Is Hammering More MCQs Enough to Pass the CPA Exam?

A Thousand Answers Can Still Leave You with the Same Problem.

In the sample with no MCQ minimum, passing records averaged 942.9 answers versus 542.2 for non-passing records. “Do more questions” seems like the obvious advice.

Then we excluded records with fewer than 200 answers. The passing average became 1,114.9; the non-passing average was 1,099.5. Almost the same.

The middle values were still different: medians of 991 and 496.5, respectively. Larger histories pulled the non-passing average upward. This doesn't make practice volume irrelevant. It means an impressive total alone doesn't tell you whether you've addressed your weak areas. Two hundred is an analysis filter, not a recommended workload.

Accuracy provides another clue. In that subset, passing records averaged 71.2% MCQ accuracy, compared with 62.9% for non-passing records. Both groups were answering questions; the passing group was getting a greater share correct on average.

Your decision: if the same concept keeps showing up in your misses, review it before adding another batch of attempts. A rising question counter is not evidence that this particular gap has closed. The repair needs its own check.

The Strongest Practice-pattern Difference Was in Tasks, Loops, and Funnels.

Among the 31 passing section records with 200+ MCQs, study tasks appeared in 27, study loops in 21, and study funnels in 23. Each appeared in only one of the six non-passing records. It was the same non-passing record for all three tools.

This is the observation we'd pay attention to as a candidate: structured practice was much more common in the passing histories we reviewed. It gives you a specific part of your routine to inspect beyond “How many questions did I do?”

The complete chart also shows that custom quizzes, Smart Practice, games, and mock MCQ testlets appeared in a larger proportion of non-passing records. These are usage comparisons within outcome groups, not evidence that one feature causes passing or failing. Starting knowledge, section mix, other courses, and timing weren't controlled.

So Should You Stop Doing Custom Quizzes or Games?

No. The useful change is to make them serve a study purpose. A custom quiz can check a specific weak topic or mix it back into broader practice. Games give you another practice format. Neither needs to carry your entire study plan.

Games also show why “used it” isn't enough information: the passing group logged 1,100 game answers; the non-passing group logged 34. The latter had a higher proportion of records with some game use, but much less recorded game activity.

Our interpretation is to build a routine that includes learning, follow-up, and broader application, then choose the tools for those jobs. Clicking every feature once won't do it. This is CPA prep, not a software scavenger hunt.

Use Your Mock Exam to Write the Repair List.

The latest completed full-mock averages were 77.6% for 13 passing section records and 75.7% for two non-passing records in the 200+ subset. A reassuring mock percentage appeared alongside a reported non-pass. With only two non-passing cases, this is an observation, not a prediction model.

After your next mock, write down your three most useful follow-up tasks. For example: revisit a misunderstood rule, practice extracting information from an exhibit, and rehearse a section you didn't finish. Then schedule the work. Posting the score in a “was I ready?” thread is optional; fixing the identified gaps is the part you can act on.

A full mock includes MCQ testlets and sims. The usage chart's “mock MCQ testlets” can include partial practice and does not mean a full mock was completed. See Kesler's practice-exam format.

Here's How to Change Your Next Week of Studying.

Keep your existing study schedule. Replace one unplanned question grind with this sequence. The timing below is a suggested way to organize the work, not a schedule tested by this dataset.

1. First session: find and repair one recurring mistake. Open a recent quiz. Include questions you guessed correctly, not just the red ones. Choose a concept that keeps causing trouble. Work through its explanation, then close it and write the rule in your own words. In Kesler, use the question's Learn N GO MCQ Explanation. Your output is a specific error and its correction—not “review FAR.”
2. Next session: check it without the explanation open. Use follow-up practice, such as a study loop or a targeted custom quiz. Use a different question on the concept where available. Explain why your answer fits and why the alternatives don't. If you still need the explanation, keep the topic on your repair list. Recognizing “C” from yesterday is not the check you're after.
3. Later in the week: put the topic back among other topics. Use mixed practice to see whether you can identify when that rule applies without the topic label giving it away. If you can do a focused set but lose the thread in mixed questions, make choosing the right rule your next task.
4. At week's end: decide what stays on the list. For each topic, record whether you can explain the rule, apply it on another question, and recognize it in mixed practice. Keep unresolved items scheduled. Continue covering the rest of your section; repairing one weakness doesn't replace broad preparation or simulations.

Let the Mistake Choose the Next Action.

For a fuller routine, use our guide to planning from practice results. If you're rebuilding after score release, start with the retake plan.

A Better Recommendation: Use the Misses Before Adding More Reps.

The passing group did not simply have a much bigger average question count once we applied the 200+ filter. It had higher average accuracy and more recorded use of tasks, loops, and funnels. That's the distinction this sample adds to the usual “just hammer MCQs” advice.

If you're putting in the reps but repeating the mistakes, change what happens between sets before simply raising your daily question target. Your next study session already has a starting point: the concept that keeps coming back wrong.

Kesler gives you tools for that routine: Learn N GO MCQ Explanations for the question you're working through, structured practice for follow-up, and Study Funneling to narrow final review toward weak, high-priority areas. If you're already a member, start with a recent miss and put the follow-up into your plan. If your current course supports the same routine, you can do it there.