CPA Study Strategies

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CPA Study Strategies
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• This article gives you proven study strategies
  that not only help you assimilate the material
  but also help improve your long-term memory. Not
  all study techniques work for everyone. Review
  the suggested techniques and select the study
  strategies that will help you.

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BREAK THE MATERIAL INTO SUBTOPICS

• Divide the material into bite-size chunks.
  Subtopics are easy to study for a few minutes at
  a time. Research shows that people absorb
  concepts more quickly when they break the
  material into small themes.
• Refer to your study plan. If you are taking a CPA
  review course, the material should be subdivided
  for you. If you are self-studying, divide the
  material into chapters or modules, as shown in
  your CPA review materials.
• Use CPA review-oriented materials that are less
  than twelve to eighteen months old. Studying the
  concepts one area at a time will allow you to
  master topics in a shorter period of time.

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STUDY OVER SHORT TIME INTERVALS

• Once you break the old habit of believing that
  you must have several hours to study, you will
  find you have more study time. You will be less
  likely to procrastinate and more likely to jump
  in and learn
• Once you break the old habit of believing that
  you must have several hours to study, you will
  find you have more study time.
• You will be less likely to procrastinate and more
  likely to jump in and learn. Make it a habit to
  read CPA materials instead of the newspaper in
  the morning, throughout the day, whenever you sit
  down, or during your work commute.

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WRITE IT DOWN SAY IT OUT LOUD

• The age-old image of schoolchildren writing each
  spelling word ten times is a good model to follow
  when you are struggling to absorb and remember a
  difficult technical concept.
•  Lets say you have trouble remembering a
  formula. Write it down to grasp the topic. Talk
  to yourself. Repeat concepts out loud and often.
  Give your flashcards, books, or notes to someone
  else and let the person quiz you.
• Answer the questions out loud. Your long-term
  memory will improve greatly by repeating concepts
  out loud.

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PREPARE A SUMMARY

• Some areas of the CPA content require the
  preparation of a summary. Spending time to
  summarize the process helps you reinforce the
  main ideas.
• You will have a clear understanding of the topic
  once you go over it in detail and summarise it
• Review your summary whenever you have a free
  moment. You learn as you prepare the summary.

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BOND WITH A STUDY BUDDY

• Try to study with a coworker, a review course
  acquaintance, or a college friend. A study buddy
  will help you stick to your study plan, but it
  works only if you study
• You can both meet at a quiet place where you can
  each study on your own and later discuss topics
  out loud. Study at library meeting rooms, your
  office at night or weekends, or a bookstore café.
  Make sure to be on time for the arranged study
  session. 
• This gives you an excuse to leave your home and
  go study. Study partners help you be on schedule,
  motivated, and encouraged.

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DRAW AN EXAMPLE

• Graphs, diagrams, pictures, and charts assist you
  in analyzing the information. While studying,
  timelines are useful visuals to remember a topic
  in chronologic detail.
• You may graph what happens to the depreciation in
  the early years or what happens to the carrying
  value of the asset over time
• A complicated topic in your CPA material can be
  diagrammed and easily analyzed for effects.