While the AICPA is a main source of information related to the CPA Exam, sometimes feedback from your fellow candidate can be of great value as well. In this special episode hosted by Lauren and Mike, we discuss some of the insights shared by candidates with one another on various online discussion forums. Topics include tips for a great Exam strategy, how many hours to study for each section, is there a right order to take the Exam, how to tackle the Exam if you work full-time, motivational advice, and much more.

Understanding what goes into the development of a CPA Exam question may provide extra insight for test day. In this episode, we speak with AICPA Exam Team members Dr. Timothy Habick, Ph.D. and Renee Warias who share some of the behind-the-scenes considerations from creation to approval, fairness in the wording, as well as knowing with certainty that each multiple-choice question has only one right answer.

With so much information floating around out there about the CPA Exam and license, it's hard to decipher what's fact and what's fiction. We speak with AICPA Exams Team member Lori Kelly, CPA, who dispells some of the most common Exam myths. Topics include eligibility requirements, International candidate requirements, is there a right order to take the Exam, is there a certain number of hours you should dedicate to studying, etc.

If you're listening to this podcast, you probably know the vital role NASBA plays in the CPA Exam administration process. From eligibility determination to score releases, NASBA is an essential part of any Exam candidate's journey. We sat down with Pat Hartman, Director of Examination Services with NASBA, as she tackles some of the more frequently asked questions she receives from candidates on a regular basis.

Long hailed by many candidates as the most challenging of the four Exam sections, Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) can seem pretty intimidating to many candidates. AICPA Exams team members Lori Kelly, CPA and Randi Lockhart, CPA, are here to reassure listeners that passing FAR is very doable with the right preparation. They'll share details about the section's content as well as recommendations for how best to approach studying for FAR.

There's a number of ways an employer can support its employees on their path to the CPA. In this episode, we speak with the AICPA's Senior Manager of Firm Services, Kari Hipsak, CPA, on why employer support is so crucial for CPA candidates, how to find out during the interview stage what kind of support an employer offers, and recommendations for how to discuss your CPA career path with your employer.

In this episode, we're pulling back the curtain and giving you a glimpse into the assembly-line-like process it takes to create an Exam question, or item, from start to finish. We speak with AICPA Exams Team members Jessica Lucas and Jeff West, who share with us the journey an Exam item goes through before you see it on test day, and why understanding this process can be beneficial to an Exam candidate.

Someone says Reguation (REG) and many candidates automatically think taxation. But there's more to learn about this section as host Mike Horan is joined by AICPA Exams team members Debbi Luhman, CPA, and Ann Avallone, CPA. They'll get you up to speed on REG content and offer a personalized view into what this section's all about. Get the REG Blueprints at https://www.aicpa.org/becomeacpa/cpaexam/examinationcontent.html

Would you purchase a car before test driving it? Generally, no. The same goes for the CPA Exam. Before test day, you'll ideally want to familiarize yourself with the format and functionality of the Exam. In this episode, we're joined by Henrietta Eve, AICPA's Lead Manager of Product Development, who will focus on the difference between a sample test and practice, what you can expect from the CPA Exam tutorial video, and why the sample tests and tutorial are essential to a candidate's preparation strategy. Access the sample tests and tutorial at https://www.aicpa.org/becomeacpa/cpaexam/forcandidates/tutorialandsampletest.html

In this episode, we talk with longtime friends and CPAs, Sarah Sullivan of BDO and Jessica Gray of the AICPA Exams team about how they supported each other along their CPA journey, the strategies they used, what order they felt was right for taking each section, and how having those three "magic" letters after their names have boosted their careers.