Study Strategies That Actually Work, According to Professionals Who Passed
Four professionals who passed difficult certification exams share the specific techniques that got them through
We asked professionals who passed high-stakes exams to share the one study habit that made the biggest difference. Their answers converged on a common theme: stop re-reading your notes and start doing something that feels harder.
Last updated: July 27, 2026
Featured Experts
Beyond Flashcards and Highlighting
If you have studied for the CPA exam the same way you studied in college, you are probably making the same mistakes that most candidates make. AICPA data puts the cumulative pass rate around 49% for AUD and closer to 43% for FAR, which means more candidates fail than pass on their first attempt at the two hardest sections. A lot of candidates respond to that by studying more hours, but the professionals we talked to across four different fields said the answer is almost never more volume and almost always a better method. We asked them what actually worked when they were preparing for their own professional certifications, and their strategies had more in common than you would expect.
Treat Mistakes Like Debugging
Abhishek Pareek, founder and director of Coders.dev, described his study process as "debugging" rather than reviewing. When Pareek got a practice question wrong, he did not just read the correct answer and move on. He spent 30 minutes building what he calls a "logical model" of why his reasoning failed, tracing the error back to the specific concept he misunderstood or the assumption he made without realizing it. Rebecca Rushton, a podiatrist and founder of Blister Prevention, came at the same idea from a completely different field, but her method was almost identical in principle. Rushton closes the book after reading a section and forces herself to recall everything she just learned before moving on, and she says the discomfort of not remembering is the point. Both are describing active recall, which is one of the most well-supported study techniques in cognitive science and one that a lot of CPA candidates skip in favor of passive re-reading.
Say It Out Loud
Every lawyer reads case law. Thomas Carey, senior partner at Carey Leisure & Neal with over 40 years of trial experience, took it further. That discomfort, the awkwardness of hearing your own voice stumble through an argument in an empty room, is what made the preparation stick.
“I would argue motions out loud to myself, alone, long before I ever stood up in court. The physical act of speaking the argument made me find the weak spots I couldn't see on paper.”
Limited-time offer
Ends in 13 daysUp to 35% off Becker Pro
Up to 35% off Pro and Pro+ — Pro $2,499 (MSRP $3,845), Pro+ $2,698 (MSRP $4,044). Labor Day Sale, 8/18 through 9/8, with an extension scheduled through 9/14. No promo codes needed, auto-applied via affiliate link. Becker's on-site fine print states the sale ends 9/8/26 at 11:59pm CST.
Claim Becker deal →Memorize the Details That Matter
Herman Martinez built his personal injury practice at The Martinez Law Firm on a reputation for knowing NHTSA regulations better than the expert witnesses on the other side of the table. Martinez memorized tolerances down to the half-inch because he knew that opposing counsel would try to discredit his arguments on technical specifics, and being wrong by even a small margin in deposition could cost his client the case. He called the process building "muscle memory" for details that most attorneys would look up, and he said the confidence that came from knowing the numbers cold changed how he performed under pressure. That same principle applies directly to CPA exam preparation, where candidates need to recall specific tax thresholds, filing deadlines, and percentage cutoffs without hesitation during a four-hour timed section. The difference between looking something up during practice and knowing it cold on exam day is often the difference between passing and failing.
Building Your Own Strategy
The pattern across all four of these professionals is that none of them relied on passive review. They did not re-read notes, highlight textbooks, or watch lecture videos on repeat, and they forced themselves into active, uncomfortable practice that mimicked the conditions they would face on the actual test or in the actual courtroom. If you are building a study plan for the CPA exam, I would start by asking whether your current method requires you to produce answers from memory or just recognize them on a page, because that distinction is where most study plans fall short. The candidates who pass at the highest rates tend to use review courses that emphasize timed practice simulations and adaptive question banks over video lectures and reading materials. Take the LIFTS Assessment to find the review course that matches how you actually learn, and look at providers with strong practice question banks that force active recall rather than passive review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Further reading
Recommended Courses & Profiles
Related Reviews
Related Study Guides
Brennan Kolar
Founder, Atlas CPA Index
Brennan Kolar is the founder of Atlas CPA Index, an independent CPA review comparison platform covering all 55 U.S. jurisdictions. With over 10 years of experience with CPA review, he built Atlas to help candidates find the right review course based on how they actually learn, not which provider has the biggest ad budget.
Learn more about the authorReady to Start Your CPA Journey?
Take our personalized LIFTS assessment to find the best CPA review course for your learning style, budget, and schedule.
Get Your Personalized Match