In many times, students decide on the best professional courses depending on career pay associated with it and not considering other factors in career basics. As expected, students who make this mistake will end up regretting or deciding to go for another professional training that would cater for their career basics not met before. As for those who are already in employment for instance family associated business, they have least say in deciding a profession suitable for their career basics.
Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Professional Certificates in Career Basics
Before students decide on colleges to further their studies, they must carry out proper fact finding on the college just to ensure that all of the basics in the current job market is catered for. Career basics, demands that you have a credible professional certificate in the eyes of the employer. Imagine after three years of training only to discover that your certificate is classified as bogus, this could hurt dearly the job seeker having wasted quality of his time studying for irrelevant certificate. In career basics, the most first element that should be considered after deciding on career path is the training institution.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Education in Career Basics
Just like other major career basics essentials, Education is vital for job seekers in their quest for career path with a better career pay. However, most of the career basics essentials nowadays can easily be planned for with the availability of research resources to make more informed career basics choices regarding their career path. Job seekers should be informed on available career paths and opportunities from which they can base their career basics.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
CPA Exam Basics
By Eric Anderson
The Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination (UCPAE) is often referred to by this abbreviated title of "the CPA Exam." To become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), you must pass the CPA Exam.
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) constructed the exam to be rigorous enough to protect the public interest by ensuring that only very qualified people can become licensed as Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) while encompassing a basic knowledge of a wide range of accounting subjects. Failure rate is high (54%).
While the test is written by the AICPA, it is given by Prometric at its 300+ testing centers in multiple cities within each of the 54 U.S. jurisdictions (the 50 U.S. states and four U.S. territories).
Since the test is exactly the same, you can sit for the exam at any location, even a Prometric test center outside the state in which you are approved to sit for the exam. Thus, if you are a college student from Rhode Island who meets the qualifications for the CPA Exam in Texas (where you were hired and will start after graduation), you can sit for the exam in Rhode Island. The scores are sent to Texas and then on to you. Each jurisdiction has its own requirements you must meet before you can sit for the exam. For more information, see "CPA Exam Application Process."
Prometric offers the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)'s Uniform Certified Public Accountant Exam (CPA Exam) at certain of Prometric's test centers. The CPA Exam is given as a Computer-Based Test.
The CPA Exam has four parts: the Auditing and Attestation CPA Exam, the Business Environment and Concepts (BEC) CPA Exam, Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) CPA Exam, and Regulation (REG) CPA Exam. To prepare to pass, you can take an unlimited number of CPA Exam simulations at CPAexcel.
Prometric is a company which is hired by a variety of government and professional organizations to offer their certification exams at Prometric centers. Microsoft, a national veterinary association, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) all offer their certification exams through Prometric's test centers. Prometric has thousands of test centers around the world but only 300 of those in the United States offer the CPA Exam.
The AICPA writes the exam. The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) maintains accurate databases of the requirements to sit for the exam as determined by the 54 jurisdictions* and the database of candidates for the CPA designation.
After your state/jurisdiction approves you to sit for the exam, NASBA sends you the Notice to Schedule (NTS) which allows you to register for one of the Prometric test center locations, and select a day and time to sit for the exam. After you sit for the exam, Prometric sends your test data to AICPA for scoring. AICPA sends the scores to NASBA which in turn distributes the information to the jurisdictions. Your jurisdiction will send you your score.
(*The 54 jurisdictions are the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam.) In 2004, the CBT format replaced the paper and pencil format which was the traditional method for delivering the CPA Exam.
CBT is the only format in which the test is offered but if requested at the time of application, certain accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) can be made for specific candidates.
About the Author:
At CPAexcel, the countdown to 2011 has begun. Because CPAexcel is the only CPA Exam Review which never expires, you can order it now and study for the current 2010 CPA Exam. If you have not passed all four sections by the end of 2010, you will have access to the new 2011 CBT-e content and functionality for free!
for cell phones, visit cell phone basics
The Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination (UCPAE) is often referred to by this abbreviated title of "the CPA Exam." To become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), you must pass the CPA Exam.
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) constructed the exam to be rigorous enough to protect the public interest by ensuring that only very qualified people can become licensed as Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) while encompassing a basic knowledge of a wide range of accounting subjects. Failure rate is high (54%).
While the test is written by the AICPA, it is given by Prometric at its 300+ testing centers in multiple cities within each of the 54 U.S. jurisdictions (the 50 U.S. states and four U.S. territories).
