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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 all start clicking the third time through, regardless of where you are in your prep.
I.
Take Intense Notes over your Wiley CPAexcel lectures.
First Time? Retake? 15th Retake? It doesn't matter. Take Intense Notes.
N.
Non-Stop MCQ.
If this is your first time taking this exam, then do Non-Stop MCQ with your Wiley 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 Course MCQ, 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 Wiley Test Bank 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 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.
J.
Just Re-Write Your Notes.
This phase is pretty much universal, no matter if you're going NINJA Only or supplementing. If you took killer notes, re-write those. If taking notes just wasn't in the cards this time around and you did the best you could do, then re-write the NINJA Notes.
Make sure you start the process at least two weeks out from exam day and take no longer than a week.
A.
It All Comes Together.
If you're using your Wiley Software 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.
You'll get through the concept phase in a lot less time, causing you to get through your study plan faster. You can study for FAR in 7 weeks vs the typical 8-10 weeks, giving you a chance to hang out or grab a quick road trip with friends and loved ones before your next exam prep starts, while your co-workers and peers are still locked in their spare bedrooms, studying on a Saturday night.
Sure – the CPA Review providers get their core questions from the AICPA. The nuances come from the edits to the questions as laws and regulations change, as well as the answer explanations, which each course has to create themselves.
Example: The same lease question (FAR) or itemized deduction question (REG) was licensed to each review provider way back when (2002, 2007, etc), but a lot has happened since then and many of the core questions won't be the same because they had to be re-written by each course's editorial staff in order to line up with the law changes.
What one editor thinks is important (some nuance of revenue recognition), will differ with the next editor, and with that, you cast a wider conceptual net so you're more prepared on exam day.
To put it another way, each review course has mostly the same questions, but those questions have evolved over time and are likely now quite different.
This is why using two test banks is recommended.
Here's what a few NINJAs had to say…
Olga Timirgalieva, Elijah Watt Sells Award Winner Supplemented all Four Exams with NINJA CPA
“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 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 are nice to keep you engaged.”
– Olga Timirgalieva (Roger + NINJA), Elijah Watt Sells Award Winner (Passed the CPA Exam on the first try with an average score of 95.5*)
* Disclaimer – Not a typical result … Only 1 out of every 1,000 CPA Candidates win the EWS Award each year.
Rachel (Wiley + NINJA):
“I Passed BEC with an 84 first time! Combined Wiley and Ninja; Ninja non–stop MCQ really hammered home the content! Thanks Ninja…on to AUD.”
Kairra (Becker + NINJA):
“I passed AUD with an 88! Took about 3 1/2 weeks. Working full time while studying. I would say what helped was listening to the Becker lectures, do a few of those multiple-choice questions and then completing the ninja MCQs by topic. This method helped me identify the areas I needed help on. Thank you Ninja.“
Kayla (Wiley + NINJA):
“I just found out that I passed BEC with an 81! I used Wiley and the Ninja monthly subscription! I think the NINJA notes, audio, flashcards, and MCQs helped me a lot. I took BEC before and used only Wiley and got a 58 so I definitely believe in the NINJA method and will be using it for REG and FAR!! I’m soo happy 2 down and 2 to go!!! This feels very doable now!!
Jarod (Becker + NINJA):
“Just found out I passed FAR, which was my last exam! I am DONE!
Thank you NINJA and thank you Jeff for the hard work that you and your team do. I wouldn’t have passed all 4 without you guys.
For those curious, here’s how I did it:
1st exam: REG.
Did everything in Becker, used NINJA to supplement: 81
2nd Exam: BEC
Did everything in NINJA, used Becker to supplement: 80. I really think NINJA MCQ alone would have been good enough for this.
3rd Exam: AUD
Studied NINJA MCQ, and notes, and used Becker MCQ as a supplement. 77. I also tubing NINJA MCQ alone would have been good enough for this.
4th exam: FAR. 61
Tried to rush through only NINJA MCQ and it didn’t work. I was also super stressed and had CPA senioritis.
2nd attempt: 79
Studied Ninja MCQ in depth. Studied Ninja book and notes. Used Becker MCQ and SIMS to supplement.
Again, thank you Jeff and the Ninja team. I would have never been able to do this without you guys!“
Brittany (Wiley + NINJA):
“I passed BEC with an 88! I left the exam feeling so defeated because the test seemed completely different than what I studied. I have passed AUD (81) and FAR (91) as well. I have taken all 3 within 4 months while working a very demanding public accounting job. I don’t say this to brag. I say this to motivate anyone reading this that if you want this, you can do this. It is not for the weak. You have to put in the time and make those sacrifices. I used Wiley but have always supplemented with Ninja Notes and Audio (sometimes MCQ’s). I would definitely recommend doing Ninja MCQ’s for BEC as I think they cover it better than the Wiley test bank did. Study every minute that you get (before work, lunch, after work, etc.) Anytime I am in my car I play the Ninja audio and listen to the sections multiple times. I am rooting for all of you!!”
Not everyone is a note-taker. In fact, taking notes can be stressful because of the fear that you might miss something, so we accountants tend to OCD things and write everything down, which has diminishing returns.
NINJA Notes takes the stress away in two key ways:
1) It serves as a safety net for your own notes. You're free to jot down what you think is important and keep going. Miss something? NINJA Notes has you covered.
2) If you don't take notes, that's ok. It's not ideal, but neither is life. NINJA Notes has you covered.
During the Just Re-Write Your Notes phase, if you have nothing to re-write, again, NINJA Notes has you covered.
Think note-taking/re-writing is a bunch of nonsense?
Harvard Library doesn't think so.
“Throw away your highlighter: Highlighting can seem like an active reading strategy, but it can actually distract from the business of learning and dilute your comprehension … Pen or pencil will allow you to do more to a text you have to wrestle with.”
—Interrogating Texts: Six Reading Habits to Develop in Your First Year at Harvard
3) Reading the NINJA Notes one last time the morning of your exam is the perfect way to cap off weeks of study prep and it will be fresh in your mind as you confidently walk through the doors of Prometric.
The most-popular CPA Review audio on the market that's designed specifically for auditory learning. Life is busy. You can't just sit down and study whenever you want. NINJA Audio solves this.
Commuting to work? Study.
At the gym? Study.
Doing laundry? Study.
Mowing the lawn? Study.
Sitting at your desk at work? Study.
NINJA BLITZ is a CRAM video course. It is a perfect review tool for the final week of your CPA Exam prep. It keeps your attention when you might otherwise space-off (this late in the game, you're tired and read to be DONE). BLITZ can be easily be completed on a Saturday afternoon.
Some people like BLITZ more than the Notes and Audio – everyone is different.
Bottom Line:
One of the many perks of NINJA Monthly is that you don't have to pick and choose what you buy – we give you everything for one low price (Book, Notes, Audio, MCQ, SIMS, Flashcards, Blitz Videos, Private Study Group) and let you decide which study weapons you want to use. This roadmap should help you pair your Wiley CPAexcel CPA Review Course with NINJA Monthly, which will help you to fill in the study cracks with the Audio, Notes, and another perspective on the MCQ & SIMS.
