Can I really pass all four CPA exam sections while working a full-time job?

Yes — the guide is built specifically for a candidate working alongside a job. Every phase assumes limited daily study windows and a calendar measured in months, not weeks. It walks you through building a weekly study calendar that blocks 15–20 hours over the next 6–9 months, and it sequences the four sections so the plan fits around full-time work.

Does this guide teach me the accounting content I need to know for the exam?

No, and it is not meant to. The guide states clearly that it does not teach accounting content — it teaches the plan and system around it: verifying eligibility, navigating the state board application and NTS process, choosing a discipline and section order, running the study system, and filing the licensure application. It assumes you already have the accounting background from your degree or equivalent coursework.

Which of the three disciplines — BAR, ISC, or TCP — should I choose?

The guide covers exactly this decision. It walks you through comparing the three disciplines by their content specs, your background, and pass rates, and then helps you choose one to sit as your fourth section. The choice happens early, in the strategy phase, before you buy a review course or lock in your section order.

How does the 18-month credit window affect which sections I take and when?

The guide treats the 18-month credit window as the backbone of your section order. Once your first passing score starts the clock, the remaining sections must be passed within that window, so the guide has you sequence the sections and build a testing calendar around the window instead of leaving the order to chance.

Is this plan written for the new core-plus-discipline CPA format?

Yes. The entire plan is built around the current core-plus-discipline model, where you pass three core sections plus one discipline section chosen from BAR, ISC, and TCP. Eligibility verification, the state board application, the NTS process, and the discipline choice are all handled under that model, so the guide reflects the exam as it is structured today.

EN2 versions

Plan and pass all four CPA exam sections

CPA exam requirements met and all four sections passed — state board eligibility verified against the education requirement, the application filed and the NTS issued, a section order and testing calendar built around the credit window, each section studied and passed in sequence, and the licence application filed with the experience requirement documented.

Fby Finito HQEchipa Finito

Created 2 months agoUpdated 2 months ago

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Who it's for

Accounting graduates in the U.S. starting the CPA exam under the current core-plus-discipline model, especially those working full time and needing a structured multi-month plan they can follow alongside a job.

About this playbook

This playbook takes you from your first transcript order through the final licensure application — every stage of the CPA exam journey under the current core-plus-discipline model. You will verify your eligibility, navigate the state board application and NTS process, choose a discipline and section order, build a study system that fits around a full-time job, and execute each of the four sections in sequence. The guide covers the 18-month credit-window rule, how to choose among BAR, ISC, and TCP, how to compare review courses by question volume and price, and the experience and ethics requirements for the license itself. It does not teach accounting content — it teaches the plan and system around it. The path is built for a candidate working alongside a job, so every phase assumes limited daily study windows and a calendar measured in months, not weeks.

What you'll do, step by stepFree preview

5 phases · 21 steps

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Phase 1: Clear the eligibility hurdle and secure the NTS
4 steps
Phase 2: Design your exam strategy and study system
4 steps
Phase 3: Study and pass the first section
4 steps
Phase 4: Study and pass the second and third sections
5 steps
Phase 5: Pass the fourth section and complete the licensure requirements
4 steps

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Details

Estimated duration1 week 5 days

Steps21

Estimated budget$2,100–$5,200 USD

What you need first

A bachelor’s degree in accounting or equivalent coursework that meets your state board’s minimum education requirement to sit for the exam. Access to a computer with a reliable internet connection. A budget that covers exam fees, a review course subscription, and the licensure application fee. No active CPA review course subscription required before starting.