Since the test is exactly the same, you can sit for the exam at any location, even a Prometric test center outside the state in which you are approved to sit for the exam. Thus, if you are a college student from Rhode Island who meets the qualifications for the CPA Exam in Texas (where you were hired and will start after graduation), you can sit for the exam in Rhode Island. The scores are sent to Texas and then on to you. Each jurisdiction has its own requirements you must meet before you can sit for the exam. For more information, see "CPA Exam Application Process."
Prometric offers the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)'s Uniform Certified Public Accountant Exam (CPA Exam) at certain of Prometric's test centers. The CPA Exam is given as a Computer-Based Test.
The CPA Exam has four parts: the Auditing and Attestation CPA Exam, the Business Environment and Concepts (BEC) CPA Exam, Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) CPA Exam, and Regulation (REG) CPA Exam. To prepare to pass, you can take an unlimited number of CPA Exam simulations at CPAexcel.
Prometric is a company which is hired by a variety of government and professional organizations to offer their certification exams at Prometric centers. Microsoft, a national veterinary association, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) all offer their certification exams through Prometric's test centers. Prometric has thousands of test centers around the world but only 300 of those in the United States offer the CPA Exam.
The AICPA writes the exam. The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) maintains accurate databases of the requirements to sit for the exam as determined by the 54 jurisdictions* and the database of candidates for the CPA designation.
After your state/jurisdiction approves you to sit for the exam, NASBA sends you the Notice to Schedule (NTS) which allows you to register for one of the Prometric test center locations, and select a day and time to sit for the exam. After you sit for the exam, Prometric sends your test data to AICPA for scoring. AICPA sends the scores to NASBA which in turn distributes the information to the jurisdictions. Your jurisdiction will send you your score.
(*The 54 jurisdictions are the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam.) In 2004, the CBT format replaced the paper and pencil format which was the traditional method for delivering the CPA Exam.
CBT is the only format in which the test is offered but if requested at the time of application, certain accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) can be made for specific candidates.
About the Author:
At CPAexcel, the countdown to 2011 has begun. Because CPAexcel is the only CPA Exam Review which never expires, you can order it now and study for the current 2010 CPA Exam. If you have not passed all four sections by the end of 2010, you will have access to the new 2011 CBT-e content and functionality for free!
for cell phones, visit cell phone basics
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
IQEX Exam
IQEX is an acronym for the International Uniform Certified Public Accountant Qualification Examination and is sometimes referred to as The U.S. CPA Reciprocity Exam.
The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) offers the IQEX to qualified international candidates each fall. If you are an internationally trained accountant, you may wish to sit for the IQEX exam and seek a reciprocal CPA designation, since the CPA is globally the most recognized accounting designation.
IQEX is designed to evaluate a canadates professional competence as delineated by the U.S. International Qualifications Appraisal Board. The board will evaluate your education, examination scores, and experience to determine if you meet requirements which are substantially equivalent to United States CPAs. The IQEX exam will test you on your knowledge of U.S. business law, professional standards, and U.S. taxation codes.
In a later article is a list of the international designations eligible for reciprocity. If you do not hold one of those, you can still apply through one of the 54 U.S. jurisdictions, pass the CPA exam, and become a CPA. IQEX
What is Reciprocity?
"Reciprocity," a term commonly used by professional and occupational licensing bodies in many countries, means mutual professional recognition. Two independent bodies guarantee each other's members certain commercial or professional privileges.
Reciprocity can be either absolute or conditional. Absolute reciprocity exists when two license-granting bodies enter into bilateral agreements recognizing each other's licenses in total, without requiring applicants from either jurisdiction to take additional tests or prove requirements have been met.
In conditional reciprocity, two license-granting bodies recognize each other's licenses only if some mutually agreed-on additional education, experience or examination requirements are satisfied. Internationally, reciprocity would recognize the license of a duly certified professional accountant from one county who seeks to practice in another.
Eligibility for the Test:
Detailed information about IQEX eligibility requirements and IQEX application materials are available from NASBA.
