[Lentilcounter]

During one of the most recent AICPA/NASBA webinars, the AICPA presenter bought up the CPA exam blueprints available on the AICPA website. He said that we should reference these blueprints in preparing for the exams and then there should be no surprises. He also said that any content group/topic that is tested at the analysis level is fair game for a simulation. I have created a short summary below. While the language in the blueprints can be somewhat vague, I think if you at least have a mastery of the topics below, simulations shouldn’t scare you.

Balance sheet/statement of financial position
A) detect, investigate and correct discrepancies while agreeing the balance sheet amounts to supporting documentation
B) calculate fluctuations and ratios and interpret the results while reviewing comparative balance sheets

Income statement/statement of profit or loss
A) detect, investigate and correct discrepancies while agreeing the income statement amounts to supporting documentation
B) calculate fluctuations and ratios and interpret the results while reviewing comparative income statements

Statement of comprehensive income
A) detect, investigate and correct discrepancies while agreeing the statement of comprehensive amounts to supporting documentation

Statement of changes in equity
A) detect, investigate and correct discrepancies while agreeing the statement of changes in equity to supporting documentation

Statement of cash flows
A) detect, investigate and correct discrepancies while agreeing the statement of cash flows to supporting documentation
B) derive the impact of transactions on the statement of cash flows

Notes to the financial statements
A) compare the notes to the financial statements to the financial statements and supporting documentation to identify inconsistencies and investigate those inconsistencies

Consolidated financial statements (including wholly owned subsidiaries and noncontrolling interests)
A) detect, investigate and correct discrepancies while agreeing the consolidated financial statement amounts to supporting documentation

Cash and cash equivalents
A) reconcile the cash balance per the bank statement to the general ledger
B) investigate unreconciled cash balances to determine whether an adjustment to the general ledger is necessary

Trade receivables
A) prepare a rollforward of the trade receives account balance using various sources of information
B) reconcile and investigate differences between the subledger and general ledger for trade receives to determine whether an adjustment is necessary

Inventory
A) reconcile and investigate differences between the subledger and general ledger for inventory to determine whether an adjustment is necessary
B) prepare a rollforward of the inventory account balance using various sources of information

Property, Plant, and Equipment
A) prepare a rollforward of the property, plan, and equipment account balance using various sources of information
B) reconcile and investigate differences between the subledger and general ledger for property, plant, and equipment to determine whether an adjustment is necessary

Payables and accrued liabilities
A) reconcile and investigate differences between the subledger and general ledger for accounts payable and accrued liabilities to determine whether an adjustment is necessary

Revenue Recognition
A) interpret agreements, contracts and/or other supporting documentation to determine the amount and timing of revenue to be recognized in the financial statements
B) reconcile and investigate the differences between the sales subledger and the general subledger to determine whether an adjustment is necessary

Account changes and error corrections
A) derive the impact to the financial statements and related note disclosure of an accounting change or an error correction

Contingencies and commitments
A) review supporting documentation to determine whether a commitment or contingency requires recognition or disclosure in the financial statements

Leases
A) interpret agreements, contracts and/or other supporting documentation to determine the appropriate accounting treatment of a leasing arrangement and prepare the journal entries that a lessee should record.

Subsequent events
A) derive the impact to the financial statements and required note disclosues due to identified subsequent events

BEC = 72 (6/08/16)
FAR = ?
REG = ?
AUD = ?

[Anonymous]

Having actually read your original post, this list is super helpful! I would also say that doing a sample AICPA FAR exam is helpful in seeing different types of SIMS that might come up.

[Ana]

lentil your comment got deleted?

[Lentilcounter]

Reposting this comment again because it doesn't seem to have gone through.

“NINJA MCQ is not built around the blueprints … Q2/Q3 pass rates from those reporting scores is in the 90s.”

Ninja MCQ has helped me to pass exams. It has been a great tool in addition to other study systems that I have purchased. My point is that many people who have used Ninja MCQ use it in conjunction with Becker, Wiley, Gleim, or Roger. Until recently, you could buy Ninja MCQ by itself. Therefore, can you really say that Q2/Q3 pass rates from reported scores are in the 90s?

What is the pass rate for people who used Ninja exclusively? Just MCQ, notes, audio, etc.?

BEC = 72 (6/08/16)
FAR = ?
REG = ?
AUD = ?

[Ana]

Here's the first set of 5 with associated Becker sims:

Balance sheet/statement of financial position
A) detect, investigate and correct discrepancies while agreeing the balance sheet amounts to supporting documentation
F1.7
B) calculate fluctuations and ratios and interpret the results while reviewing comparative balance sheets
F2.3

Income statement/statement of profit or loss
A) detect, investigate and correct discrepancies while agreeing the income statement amounts to supporting documentation
F1.1, F1_SIM 2_6
B) calculate fluctuations and ratios and interpret the results while reviewing comparative income statements
F2.3

Statement of comprehensive income
A) detect, investigate and correct discrepancies while agreeing the statement of comprehensive amounts to supporting documentation
F1.5

Statement of changes in equity
A) detect, investigate and correct discrepancies while agreeing the statement of changes in equity to supporting documentation
ALL OF F7_SIM2

Statement of cash flows
A) detect, investigate and correct discrepancies while agreeing the statement of cash flows to supporting documentation
B) derive the impact of transactions on the statement of cash flows
F8.1-4 & F8.7
F8_SIM2_1 & 6

Let me know if this is helpful to anyone.

[Lentilcounter]

Thanks Ana. I am going to look at these later today.

BEC = 72 (6/08/16)
FAR = ?
REG = ?
AUD = ?

