When compared to the US CPA exam requirements, the one for CFA is straightforward and more flexible in my opinion, which is why the CFA designation is gaining traction (arguably faster) than the CPA.

CFA Exam Requirements

CFA candidates will need to fulfill the following before they start the application process:

1. Education And/Or Experience Requirements

The CFA candidate should have a bachelor degree from an accredited educational institution, or at least be in the final year of his/her bachelor program study at the time of registration.

Alternatively, the candidate can have 4 years of professional working experience bEFORE the registration.

A combination of the above education and working experience is allowed as long as the total number of years reach 4 years or more.

Please note:

• The professional work experience doesn’t not need to be investment related
• Part-time positions are not qualified
• For CFA II candidates who took the CFA I exam while they are in their final years of university, they need to prove that they have completed the bachelor degree in order to get qualified for the CFA Level II exam.

2. Proper Identification

Effective on January 1, 2011, each CFA candidate must have a valid international travel passport and the number should match with the one you entered during the online application process.  Note to dual citizenship holder: double check that the passport you are going to bring is the same as the one you used in the registration.

The passport should contain your name, date of birth, passport number, expiration date and country of issuance.

Other requirements:

• Passport has to be current (i.e. not expired)
• Passport must contain a photograph
• It has to be a travel document. In other words, something you can use to travel abroad, and not just an ID card or driver’s license
• This is obvious, but you’ll need to bring the original passport and not the photocopy of it when you take the exam.

Question: I normally use my English name as first name but in the passport the Chinese name comes first (e.g. Mabel Chen Yi-Ning instead of Chen Yi Ning Mabel). What to do?

Answer: This is considered an “acceptable name variation”. No worries.

You can refer to the CFA Institute Testing Policy for further details.

3. Signing of

This is the easiest requirement as long as you have no problem signing the Professional Conduct Statement and Candidate Responsibility Statement.

What Should I Expect After Submitting The Application?

If your application is approved, you will receive an official acceptance email within 2-3 days.

If you don’t hear from them after 3 days you can contact them here by email.

Stay tuned for more information on the application process…

This site is primarily focused on the US CPA exam, but here is an overview of CPA Australia and the requirements for your reference.

CPA Australia Requirements Overview

The CPA License in Australia is administered and granted by CPA Australia, one of the two major accounting bodies in Australia.

CPA program consist of 14 education segments and your application will be assessed individually prior to education and experience. Applicants are obliged to apply online for membership entry pathway assessment.

To become a CPA, you will have to enter the Australia’s CPA Program with 3 steps of requirements:

• Foundation Level
• Professional Level
• Practical Experience Requirement

1. Foundation Level

The foundation level refers to the first 8 segment and consists of the basic knowledge of accounting principles. Completion of a recognized degree such as accounting will often meet all the requirements of the foundation level. Once completed, the candidates can join CPA Australia as an Associate member and move on to the professional level.

2. Professional Level

The professional level refers to the 6 postgraduate education segments including the practical experience requirement (PER).

With high level of judgment, analysis, reporting and decision making, professional level focuses on developing technical accounting skills that focuses on strategy, leadership and international business.

3. Practical Experience Requirement

The Practical Experience Requirement (PER) refers to a program prearranged for developing and indicating relevant skills in the workplace.It is a prerequisite in getting a CPA and a very important part of the CPA Program.

PER requires you to find relevant work experience and complete it at least 3 years. Your work should cover technical accounting skills, leadership skills, business skills and personal effectiveness skills.

 Questions

1. Am I eligible to commence foundation level exams?

Applicants who wish to become a CPA must apply for a Membership Entry Pathways Assessment. Depending on the applicant educational background, he/she may be exempted e.g. graduates who have completed the required subjects through higher education/ accredited degree like accounting.

2. How long do I have to complete my exams?

Foundation level candidates have 10 years from their first enrollment to complete the exam.