Eligibility International candidates are eligible to qualify as U.S. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) as long as they meet Board of Accountancy eligibility requirements in one of 54 U.S jurisdictions - the 50 states, District of Columbia , Puerto Rico , U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. (The 55th jurisdiction, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands , is not yet ready to accept CPA applicants.) International candidates must be prepared to take the Uniform CPA Examination in one of the 54 U.S. jurisdictions. (It is not offered anywhere else.) They must also be able to take the CPA Examination in English. (It is not available in any other language.) Qualifying through a board of accountancy is the ONLY route to the CPA designation. There is NO central professional body in the U.S. through which candidates may qualify as CPAs. Application: The application process is basically the same for U.S. and international candidates alike. Prospective candidates must select the U.S. jurisdiction to which they will apply, contact the Board of Accountancy (or its agent) in that jurisdiction to obtain application materials, submit completed applications and required fees as instructed, and once deemed qualified, schedule the examination. Any special requirements that international applicants must meet (such as arranging for an evaluation of their educational credentials by an agency approved by the board) are explained in accountancy board application instructions. Prospective candidates who are undecided about the jurisdiction to which they should apply may wish to review the requirements of several Boards of Accountancy before making their decisions. Contact information for all boards is available at NASBA.
Applying for the Test: Applying for IQEX (International Uniform Certified Public Accountant Qualification Examination) Reciprocity with: IQEX designed to facilitate the U.S. CPA qualification process for those accounting professionals from other countries whose professional bodies have entered into reciprocity agreements with the U.S. accounting profession. Such agreements are currently in effect with the following organizations:
Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) Instituto Mexicano De Contadores Publicos (IMCP) Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (ICAI) Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICAA) CPA Australia
You must apply no later than the end of July. The test may be taken at your convenience in September at a Prometric Center in Canada (most major cities) or the U.S. Upon passing, you will be eligible to join one of 42 State Boards as a CPA. It doesn't matter when you received your Canadian designation. There is virtually no testing of Accounting or Auditing. 80% of the material covers the basics of U.S. Tax, Law and CPA Ethics. As long as you are an original Canadian CA and a member in good standing of a Provincial Institute, your application will be accepted automatically, although it may take some time before you receive your Notice to Schedule. We strongly recommend that you start your studies as soon as possible to avoid the need to cram. Reasons to become a CPA 1. You may be living in the U.S. or may decide to move to the U.S. or to another jurisdiction where the CPA is more readily recognized than a CA. 2. You may have clients that are U.S. parents or subsidiaries of Canadian firms. 3. You may be employed, or decide to become employed by a U.S.-based entity (or a Canadian subsidiary) even if you don't relocate. Canadian History: Before 2009, IQEX was offered in October and November. Many CAs attended summer preparation courses to become acquainted with the required material. With the change to a September testing period, the window for "live" courses has shrunk dramatically. In many cases, previous courses offered too much information, because they were designed for both IQEX and the full 4- paper Uniform CPA exam that non-CAs must take. Now, our course developer Henry Zimmer has prepared a Comprehensive IQEX Self-Study Program that covers everything a Canadian CA needs to learn to successfully write the exam. All registrants will receive study notes written in an easy-to-follow conversational style that emphasize the most likely topics for examination. You will also receive a textbook which forms the basic core of Mr. Zimmer's notes and also contains over a thousand sample multiple choice questions with detailed solutions. Many of these questions are from old exams and the questions tend to be repeated from year-to-year. You will not need to refer to the text except to study those questions recommended in your notes. How to Apply You should access the NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy website and review the material on IQEX. Our study materials include a summary of the major points. However, before you register with CPA-NOW, there are a few things you must know. 1. You may print a copy of the IQEX application form from the NASBA website and complete it manually. The fee to write IQEX is $845 U.S. payable by money order only and is to be mailed with your application. 2. You must obtain a Letter of Good Standing from your Provincial Institute. NASBA must receive it before you are granted permission to schedule your examination. To be eligible to write IQEX, your CICA experience requirement must have been completed. However, we have been informed verbally that NASBA will take a lenient position with regards to "new" CAs. You may request permission to write as long as you have passed the UFE and expect to have completed your term of service, with membership in your Provincial Institute granted before the grade release date in December. Contact NASBA by telephone or email to make these special arrangements. 3. The application deadline is the end of July although it is subject to change. The earlier you apply (and your Letter of Good Standing is submitted) the greater your chances are of securing the testing date you desire. Testing is administered at Prometric Centers in Canada and the U.S. A list of testing locations can be found at Prometric's website. Effective 2009, the examination is offered in September. Please be aware that each Prometric Center has a limited number of computers and they administer many different kinds of tests (eg. LSAT, MCAT etc.) simultaneously. The Test Itself: IQEX is a four-and-a-half hour examination. T The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) in the U.S. offers Canadian CAs a multiple-choice International Qualifying Examination (IQEX) consisting of 150 questions, all taken from previous Uniform CPA examinations. The IQEX Content Specifications Outline (CSO) listing examination topics is available from the AICPA. Click here to access. Review the Content Specification Outlines (CSOs) CSOs are definitions of the scope of examination sections. To prevent unwelcome surprises on the day of the examination, learn what subject matter comprises every section. Review the CSOs before you begin to study for the examination. Click here to view the CSOs (in effect until December 31, 2010). The new Content and Skill Specification Outlines (CSOs/SSOs) are available here (effective date: January 1, 2011).
