[gustavomorales]

For those of you who have passed all four parts: Did you use the spreadsheet tool at all during the exam? If so, on which section(s)?
Is it any different than a regular excel spreadsheet?

[12tang]

I used it on every exam. It's no different than excel with the exception that you cannot use keyboard shortcuts to do formulas. You have to manually enter formulas for them to work. SUM and AVG will be your main ones. I find it so much better to use than the calculator, because I like to see all my numbers laid out.

Using Becker self-study
FAR: (82) 175 hours - 1st attempt
BEC: (XX)
AUD: (69) 45hrs of study - 1st attempt
REG: (XX)

[Y05H1 3GG]

I practiced FAR, REG, & BEC MCQs with Excel and found it very helpful to use the actual exam. The only thing I didn't like about the actual exam software was that it closed Excel when going from question to question.

[mvhoover]

I think every CPA exam candidate 2020 and going forward needs to know excel because they are transitioning to having more “Big Data” and data analytic questions. I used it specifically on BEC and it saved me time. I did not use it a whole lot on the other exams.

[Earla Riopel (NYCARE)]

I think in the next US CPA exam, I will use the Excel feature of the exam. I started using spreadsheets since the late 80s; first, Lotus 123 and then, MS Excel in since the early '90s. It's nothing fancy, just the simple table for personal budgeting, FS schedules and tax schedules.

Since I went back to school in 2018, I have been using it for homework assignments. Also, I noticed, in my current BBA-Accounting program, Excel is a must for some of my accounting, business, and finance courses.

Recently, I have a Statistics exam which involved using the Excel app; I didn't realize that the Student MS 360 Excel version app, which I use at home and my student account is completely different from the Excel spreadsheet in our college computer lab for the exam (offline). It was worth 10% of my overall mark, and an eye-opener for me to be aware that not all Excel apps have the same features.

I don't have must background with Statistics, thus when two of my undergrad young adult kids took it last term, I thought I could get some tutoring. Unfortunately, theirs is totally a different learning style; they used graphing calculator and not much of Excel for the exam.

Well, I just have to spend more time in my college lab and AICPA website for Excel Tutorial, since I realized, not ALL Excel apps are the same. I believe the only thing that is holding me back in my Canadian CPA accounting is Statistics. It's not so much with the US CPA exam since there's hardly any Statistics questions, except with Excel features in our US CPA exam, which is great for formulas.

Good luck with your Excel adventures!:)

[Earla Riopel (NYCARE)]

Thanks for starting this thread; I hope I didn't hijack it, sort of.:) Well, with a consultation with my son (former Douglas (1st-2nd year levels; currently a 3rd-year computer science majoring in AI (same program with his sister), he at least gave the advice to check the computer lab Excel's add-ins option menu, before the exams. It makes sense, once I added the Analysis Tool Pack and MegaStat from my instructor's online helpful Excel folders. Now, it sort of resembles the computer lab's Excel. As to graphs, tables, and charts, YouTube is a great help in this area. Also, I haven't taken the Excel and accounting apps courses required in my BBA-Accounting program yet. I am so looking forward to taking these courses. I have the basic knowledge in these areas (taken them many years ago) but with the new accounting apps and Excel add-ins, I definitely need to take these courses; it would be fun since I like computers.

[gustavomorales]

Thanks for all the replies, really appreciate it.

[Author]

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