CPA Study Materials & Supplements | 10 Things To Know
(Scroll down for your Free CPA Notes)
Table of Contents
Introduction: CPA Study Materials & Supplements
How to Find the Right CPA Study Materials to Supplement Any Course & Boost CPA Exam Scores.
If you already have a CPA Review Course and want an extra edge on Exam Day, you're in the right place.
Sure, you've already invested big money into a course, but let's face the facts:
CPA Pass Rates are terrible.
This is primarily due to two reasons:
- CPA Candidates don't know how to study.
- CPA Candidates don't have the right CPA Study Materials for their learning style.
Problem #1 has been fixed using the NINJA Study Framework (which is free and every CPA candidate should use, even if they never plan to spend a dime on supplements).
Problem #2 is fixed with CPA study supplements, which we'll discuss here.
One final note before we get started:
As the owner of NINJA CPA Review, I'm inherently biased (but hopefully objective).
Try my materials.
Try other materials.
Go with what works best for you.
1. Everyone Supplements Their CPA Review Course
Before we get started, we need to acknowledge a universal CPA study truth:
Everyone supplements their CPA Review Course.
Everyone.
Using Free CPA Notes? Supplement.
Asking a question on CPA Reddit? Supplement.
Online Study Group? Supplement.
Reading CPA Study Tips online? Supplement.
The degree of supplementation ranges from posting questions on a study group or message board to using free CPA study guides to investing in supplemental materials like NINJA CPA Review.
Studying with only one course is so … 1990s. (The best music [and movies] decade ever btw.)
The fact that everyone supplements makes it pretty much impossible to know a CPA Review Course's actual pass rate.
The most popular types of supplemental CPA Study Materials are:
- CPA Notes
- CPA Audio
- CPA Test Bank
- CPA Cram
- CPA Book
- CPA Tutoring
Let's look at how these types of CPA study materials can make your life easier while balancing work, family & friends, and the CPA Exam.
2. CPA Notes Will Save You on Exam Day
A good set of CPA Notes will save you on Exam Day.
Sure, you can write your own CPA Exam Notes, and it's part of the NINJA Study Framework, so we are big believers in the power of taking your notes.
That said…
We are also strong advocates for passing, so pairing your course with a quality set of notes is a smart move.
Download. Study. Rewrite. Pass.
Some people claim to have passed using only the NINJA Notes (although I do not recommend this approach).
Get Your Free CPA Notes
Free CPA Notes for all six CPA Exam sections in a 161-page PDF (Instant Download)
Topics included:
- FAR – Fundamentals of Accounting & Conceptual Framework
- AUD – Ethics & Professional Responsibilities
- REG – Individual Taxation
- TCP – Individual Taxation & Planning
- BAR – Strategic Planning & Budgeting
- ISC – IT Infrastructure & Cloud Computing
3. You Need Two CPA Test Banks
You know the phrase “Two is One, and One is None?”
Well, I have it on good authority that they were actually referring to CPA Test Banks.
While all AICPA-Licensed CPA study materials get their questions from the AICPA, the differences among Test Banks are notable.
Adding a second CPA Test Bank is a must for three reasons:
- False Security. You will start memorizing your course questions, creating a false sense of accomplishment that could lead to disaster on Exam Day. Bad!
- Trending Score. Many Test Banks don't include a “Trending Score” (or similar feature) that shows you what score you're heading towards (give or take). Bad!
- Hedge. Your Test Bank might lightly cover an important area. Bad!
A CPA Test Bank like NINJA MCQ checks all these boxes (and only costs $67 for a month of access).
4. A CPA Audio Course Is the Ultimate Study Hack
A good CPA Audio Course allows you to study when you otherwise couldn't.
Want to study on the go and turn downtime into Study Time? Smart Move.
It's the Ultimate Study Weapon in your CPA Study Materials arsenal.
- At the Gym? Study.
- Driving? Study.
- Doing Laundry? Study.
- At Your Kid’s Game? Study.*
- In Your Quarters Eating Toast and Wearing Stretchy Pants? Study.
- Staring at a Spreadsheet and Pretending to Work? Study.
*Be sure to still yell “good job! great hustle! way to be there!!”
A good CPA study audio course isn't like a standard audiobook.
Instead, you want it to be more like a conversation with a study buddy that repeats key concepts.
In the NINJA Audio, you may get annoyed when I repeat key concepts when you're just trying to get through the material.
You may also silently thank me (and possibly later via email, as has happened) as you sit there in Prometric on Exam Day, drawing a blank until my voice pops into your head and you remember the answer because of something stupid I said in the audio.
I often get “I'm DONE!” emails from people thanking me for the NINJA Audio and rejoicing that they never have to listen to it again. 😀
The NINJA Audio turns drive time/ gym time / (“fill in the blank” time) into study time.