IQEX Syllabus & Grading Subject Area Percentage of Exam Approximate Number of Questions Business Law 20% 30 Ethics 15% 23 Federal Taxation 43% 64 Recent Regulatory Issues 5% 7 Business Structure 10% 15 Miscellaneous Accounting Issues 2% 3 Accounting and Reporting for Governmental Entities and Non-Profit Organizations 5% 8 100% 150 Study Time Obviously, your study time will be dependent on whether you have prior knowledge of Business Law and/or U.S. Taxation. (Please note that IQEX only requires an entry-level knowledge of U.S. taxation matters. Accordingly, the CPA-NOW course is not designed to provide the expertise needed to handle "real-life" client situations. See FAQs for more details.) Assuming you have no prior knowledge about any of the topics in the IQEX Syllabus the following is an estimate of average time requirements after an initial run-through of the material: Subject Area Total Hours Business Law 20 Ethics 4 Federal Taxation 26 Recent Regulatory Issues 3 Business Structure 3 Miscellaneous Accounting Issues 2 Accounting and Reporting for Governmental Entities and Non-Profit Organizations 12* 70 * Based on past experience, Governmental Accounting is an area with which most Canadian CAs are unfamiliar. You may decide to reduce your time budget on this topic since you can expect it to comprise no more than 3% of IQEX. Instead, you may decide to devote an extra 6-8 hours to Business Law and/or Federal Taxation. (By way of contrast, you will find the Non-Profit issues very easy to grasp.)
The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) offers the IQEX to qualified international candidates each fall. If you are an internationally trained accountant, you may wish to sit for the IQEX exam and seek a reciprocal CPA designation, since the CPA is globally the most recognized accounting designation.
IQEX is designed to evaluate a canadates professional competence as delineated by the U.S. International Qualifications Appraisal Board. The board will evaluate your education, examination scores, and experience to determine if you meet requirements which are substantially equivalent to United States CPAs. The IQEX exam will test you on your knowledge of U.S. business law, professional standards, and U.S. taxation codes.
In a later article is a list of the international designations eligible for reciprocity. If you do not hold one of those, you can still apply through one of the 54 U.S. jurisdictions, pass the CPA exam, and become a CPA. IQEX
What is Reciprocity?
"Reciprocity," a term commonly used by professional and occupational licensing bodies in many countries, means mutual professional recognition. Two independent bodies guarantee each other's members certain commercial or professional privileges.
Reciprocity can be either absolute or conditional. Absolute reciprocity exists when two license-granting bodies enter into bilateral agreements recognizing each other's licenses in total, without requiring applicants from either jurisdiction to take additional tests or prove requirements have been met.
In conditional reciprocity, two license-granting bodies recognize each other's licenses only if some mutually agreed-on additional education, experience or examination requirements are satisfied. Internationally, reciprocity would recognize the license of a duly certified professional accountant from one county who seeks to practice in another.
Eligibility for the Test:
Detailed information about IQEX eligibility requirements and IQEX application materials are available from NASBA.
Eligibility International candidates are eligible to qualify as U.S. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) as long as they meet Board of Accountancy eligibility requirements in one of 54 U.S jurisdictions - the 50 states, District of Columbia , Puerto Rico , U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. (The 55th jurisdiction, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands , is not yet ready to accept CPA applicants.) International candidates must be prepared to take the Uniform CPA Examination in one of the 54 U.S. jurisdictions. (It is not offered anywhere else.) They must also be able to take the CPA Examination in English. (It is not available in any other language.) Qualifying through a board of accountancy is the ONLY route to the CPA designation. There is NO central professional body in the U.S. through which candidates may qualify as CPAs. Application: The application process is basically the same for U.S. and international candidates alike. Prospective candidates must select the U.S. jurisdiction to which they will apply, contact the Board of Accountancy (or its agent) in that jurisdiction to obtain application materials, submit completed applications and required fees as instructed, and once deemed qualified, schedule the examination. Any special requirements that international applicants must meet (such as arranging for an evaluation of their educational credentials by an agency approved by the board) are explained in accountancy board application instructions. Prospective candidates who are undecided about the jurisdiction to which they should apply may wish to review the requirements of several Boards of Accountancy before making their decisions. Contact information for all boards is available at NASBA.