[Wannafree]

@Lentilcounter , you are simple awesome.Your post given me good direction for SIMs. Most of the people felt the webinar was useless but you brought fresh pearl from ocean.Can't thank u enough.
@Ana you are great .You both are really helping the peers to pass this beast FAR.
I am surprised to see Ninja SIM list and annotation.

[Wannafree]

@Lentilcounter , I feel the scores in 90s are good indicator that Ninja test are close to exam.You are contributing really good and please keep it up.

[kdcpa]

@Lentilcounter can you please share such information for Audit as well? It will help so much.

[jeff]

I am not sure what the pass rate is for people who use NINJA only … people don't usually post that info in the Trending vs Actual thread.

I just track the data that people voluntarily give.

Also, my presumption is that the majority use NINJA as a supplement – although plenty have used it as their main review course and passed.

Even the people on this forum who use one course “exclusively”, get help/advise from people on here, so I'm not sure how many people in this day and age use one material “exclusively”.

The point in my 90s comment is that it's not as if people starting bombing the exam once the blueprints were introduced and people were using materials build on the CSO.

The blueprints are simply a way of organizing the information tested … the concepts on the exam are still the same.

Bonds are bonds … Corporate Tax is Corporate Tax.

It may be under Section II-B under the old CSO and now under Section III-D on the Blueprint, but it's still the same information, aside from what they removed from the exam.

[Wannafree]

fully agree with you Jeff but I am surprised that you are claiming it was not based on blueprint but still so close to blue print as OP has put annotation next to NINJA SIMs.

[jeff]

Well, content-wise it IS updated … I suppose it depends on what someone means by blueprint … structurally (the topic menu) or content … it's the content that matters.

[Ana]

Next 6 tied to Becker Sims and Skills Practice (SP):

Notes to the financial statements
A) compare the notes to the financial statements to the financial statements and supporting documentation to identify inconsistencies and investigate those inconsistencies
F2.7, SP F2.M1

Consolidated financial statements (including wholly owned subsidiaries and noncontrolling interests)****VERY IMPORTANT****
A) detect, investigate and correct discrepancies while agreeing the consolidated financial statement amounts to supporting documentation
F4.5, ALL OF F4_SIM 2

Cash and cash equivalents
A) reconcile the cash balance per the bank statement to the general ledger
F3.7
B) investigate unreconciled cash balances to determine whether an adjustment to the general ledger is necessary
SP F3.M1

Trade receivables
F3.4, F3_SIM 3_1&2
A) prepare a rollforward of the trade receives account balance using various sources of information
B) reconcile and investigate differences between the subledger and general ledger for trade receives to determine whether an adjustment is necessary

Inventory
F3_SIM2_ 1 – 3, F3_SIM 3_7
A) reconcile and investigate differences between the subledger and general ledger for inventory to determine whether an adjustment is necessary
B) prepare a rollforward of the inventory account balance using various sources of information

Property, Plant, and Equipment
F3_SIM 2_ 5 & 6, F3_SIM3_ 3-6
A) prepare a rollforward of the property, plan, and equipment account balance using various sources of information
B) reconcile and investigate differences between the subledger and general ledger for property, plant, and equipment to determine whether an adjustment is necessary

[Lentilcounter]

Thanks Ana. Awesome work.

BEC = 72 (6/08/16)
FAR = ?
REG = ?
AUD = ?

[Ana]

Last set tied to Becker SIMS and SP, please feel free to add if I missed anything.
SP = Skills Practice

Payables and accrued liabilities
SP F5.m1
A) reconcile and investigate differences between the subledger and general ledger for accounts payable and accrued liabilities to determine whether an adjustment is necessary

Revenue Recognition
SP FI.M3 + M4, F1_SIM2_ 2-5
A) interpret agreements, contracts and/or other supporting documentation to determine the amount and timing of revenue to be recognized in the financial statements
B) reconcile and investigate the differences between the sales subledger and the general subledger to determine whether an adjustment is necessary

Account changes and error corrections
SP F1.M6, F1.3, 4, 6, AND F1_SIM 2_ 1 & 5
A) derive the impact to the financial statements and related note disclosure of an accounting change or an error correction

Contingencies and commitments
SP F5.M2
A) review supporting documentation to determine whether a commitment or contingency requires recognition or disclosure in the financial statements

Leases
F6.1-3, SP M1 – M3
A) interpret agreements, contracts and/or other supporting documentation to determine the appropriate accounting treatment of a leasing arrangement and prepare the journal entries that a lessee should record.

Subsequent events
F2.4, SP F2.M3
A) derive the impact to the financial statements and required note disclosues due to identified subsequent events

[Earla Riopel (NYCARE)]

My case is somewhat different from the newer CPA candidates. First of all, I am a very old US CPA candidate.

After writing Q3 2017, all 4 sections, just for experimentation of the new format. I knew at least, I'am around in the 50s based on my actual scores (except AUD, passed it again this time). These results based on just 2 days of studying, reading my books & notes, and of course what I remember in the past exams.

Since, I just took Q3, I still remember what items were on the actual exams. The MCQs are definitely more like Ninja materials. I can't say much about about Becker/Wiley, I don't have an app, besides PDF copies of the book & MCQs/SIMs.
The SIMs materials were from everywhere.

So, as to the CPA Exam blueprint, just for the SIMs, especially for the DRS.

As to CPA exam background in the last 2 years,
Since Q2 2016: FAR-4x; AUD-3x; BEC-2x & REG-2x.
Exams Expired: BLaw 1999; AUD'10 & REG'10
Recently Passed: AUD – Q3 2017
Q4 Exams: FAR/REG/BEC
Q4 2017 Materials: Ninja(60%); Becker(25%); Wiley(10%) & YouTube Videos(5%)

[Author]

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