3. If I fail, how long before I can sit the exam again and how many times can I repeat a foundation level exam?

You need to wait at least 30 days before you can sit on the exam again. Candidates have a minimum of 4 attempts at any one foundation level exam.

5: How do I enroll?

Once you pass the assessment, you can enroll for an exam(s) online or fill in an application form which you can download from CPA Australia website (see below).

6. What is the exam format?

For each paper in the foundation level:

• Computerized with multiple choice
• Duration: 3 hours + 15 minutes or reading time
• Open-book format

7. Will I get my result at the test centre after I take my exam?

Yes, results will be available at the test centre. You will receive a printed candidate feedback report at the test centre after you have completed your exam. This report will provide a pass or fail result, the score required to pass the exam and your score.

For Further  Reading

• More FAQ
• Fee table

Contact

CPA Australia

Level 20, 28 Freshwater Place
Southbank VIC 3006

• Phone:  1300 73 73 73 (within Australia)
• Phone: +61 3 9606 9677 (outside Australia)

Next…

• CPA (Aust) vs CPA (US): Which One Is Better?

If you are an accountant and are working towards a prestigious qualification, CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) may come to mind.

CPA vs ACCA: A Comparison

Should you go for CPA or ACCA? Does it make sense to get both? Let’s take a look.

Organization Structure

US CPA

The Certified Public Accounting (CPA) license is granted by each of the 54 states or jurisdiction in the United States. In other words, there is no centralized body and each state has slightly different CPA exam and licensing requirements. International candidates are often confused and frustrated by the complicated application process.

ACCA

ACCA is based in the United Kingdom. It operates as a single entity and so the application process is much simpler and easier.

Please note that while ACCA is a global brand and organization, it is not a statutory accounting body in any country. It does not grant any “license” but it gives out membership.

Application & Qualification

This is probably the biggest difference when it comes to CPA vs ACCA.

US CPA

Candidates must have a minimum of a 4-year bachelor degree and preferably a master’s degree in order to fulfill the 150 credit hours, equivalent to 5 years in tertiary education.

Once you are approved for the exam, you will sit for the exam but you are on your own in terms of how to get prepared. Most candidates choose to take review courses to help in the studies.

ACCA

The entry level is much lower – you are qualified as long as you have 3 GCSEs and 2 A Levels in 5 separate subjects including Math and English. In other words, most high school graduates can qualify. If you have a bachelor degree in relevant subjects, you can apply for exemption on part or all of the papers at the Fundamental Level.

Unlike the US CPA, once candidates are registered, ACCA takes an active role in preparing you for the exam by providing study guides, paper exam papers as well as running a database of ACCA Approved Learning Partners.

Exam Content And Format

US CPA

There are 4 parts of the exam: Financial Accounting & Reporting, Audit & Attestation, Regulation and Business Environment & Concepts. There is no exemption on any parts of this exam.

The exam is 100% computerized consisting of multiple choice questions, task-based simulations (i.e. intense case studies) as well as written communications. Grading is also mostly computerized.

You can choose to take the 4 parts one at a time, 2 at a time or even 4 at the same time. You can sit for the exam any time (Monday to Saturday) during the first 2 months of each quarter and at any prometric centers throughout the US as well as in Japan, Brazil and 4 Middle Eastern countries.

ACCA

There are 14 papers divided into Fundamental Level (9 papers) and Professional Level (5 papers). Candidates can apply to waive part or all of papers at the Fundamental Level.

Some but not all papers are computerized.  The exam is offered in June and December each year in more than 170 countries throughout the world.

Time Required To Become Qualified

US CPA

Most candidates aim to pass the CPA exam within a year. Some who have the time and commitment can study all materials within 6 months, take all 4 parts of the exam in one go and pass.

ACCA

Given the number of papers and the fact the exams are held only twice in a year, candidates generally need 3 to 4 years to complete all papers and become an ACCA member.