Applying for the Test: Applying for IQEX (International Uniform Certified Public Accountant Qualification Examination) Reciprocity with: IQEX designed to facilitate the U.S. CPA qualification process for those accounting professionals from other countries whose professional bodies have entered into reciprocity agreements with the U.S. accounting profession. Such agreements are currently in effect with the following organizations:
Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) Instituto Mexicano De Contadores Publicos (IMCP) Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (ICAI) Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICAA) CPA Australia
You must apply no later than the end of July. The test may be taken at your convenience in September at a Prometric Center in Canada (most major cities) or the U.S. Upon passing, you will be eligible to join one of 42 State Boards as a CPA. It doesn't matter when you received your Canadian designation. There is virtually no testing of Accounting or Auditing. 80% of the material covers the basics of U.S. Tax, Law and CPA Ethics. As long as you are an original Canadian CA and a member in good standing of a Provincial Institute, your application will be accepted automatically, although it may take some time before you receive your Notice to Schedule. We strongly recommend that you start your studies as soon as possible to avoid the need to cram. Reasons to become a CPA 1. You may be living in the U.S. or may decide to move to the U.S. or to another jurisdiction where the CPA is more readily recognized than a CA. 2. You may have clients that are U.S. parents or subsidiaries of Canadian firms. 3. You may be employed, or decide to become employed by a U.S.-based entity (or a Canadian subsidiary) even if you don't relocate. Canadian History: Before 2009, IQEX was offered in October and November. Many CAs attended summer preparation courses to become acquainted with the required material. With the change to a September testing period, the window for "live" courses has shrunk dramatically. In many cases, previous courses offered too much information, because they were designed for both IQEX and the full 4- paper Uniform CPA exam that non-CAs must take. Now, our course developer Henry Zimmer has prepared a Comprehensive IQEX Self-Study Program that covers everything a Canadian CA needs to learn to successfully write the exam. All registrants will receive study notes written in an easy-to-follow conversational style that emphasize the most likely topics for examination. You will also receive a textbook which forms the basic core of Mr. Zimmer's notes and also contains over a thousand sample multiple choice questions with detailed solutions. Many of these questions are from old exams and the questions tend to be repeated from year-to-year. You will not need to refer to the text except to study those questions recommended in your notes. How to Apply You should access the NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy website and review the material on IQEX. Our study materials include a summary of the major points. However, before you register with CPA-NOW, there are a few things you must know. 1. You may print a copy of the IQEX application form from the NASBA website and complete it manually. The fee to write IQEX is $845 U.S. payable by money order only and is to be mailed with your application. 2. You must obtain a Letter of Good Standing from your Provincial Institute. NASBA must receive it before you are granted permission to schedule your examination. To be eligible to write IQEX, your CICA experience requirement must have been completed. However, we have been informed verbally that NASBA will take a lenient position with regards to "new" CAs. You may request permission to write as long as you have passed the UFE and expect to have completed your term of service, with membership in your Provincial Institute granted before the grade release date in December. Contact NASBA by telephone or email to make these special arrangements. 3. The application deadline is the end of July although it is subject to change. The earlier you apply (and your Letter of Good Standing is submitted) the greater your chances are of securing the testing date you desire. Testing is administered at Prometric Centers in Canada and the U.S. A list of testing locations can be found at Prometric's website. Effective 2009, the examination is offered in September. Please be aware that each Prometric Center has a limited number of computers and they administer many different kinds of tests (eg. LSAT, MCAT etc.) simultaneously. The Test Itself: IQEX is a four-and-a-half hour examination. T The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) in the U.S. offers Canadian CAs a multiple-choice International Qualifying Examination (IQEX) consisting of 150 questions, all taken from previous Uniform CPA examinations. The IQEX Content Specifications Outline (CSO) listing examination topics is available from the AICPA. Click here to access. Review the Content Specification Outlines (CSOs) CSOs are definitions of the scope of examination sections. To prevent unwelcome surprises on the day of the examination, learn what subject matter comprises every section. Review the CSOs before you begin to study for the examination. Click here to view the CSOs (in effect until December 31, 2010). The new Content and Skill Specification Outlines (CSOs/SSOs) are available here (effective date: January 1, 2011).
