THE “7x7” CPA EXAM REVIEW STRATEGY
Greetings, I figured it would be a reasonable time to talk about reviewing for the CPA exams. One strategy I have implemented over the last few weeks which has worked very well is what I call the “7 by 7” review strategy.
The goal of this strategy is to accumulate an average of 7 hours of review time per day 7 days per week. Currently I am preparing for the hardest section of the exam- FAR (financial accounting and reporting). The total recommended preparation time as per Becker- the review service I am personally using (not sponsored) is 150-200 hours. By averaging 49 hours per week, I am effectively able to prepare for this test within 4.5-5.5 weeks.
This strategy is not recommended for individuals with a full time job. I am fortunate enough not to have to work full time and really only work weekend nights. If you’re in the same boat I’d highly recommend doing this.
The key to this operation is averages. Some days there can be 10 hours of preparation, while others can be one to two. The goal is to AVERAGE 7 hours per day 7 days per week. Below is a sample of a basic schedule I’d recommend to accumulate the 49 weekly hours.
One thing that has helped me a lot is not taking a day off, while the schedule shown above is quite fatiguing, It does allow for some flexibility on the weekends and time allocations in the mid afternoon for training / relaxation.
My goal for the summer is the pass FAR before fall camp begins for Football. So this schedule is not a long term solution. This is designed to be ran for 5-6 weeks MAX! After this section is complete I plan on taking a break from exam prep review.
To also be noted: If you find yourself ahead of schedule with the actual course planner, get off the computer early. While I find myself creating time allocations such as the schedule above, I can often get ahead enough so that the second PM session before bed might turn into a 15 minute review and calling it a night.
There are also other variants of this schedule that can be applied depending on the anticipated time frame. I’m a big fan of square numbers so there could be 3x3’s, 4x4’s,5x5’s and 6x6’s discussed in the future.
Be well! Study hard!
