Everyone has heard about the advantages of having a mentor at a new place of employment, but the value of mentoring has an extra benefit for accounting graduates with new jobs. That’s because starting work in the accounting industry is accompanied by simultaneous completion of CPA exam study. When you’re placed in this position, you can definitely use advice from anyone who’s already gone through the same ordeal.
Seek out a mentor as early as possible in the CPA exam preparation process. Getting advice before graduation is even desirable. Talk with a fellow student in the class ahead of you or someone at the firm where you have a job lined up after graduation. This is why you keep the contact information for people you met during your prior internship.
Before embarking upon a CPA review course, you need to know when you can schedule an exam. That will not happen until you have a Notice to Schedule. Getting the NTS is not a simple process. Delays are common. A mentor can help you secure all the necessary items to apply for registration with the state accountancy board.
If you move expeditiously, you can complete at least one exam section before starting a new job after graduation. The key to studying for the CPA exam is creating a realistic schedule and sticking with it. A mentor provides insight into how many hours per day you can study and how many hours are needed to prepare for each exam section.
Additional advice you’ll want concerns the nature of each exam section. Some are especially difficult while others simply have a lot of content. From this information, decide which exam section to take first and how to complete the remaining sections as soon as possible. Your objective is finishing all four sections before increasing job responsibilities interfere with your progress.
After scheduling an exam date, you’re ready to start studying. Rely upon mentoring to help you decide upon a study plan. You need advice about selecting an online CPA review course, how to schedule study time, and an appropriate study process.
When creating your study plan, you also need to consider busy periods at work as well as plan for some physical exercise and sufficient rest. January to May is a busy season in public accounting. So job duties usually detract from exam study during those months. Exercise stimulates the learning process and sound sleep patterns improve knowledge retention. Your mentor can propose a schedule to accommodate all the elements for optimal study.
Another piece of mentoring advice involves consideration about how you learn. Distinctive methods of study are recommended for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. An exam mentor explains all the study techniques so you can decide which are most suitable for your way of learning.
IRS Circular 230 Disclosure
Pursuant to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Service Circular 230, we inform you that, to the extent any advice relating to a Federal tax issue is contained in this communication, including in any attachments, it was not written or intended to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (a) avoiding any tax related penalties that may be imposed on you or any other person under the Internal Revenue Code, or (b) promoting, marketing or recommending to another person any transaction or matter addressed in this communication.
Tags: CPA exam preparation, CPA exam study, CPA review course, online CPA review, studying for the CPA exam
