Off the Ledger
Your days as a college student are almost numbered. The working world is calling. As you get ready to embark on your career, you have to be thinking, “What am I going to do when I graduate?” “Is a job in public accounting right for me?”
Where do you want to go?
You have so many options. Big firm or small? How do you decide? Where can you go to get the real, honest look at a career in public accounting? What is it REALLY like to be an intern? What will my life be like as a staff accountant?
See your future...
At Porter Keadle Moore, LLP (PKM) we’re here to help. We’ve created this blog site just for you! To help you find answers to these and other questions about working in a public accounting firm. Real interns and brand new staff accountants chronicle their experiences with our firm. Read what they have to say. Ask questions, share your opinions and we’ll respond.
Top Tips for Preparing for the CPA Exam
Leslie Holley - Tax Manager
So, you’re getting ready for to take the CPA exam and have no clue where to start. I want to share with you some helpful tips I found on Monster’s Career Advice website. We all know the CPA exam is hard and more people fail than pass each of the exam’s four parts. Pay attention to these tips carefully and get studying!
Be Careful in Choosing your Accounting Program - William Parrott, associate professor of accounting at the University of South Florida suggests that before you enroll in a college accounting program, find out what percentage of its graduates pass the CPA exam.
Match your Prep Method to your Learning Style - If you learn best by reading, buy review texts or DVDs. If it’s motivation you’re looking for, in-person classes may be the route you should take. If you would like a mixture of both, try an online course.
Shop Around for the Best Deal - Compare costs of different materials and ask about passing rates. Also, ask how the program has adjusted for the new four-part exam format. You may want to ask about money-back guarantees and return policies as well.
Study, Study, Study - Plan to spend anywhere from 450 to 500 hours studying. That equals to about 30 hours a week for a period over 15 or 16 weeks. You will have 18 months to pass all four sections after you pass the first. If you don’t meet the deadline, you will have to start completely over!
Practice Makes Perfect- Use all the materials you have, whether it is an online course or your college textbooks. There is a large amount of information in each section, don’t cram it all into two days and make sure to go over the material multiple times.
Simulate the Exam - The CPA exam is computerized, so practice with a computerized sample test. This way the multiple-choice and simulation questions will look similar on exam day.
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