repeat things over and over.
You will also silently thank me as you sit there in Prometric on Exam Day.
I get emails all the time from people thanking me for the NINJA Audio, but also rejoicing that they never have to listen to it again. 😀
How to use the NINJA Audio with your Course: Start listening to the NINJA Audio on day one. Turn your “downtime” into study time. Listen multiple times – once per week, if possible.
How the NINJA Audio will help you Pass: My voice – as annoying as it may be (some people say that I smack my lips a lot – I can't help it 😀 ), will guide you on Exam Day. I've had countless people tell me that they came to a trouble spot on their exam, and it happened to be a section that I repeated over, and over. The NINJA Notes and Audio alone could literally be the difference between a 75 and a heart-breaking 74.
NINJA Book
In a world of bloated CPA Exam books, chock-full of FASB overkill, and IRS regs, we set out to make a better CPA Review textbook.
Our goal with the NINJA Book was simple: All Killer, No Filler.
NINJA Book is … wait for it … is also included in NINJA Monthly.
How to use the NINJA Book with your Course: With a prep course like Becker, Wiley, Roger, etc. I wouldn't read all of the NINJA Book. Instead, I would “skim” each chapter and mentally walk through the examples.
How the NINJA Book will help you Pass: Skimming the NINJA Book chapters and mentally walking through the examples will solidify your CPA concepts. If you were “so-so” on a topic, the NINJA Book will change that.
NINJA CRAM
Complete your full course and need a good last-minute cram?
Up against losing an exam credit and/or an expiring NTS?
Completely procrastinate and now looking for a silver bullet to rescue you from certain failure?
A good CPA Review CRAM course can save the day – and possibly your CPA Exam life.
The NINJA CRAM is included with NINJA Monthly for this very reason.
Check out this demo of the FAR CRAM:
Yes, NINJA Mike has a thick accent (he's from India), but most people can get past that and love his teaching, based on the emails I (Jeff) get.
(I think NINJA Mike is becoming more popular than me…my heart will go on, my heart will go on) :(‘
Here are some comments from the live NINJA CRAM chats:
“Thank you, Mike. These sessions were very helpful. I appreciate it very much.” – Darshan S
“Thank you Ninja Mike. This was great.” – Karen
“You're the best Mike! Thanks for walking through everything with us.” – Josh
“You killed it and I really really really appreciate the excel documents!” – Morgan E.
“Thank you so much! This has been extremely helpful!” – Alex
“Thank you Mike!! This has been so helpful!!…you da bomb.” – Rebeca
“I’m grateful for everything this weekend.” – Elka
“My brain is fried! Perfect! Thank you.” -Jaxon
“I took an insane amount of notes.” – Ethan
“This session is excellent.” – Bharati
“Thank you for the cram session!” – Jared
“Thank you Mike and the staff. It has been awesome!” – Markos
“Thanks Ninja Mike!” – Price
“Thank you. Feeling very confident now.” – Naiya
“Thanks for today's review, Mike. I think it was helpful for me.” – Jeremy
“Thank you so much, Mike! It's been an excellent session!” – Toi
How to use the NINJA CRAM with your Course: In your final week of review, watch the NINJA CRAM 3 days out from your exam and spend 2 days watching it. The final day will be for reviewing MCQ and your NINJA Notes.
How the NINJA CRAM will help you Pass: Every CPA candidate has anxiety walking into their exam. There are at least three (or 10) topics that they pray they don't see on Exam day. NINJA CRAM will kick that anxiety to the curb. If you ran out of time during your prep and are going to throw a “hail mary” on Exam Day, NINJA CRAM will turn that 60-yard desperation throw into an easy first and goal from the 2. (I'm not sure how I got sucked into a football metaphor – do NINJAs play football? Something for you to ponder throughout your day.)
NINJA Sparring
There are a lot of searches for “CPA Exam tutor near me”, so that told us that there was a real need in the CPA Exam marketplace for a legit CPA Exam tutoring service that people could actually afford.
With some of the crazy rates that CPA tutors charge, you might as well be hiring an attorney.
Our CPA Tutoring Solution: NINJA Sparring.
The hourly rate we charge? $0. It's included with NINJA Monthly at no additional cost.
(Needless to say, the CPA Tutoring services out there don't like us.)
5 tutoring sessions a week, with unlimited replay viewing – all included with your NINJA Monthly subscription.
(Yes, our competitors scratch their heads at how we can actually offer that)
The weekly live tutoring sessions are done via Zoom and all NINJA Monthly members can attend and ask questions.
