CPA Path

Make it concrete

A starter plan you can actually follow.

You do not need a perfect calendar on day one. You need a sequence, a weekly hour budget, and a rule: lectures never outrun practice questions.

Step 0 — decisions

  1. 1. Confirm state board education / experience rules and NTS (Notice to Schedule) timing.
  2. 2. Pick a review course you will finish.
  3. 3. Choose discipline (BAR / ISC / TCP) based on career + strengths — not only pass rates.
  4. 4. Book the discipline quarter early; work core dates backward from that window.

Sequence cheat sheet

BAR path

FAR → BAR → AUD → REG

Exploit FAR → BAR overlap while GAAP is fresh, then finish cores.

ISC path

FAR → AUD → ISC → REG

AUD controls language transfers into ISC; book ISC in a quarterly window after AUD.

TCP path

FAR → AUD → REG → TCP

Classic path — stack TCP immediately after REG tax season in your brain.

First-section timeline

Week 1–2

Orient + system setup

  • Download the current AICPA Blueprints for your section
  • Pick review course and set a weekly hour target (10–25 hrs typical)
  • Choose discipline (BAR / ISC / TCP) based on career + strengths
  • Book a rough exam timeline; lock discipline quarter early

Week 3–8

First core section deep work

  • Complete lectures + MCQs module-by-module (do not binge lectures)
  • Start death notebook + flashcards from day one
  • Weekly timed TBS block every Friday
  • Aim for cumulative weak-topic reviews on weekends

Week 9–10

Final review + mock exams

  • 2+ full mock exams under timed conditions
  • Only drill weak areas + high-weight blueprint topics
  • Simulate exam-day nutrition, breaks, and timing
  • Sit when mock scores are consistently near/above target readiness

Week After pass

Roll forward

  • Schedule next section within 1–2 weeks — momentum matters
  • Pair discipline with its related core
  • Re-check 30-month clock and state board rules

Daily minimum

Even on busy weekdays: 20 MCQs + review rationales + 10 flashcards. Zero lecture-only days after week 1.

Ready to sit?

Common heuristic: cumulative MCQ accuracy trending upward, weak topics repaired, and mock exams near your course's readiness benchmark. If mocks are chaotic, delay — NTS windows are expensive teachers.

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