Build Your Personalized FAR Study Plan
Five quick questions. We'll build a FAR plan from the 2026 AICPA Blueprint: weighted topic priorities, a schedule for your timeline, and strategies for where you're stuck.
Where you are
Where are you in your FAR preparation?
What FAR actually tests (2026 AICPA Blueprint)
Plan for roughly 130 hours of focused study for FAR (most candidates land between 120 and 150). The personalized plan above tailors this to your stage, timeline, and biggest challenge. Here is the blueprint it is built on.
FAR content areas and weights
Area I: Financial Reporting
30-40% · ≈ 45 hrsFor-profit financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, comprehensive income, equity, cash flows, basic consolidations, notes); not-for-profit statements; state & local government concepts (light); public-company reporting (10-Q / 10-K / 8-K and EPS); special-purpose frameworks; ratios & performance metrics.
Area II: Select Balance Sheet Accounts
30-40% · ≈ 45 hrsCash; trade receivables; inventory; property, plant & equipment; investments (fair value, amortized cost, equity method); finite-lived intangibles; payables & accrued liabilities incl. asset retirement obligations; debt (notes/bonds, covenant compliance); equity.
Area III: Select Transactions
25-35% · ≈ 40 hrsAccounting changes & error corrections; contingencies & commitments; revenue recognition (incl. NFP contributions); accounting for income taxes; fair value measurements; lessee accounting; subsequent events.
Do not study these for FAR: IFRS (removed), going concern (now an AUD topic), and pensions, stock-based compensation, business combinations, derivatives & hedging, lessor accounting, indefinite-lived intangibles & goodwill, internally-developed software, R&D, and advanced consolidations (VIE, noncontrolling interest mechanics, foreign-currency translation). All of these moved to BAR under the 2026 Blueprint. Governmental accounting in FAR is now light: only measurement focus, basis of accounting, and fund purpose. Do not over-invest there.
FAR study plan FAQ
How many hours should I study for FAR?
Plan for roughly 130 hours of focused study for FAR. Most candidates spend between 120 and 150 hours, depending on their background, how consistently they study, and their timeline.
Which areas are most heavily weighted on the FAR CPA exam?
Under the 2026 AICPA Blueprint, FAR covers 3 weighted areas: Area I: Financial Reporting (30-40%); Area II: Select Balance Sheet Accounts (30-40%); Area III: Select Transactions (25-35%). Allocate your study time to match these weights, because that is where the exam awards its points.
What should I know about FAR under the 2026 Blueprint?
Do not study these for FAR: IFRS (removed), going concern (now an AUD topic), and pensions, stock-based compensation, business combinations, derivatives & hedging, lessor accounting, indefinite-lived intangibles & goodwill, internally-developed software, R&D, and advanced consolidations (VIE, noncontrolling interest mechanics, foreign-currency translation). All of these moved to BAR under the 2026 Blueprint. Governmental accounting in FAR is now light: only measurement focus, basis of accounting, and fund purpose. Do not over-invest there.