Reciprocity

US CPA

AICPA (the US accounting body) has reciprocal agreement with 7 accounting bodies in the world. Their members can choose to take a simplified version of the exam known as IQEX. ACCA is not among these 7 accounting bodies.

ACCA

It is hard to generalize but there are partial exemptions in many countries’ accounting board exam requirements.

In the case of United States, my understanding is that California is the only one that recognizes the ACCA qualification. ACCA is equivalent to ~100 credit hour in the educational requirement in California.

Note: while you don’t need a social security number (SSN) to sit for the exam, SSN is required to ultimately get the CPA license in California.

Other Considerations

For the US CPA exam, unless you reside in the few countries where international exam sites are available (up to May 2012, these countries are Japan, Brazil, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, the UAE), you will have to travel to the US for the test.

On the other hand the ACCA exam can be taken in more than 100 countries.

For candidates who come from a country that is exceedingly difficult to get a US VISA, ACCA could be a much preferred choice.

Conclusion

The US CPA is arguably the most prestigious accounting qualification. Entry barrier is pretty high with an equivalent of a masters’ degree together with strict working experience requirements.

There are certain work that can only be done by CPA e.g. signing an audit report and opening a CPA firm. Therefore it has a distinct advantage to obtain this qualification especially if you can interested in public accounting in the United States.

For ACCA, the application process is much simpler and entry barrier is very low. However, it normally takes years to complete the studies and obtain the membership. While ACCA is globally recognized it is not the statutory accounting body, and not as highly regarded outside the UK and commonwealth countries.

If I Must Pick… Which One Should I Go For?

For international candidates, in most cases it is not possible to take advantage of the ACCA membership in getting exemption from the US CPA exam requirements. So it’s wise to target either on and not both.

In terms of which qualification is “better”, it is like a question on Pepsi vs Coca Cola… it really depends on where you plan to work. Good luck!

Share Your Thoughts

If you have any comments on US CPA vs ACCA I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please drop me a note on my Facebook page or contact page and join the conversation of many others!

Further Reading

• ACCA:  ACCA official site
• US CPA: AICPA official site or FAQ of this site

Can I Be More Helpful?

I have set up a e-course specifically with the non-US CPA exam candidates in mind.

If you are planning to pursue the CPA and would like to learn how to plan, study and pass the exam on your first attempt, then please consider signing up to this e-course which is absolutely free:

Want This eBook & Tips? Join our 2417-strong community of international CPA candidates!

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Are you an Indian candidate who wishes to get the CPA qualification in the United States? Is your BCOM and CA degree not enough to get you qualified to take the exam? Have you tried several State Boards and credential evaluators but still can’t get a favorable response?

Let’s discuss the challenges and possible solutions on how to get you qualify to sit for the US CPA Exam.

First Of All…

Being an Indian Chartered Accountant is a great accomplishment and I like to commend you on that, but getting pass the US-centric CPA exam requirements can be frustrating and let me help you  go over the steps one by one.

The Basic Requirements

To get the CPA license, all candidates need to fulfill the “3E”, that is, Education, Exam and Experience.

Generally speaking, you need to:

• Obtain a 4-year bachelor degree AND accumulate 150 credit hours (but at least 120 credit hours for a few states)
• Pass the 4 parts of the CPA exam within 18 months
• Get your relevant experience properly verified

1A. The 4-Year Bachelor Degree Rule

Challenges

First of all, the tertiary degree system in India is different from that of the US – the bachelor program is in India 3 years while in the US it is 4 years.

Because of this, Indian CPA candidates cannot fulfill the first requirement of obtaining a 4-year bachelor degree.

In the past, there have been 3 solutions:

(a) Apply through Delaware

For the last few years Delaware is the only state that recognizes “associate degree” including 3-year non-US bachelor degree. However, Delaware is going to change its rule effective August 2012 so it will no longer work for you.

(b) Apply through Colorado or Michigan

Colorado and Michigan used to recognize CA certificate as a prerequisite to sit for the exam, and many Indian candidates applied through them. However, they have since changed the interpretation of the rules in 2009 and 2011/2 respectively and it no longer works.

