It can be pretty sad to face cpa exam failure- the exam for which you might have worked hard made sacrifices, or even slogged for hours with dreams to pass with flying colors.
It can be extremely natural to experience emotions such as sadness, envy, or even frustration when you experience setbacks because we are all human. Accepting CPA exam fail retake is very difficult, but it’s always better to accept it and find ways to do better and be better.
Instead of moping around, the best solution would be to approach the CPA exam with more zeal, more energy, and, most importantly, more confidence.
The first step to retaking the exam is to first mentally and emotionally recover from the CPA exam fail retake that you faced. Here are some ways to approach it:
It’s normal to fail, but it’s wrong to give up. Sit back, take a deep breath, remove all the negative feelings and find out the reasons for the failure.
After emotionally recovering, you need to take solid steps to ensure it does not happen again. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind before you reappear for the CPA exam
If you have failed a CPA Exam section, you could be in a better position than first-time test takers; you know the exam interface, how tough the real questions are, and which topics you’ve truly mastered.
A comprehensive study plan and sticking to it consistently are the key methods to preparing well for CPA. Set a schedule and follow the plan strictly with the suitable topics and materials.
Failure can be a setback, but you should treat this failure as a lesson. Know what mistakes you have made in your exams, rectify them or get your doubts cleared by professionals. This might help you when you reappear for your exam.
Quality study time should be your goal; studying for hours without any concentration will be useless. You have to be truthful to yourself and judge your study habits. You cannot cram the study process into a few weeks; only a disciplined schedule and a longer period of time will guarantee success in the examination. You could be juggling a full-time job or college while preparing for the exam, yet it is essential to give at least 4-6 weeks to each section. You should also start the process well in advance of the exam to get through all of the course material and have ample time left for revision.
You should review all the topics that need improvement. If you have scored well in one particular section, it does not naturally imply that you will again score well. You need to make sure that you are able to remember the topics that you have mastered while working on concepts that still need more mastery. This can only happen through a focussed approach to revision.
Never try to guess what topics the CPA exam will test; always prepare for all of the topics the CPA exam blueprints cover. You never know what may come and you don’t want to miss out on marks unnecessarily.
Your CPA score report can be a helpful guide to show your preparation for each question type and content area. You need to pay attention to your performance by item type (Multiple Choice, Simulation, and Written Communication). Knowing that a certain question type is your weak point can help when you’re building your new study plan. It would also help if you kept in mind that your new study plan shouldn’t solely depend on this report.
Unfortunately, to save some money, some candidates don’t buy the updated CPA review course and end up sabotaging their CPA journey and wasting a lot of time. A good review course allows you to be on track by keeping you accustomed to a schedule, study plan, progress feedback, and a countdown until the exam. It also helps you focus on your weaknesses and allows you to spend more time practicing those problems to get every single MCQ right this time.
Review courses are not the same for all; you’ll have to pick which is right for you. It should match your learning style, or you should switch over to a different prep course that matches your style. If you are a visual learner, you may learn better through lectures or videos at your own pace, or perhaps you need to log in to regular online classes with a mentor. By identifying what works best for you, you may find success by learning from the apt review course, which suits you well.
Though you have already faced the exam, there might still be some chances of you freezing again during the exam – give yourself a full length of exam time conditions to help you ease when you reappear. Give yourself several mock tests practice too. This will provide you with the practice for time management and stress management, which is essential to achieving your goal.
You can always decide to choose a mentor for yourself. An experienced mentor will motivate and guide you and clear your doubts whenever you require them. They will also have the best tips to motivate and encourage you on clearing the exam.
You can learn a lot from the experiences of your fellow candidates and get motivated too. By surrounding yourself with this community, you won’t feel isolated, will always be encouraged, and the thought of giving up will never come to your mind.
Whenever you are in the situation of a CPA Exam Fail Retake, don’t try to force yourself to analyze the situation and how to do better immediately. Accept that it’s natural to feel low for at least a while. Treat this as a tremendous learning opportunity that ends up motivating you more.
Wait until your emotional response has subsided and figure out how you will develop your next action plan. If you are worried about retaking the exam, then you can always connect with us at NorthStar Academy. Under Irfat Sir’s tutelage, more than 15,000 students have passed CPA Exams with flying colors and you can do it too. Contact us now!
