[M.O.D.]

I have not heard of any benefits while reading this forum, only the benefits of studying for the CMA test.

But I am thinking that if you want to learn something interesting, instead of doing the chore of studying, you might have a greater interest and incentive in studying the material.

But if the CPA material is so useless that no one needs it for his/her job or future professional life, why is it tested?

BA Mathematics, UC Berkeley
Certificates in CPA and EA preparation, College of San Mateo
CMA I 420, II 470
FAR 91, AUD Feb 2015 (Gleim self-study)

[Java230]

It is not useless, it is just something you don't often use. The knowlege you gain while studying is priceless, it is hard to explain why that is, the CPA exam does a wonderful job in testing you in certain areas to see if you can actually learn something. The CPA exam tests you on ability to understand key concepts and be able to spit it back. The areas it covers (although some people think it is broad), it is actually SUPER specific, I didnt have questions i didnt study, meaning it is very specific. As an auditor, i look up questions and we specialize in specific areas (not typically covered by the CPA exam), for example i work with banks, so most of the CPA exam is not applicable but I think everything it tested was valuable knowledge. I didn't get any questions relating to my work but the items I studied helped me understand the ASCs that applied to my job, the fundamentals. The test is just VERY basic knowlege on fairly specific items. If accounting is what you are into, study accounting while taking the CPA exam but KNOW that the accounting class will not help you much on the CPA exam, it really won't help you at all. CPA tests VERY specific areas, while the field of accounting is very broad.

I think the folks who do the CPA exam do an amazing job challanging all of us while testing us on the SAME topics since the 80s (some of the question i practiced were from 80s).

Licensed WA CPA 2/2015
Government Auditor Since 2007

[Author]

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