re: CPA exam tutoring or in person exam prep

You just have to find a study method that works best for you.

I did self-study, using a combination of Wiley, CPA Excel, and Ninja. I tried watching lectures, but just found myself daydreaming or not paying attention at all most of the lecture.

For BEC, AUD, and REG, I just drilled multiple choice questions over and over and over from the 3 test banks I had access to with Wiley, CPA Excel, and Ninja.

For FAR, I would print out SIMs with the solution and study those. I found it to be a waste of my time trying to solve a SIM on my own and then reading solution (same with Practice Exam).

The Ninja Outlines were the most helpful things I had and I would study those in the week or 2 leading up to whatever part I was about to take.

One piece of advice I tell our staff is that once you start taking parts of the exam, be really committed with no plans to take time off from studying or taking parts (I passed AUD and then got caught up in wedding planning and didn't take another part for several months).

I also suggest taking the part of the exam you may think you have the most trouble with first. I work in audit and thought getting that first passing score on AUD would be big confidence boost and motivation to pass other parts, but I wish I had taken REG first, as it took me 3 attempts to pass REG (70, 74, 89).

It was a real gut punch getting a score of 74 on 2nd attempt at REG (and final credit needed) the night my AUD score expired and I went from thinking I would be done with exam to having to take 2 more parts.