IQEX Syllabus & Grading Subject Area Percentage of Exam Approximate Number of Questions Business Law 20% 30 Ethics 15% 23 Federal Taxation 43% 64 Recent Regulatory Issues 5% 7 Business Structure 10% 15 Miscellaneous Accounting Issues 2% 3 Accounting and Reporting for Governmental Entities and Non-Profit Organizations 5% 8 100% 150 Study Time Obviously, your study time will be dependent on whether you have prior knowledge of Business Law and/or U.S. Taxation. (Please note that IQEX only requires an entry-level knowledge of U.S. taxation matters. Accordingly, the CPA-NOW course is not designed to provide the expertise needed to handle "real-life" client situations. See FAQs for more details.) Assuming you have no prior knowledge about any of the topics in the IQEX Syllabus the following is an estimate of average time requirements after an initial run-through of the material: Subject Area Total Hours Business Law 20 Ethics 4 Federal Taxation 26 Recent Regulatory Issues 3 Business Structure 3 Miscellaneous Accounting Issues 2 Accounting and Reporting for Governmental Entities and Non-Profit Organizations 12* 70 * Based on past experience, Governmental Accounting is an area with which most Canadian CAs are unfamiliar. You may decide to reduce your time budget on this topic since you can expect it to comprise no more than 3% of IQEX. Instead, you may decide to devote an extra 6-8 hours to Business Law and/or Federal Taxation. (By way of contrast, you will find the Non-Profit issues very easy to grasp.)
About the Author:
At CPA Exam, the countdown to 2011 has begun. Because CPAexcel is the only CPA Exam Review that never expires, you can order it now and study for the current 2010 CPA Exam. If you have not passed all four parts by the end of 2010, you will have access to the new 2011 CBT-e content and features for free!
for cell phones, visit cell phone basics
CPA Exam Prep Book And The CPA Test
CPA Exam Review Book: The Uniform CPA Exam is a four part test which takes 14 hours to complete. The exam is given by a set of three organizations. Working together, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Prometric Testing Services, and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) administer the Uniform CPA Exam for Certified Public Accountants (CPA).
Because the test is so long and complicated, there are a number of books which are available to assist you in studying for the CPA Exam.
1. Books which are part of a CPA Review Course. 2. Books which are not part of a CPA Review Course.
Selecting a CPA Exam Review Book should be based on these factors:
o How often is there a new edition and when the book is revised? CPAexcel brings out two printed editions of their CPA Review textbooks each year while Becker only brings out one edition per year. CPAexcel has an ongoing process of revising their online study texts (which are exact copies of their printed textbooks). As rules change or new information is available, CPAexcel's university professors write new content. New content is inserted into the online text within a few days of its being written and is highlighted in red so that you can find the information quickly. If you have already read that section, the new information is highlighted for your review and an email alert is sent to you. Prior to test day, you are emailed a reminder about the changed material so that you can review it.
Consider how quickly information changes. How up-to-date is your book?
o Don't get fooled by the publication date! According to editorial guidelines, any book published after September can have the next year's date on it, making it appear much more current than it actually is. Here is how to get a basic idea of how old a book is.
Take any book off your shelf. Open to the title page. Turn the title page and look at the back of it. This back side of the title page is called the verso, the left- handed page or the page of manuscript which is to be read second. AHA! You learned a new word! On the verso, you should see "Copyright (c) 2010" or whatever the date is. (Note: there won't be quotation marks around the words. This is simply for purposes of this passage.) That publication date means that this particular book was copyrighted (which occurs prior to the covers being put together) between September 2009 and August 2010. Caution: there a few publishers who are playing by a different set of rules and are actually marking books published as early as July as the next year!
A book published July 2010 might have a 2011 publication date but think about it: when was the book actually written? The author(s) have to write the material. The editor(s) edit the material. The production people set up the graphics and page layout. And then, the book is printed.
Even in the best of circumstances, this can take months.
So how old is your book? Know when the publisher goes to press and how often. A good publisher will tell you without you having to coerce the information out of them. A publisher who publishes only once per year may not make that information easily known.
o Who wrote the book? CPAexcel recruits professors who are actively teaching that specific topic. CPAexcel posts the biography of each author, video lecturer, and mentor on their website.
Wouldn't you like to know the credentials of the people writing your CPA review books?
