



Accounting professionals preparing for the CPA exam can get an edge on the test by playing a new mobile game developed by Becker Professional Education.



“Accounting for Empires” is a cross between “Age of Empires” and “Civilization,” and attempts to help CPA candidates with questions on topics of the exam including tax preparation. The game is available for download through Apple’s App Store and Google Play to members who are enrolled in Becker’s CPA Exam Review program.

In the game, the player starts by building a university, a bank, and a library with the available start-up funds. The library gives access to topics for discussion including individual taxation. Clicking on that particular topic drops down into other categories, such as filing status and exemptions. Just like the CPA exam, each question has four answers, and you’ll have to choose the correct one. The time limit is set at three minutes.

As you progress, the construction process becomes faster and more efficient, allowing your CPA empire to grow until the ultimate moment of glory: passing the exam.

Reviews for the app have been mixed. On the App Store, one user gave it one star out of five for poor execution, and suggested that the game use questions from the materials Becker provides. Meanwhile, another user gave the app four stars for making “studying for the CPA exam a little more fun.”

But for those who don’t want to play games, Becker has its own separate Becker CPA app, which gives members access to lectures and 6,500 multiple choice questions.

Still, Becker isn’t alone in using games to engage CPA candidates to learn accounting.

On the App Store, one developer offers “Tax Fight!” This game simulates a boxing match by allowing the user to make a punch after answering a question correctly, with the goal to “knock out the government.” Other games by the same developer, John Gillingham, include “Debit & Credit” and “Accounting Quiz Game,” which are a bit more straightforward.

Another review game, “CPA Rivals” tests your knowledge in a competitive manner, by allowing you to upload your score to leaderboards that include results from accountants at schools and firms across the U.S.