They are hosted by NINJA Mike, a member of the NINJA editorial team, and an expert on all CPA Exam & CMA Exam topics.
He's also the Best CPA Exam Tutor out there.
No one knows their stuff better than NINJA Mike.
If you can get over this thick accent (most people do), then you've hit the CPA tutoring jackpot.
We run four live tutoring sessions a week with the following schedule:
- Monday – FAR
- Tuesday – AUD
- Wednesday – REG
- Thursday – BEC
- Saturday – Open Sparring (any topic is fair game)
Most sessions include an accompanying Excel worksheet.
Replays are available the following day and there are currently 300+ hours of replays available for NINJA Monthly members, broken down by CPA Exam topic.
NINJA Sparring videos have been viewed over 115,000 times by NINJA Monthly members, so they're quite popular. 🙂
Check out this Sparring session on Accounting Basics (FAR):
How to use NINJA Sparring with your Course: If you have a topic you're unsure about – FAR (Leases) for example, then go watch the FAR Sparring sessions on Leases. If you run across a specific question about Leases, then submit it to NINJA Sparring and we will answer the question for you via video. Pretty cool, eh?
How NINJA Sparring will help you Pass: Studying for the CPA Exam can be a very lonely experience. What do you do if you need help – and want an actual human to talk things over with? NINJA Sparring is your lifeline as you navigate the murky and scary waters of CPA prep.
NINJA MCQ
While all AICPA-Licensed CPA Review courses get their questions from the AICPA, the differences among CPA Exam Test Banks are notable.
Adding a second CPA Test Bank is a really good idea. Here are three (quick) reasons why:
- You will start memorizing your course questions. A false sense of accomplishment could lead to disaster on Exam Day.
- If your Test Bank doesn't have a Trending Score as part of their algorithm, you're missing out on an invaluable study tool that lets you know if you're on track for exam day victory – or if you're walking into an embarrassing ambush.
- Using two CPA test banks is an important hedge against missing out on important points or concepts that one course emphasizes while the other course lightly covers (if you've ever had a “WHAT!?!?!” moment on the CPA Exam, you know what I'm talking about).
I've included a bonus FAR Sparring session (woo hoo! party!) that showcases NINJA MCQ so you can demo it:
NINJA MCQ ($67 monthly – did we mention that?) has 6,000+ MCQ and 200+ Simulations and is the most-affordable CPA Test Bank on the market.
NINJA MCQ is also the best value among study software options, as comparable CPA test bank alternatives range from $600 to $1,000, compared to $67.
You can start and stop your NINJA MCQ access as needed.
Using a second CPA Test Bank is a must – especially if you're retaking an exam. Do you ever work test bank questions and wonder if you're answering them correctly because you're seeing repeats?
A supplemental CPA test bank like NINJA MCQ fixed that.
With 6,000+ MCQ and 200+ simulations, not to mention killer analytics, it's the best value in CPA Review.
NINJA MCQ is $67 and … I know you're sick of hearing it now … but … it's included with NINJA Monthly.
How to use NINJA MCQ with your Course: If this is your first time taking the exam, use your CPA Test Bank for the Non-Stop MCQ phase, and then switch to NINJA MCQ for the All Comes Together (Review) phase. If this is a retake, then only work NINJA MCQ, with the exception of working some simulations to mix and match with the NINJA simulations (we have 200+ sims, so there's more than plenty of those to keep you busy) 😀
How NINJA MCQ will help you Pass: A common reaction from CPA candidates who have used one course's test bank and start using NINJA MCQ is that they feel like they've been in a cage fight. This is by design. It's better to be humbled during a brutal sparring session than on fight night. If you have a weakness, NINJA MCQ will expose it and help you turn that weakness into a strength on Exam Day.
It could very well be the difference between restudying for a failed exam for another 8 weeks and experiencing the freedom of passing the CPA Exam on score release night.
Olga Timirgalieva (Roger + NINJA)
Elijah Watt Sells Award Winner
“NINJA MCQ – A must! Solving through all of the MCQ, understanding solutions, and adding new information nuggets to your notes — absolutely critical. With the NINJA Notes, I printed out the notes and used them as a knowledge check closer to the exam. Information is high-level, so you can quickly run through and get a comfort level on what you should go back to review in detail. NINJA Audio is nice to use during the commute or if you are an auditory learner. The Audio MCQ is nice to keep you engaged.”