(c) Apply through a few states that recognize Indian Chartered Accountancy

The CA certificate is recognized as a 4-year bachelor equivalent in the US by some states (e.g. New Hampshire, Colorado after 2009). However, since 2012 they have also changed the interpretation of their rules.

The Solution

It is a big challenge for B.COM with or without CA to pass this rule.

• If you have B.COM only and are serious about getting your CPA qualification, I suggest that you take a master’s degree (see below on restrictions). At this stage I can’t see an easy way out.
• If  you have B.COM + CA, then there may still be one solution for you and we will talk about it at the end of this post

1B. The 150 Credit Hour Rule

Challenges

Typically one year of university equals to 90 credit hours. For a 3-year B.COM degree you will get 90 credit hours.

In the past, a CA certificate gave you an additional of around 40 credit hours. With  90+40=130 credit hours you can get qualified for a few states. However, since 2012 chartered accountancy has been considered a “experience qualification” rather than an “academic qualification” and so it is no longer given credits towards the educational requirements.

In other words, not much use from the Indian chartered accountancy in this regard.

The Solution

Fortunately there are solutions to this rule. Typically if you pass the above rule concerning the 4-year bachelor degree with an additional masters’ degree, you won’t have this issue.

However if you are short of certain accounting or federal taxation courses, you can always take them at the “accredited educational institutions”, which includes community colleges in the US or online courses.

I haven’t personally vetted the following courses but they are recommended by my readers:

• Taxation courses
• Other courses

Some institutions outside of the US can be qualified too but you have to check careful to make sure they are.

In other words, there will be extra time, money and effort involved but it is doable.

1C. Applying For The CPA Exam

Challenges

If you are fine with 1A and 1B above, you should be able to find a state that you can qualify. There is extensive information on CPA exam requirements by state here.

Once choosing a State Board, the next step is to send your Indian transcripts and marksheets to the foreign credential evaluation agency.

Note: If you get part of the educational credits from a school in the US, then for this part you don’t need to go through the evaluators but you’ll need to ask this US school to send the transcript to the State Board directly. Please read the instruction in the CPA exam application form for details.

Common Questions

1. Which evaluator should I use?

The State Board of your chosen state should indicate which evaluators you can pick from. Some allow you to choose anyone that is a member of the evaluators’ association (i.e. NACES), while others only recognizes one, e.g. FACS for Delaware.

While some evaluators do seem to be slightly lenient in terms of giving you more credit hours, they are essentially the same and I don’t have a personal recommendation. Depending on your needs you can either pick the cheapest or the fastest.

I went through FACS myself. They are cheaper and reliable but they take the longest time spanning from 4-8 weeks.

2. How many credit hours do you think I can get?

The evaluators will have to take a close look at your school and specific subjects you have taken, so I am afraid I can’t give you an answer. Also, at this stage I don’t have the expertise to evaluate transcripts so even if you send me one I won’t be able to help. Sorry about that.

Solution

You will have to make some commitment i.e. to pay the evaluators for a professional evaluation. It costs anywhere from ~ $150-200. Express service is available but will cost multiples of that.

Some states offer pre-evaluation service which will indicate which courses you lack. I think it is a good idea if you aren’t sure whether you can get qualified for that state.

2. Taking The CPA Exam

Once you are approved to sit for the exam, you will receive a Notice To Schedule (NTS) which will allow you to schedule your exam in sites called the prometric center.

Note: You don’t need to physically take the exam at the state you register at, e.g. you can register at Colorado and fly to California for the test.

In terms of the CPA exam, it is likely the easiest step for international candidates. At least it is something within your control. If you need help I’d suggest that you take a review course from one of these Top 10 CPA review courses.

Once you complete the 4 parts of the exam, most states require that you take the ethics exam which is much easier.

