Failing your CPA exam is the stuff of your nightmares, and especially if you fail it by a meager point or two. Silly errors can cause months of studying to result in a failure of just one or two percentages. But, we are not all doom and gloom- let’s take a look at a couple of common reasons that people fail the CPA exams so that you can avoid doing them as well.
1.Too much Social Media Distraction
Social media is great for many things, but for the person needing to study, it can be an enemy.
Scrolling through social media sites like Instagram and Facebook waste your time, and it sites like these are a fantastic way to stay ‘busy’ instead of studying. But you are not fooling anyone, except for yourself.
And when that CPA score comes in you are not going to be excited to put that up on Facebook.
Instead, try to limit your time on social media. These sites can be addictive so try deleting the apps (but keep the profile) so that it is not so ways to simply tap into your profile. You should put off all alerts on your phone, and place it out of arm’s reach. When you are in the zone and studying, the last thing you want to do is disrupt yourself with social media.
- Studying without a Schedule
Schedule in your study time. If it is haphazardly left just for your free time, chances are you won’t get around to hitting the books until too late. This is one of the largest culprits for failing. Remember, you have to put in the work if you want to see results.
Make a structured study schedule, even if it works out to one meager hour a night or day.
- No Deadlines, no breaks, no progress
This point is a two-in-one.
Let’s look at the first one: No deadlines
If you don’t set a deadline for a particular task, such as finish studying for the first CPA section, then you are setting yourself up for failure. Take a look at the Best CPA Prep Course so that you can prepare with smaller deadlines set up along the way.
Break large goals into smaller parts, set reasonable deadlines for yourself, and you will see yourself progress with success.
The second point, no breaks, may at first appear to be out of place in a study advice article. However, taking regular breaks while studying is essential for the successful absorption and retaining of new information.
However, the breaks shouldn’t come after 15 min of social media scrolling and 5 minutes of studying. Once you have sat down and focused on your studies, then should you reward yourself with a short break. Avoid screen time during your break, and try breathing in some fresh air instead.
Right, now that you know what not to do, it’s time to go and study- remember, remove all obvious immediate distractions, draw up a structured study schedule, and remember to take breaks while you study. Once you pass the exam, you may be able to get a job at a cpa firm.
