You can’t browse the internet without running into an article, video, or discussion about artificial intelligence. Everyone seems to be working with, playing with, and testing the limits of the new technology. So, as you’re preparing to pass the exam to become a Certified Public Accountant, have you ever wondered: Can AI pass the CPA Exam?
Find out how AI is being used in CPA Exam preparation and if it can be useful for you, too.
Can AI pass the CPA Exam?
It might be baffling—the idea that artificial intelligence could pass the CPA Exam in a matter of minutes. However, recent studies1 found that ChatGPT-4 did pass the CPA Exam with an average 85% across sections, where previous iterations of the program had failed with just over 53% on average. So, the short answer to, “Can AI pass the CPA Exam?” is, yes, it seems so.
But let’s dig deeper into what this really means—and what it means for you, as a CPA candidate.
Most AI programs answer questions by scouring the world wide web and any open database for information related to a prompt or query, and piecing together answers based on the information it finds. This means that it can speak to almost any topic (because you can find almost anything on the internet), but that it can also be unreliable in the answers it produces (again, you can find almost anything on the internet…).
So, how can AI pass the CPA Exam? In this case, ChatGPT-4 became the first version advanced enough to read and accurately interpret accounting-related sources to correctly answer CPA Exam questions. Impressive, but remember that it has virtually instant access to nearly infinite data; think of what you could do with that kind of research capability!
In fact, this is where considering if AI can pass the CPA Exam is useful for you. If artificial intelligence can find the correct answers to CPA Exam questions, then it can help your exam-day preparation, too. It’s worth learning how to use this technology to study for the CPA Exam.
How can you use AI to study for the CPA Exam?
AI study tools can be powerful in your CPA Exam preparation. But you should know which tools to use and how to use them.
If you have a question during exam review or don’t fully understand the concept you’re studying, rather than search through your notes or curriculum, AI can immediately answer the question or provide clarification. This can not only save you lots of vital study time, but it can also help you stay on-track and motivated in your study plan.
The disadvantage of relying on artificial intelligence to answer your questions is, of course, that most AI finds its answers all over the internet—that is, from any number of sources that may or may not be accurate. It may even return a "hallucination," which occurs when AI generates a response that contains false, misleading, or even nonsensical information.
If you depend on an AI study tool that isn’t reliably sourced, you may end up studying incorrect information that will hurt your preparation, rather than help it. Make sure that any AI study tool you use provides accurate and up to date answers.
Also, while AI can boost your understanding with fast answers and explanations, it can’t guide your study according to CPA Exam syllabi and teach you new concepts. It’s therefore most useful as a compliment to other CPA Exam Review resources, rather than a replacement.
Best AI tool to study for the CPA Exam
Newt AI is the AI study tool that improves CPA Exam prep. New from Becker, Newt is an AI chat box that accompanies Becker students during exam review and provides instant, personalized answers to your specific questions.
Newt sources answers exclusively from Becker’s curriculum, ensuring accuracy and relevancy, and invites conversational engagement. Students can ask questions and follow-up questions, getting examples, new explanations, and clarification in real time as they learn and quiz themselves on exam topics. It provides all the advantages of instant clarification, plus the certainty of updated and accurate answers.
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