5. Most CPA Review Books Are Bloated with Filler
A CPA Review Book is the perfect self-study option for the CPA Exam.
Some CPA candidates prefer to ditch videos in the CPA study materials and go the self-study route with a good old-fashioned CPA Exam book.
The problem?
CPA Review Courses aren't in the “sell you a self-study book” business.
They're in the “sell you a $2,000 video course” business.
Consequently, most CPA Review Courses offer books that are either anemic and unusable as a standalone study option, or bloated with IRS & FASB regs (and also unusable as a standalone study option), requiring you to use a video course to tell you what parts of the book to skip or teach it in a way that makes sense to an actual human.
When we designed the NINJA Book, the world did not need another bloated CPA Book that required a $2,000 video course. Anyone wanting one of those has plenty of options.
Our goal with the NINJA Book was simple: Make it complete, yet concise.
Oh, also … not as boring. 😀
Unfortunately, it is accounting, so there are only so many ways to spice it up.
If you want to go the self-study route, we paired NINJA MCQ with the NINJA Book, so you can read up on topics that are giving you trouble as you hammer MCQ.
NINJA Book is All Killer, No Filler.
6. CPA Cram Courses Slay the Procrastination Monster
A CPA Cram Course is the perfect final review before your upcoming high-stakes battle with FAR, AUD, REG, BAR, ISC, or TCP.
Complete your CPA Review course and need a good last-minute review?
Still confused about something your review course covered lightly?
Up against losing an exam credit and/or an expiring NTS?
Did you procrastinate entirely and are now looking for a silver bullet to rescue you from inevitable failure?
The NINJA CRAM can save the day – and possibly, your CPA Exam life.
7. CPA Exam Tutoring Adds A Friendly Face
A CPA Exam Tutor adds a friendly face to a very unfriendly Uniform CPA Examination.
You have a CPA Review book. You have lecture videos.
The problem: You can certainly talk to them, but it's a one-way conversation.
What if you actually want to speak to a live human and get a CPA Exam question answered?
The problem: CPA tutoring services charge hourly rates that would make a big-city attorney blush.
Our solution: NINJA Sparring.
NINJA Mike is one of the best instructors in CPA Review also scored in the top 10 in the world on the CMA Exam.
8. Zero In On Weak Topics With CPA Flashcards
CPA Flashcards enable you to study concepts while being tested simultaneously.
(so they don't zero in on you on exam day).
Flashcards are a hybrid of Notes and multiple-choice questions (MCQs) – studying and testing simultaneously.
Online Flashcards, such as the NINJA Flashcards, that feature spaced repetition and adaptive learning, help you zero in on your weak spots.
9. CPA Study Planners Save You Weeks
A good CPA Study Planner is a MUST because it can save you weeks of wasted time.
You have better things to do than endlessly study for the CPA Exam – like spending quality time with family (or binge-watching “The Office” straight through for the 19th time) 😀.
Study when it fits your lifestyle.
In fact, you can take Friday through Sunday off if you want.
(Granted, Monday-Thursday are going to be horrible intense.)
It's all up to you.
The NINJA Study Planner comes in two flavors: 7 weeks or, for the insane go-getters, 4 weeks.
10. CPA Practice Tests Are a Bad Time Investment
Confession Time: I Hate Practice Tests.
(Some review courses call them “mock exams”)
It felt good to get that off my chest.
I hate practice tests for a few reasons.
- Four hours spent hitting three weak areas is a better investment of time.
- A 75% on a practice test is not a 75 on the CPA Exam (not even close).
- Instead of instant feedback with each question, you have to go through the questions one by one.
Instead of a practice test, I recommend the NINJA Quiz.
Why?
After taking a CPA practice test, you really won't know much.
After taking the NINJA Quiz, you will know one of two things:
- You're ready for Exam Day or
- You're headed for trouble and need a study supplement.
- Bonus: You can check out the NINJA MCQ interface without needing a login
(If you really want one … NINJA MCQ has a free practice test.)
Final Analysis: CPA Study Materials & Supplements
When choosing CPA study materials, consider factors such as cost, accessibility, and the teaching style that best resonates with you.
Getting overwhelmed with too many study options regarding CPA Review materials can be easy.
In this post alone, I threw eight different types of study materials at you:
- Notes
- Test Banks
- Audios
- Books
- Cram
- Tutoring
- Flashcards
- Planners
Too many CPA study materials can cause a CPA Candidate to fall into a pit of analysis paralysis.
This is why NINJA CPA Review keeps it simple with two options: Course or Supplement.
Only need supplements?
You'll get our three most-popular CPA study weapons:
- NINJA Notes
- NINJA Audio
- NINJA MCQ
Need a full course?
We have everything you need to pass the CPA Exam (and get your LIFE back).
Not sure which way to go?
To Your Success,
Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS)
Founder @ NINJA CPA Review | another71
