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Business Analysis & Reporting Exam Prep

CPA Exam Prep
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CPA Discipline Exam Prep is a focused, exam-aligned podcast channel built for CPA candidates preparing for the CPA Discipline Exams: Business Analysis & Reporting, Information Systems & Controls, and Tax Compliance & Planning. This channel is designed for candidates who want more than surface-level review. Each discipline is organized into a structured, seven-episode series that mirrors how the CPA exam actually tests concepts—through application, analysis, and professional judgment. Episodes build logically, reinforce connections across topics, and emphasize how to think through multiple-choice questions and task-based simulations under time pressure. What You’ll Find in This Channel Business Analysis & Reporting (BAR) Advanced financial reporting, consolidations, forecasting, managerial accounting, and data analytics. This section has the strongest technical overlap with FAR and is ideal for candidates comfortable with accounting and financial analysis. Information Systems & Controls (ISC) Internal controls, COSO, IT governance, cybersecurity risks, systems development, and technology-driven compliance. Best suited for candidates interested in audit, risk management, internal controls, and systems-focused roles. Tax Compliance & Planning (TCP) Individual and business taxation, entity selection, tax planning strategies, IRS procedures, and professional responsibilities. Ideal for candidates pursuing careers in tax, advisory, or public accounting. Each discipline includes seven in-depth episodes, designed to provide a complete, exam-ready framework rather than fragmented topic reviews. Who This Podcast Is For • CPA candidates selecting a discipline strategically • Candidates who want structured explanations instead of memorization-heavy review • Listeners who want to understand how exam questions are designed and graded Important Note This podcast is AI-narrated. Content is created for educational and exam-preparation purposes and does not replace official AICPA materials or a comprehensive CPA review course.

Episodes

  1. JAN 2

    Episode 1: Advanced Financial Reporting and Analysis

    This episode delivers an in-depth introduction to Advanced Financial Reporting and Analysis, a core topic within the Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR) section of the CPA exam. It focuses on how financial statements work together as an integrated system, walking through how transactions flow across the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows. Listeners will explore high-risk accounting areas frequently tested on the exam, including complex revenue recognition under ASC 606 and the proper application of accrual accounting and expense matching principles. The episode also emphasizes analytical review techniques used to evaluate financial performance and identify inconsistencies, distortions, or potential earnings management. Rather than focusing on memorization, this episode is designed to strengthen professional judgment and skepticism—key skills required for BAR exam success. By the end, candidates will have a clearer framework for analyzing financial data, spotting red flags, and navigating multi-step, scenario-based exam questions with confidence. This episode serves as a strategic foundation for mastering advanced financial reporting concepts and understanding how the CPA exam evaluates financial integrity and analytical reasoning.

    38 min

  2. JAN 2 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Episode 2: Business Combinations and Consolidations

    This episode breaks down the technical framework behind business combinations and consolidations, a high-impact topic within the Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR) section of the CPA exam. It explains how U.S. GAAP standards such as ASC 805 and ASC 810 govern acquisition accounting, including the requirement to record identifiable assets and liabilities at fair value and to properly recognize goodwill or bargain purchase gains. Listeners will learn how consolidation mechanics work in practice, with a focus on eliminating intercompany transactions to present a single, unified financial picture of a parent company and its subsidiaries. The episode also clarifies the difference between the traditional voting interest model and the variable interest entity (VIE) model, where control is determined by economic power rather than ownership percentages alone. Rather than emphasizing memorization, this episode prioritizes analytical reasoning and professional judgment—the skills most heavily tested on the BAR exam. By the end, candidates will have a clearer framework for evaluating complex corporate structures and understanding how GAAP ensures transparency and consistency in consolidated financial reporting.

    35 min

  3. JAN 2 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Episode 3: Financial Statement Modeling and Forecasting

    This episode introduces the core principles of financial statement modeling and forecasting as tested on the Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR) section of the CPA exam. It focuses on building integrated pro forma financial statements and explains how the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows must remain logically connected within a sound forecast. Listeners will learn why driver-based assumptions matter, how sensitivity analysis is used to evaluate financial risk, and how changes in volume, pricing, or costs ripple through a company’s financial health. The episode also covers variance analysis and break-even concepts as practical tools for understanding performance and supporting management decisions. Rather than emphasizing complex calculations, this episode highlights the importance of structure, judgment, and interpretation—key skills the BAR exam expects candidates to demonstrate. By the end, listeners will be better prepared to translate financial models into clear, actionable insights that support executive decision-making.

