"Becoming a Uniform Certified Public Accountant, or CPA, is no easy task. The exam to become a CPA is made up of four parts and more people fail each part than pass every time the test is taken. However, there are steps you can take to ensure your have a better chance at passing the CPA Exam when you are ready to take it.

The first step happens long before you are ready to take the exam. Before you ever think about taking a CPA exam you'll have to enroll in an accounting program. When you do so consider the programs carefully. Look into what percentage of the accounting program graduates pass the CPA exam. The CPA exam scores of students from a particular program reflect the program itself. If a lot of students pass the CPA exam from a program then chances are it's a good one and will help you prepare for when your turn comes to take the test.

Secondly you should make sure your preparatory methods match your learning style. If you are someone that learns easily through reading then buy texts to review for the exam. Or if you have a tough time motivating yourself to study, look into joining a class to prepare for the CPA exam. You can also use both methods if you sign up for one of the many classes available on the Internet.

A third tip for preparing for the CPA exam is quite obvious ? study, study, study. Many experts maintain that you should study for anywhere between 450 to 500 hours, or 30 hours per week for 15 to 16 weeks. Once you pass your first section you have 18 months to pass all four, but if you don't make the deadline then you have to start all over again. And keep in mind the CPA exam covers all areas of accounting, which makes for a lot of material you have to know and not just have memorized.

After all of the studying you'll want to move onto the fourth technique in preparing for the CPA exam ? practice. It's a great idea to use an online review course and your old college textbooks and tests to prepare. Each section has so much information that you'll want to make sure your timing is down when you take the CPA exam to have a better opportunity to pass.

Finally, you'll want to simulate the CPA exam. The exam is computerized so practicing with a computerized sample test makes the most sense. Exam Matrix, http://www.exammatrix.com, is a great example of a CPA exam simulator that has the same case-based simulations as the ones you will see on the exam. This helps you learn how to demonstrate your competence when exam time rolls around. Exam Matrix also offers comprehensive reference books, thousands of multiple-choice questions and answers, an 80% pass rate from former users and software that learns what you are not good at as you take the test over and over. This helps you prep even more for those sections by asking more questions around the topics where you show weakness for the material. Additionally, they offer a refund guarantee if you don't pass.

Taking the CPA exam is definitely a challenge, but it's easy to be successful if you have the right tools and take the time to prepare for it."