Here are a few questions to ask:
Does the publisher tell you wrote the books? Can you easily find out the authors' credentials? If not, what is the publisher hiding? Are the authors teaching accounting or business ethics at a recognized university (such as the University of Texas) rather than a place you've never heard of (such as the fictional Whatsamatta U)? Google the university and make certain that the professor teaches there. Do these authors have recognition within their academic community? Does their biography list their publications or conferences at which they spoke? Are the authors specialists in this topic? It's wonderful to have a terrific author who writes intelligently but is this person an expert in this topic? Check their credentials. If the person has written on business ethics and teaches business ethics at Arizona State, then this person is credible as an author on business ethics but probably not on Slovakian Medieval History. Therefore, match the author to the section to verify their expertise.
o How is the book organized? CPAexcel's study texts are organized in Bite-Sized LessonsSM, which can be completed in about 30 minutes-study text, video lecture and diagnostic testing. In reading only 3 to 10 pages, you complete an entire lesson. By having short lessons, you retain more.
o Is the book supported by other study tools? CPAexcel offers an electronic test bank of 5,100 CPA Exam questions from past tests, video lectures by professors, online study groups, and a variety of diagnostic tests. Professor Mentoring can be added.
o Have the authors included every iota of information or weeded out what you won't see on the exam? There is nothing more frustrating than to spend your valuable time studying the machinations of the accounting of wacky widgets only to find that wacky widgets were not covered on the exam. There is enough available information on which subjects are tested that authors can delete what is not needed. This saves you time, consternation, and possibly a few gray hairs. Look for books which focus specifically on the exam, not the totality of CPA knowledge in the known universe. Look at online forums to see what others think of the materials.
o Does the book over prepare you? Because Wiley includes every iota of information, students on blogs have complained about being over prepared for the exam. The students were frustrated that they had spent time mastering information which was of no use to them on the exam.
o Does the book prepare you sufficiently to pass? CPAexcel students praise our books for preparing them for exactly what was on the exam and not wasting their time on minutiae.
o Is the book designed to be a stand-alone or is it one of a set of fully integrated study tools? At CPAexcel, the books are designed to support and be supported by the other study tools-diagnostic exams, professors' video lectures, flash cards, electronic test bank of 5,100 CPA Exam questions and mentoring by professors. At Wiley, the books are designed to stand-alone without any human interaction, whether it is professor mentoring or video lectures. It's just you and the book, day after day after day after day.
o Is the book interesting to read? Or is it as dull as reading a blog such as, "I'm going to have two boiled eggs, some carrots, a tomato, and a piece of cucumber for lunch now." It doesn't matter how inexpensive the book is if you are snoring and asleep long before Chapter 2. Unless you are using it as a less addictive alternative to copious amounts of sleeping pills
o Are you guided in your study or are you on your own? With CPAexcel, you have the other study tools which link together to support your learning: diagnostic tests alert you to the topics you need to study more, while the video lectures and the study text hone in on what you need to master. Using CPAexcel's Exam Planner, you can create a study plan which gives you specific goals in lesson completion which will keep you on target for your exam day. Your study plan can be adjusted at any time. With Wiley, you are completely on your own to make your own schedule. If you are very self-disciplined, you will be on target to sit for your exam. If not.
Because the test is so long and complicated, there are a number of books which are available to assist you in studying for the CPA Exam.
1. Books which are part of a CPA Review Course. 2. Books which are not part of a CPA Review Course.
Selecting a CPA Exam Review Book should be based on these factors:
o How often is there a new edition and when the book is revised? CPAexcel brings out two printed editions of their CPA Review textbooks each year while Becker only brings out one edition per year. CPAexcel has an ongoing process of revising their online study texts (which are exact copies of their printed textbooks). As rules change or new information is available, CPAexcel's university professors write new content. New content is inserted into the online text within a few days of its being written and is highlighted in red so that you can find the information quickly. If you have already read that section, the new information is highlighted for your review and an email alert is sent to you. Prior to test day, you are emailed a reminder about the changed material so that you can review it.
Consider how quickly information changes. How up-to-date is your book?
o Don't get fooled by the publication date! According to editorial guidelines, any book published after September can have the next year's date on it, making it appear much more current than it actually is. Here is how to get a basic idea of how old a book is.
