CPA (ABC) study guide
CPA · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Uniform CPA Examination is the licensing exam that candidates must pass to become a Certified Public Accountant in the United States. It is aimed at accounting graduates and professionals who have completed their jurisdiction's education and experience requirements and who intend to practice public accounting, industry, government, or nonprofit finance. The exam is administered by the AICPA and CIMA, the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, which describes itself as "the global voice of the accounting and finance profession, founded by the American Institute of CPAs and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants." Because the official exam pages could not be retrieved at the time of writing, this profile does not state the number of exam sections, testing time, passing score, fees, retake rules, or score validity; those values are left blank pending an authoritative source. Preparation typically combines a structured review course, disciplined practice with multiple-choice and task-based simulations, and repeated rehearsal of timing under exam-like conditions. The CPA study guide has 4 sections and about 1,093 words.
01Auditing and Attestation: Risk, Evidence, and Reporting
AUD questions reward candidates who can move fluidly between the risk model, evidence decisions, and the report. Recall that audit risk = inherent risk × control risk × detection risk.
314 words, about 2 min02Business Analysis and Reporting: Analysis, Valuation, and Cost Concepts
BAR rewards fluency with financial statement analysis, cost/managerial accounting, and forecasting. Start with ratio mechanics: liquidity (current, quick), solvency (debt-to-equity, times interest earned), and profitability (gross margin, return on assets, return on equity).
267 words, about 1 min03Financial Accounting and Reporting: Recognition, Measurement, and Disclosures
FAR tests whether you can apply the FASB conceptual framework to transactions. Revenue recognition under ASC 606 follows five steps: identify the contract, identify performance obligations, determine the transaction price, allocate the price, and recognize revenue when (or as) obligations are satisfied.
263 words, about 1 min04Regulation: Taxation, Business Law, and Ethics
REG blends individual and entity taxation with business law and ethics. For individuals, know the difference between above-the-line (adjustments) and below-the-line (itemized) deductions, standard vs.
249 words, about 1 min