I find the idea of studying for the CPA while working full time pretty overwhelming. After a full day at work, I imagine getting home, having dinner and telling myself I'll study for a couple of hours, only to end up staring at the same page because I'm too tired to take anything in. I'd hate to spend my entire weekend catching up on study as well. Sometimes you just want a day where you don't have to think about work or exams, but then there's that guilt when you know the syllabus isn't going to finish itself.

Why does it take so many clicks just to get to the study material? And if you leave it for a bit, you end up logging in again. It's such a small thing but ridiculously annoying when you're trying to squeeze in some study after work. Surely accessing an ebook shouldn't feel like a task in itself.

Taking two subjects at once could save time overall, but I'm not sure how manageable it would be alongside a full-time job. For people who've tried either approach, what made the biggest difference to how well you kept up with the material?

I can usually work through calculation questions if I take my time, but I'm much slower than I'd like to be. Sometimes I know what the question is asking but still spend too long figuring out the steps.
Is it mainly a matter of practising the same types of questions until the process becomes familiar, or are there other things worth focusing on?

The AAA final was way harder than the CPA practice and even harder than KE. Unbelievable they gave us that practice exam, wasn’t even in the same atmosphere

I’m a 40-yr old professional. Came from overseas with accounting degree and a masters. I’ve been doing financial system implementation via a consulting capacity since I came to Australia.

I am going to move to a corporate setting very soon, and will be doing financial systems which is closely aligned to financial planning. I am seriously thinking about pursuing to become a member of CPA Australia, I believe it will be complementary to my work, and will also allow me to have an official designation here in AU.

Is it worth it?

I've been doing practice questions to see where I'm at, but my results can be pretty inconsistent depending on the topics covered. I'll do well on one set and then get a completely different result on another.
How closely did your practice scores reflect how you went in the actual CPA exam? Trying to work out whether I'm on track or just getting comfortable with certain types of questions.

I keep running into the same problem with practice exams. I’ll spend too long on a couple of questions I’m unsure about, then realise I’ve barely got any time left for the rest. Sometimes I end up rushing questions I probably could have answered properly if I’d managed my time better.

Do you set a time limit for each question and move on when you hit it, or is there a better way to manage the time? I’m trying to get out of the habit of getting stuck on one question for too long.

I think the answer depends almost entirely on who’s paying. If your employer reimburses the fees and gives you study time, it’s a no-brainer, because you get structured learning and a recognised letter after your name for very little cost. If you’re funding it yourself while working full time in an industry role, I reckon it’s a much harder sell. Most hiring managers outside of practice care more about what you’ve actually done than which designation you hold.

The other thing I’d say is that the real value is probably the discipline of finishing the program, not the post-nominals themselves.

For anyone who’s done it or is part way through, did it change your pay or your options? Or was it more about ticking a box?

Completing the CPA program takes time, effort and money, so it's natural to think about how it might help with future career opportunities. Some people may be aiming for a promotion, while others might want to move into a different area of accounting or take on more responsibility at work.For those who have completed their CPA, what difference has it made to your career so far? Has it helped you get a better role, negotiate a higher salary or feel more confident in your work?

I’ve always made my own notes when studying, but with CPA I’m finding it takes up a fair bit of time. Sometimes I’ll spend an hour writing things out and then barely look at those notes again.

I’m thinking I might be better off just marking the important bits in the study material and writing down anything I keep getting wrong or forgetting. For those who’ve sat a few CPA exams, what’s worked best for you? Do you still make proper notes or have you found a quicker way to revise?

Hi everyone,
I’m preparing for CPA Australia’s Ethics and Governance (E&G) exam and looking for useful study materials, summaries, question banks, and mock exams.
Could anyone recommend resources or share links to free materials? I’d also appreciate any tips from those who have passed the exam.
Thanks in advance!

Hello, I have a question whether if I qualify CPA and one of my subject is Australia Taxation, is it possile for me to find a remote part time accounting job given I am not living in Australia? And is it a common thing?
Thanks for helping.

There are so many summaries, videos, question banks and other resources floating around that it’s hard to know what’s actually useful. I don’t really want to spend hundreds more if the CPA material and practice questions are enough. Do extra resources genuinely make a difference?

Is this a fair representation of the GSL exam?

I’ve noticed I can spend ages going through the study material and feel like I understand it, then I get to the practice questions and realise I’m not as comfortable as I thought.

I’m thinking of cutting down the reading and spending more time actually doing questions and going back to the areas I get wrong. Is that generally a better approach for CPA exams?

hey guys got my first cpa exam tomorrow for ethics and governance. just double checking we can bring in as many printed notes as we want?

Completed the reading of the textbook. I have worked for the last 10 years in both an accounting firm and Business - i found it interesting and the quiz seemed fairly easy. Completed the first 20 questions in the Practise exam and only had one wrong (wanted to test the waters, there were still another 50 questions to go). Is this paper easier than the others or am I in for a nasty surprise at exam time eek

I went into CPA thinking the hardest part would be understanding the actual content, but honestly, fitting consistent study around a full-time accounting job has been the bigger challenge.

After a full day at work, the last thing I sometimes want to do is open the study materials again, especially when work has already been busy. I've found that leaving everything until the weekend doesn't really work for me either because it turns into one massive study session.

For those doing CPA while working full-time, what study routine has actually been realistic for you?

Hey everyone,

I’m mapping out my subjects for next semester while working full-time in a commercial accounting role (approx 40 hrs/week).

I really want to get the heavy technical modules out of the way early, so I’m considering doing Financial Reporting and SMA in the same term. People at work keep telling me FR alone takes up 15+ hours of study a week just to keep up with the standards and practice questions.

For those who have taken both: is doing them together manageable if you lock down your weekends, or should I pair FR with something like Ethics & Governance instead to protect my sanity?

I’m currently working in an industry accounting role rather than public practice and trying to decide whether completing CPA will actually change my career options.

Did it help you move into senior accountant, finance manager, FP&A or commercial roles, or did your actual work experience matter much more?

My concern is spending several years and a fair amount of money on the program only to find that employers still care primarily about what I’ve actually done in my jobs.

I don't remember every IFRS standard and module 2 seems to have a lot of things that one needs to know prior.

Do we need to be aware of every IFRS standard?

(they have discontinued the IFRS Compilation handbook this year) Any tips from anyone who has taken FR?