Top 10 Test-Taking Strategies for the CPA Exams for CPA Examinees
Sometimes ignoring the simple rules can be costly to us. I am sure that at one point or another in your life, you are hassled by challenges or issues that are the result only of ignoring simple rules and trivial dogmas known as common sense.
If you are a scholar for example and you failed to be conscious about your behaviour in your school despite making all the grade requirements, it can cost you your precious free tuition fee privilege and much more. If you are driving a car, you know that a simple wrong move on the road can cost you a traffic violation ticket with the MMDA or the local police.
Similarly, in the CPA board exams, there are simple and trivial strategies that should be remembered and implemented otherwise it can cost you your dream professional license as a CPA. These are strategies that you should do even while you are in school taking periodic quizzes or exams given by your professors or teachers to make sure that you finish the test on time with maximum accuracy.
Just to reiterate, here are my simple Top 10 Test-taking Strategies and techniques of effective CPA examinees that yield maximum results in the CPA Board exams:
1. Prepare Your Weapons
Although at the extreme, look into taking the CPA exams as if you are like going to war. Basic things like calculators (the allowed ones), your exam permits, identification papers, extra pen or pencils are just simple things that if you left at home are quite disastrous for you. Imagine scrambling to find for a calculator a few minutes away from the exams. You will be extremely lucky to find one. Preparation is key to be able not to distract your focus on the goal – to finish the exams with accuracy and timeliness. So be sure you are well armored for the CPA exams.
2. Arrive Early and Relax
Part of the preparations in taking the exams it to arrive early in the venue where you are supposed to take the CPA exams and being able to settle there for at least 30 minutes before the actual start time of the CPA exams. The key here is for you to relax and compose your spirit before even facing the questionnaires. When you aim to arrive early, you will be able to stop worrying about things along the way like traffic jams and other nuisance. Also, be sure you visit your assigned venue a few days before the exam. Know the exact rooms and chair assignment if at all possible. When you do this, you will be ready to face the exams with in a comfortable but alert spirit so your brainpower is not mindful of anything but hurdling the CPA exams.
3. Practice the OYIC Attitude
In my previous post, I mentioned about the Oh Yes I Can (“OYIC”) spirit to propel you to take the exams despite the age and years that has gone away. The same should be your attitude when you face the exams. Being confident will take all the worries behind. Having the OYIC attitude will give you the boost you need if you rattle and anxious about so many things. If you feel afraid at some point, tell yourself that you are prepared over and over again. Convince yourself that Yes, you can pass the CPA exams. Also, don’t forget to take deep breaths every time you need to relax your tense muscles and spirit.
4. Become Time Conscious
Know the beginning and end of exams. Bring a watch so you are aware of the time. Calculate the time you need to answer each question so you know how much time you need to find the solution for each problem and how many minutes you’ll save to review your answers later. Timing is of the essence here. If you become so engross with what you are doing without being attentive to time, you will most likely cram in the end knowing you are short of time. So be watchful of the time element when you take the CPA exams. Always try to save as much time as possible for your review of your answers later on.
5. Read and Understand Carefully
I cannot stress the importance of this strategy (it’s not event a strategy it is very basic). This applies to exam instructions and the questions per se. Know the requirements of the proctor and never violate his/her rules inside the exam area. Then in the actual exams, read each question carefully as well as the given answers. Determine what is being given in the problem and be mindful of nuisance words or sentences. For word problems, read each sentence carefully and translate the information into computations or mathematical formulas in a scratch paper.
6. Give Only What is Being Asked
Many people think that the CPA exams is more of understanding English rather than mathematics. This can be true because sometimes the question will trick you with just plain words. Instead of giving what’s there or not there, you may miss some negative or positive words, a short preposition, an unrelated phrase, sentences and numbers inserted in the questions to trick you and thus you will give a wrong answer. Sometimes the question maybe too simple but you complicate things because you are accustomed to the hard questions in the CPA review. Be very very careful in digesting the requirement. Ask yourself twice about what is being asked so you can give the right answers. Before you answer the question, be sure you understand the form or substance that is required.
7. Do Scratch Computations
Unless you are someone who can mathematically compute numbers in your head, almost always, you need a scratch paper or scratch computation in the CPA Board exams. Normally this is allowed to be done on the questionnaire itself or if allowed, on a piece of paper. When you want to be sure, write down formulas that you cannot picture or compute out in your head. You also do this when you are reviewing your computed answers one more time. Even if you are not quite sure that you answered the question in your head right, there is nothing to lose if you will test it on paper so saving time in the onset is really key to implement this.
8. Answer Questions Strategically
The old adage of going through the easiest ones first (rather than beginning with the hard questions) is the recommended approach. This has worked for me in the past and I am sure the others have benefited from it also. Once you know that the question may take you some time to answer, that is already classified as a hard one. By tackling one easy question at a time and skipping what you think is hard (for later), you are giving your self to gain more confidence and a sense of accomplishment by taking quick wins as you go along. You also save time and energy. Reserve your best energies for the hardest of them all and only do that once you are finished with most of the easy questions.
9. Review Your Answers
If you follow strategies number 4 and 8 above regarding time consciousness and strategic answering techniques, I can safely assume that you will have gained time to review your answers. Reviewing will sometimes take you to realize you made a mistake so be prepared to change your answers as needed. Be sure though that before you change your answers, you have analyzed the question thoroughly to make sure that your first answer is really wrong. More often than not, your first answer is the right answer based on your flow of thoughts and levels of practice in problem solving. I would suggest you change your answers only when there is a fundamental shift of understanding the requirement in the question from your previous thoughts about it.
10. Make Intelligent Guesses
There are times when you need to really have to make a guess on a question that is almost alien to you or you have no clue whatsoever despite deeper analysis on it. Follow the process of elimination then logical thinking. Eliminate those that are unlikely answers and narrow your guesses to at most two (2) best and potential answers. Then follow through with the rationalization of which is the best answer. Again, eliminate then choose logically. The length of time that you practice solving problems in the review will manifest here. Normally, questions have patterns that are just repeated over and over again that you and only you, based on your level of practice, can decipher such pattern. Don’t just guess but attempt to make intelligent guesses. It should be worth the try than just choosing one answer out of thin air.
So that’s it ladies and gentlemen. The Top 10 Test-taking strategies I can give you for the CPA exams. Hope you can bring this along with you as you reach your dreams and aspirations to becoming a CPA someday.
More of these types of tips and tricks coming soon so stay tuned and tell your friends about this blog.
Manny – PinoyCPA.com Admin
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