I wrote my CPA exams in 2010/2011. Those days, we needed to go to States to write the papers. Of
course, making multiple trips was out of question, so the only choice was to take all four exams
together. Yesterday I found myself pondering that a decade down the line, what changed in me as a
person after qualifying for CPA.
1) Declutter, simplify and organise your thoughts- A major preparation strategy for this exam
involves drawing mental mind maps to structure the concepts and using those to answer any
MCQ or simulation. Writing these exams has conditioned my mind to deal with any
situation/problem in a similar way thereby arriving at the proposed solution in a much more
structured and cohesive manner.
2) Time management and consistency- I was a working professional when I started preparing
for CPA and I think for the next 14 months or so, all I did was follow a clockwork of work,
studies, sleep, repeat for most weekdays. The beauty of this exam is that unlike any other
exam that I wrote as a student, you need to work out a schedule that works for you
consistently over a year or so. The schedule needs to accommodate family and fun time over
weekends else the burn out is really common. When you do it consistently over such a long
time, it becomes second nature to you.
3) “It’s all in the mind” attitude- Cracking any exam is more of a mind game than any other. Its
like YOU vs YOU every time you fail to meet a deadline or pass a particular section. The fact
that the exams are more applied and analytical than just rote learning ups the game
quotient. Your success or failure ultimately boils down to how you manage your thought
process over those 4 hours of exam. I remember coming out of the hall after each exam and
telling myself – “What’s the worst that can happen?” I re-write the exam. If you reach this
level, there’s nothing to lose. You go and give your best shot and then, if it turns out your
best wasn’t good enough, try again.
What are your key takeaways from this exam?