3. Experience Requirement

Challenges

Most states require 1 to 2 years of experience. The challenge is that the State Boards only recognize “relevant” experience that is “properly verified”:

(a) Note on relevance

Some states only recognize public accounting i.e. auditing or related work in a CPA firm. If you work in the corporate, non-profit organization and non-US government agencies your experience cannot be counted.

IMPORTANT: when you pick a state to get qualified for the exam, this is an important consideration.

(b) Note on proper verification

All experience will have to be verified by a US CPA who keep his/her license active during the time you work(ed) for him/her. Most states require that this person to be your direct supervisor. Some states allow CPA “or equivalent”, which usually means a Canadian CA or Australian CA, but for the exact definition of this equivalency you will have to check with your State Board.

If you have previous working experience in India, unless you worked under a US CPA your experience cannot be counted. I know it is frustrating but an important note to remember.

Solutions

1. Go Through Colorado’s Education In Lieu Of Experience. Colorado has this rule (effective until around 2015) that waive the experience requirement if you demonstrate to have 150 credit hours. You will have to submit the transcripts/marksheets to the evaluators again to meet this specific rule.
2. Go Through Massachusetts. MA State Board issues “non-reporting license” to candidates without experience If they have a graduate degree.
3. Go Through Illinois (effective until July 1, 2012). Similarly IL State Board issues “CPA certificate” to candidates without experience if they fulfill 150 credit hours.

Note: for non-reporting license or CPA certificates, the candidates will have restrictions to practice as a public accountant e.g. cannot sign audit report. However, if you want to have the CPA title as credentials only it should work.

Questions

1. I have a H4 visa and I can’t work.

Yes this would be an issue. I can’t really think of a solution unless you apply to become a student yourself, get a student visa and SSN which will allow you to work at least on a part-time basis. This would be a good way to start.

2. I live in India and I can’t find a CPA to work for.

This is also tough, but you may call up the Society of CPA of your registered state or explore the possibility of working in your local Big 4 which should have some US CPAs working in the firms.

A Note On CPA Exam International Sites

Question: I work in UAE and am considered a long-term resident. Should I take the CPA exam there?

At least in terms of the residency requirements you are qualified as a long-term resident to take the CPA exam in UAE. Please beware of the following:

Not all states allow candidates to take the exam in international sites. California is one example. You can go to this page for the list.

There is a stricter requirement to fulfill the working experience requirement: you have to get the working experience fulfilled within 3 years or they will void your CPA exam results, if you take the exam outside of US jurisdiction. However, if you take it within the US, many states have no restrictions while some give you 10 years.

To learn more about taking the CPA exam outside the US please click here.

This Is All Too Confusing. Can I Get Help?

The State Boards are actively closing what they see as “loopholes” which makes getting qualified exceedingly difficult for Indian candidates.

I personally have run out of ideas for B.COM + CA holders, but my friend Leslie-Ann at CPAexcel said she still has one “combination” (a specific state + a specific evaluator) that works.

It is understandable that she provides service only to CPAexcel students and you may find out the exact state that works after you purchase the CPAexcel course. Rest assured that they have a good product with a 87% passing rate among their students. There is a 95% refund if Leslie-Ann can’t get you qualified at the end.

• You can go directly to CPAexcel page here
• Or read about my evaluation on CPAexcel here

Do YOU Have A Solution Or Story To Share?

I rely a lot on my readers to keep this site useful and updated. If you know anything that could help the many aspiring CPAs in India, please post on my Facebook page or you can also email me. Any tips will be highly appreciated.

Thanks again and best of luck to your CPA journey!

“He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.“

Napoleon Bonaparte (   ) -

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.“

Theodore Roosevelt (  ) –

“I failed my way to success.“

Thomas Edison (1847 – 1931) was an American inventor, scientist and businessman who developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb.

“Go back a little to leap further.”

John Clarke ( ) -

“Every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent success.”

Napoleon Hill (1883 – 1970) was an American author who was one of the earliest producers of the modern genre of personal-success literature. His most famous work, Think and Grow Rich, is one of the best-selling books of all time.

