It takes a great deal of education and on-the-job training to become a Certified Public Accountant, or CPA. One of the most significant steps that must be taken along the way is passing an intensive exam administered by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA).
Many hopeful CPAs think of this requirement as one that simply must be met to get started with a rewarding career. In fact, though, the AICPA CPA Exam covers a great deal of important, valuable, and highly practical material. CPA Review Courses that make this clear tend to be among the best to take.
Studying and Preparation That Will Pay Off for Many Years to Come
Many of the estimated 1.4 million people who work as accountants in the United States aim to eventually becoming CPAs. Doing so allows an experienced accountant to offer services to the public and even to start and lead an independent accounting firm.
Success rates for the AICPA-administered CPA Exam make it clear that the test is never to be taken lightly. Comprising four distinct sections and with somewhere around half of all test-takers passing it on average, the CPA Exam is as rigorous and involved of a professional assessment as can be found anywhere.
That leaves many candidates thinking of the test as merely another hurdle to be cleared before finally obtaining the coveted CPA credential. In practice, though, the industry-informed nature of the CPA Exam makes it a lot more than that.
Even highly experienced CPAs quite often report that preparing for the exam set them up for success later on. Rightly viewing the CPA Exam as a test of useful, relevant knowledge will always pay off.
High-Quality Prep Courses Make a Definite Difference
In fact, most of the best-reviewed and most frequently recommended CPA Exam preparation courses emphasize this point to one extent or another. Taking such a course will pay dividends with regard to improved knowledge and ability concerning important issues like:
- Auditing. Like other accountants, CPAs are frequently called upon to audit businesses or even individuals. Being able to maintain objectivity-preserving distance and detachment in the course of such duties is always of paramount importance. Effective auditing also requires plenty of technical skills and knowledge that can only be acquired through focused, properly directed study.
- Attestation. Although grouped with auditing in one section of the CPA Exam, attestation is a fairly distinct skill that can be every bit as important to master. A CPA who attests to the accuracy and basic veracity of a financial document stakes their professional reputation on that avowal. As such, being familiar with all the relevant principles will always be important.
- Business concepts. Professional accountants sometimes fall into the trap of becoming too deeply immersed in the world of figures and reports. Wider familiarity with business practices and concepts helps keep CPAs grounded in the relevant realities.
- Reporting. Some CPAs spend the bulk of their time compiling reports commissioned by clients. Accurate, informative reporting takes a great deal of effort and plenty of hands-on experience.
- Regulation. Although not every CPA will regularly need to confront regulatory issues, most will come into contact with them at least occasionally. In addition to being well-versed in the particulars, understanding how to approach regulatory problems is a must for any CPA.
With these all being important subjects for any CPA to master, an in-depth CPA Exam preparation course can establish a firm foundation to build on. CPAs who look at their preparatory work as an investment into the future tend to perform the best of all on this important test.