Alla Volodina Blog - CPA Competency Map and areas to focus on!

 

We receive a lot of questions from CPA candidates on how to best prepare for the CPA exams. One of our regular contributors, AllaVolodina who teaches at York University, has some helpful ideas.

 

Question: How do I know what to study for CPA exams / tests?

 

AllaVolodina (York University): I would suggest to refer to the CPA Competency Map Tool. Here you can easily find what areas to cover and in how much depth in your studying. It’s a really useful tool.

 

Question: Are there any areas that I should be focusing on?

 

AllaVolodina (York University): Yes, you should make sure that you know very well. those topics that are marked as Proficiency Level A. Indeed, you can sort by proficiency levels on the CPA Competency Map Tool site.

 

Question: What if I am not really strong in one area, e.g. audit or tax? Can I avoid it entirely?

 

AllaVolodina (York University): No, you cannot avoid it entirely. However, you can choose your role on Day 2 of the CFE. Depending on which role you choose, the required level of proficiency will change. For example, if your role is “Finance” then you would be required to score at Level A proficiency on Finance and not Tax.

 

AllaVolodina teaches Accounting and Assurance at York University.

 

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