The AICPA Blueprints for the CPA exam outline the knowledge and skills needed to pass the rigorous accounting exam. They also offer key insights into which subjects the exam will emphasize and how the AICPA weighs the content and tasks you’ll see on exam day.
Back when I sat for the exam, you used to have to look up and read through multiple documents to get a sense of what you’ll see on the exam. No, seriously!
By publishing the Blueprints, the AICPA has made things easier for everyone by putting everything in one place.
Contents
- 1 What Skills Does the CPA Exam Focus On?
- 2 The Latest CPA Exam Blueprints: 2023
- 3 How to Use the Blueprints to Pass the CPA Exam
What Skills Does the CPA Exam Focus On?
Today’s CPA exam places more emphasis on higher-order skills and less on rote memorization.
For example, the AICPA outlined the following four key skills that will be tested on the exam:
From there, the following tables, taken directly from the AICPA, reflect the content and skill requirement breakdown that will be tested for each section of the exam as of July 1, 2019:
The Latest CPA Exam Blueprints: 2023
Auditing & Attestation (AUD) Blueprint
Our Analysis of the AUD CPA Blueprint
As you can see, the AUD CPA blueprint clearly lays out that the exam will emphasize your risk-assessment skills and ability to analyze evidence. These are core elements of what auditing is all about, so it should come as no surprise.
At the end of the day, auditing is all about applying generally accepted auditing standards and minimizing risk. Sometimes, audits don’t go as planned and you’ll need to investigate certain areas a bit further. The AUD exam tries to capture this aspect of the profession, and the blueprints reflect that.
Business Environment & Concepts (BEC) Blueprint
Our Analysis of the BEC CPA Blueprint
In case you haven’t heard, the BEC exam is set to be phased out in 2024. BEC was always somewhat of a catch-all exam for the various topics that impact the accounting profession.
The BEC blueprints show that this exam covers several diverse topics, all with relatively equal weighting. Your best bet is to cover each topic equally, then brush up on any topics you may need to improve upon during your last 1-2 weeks of exam prep.
Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR) Blueprint
AICPA FAR Blueprint: Expert Analysis
The FAR CPA blueprints should come as no surprise. As expected, the majority of the subject matter will test your knowledge over specific financial statement accounts and how select transactions should be recorded.
The best approach for FAR is to systematically plow through your exam prep material account by account until you know the financial statements inside and out. Yes, you’ll need to know the conceptual framework and the standard setting process. However, the meat and potatoes of this exam is all about the financial statements.
Don’t forget to overlook the government / non-profit sections, as these tend to be the subjects that make or break exam scores.
Regulation (REG) Blueprint
AICPA REG Blueprint: Expert Analysis
As the REG CPA blueprints show, taxation will be the primary emphasis of the exam. There’s also emphasis on business law and ethics, but taxation takes the cake in terms of weighting.
The best approach for REG is to focus on the federal taxation subject matter until you master the subject matter. The business law and ethics topics will require attention too. However, the emphasis on tax means you’ll need to know this subject matter inside and out.
How to Use the Blueprints to Pass the CPA Exam
It’s hard to overstate how important the AICPA Blueprints are in preparing for your exams. With so much content to cover, I suggest reading through the Blueprints yourself. before you start studying. Then, check back every so often to make sure you’re staying on track. This approach will increase your chances of passing and help you focus on the right subjects during your exam prep.
It also helps to have a great CPA review course that keeps up with the latest AICPA exam blueprints. The right CPA review course will tailor their course content to the Blueprints, so all you have to do is study!
