We all know the feeling. A test is coming up and dread is looming that you will not be able to master the material in time. When I first arrived at college I experienced this as well, but in time I found the perfect study method that I have used to pass many exams in college and grad school, as well as the CPA exam.
Below are my study steps that you can implement to avoid those test day jitters! You can plan it out depending on the amount of material you want to go through but I have used this method anywhere from weeks before a test to the day before a quiz.
1. Set the Stage
In order to study for the CPA or other exam, it is important to have a positive attitude and try to make it fun. It is difficult to retain anything if your mind is not in a positive space and ready to absorb information. Make sure you have a beverage of choice, your favorite snacks, and a uplifting atmosphere wether that is your favorite corner of the library, a coffee shop, or your kitchen counter. I also listen to music because this helps me feel motivated. Here is one of my favorite studying playlists on Spotify.
2. Organize Material and Write Notes
Courses tend to give loads of information in various forms. There are note packets, quizzes, Powerpoints, textbooks, homework problems, etc. The same thing happened when I went to study for the CPA. I used the Becker course. There were practice problems, practice quizzes, videos, a textbook, review books, flashcards, etc. This is incredibly overwhelming and difficult to manage.
In order to help reduce the stress from keeping track of all of these materials, begin by taking detailed notes on the information. Maybe you use an iPad or a notebook, but have a place that you keep all of your notes together. I would begin with taking the material with the most volume and making notes on that first in my own words, and then continue going through the rest of the information and adding to my notes wherever they were lacking. If information is duplicated, don’t rewrite it, but instead make sure to pay special attention to this information since it is more likely to be tested on the more it is repeated.
This is the order I typically take notes:
- Powerpoints/Note Packets/Textbook
- Homework Problems
- Quizzes
If its a math related subject, work through the problems and write the formulas. If it is writing or more theoretical, write the concepts and definitions. At the end of writing all of the information you should have more concise notes that are much more manageable. Science has shown that writing out notes by hand aids in retention. In addition, it is much easier to read and retain notes in your own handwriting compared to a bunch of tiny black and white text on a page. Make sure to include personalization to your notes like highlighting, doodles, underlines or color coding. This will make it easier to visualize as well as making studying a little bit more enjoyable.
3. Practice the Material (optional step if the topic does not require calculations)
Practice any problems until you feel comfortable with them. If you solve a problem successfully, mark it off and continue to the next problem, if you get a problem wrong or are unable to solve it, put it back in rotation to practice again after you get through the rest of the problems. Continue this until you are able to solve all of the problems.
To study for the CPA, work on the practice problems until you are able to answer the module questions with 90%-100% accuracy. After this, do any practice tests. For the CPA do not worry too much about the scores for these tests though, because from personal experience they are much more difficult than the exam. I passed all parts of the CPA on the first try but on the practice tests with Becker I only passed 1 out of the 12!
4. Create A Summary/Cheat Sheet
Since you are now familiar with your detailed notes, the next step is to make a summary/cheat sheet of these. Some tests allow cheat sheets, but others do not. Either way, it is still beneficial to make a sheet like this since it helps streamline the information into a page or few that are easy to take with you the day of the test, and less overwhelming compared to a large stack of notes.
On my summary sheets I write in very tiny handwriting and use bullet points. I also like to incorporate colors because this helps break up the topics. Use as few words as possible so that you can fit the most on your page.
5. Review and Quiz Yourself
This is the most important step, especially when you study for the CPA. There are a couple ways you can do this depending on your learning style and if you are taking the test with any friends.
I loved taking my review summary sheets and meeting up with friends a couple hours before a test. We would talk over the notes which really helps solidify understanding. Explaining or teaching something to someone is one of the best ways you can show comprehension, and discussing with others exposes areas that need additional review. There is also the additional benefit of learning from others and hearing the way they think through different topics.
If you are taking a test alone you can quiz yourself or ask someone to help. To quiz yourself, read a topic from your sheet, and say to yourself or write down everything you know about it. Then to check yourself, make sure you talked about all of the points under your topic. As you are reviewing, if there is a topic you are stuck on, add a little more detail to that section.
One of the benefits to the summary sheets is that you can bring them just about anywhere. You can review them while walking or working out. Read over them before going to sleep. Bring them to the exam to refresh right before the test.
You got this!
Implement these steps, and you are sure to kill it on your next test. Remember that stressing out about it really is detrimental to exam performance so do your best to stay calm and positive. In the end, one of my main takeaways from college and my CPA exam, is that these are just measures of how well you take a test, not a reflection of your intelligence. While it is difficult, don’t let an exam score determine your self-worth. Persevere, put in the work, and just do your best!
XX Olivia
The Content is for informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
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