Take any book off your shelf. Open to the title page. Turn the title page and look at the back of it. This back side of the title page is called the verso, the left- handed page or the page of manuscript which is to be read second. AHA! You learned a new word! On the verso, you should see "Copyright (c) 2010" or whatever the date is. (Note: there won't be quotation marks around the words. This is simply for purposes of this passage.) That publication date means that this particular book was copyrighted (which occurs prior to the covers being put together) between September 2009 and August 2010. Caution: there a few publishers who are playing by a different set of rules and are actually marking books published as early as July as the next year!
A book published July 2010 might have a 2011 publication date but think about it: when was the book actually written? The author(s) have to write the material. The editor(s) edit the material. The production people set up the graphics and page layout. And then, the book is printed.
Even in the best of circumstances, this can take months.
So how old is your book? Know when the publisher goes to press and how often. A good publisher will tell you without you having to coerce the information out of them. A publisher who publishes only once per year may not make that information easily known.
o Who wrote the book? CPAexcel recruits professors who are actively teaching that specific topic. CPAexcel posts the biography of each author, video lecturer, and mentor on their website.
Wouldn't you like to know the credentials of the people writing your CPA review books?
Here are a few questions to ask:
Does the publisher tell you wrote the books? Can you easily find out the authors' credentials? If not, what is the publisher hiding? Are the authors teaching accounting or business ethics at a recognized university (such as the University of Texas) rather than a place you've never heard of (such as the fictional Whatsamatta U)? Google the university and make certain that the professor teaches there. Do these authors have recognition within their academic community? Does their biography list their publications or conferences at which they spoke? Are the authors specialists in this topic? It's wonderful to have a terrific author who writes intelligently but is this person an expert in this topic? Check their credentials. If the person has written on business ethics and teaches business ethics at Arizona State, then this person is credible as an author on business ethics but probably not on Slovakian Medieval History. Therefore, match the author to the section to verify their expertise.
o How is the book organized? CPAexcel's study texts are organized in Bite-Sized LessonsSM, which can be completed in about 30 minutes-study text, video lecture and diagnostic testing. In reading only 3 to 10 pages, you complete an entire lesson. By having short lessons, you retain more.
o Is the book supported by other study tools? CPAexcel offers an electronic test bank of 5,100 CPA Exam questions from past tests, video lectures by professors, online study groups, and a variety of diagnostic tests. Professor Mentoring can be added.
o Have the authors included every iota of information or weeded out what you won't see on the exam? There is nothing more frustrating than to spend your valuable time studying the machinations of the accounting of wacky widgets only to find that wacky widgets were not covered on the exam. There is enough available information on which subjects are tested that authors can delete what is not needed. This saves you time, consternation, and possibly a few gray hairs. Look for books which focus specifically on the exam, not the totality of CPA knowledge in the known universe. Look at online forums to see what others think of the materials.
o Does the book over prepare you? Because Wiley includes every iota of information, students on blogs have complained about being over prepared for the exam. The students were frustrated that they had spent time mastering information which was of no use to them on the exam.
o Does the book prepare you sufficiently to pass? CPAexcel students praise our books for preparing them for exactly what was on the exam and not wasting their time on minutiae.
o Is the book designed to be a stand-alone or is it one of a set of fully integrated study tools? At CPAexcel, the books are designed to support and be supported by the other study tools-diagnostic exams, professors' video lectures, flash cards, electronic test bank of 5,100 CPA Exam questions and mentoring by professors. At Wiley, the books are designed to stand-alone without any human interaction, whether it is professor mentoring or video lectures. It's just you and the book, day after day after day after day.
o Is the book interesting to read? Or is it as dull as reading a blog such as, "I'm going to have two boiled eggs, some carrots, a tomato, and a piece of cucumber for lunch now." It doesn't matter how inexpensive the book is if you are snoring and asleep long before Chapter 2. Unless you are using it as a less addictive alternative to copious amounts of sleeping pills
o Are you guided in your study or are you on your own? With CPAexcel, you have the other study tools which link together to support your learning: diagnostic tests alert you to the topics you need to study more, while the video lectures and the study text hone in on what you need to master. Using CPAexcel's Exam Planner, you can create a study plan which gives you specific goals in lesson completion which will keep you on target for your exam day. Your study plan can be adjusted at any time. With Wiley, you are completely on your own to make your own schedule. If you are very self-disciplined, you will be on target to sit for your exam. If not.
About the Author:
At CPAexcel, the countdown to 2011 has begun. Because CPAexcel is the only cpa review course which never expires, you can order it now and study for the current 2010 CPA Exam. If you have not passed all four sections by the end of 2010, you will have access to the new 2011 CBT-e content and functionality for free!
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