🎙 The Simple Study System – Part 3: Assess to Improve

The 5 Essential Steps to Assess Your CPA Exam Study Sessions and Make Progress Every Time You Study

In this episode, Dawn continues her Simple Study System with Part 3: Assessing your CPA Exam study sessions. This step is where effort turns into real progress. Instead of just showing up and hoping things improve, you’ll learn how to pause after each study session and intentionally learn from what you just did.

Dawn walks you through how to Assess your study sessions in a simple, non-judgmental way so you can improve every single time you study. You’ll learn why Assessment is the missing link for so many CPA candidates who are studying regularly but still feel stuck, and how small, intentional adjustments can help you get off the hamster wheel and move forward with confidence.

This episode is designed for CPA candidates who want their study time to actually pay off — without overhauling their entire plan or questioning their ability.

1. Why Assessment Is Essential for CPA Exam Success

Dawn explains why simply showing up isn’t enough — and how Assessing each study session helps you turn effort into measurable progress instead of repeating the same patterns over and over again.

2. How to Pause and Capture the Value of Each Study Session

You’ll learn why taking just 2–5 minutes at the end of a study session makes such a difference, and how this pause helps you move from “I studied” to “I learned how to study better.”

3. How to Identify What Went Well (Without Ignoring It)

Dawn shows you how to train your brain to notice what’s working so you don’t accidentally throw away progress or start every study session from doubt instead of confidence.

4. How to Spot What Didn’t Work — Without Judgment

This section teaches you how to look honestly at what didn’t give you a return on your time or energy, without slipping into self-criticism, comparison, or “shoulds.”

5. How to Decide What to Do Differently Next Time

You’ll learn how to choose one small, realistic shift to apply in your next study session, adjust your plan immediately, and walk into your next session with clarity instead of confusion.

Assessment isn’t about perfection or fixing yourself — it’s about learning. When you Assess each study session with curiosity and intention, you improve every time you study and build a CPA Exam study system that actually works for you.

👉 Click HERE to access the lesson slide deck.

👉 Click HERE to get your FREE Ultimate CPA Exam Success Checklist download and custom GPT.

Thanks for listening to Part 3 of The Simple Study System. This is the same process you’ll repeat for every section of the CPA Exam — Scheduling, Tracking, Assessing, and Rewarding (Part 4 coming soon) — as you continue building confidence, consistency, and momentum toward your CPA Exam Success.

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