Roger CPA Review + NINJA: 7 Easy Steps to Smash Any CPA Exam
Disclosure: Roger CPA Review and Another71 have an affiliate (advertising) partnership. See the current Roger CPA + NINJA discount.
“Why We Chose It (Runner-Up, Best Overall): Even though Roger CPA Review doesn't have as large of a question bank as some of the other courses on this list, the engaging lectures will give you fun ways to remember challenging topics. Roger CPA Review is great for students who typically have trouble focusing during lectures and are also looking for a more affordable option.”
“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, the 5 Best CPA Prep Courses of 2022
Step 1. Nail the Concepts
Fire up your Roger CPA login and Nail the Concepts with your Roger video lectures (or Roger CPA books) & NINJA Audio. Time: 2.5 Weeks
If something is confusing in your Roger CPA materials, look it up in the NINJA Book or NINJA Notes.
Start listening to your NINJA Audio. 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 in your downtime, especially at work. It's ok if you haven't studied the section before. It will start clicking the third time through, regardless of where you are in your prep.
Step 2. Intense Notes
Take Intense Notes over your Roger CPA Review lectures or NINJA Book.
First Time?
Retake?
15th Retake?
It doesn't matter.
Take Intense Notes while watching your Roger CPA lectures.
“Back by popular demand, we’re happy to once again partner with Jeff Elliott and NINJA CPA Review to help you pass the CPA Exam even faster.”
– Roger CPA Review
Step 3. Non-Stop MCQ
Non-Stop MCQ – Roger CPA Test Bank or NINJA MCQ & Take Notes. Time: 2.5 Weeks
If this is your first time taking this exam, then do Non-Stop MCQ with your Roger CPA Test Bank, and then in the review phase (A – All Comes Together), then you switch to NINJA MCQ and work backward, beginning with your weakest topic.
If this is a retake OR you've found yourself memorizing your Roger questions, then switch 100% over to NINJA MCQ 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 Roger CPA Review questions for N (Non-Stop MCQ) and use NINJA MCQ for A (All Comes Together) as you review.
If this is your first time taking this exam and you're memorizing the test bank questions (which is 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 your Roger test bank and NINJA MCQ.
Step 4. Just Rewrite
Rewrite Your Roger CPA Review notes or NINJA Notes. Time: 1 Week
We know you took killer notes over your Roger 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 I suggest that you re-write the NINJA Notes.
(Listen, I get it – re-writing notes sounds sooo boring. You know what else is sooo boring? Re-studying for a failed exam. Just Do It.)
Step 5. All Comes Together
All Comes Together in a Final Review. Watch NINJA CRAM and the Roger CPA Cram. Time: 1 Week
If you're using your Roger Test Bank 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, 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 on to 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 NINJ A 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?).
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.
Total Study Time: 4 or 7 weeks. We have NINJA Study Planners for both timelines.
Step 6: Exam Day is Finally Here
Take your exam with confidence and PASS.
Step 7: Take 3 Days Off, Then Repeat
Sleep. Celebrate. Repeat (the studying, not the celebrating).
Get Your Free CPA Notes
- FAR – Governmental Accounting
- AUD – Audit Sampling
- REG – Partnership Taxation
- BEC – IT
To Your Success,
Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS)