“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”

William Shakespeare ( )

“We learn wisdom from failure much more than success. We often discover what we will do, by finding out what we will not do.”

Samuel Smiles ( )

“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.”

George Herman “Babe” Ruth ( )

“One who fears failure limits his activities.
Failure is only the opportunity to more intelligently begin again.”

Henry Ford ( )

“Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortunes; but great minds rise above them.”

Washington Irving ( )

“Our greatest glory consist not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Oliver Goldsmith ( )

“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?”

Vincent van Gogh ( )

Please find below the CPA exam and licensing requirements by state. While we try our best to provide the most up-to-date information, please double check with the state boards’ official sites for the most updated information.

Why do you want to be an accountant? For many of us, it is a job with good and stable income. And as someone who works with numbers all day, I bet that you will have a spreadsheet, a note book or some sort of way to keep track of how much you have earned, spent, and saved.

I do have a spreadsheet, but as much as I like to analyse my financial situation I find the process of looking through the statements and inputting the data pretty time consuming. So I typically update my spreadsheet once a quarter, which in a way defeats the purpose of keeping myself on track in terms of spending money and reaching my financial goals.

Now, the good news — I have just discovered a fabulous tool that will help us do all that, for free! Obviously my instinct tells me there is no free lunch in this world so I will also show you why this site is willing to provide these wonderful services for free, and why I feel comfortable for them to do that.

Introducing… Mint.com

Mint.com is a site that pulls all our financial accounts into one place. We can then set a budget, track our goals and do more with our money.

Here is a quick intro before we go into the specifics:

What Are The Benefits?

1. Save Time And Stay Organized

Here is what Mint can do to keep us efficient and effective all day:

• Automatically file the expense item into different categories. No more tedious data entry!
• Generate charts to show the trend and composition of spending.

2. Show Where You Can Cut Back Spending

Pretty important given how the economy is:

• Track your spending vs your budget (which you set beforehand) so you can know exactly where to cut down your everyday cost.
• Analyze your spending pattern with historical data on a year-to-year, month-to-month or any customized time period.
• Analyze your spending and accounts to see if a better credit card or bank account could save you money.

3. Avoid Unnecessary Spending

• Send bill reminders to your mobile phone to avoid late payment penalties.
• Group and highlight hidden fees in your statements.

4. Protect Your Money

• Protect your personal finances and credit scores by notifying you of unusual charges or large purchases.

5. Keep Track Of Your Investments

• Present your asset allocation across all investment accounts
• Compare your investment portfolio to market benchmark

These Are All Benefits I Can’t Wait To Get, But…

1. Is It Safe?

I find it comforting that this is a read-only site so no one can ever move your money.

Can Anyone Steal My Account Information?

Mint uses the same encryption and physical security that banks use (please go to their site for the technical details). Also, Mint’s practices are monitored and verified by TRUSTe,VeriSign and Hackersafe, and supported by RSA Security.

I Know It’s Free Now, But Is There Any Hidden Charge Or Strings Attached?

Mint says no, and I believe them because they make money by recommending services such as home loan package and IRA accountants. They never force you to buy anything, but if you do have the need then it is natural to get the list from them. I bet that they will benefit whichever provider you pick at the end so they can stay unbiased.

It’s Kind Of Like My Site

I run this site both for fun and for business e.g. selling my eBook on CPA exam tactics, but I never aggressively ask people to buy my books, and readers are welcome to take my service (in my case, reading the info and suggestions on my site) for free.

My philosophy is, if people find my site helpful and they happen to need tactics to pass their CPA exam, then they will be happy to get my book. I would think Mint.com runs their site in similar way.

Afterall, Mint has 7 million users. It is also voted as the 500 best online companies by Time Magazine so they must be doing a pretty good job.

Check out Mint.com today!

(Why not, it’s free!)