    41 min

  4. JAN 2 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Episode 4: Advanced Cost and Managerial Accounting

    This episode dives into advanced cost and managerial accounting, a key component of the Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR) section of the CPA exam. It introduces higher-level costing and decision-making frameworks used by management to evaluate performance and optimize operations. Listeners will explore Activity-Based Costing as a tool for more accurate overhead allocation, along with the Theory of Constraints and throughput analysis to identify and manage production bottlenecks. The episode also explains how to interpret standard costing variances and focus on relevant costs when evaluating strategic decisions, rather than relying on mechanical calculations alone. In addition, this episode examines performance measurement systems, including the Balanced Scorecard, and how well-designed metrics drive behavior and align operations with organizational goals. By emphasizing professional judgment and analytical reasoning, this episode helps candidates move beyond basic cost calculations and think like decision-makers—exactly what the BAR exam is designed to test.

    35 min

  5. JAN 2 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Episode 5: Data Analytics and Strategic Reporting

    This episode explores the role of data analytics and strategic reporting within the Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR) section of the CPA exam. It focuses on how financial and operational data are used to support high-level decision-making rather than simple number crunching. Listeners will learn how analytical approaches are applied in practice, including descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analysis, and how each supports understanding past performance and evaluating future outcomes. The episode also explains how effective Key Performance Indicators and management dashboards are developed to align day-to-day operations with organizational strategy. In addition, this episode emphasizes the importance of professional skepticism when interpreting large data sets, helping candidates recognize anomalies, emerging risks, and misleading trends. By integrating financial and non-financial metrics through tools like the Balanced Scorecard, this episode prepares listeners to assess overall business health and translate data into actionable strategic insight—exactly the mindset tested on the BAR exam.

    41 min

  6. JAN 2 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Episode 6: Integrated Analysis and Professional Judgment

    This episode focuses on integrated analysis and professional judgment, a critical skill set tested throughout the Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR) section of the CPA exam. Rather than isolating individual calculations, it emphasizes how candidates must combine financial reporting, cost data, and analytics to evaluate complex, real-world scenarios. Listeners will learn how to navigate multi-topic case studies, identify the most relevant information, and reconcile conflicting signals across financial and operational data. The episode highlights how professional judgment is applied when weighing trade-offs, assessing risk, and interpreting both quantitative results and qualitative factors. Designed to mirror BAR-style simulations, this episode helps candidates shift from a calculation mindset to a decision-maker mindset. By the end, listeners will be better prepared to analyze nuanced business situations, support conclusions with clear logic, and approach exam scenarios with confidence and clarity.

    43 min

  7. JAN 2

    Episode 7: BAR Final Review and Exam Strategy

    This episode serves as a final review and exam strategy guide for the Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR) section of the CPA exam. It brings together the most heavily tested concepts and focuses on how candidates are expected to think, analyze, and apply professional judgment under exam conditions. Listeners will review high-frequency BAR topics such as integrated financial analysis, consolidations, managerial accounting, and strategic reporting, while also learning how to avoid common exam traps like over-calculating, misinterpreting data, or ignoring operational constraints. The episode provides a structured approach for navigating complex task-based simulations and explains how to prioritize information when multiple data points compete for attention. In addition, this episode outlines practical time-management strategies and a final review framework designed to help candidates focus on the highest-impact material in the days leading up to the exam. By emphasizing synthesis, clarity, and defensible reasoning, this episode prepares candidates to approach the BAR exam with confidence and a decision-maker mindset.

    37 min
  • 7 Episodes

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About

CPA Discipline Exam Prep is a focused, exam-aligned podcast channel built for CPA candidates preparing for the CPA Discipline Exams: Business Analysis & Reporting, Information Systems & Controls, and Tax Compliance & Planning. This channel is designed for candidates who want more than surface-level review. Each discipline is organized into a structured, seven-episode series that mirrors how the CPA exam actually tests concepts—through application, analysis, and professional judgment. Episodes build logically, reinforce connections across topics, and emphasize how to think through multiple-choice questions and task-based simulations under time pressure. What You’ll Find in This Channel Business Analysis & Reporting (BAR) Advanced financial reporting, consolidations, forecasting, managerial accounting, and data analytics. This section has the strongest technical overlap with FAR and is ideal for candidates comfortable with accounting and financial analysis. Information Systems & Controls (ISC) Internal controls, COSO, IT governance, cybersecurity risks, systems development, and technology-driven compliance. Best suited for candidates interested in audit, risk management, internal controls, and systems-focused roles. Tax Compliance & Planning (TCP) Individual and business taxation, entity selection, tax planning strategies, IRS procedures, and professional responsibilities. Ideal for candidates pursuing careers in tax, advisory, or public accounting. Each discipline includes seven in-depth episodes, designed to provide a complete, exam-ready framework rather than fragmented topic reviews. Who This Podcast Is For • CPA candidates selecting a discipline strategically • Candidates who want structured explanations instead of memorization-heavy review • Listeners who want to understand how exam questions are designed and graded Important Note This podcast is AI-narrated. Content is created for educational and exam-preparation purposes and does not replace official AICPA materials or a comprehensive CPA review course.

Information

  • Channel
    CPA Exam Prep
  • Creator
    Maren Bunch
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    7
  • Provider
    Maren Bunch

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