Auditing: A gatekeeper like no other!

If you think that getting through your tax and financial accounting classes was  challenging, please hold your breath because you ain’t see nuthin yet…pardon my English.  Before walking at your graduation ceremony, you will have to win your battle with the ultimate ceremony’s gatekeeper: Auditing. You will be surprised by the overwhelming number of students that give up pursuing an accounting degree just because they are unable to pass through the funnel that is Auditing. Auditing is really a different animal because it requires a lot of memorization along with a healthy dose of critical thinking. Most accounting students naively overlook the complexity of auditing because there is little mathematical computations involved in it. The lack of math is largely compensated by the fact that you will be dealing with a lot of situational issues. Not only will you have to memorize the rules but you will also need to pare them to the different auditing cases you will be asked to solve during your tests. It is primordial that you allot plenty of study hours for your Auditing class if you wish to earn a passing grade your first time around. There is indeed no easy chapter in the typical Auditing curriculum. You can’t get complacent throughout the whole semester or you will get burned. There are  a few things that one needs to accomplish if he or she desires to position him/herself to jump over Auditing:

1. Never miss a class session unless you have to.
2. Always complete your reading assignments. Plan for at least 15 hours a week studying for auditing. Like I said earlier, there is a lot of memorization that will take place and please do not ask me why.
3. Ask as many questions as you deem necessary during the lecture, being shy is not an excuse!
4. Find a motivated studying buddy and feed off each other because it will be a long, emotionally charged, and laborious semester.
5. Find yourself a good preparation book for the auditing section of the CPA then work the questions related to the topics being covered in the classroom. This will allow you to better handle your exams’ questions.

When it is all said and done, you will need to show some resolve because your will is going to be tested throughout every exam you will be given. Good luck!