If You Don’t Live In The US Or Canada…

Please note that Mint’s network only covers financial institutions in the US and Canada so unfortunately they will  not able to provide the service to you at this stage. Having said that you are welcome to sign up to get latest updates from them.

Would you like to give it a try?

I’ve just signed up here. Hope you will do the same!

I have gotten a few questions on whether Exammatrix is good for the CPA exam preparation.

With that I would like to present my preliminary findings of this CPA review course provider.

Exammatrix CPA Review = MicroMash

First of all, a little bit of history. MicroMash was a relatively well-known CPA review course provider and it sold the CPA review business to Exammatrix in 2003. If you heard of MicroMash before, it may give you some comfort.

Exammatrix Offers A Unique Feature

I would say a clear feature that sets them apart is the “Adaptive Learning” Software. I don’t have the data but I bet that most of their customers are attracted by this unique software capability.

Here is the latest “Sales Video” By Exammatrix:

Pros

Exam matrix’s test prep software is run by a sophisticated program that helps candidates learn from their answers. Specially, the software analyses the performance of each section and then feeds the user with more questions that he or she struggles with.

In this way, not only the candidates are guided to work on their weakest areas, they also don’t need to waste time in drilling the topics they already know and thus substantially increase the learning efficiency.

With 3,000-4,000 questions available for any major CPA review provider, I can see the benefit of a virtual “hand-picking” of the most important questions for you get more practice on.

Here is a screen shot of the dashboard I extracted from the demo, with explanation (point 1-4) below the image:

1. Performance panel: showing the status of your progress i.e. at the assessment, adaptive learning or the review phases of the course.

2. The performance panel also shows the score and the cumulative study time to keep track of your progress.

3. Study history panel: score result of the last 5 sessions. You can click on the point on the graph to review that session’s performance and study questions.

4. Progress by category panel: the 5 major section of the CPA exam (in this case, FAR) is listed with the worst performing category at the top. You can click on the performance bar to start studying for that particular section.

Cons

Confusing Guided Lecture. I didn’t have a chance to review the full program, but a reader told me that the lectures tend to jump all over the place and don’t go in sequence with the textbook, which sounds pretty silly and confusing.

Signing Up Could Be An Hassle. There is a demo available, but it is no more than a video showing the software in action with a voice over i.e. not much value add than what I have told you above.

(By the way, you have to give away lots of personal info such as first and last name, day/evening phone and detailed address in order to get the access)

You will likely get a series of other marketing emails asking you to sign up for yet another demo (which supposedly is live demo). As you can imagine it’s not a very user-friendly experience.

My Thoughts

I don’t want to make any conclusions yet, but it sounds to me that if you need to watch a lecturer talking or learn better by looking charts and pictures, then Exammatrix is likely not for you.

However, if you learn by working on practice problems then this could be an intriguing offer. You can visit Exammatrix directly here.

You may want to check out Lambers test prep software (known as the Cramonlinemaster) as it has a similar adaptive capability.

Do You Have Other Recommendations?

For the pros and cons of other major CPA Review Courses, please click here.

Can I Be More Helpful?

If you would like to learn more about how to plan, study and pass the CPA exam on your first attempt, then please consider signing up to this e-Course which is absolutely free. For limited time only I will give away the following eBook as a token of appreciation.

Feel free to learn more about this mini-course here, or sign-up directly below:

…But you are not done yet!

Step 2 of 2: Confirm your subscription

You will need to confirm your subscription in order to receive your mini-course. It is really easy to do, and takes about 30 seconds.

You will not receive access to the Pass The CPA Exam: Secret Tactics e-course until you complete the below setup.

Now please:

1. Check your email inbox.
2. Open the email from me with Subject: “please confirm your subscription”. (If you don’t see the email, please wait for a minute or two)
3. Click on the blue link, and that’s it!

Note: Please be sure to “whitelist” or “safelist” my email address – stephanie@ipassthecpaexam.com – or your email system might delete my emails as spam before you see them.

Cheers,