HELP ME STUDY FOR THE CPA EXAMS!
JONATHAN’s 2025 AND 2026 READS
CHESS, NOT CHECKERS
1800s SCIENCE
JAPANESE HISTORY
400

Help! I forgot whether these 2 types of financial transaction entries are positive or negative. Oh wait, I guess it depends what type of accounts they are...

What are debits and credits?

400

Jonathan haas thoroughly enjoyed the murder mystery novels featuring detective Hercule Poirot, by this classic author

Who is Agatha Christie?

400

Using this word is the chess version of a mic drop; it means escape for your opponent's king has become impossible

What is checkmate?

400

In 1865 this monk presented the results of his breeding experiments with pea plants to the Natural Science Society in Brünn

Who is Gregor Mendel?

400

According to tradition, this religion was introduced to Japan in 552 A.D.

What is Buddhism?

800

At least I remembered that the basic accounting equation tells us that assets equal this plus equity...they also mean what you owe.

What are liabilities?

800

Before it was a movie featuring Brad Pitt, this Michael Lewis book helped pave the way for the use of analytics in sports.

What is Moneyball?

800

This chess piece often looks like a horse but it's named after the chivalrous guy who might ride one

What is a rook?

800

In 1800, Alessandro Volta announced his invention, the voltaic pile, a predecessor to the modern this

What is a battery?

800

This man led the country both prior to, and coming out of, WWII, ultimately playing a huge part in their modernization and development. 

Who is Emperor Hirohito?

1200

DAILY DOUBLE

A customer just made a purchase from my company on credit, so instead of cash, I recorded an increase in this “account”, to be collected later. I think I understand that one pretty easily.

1200

Jonathan read the Kurt Vonnegut novel, Sirens of this largest moon of Saturn.

What is Titan?

1200

Often shortened to "GM", it's the highest title conferred on players by the International Chess Federation

What is a Grand Master?

1200

CHCl3, also known as this, was administered as an anesthetic to Queen Victoria when she gave birth to Prince Leopold

What is chloroform?

1200

In 1603 Tokugawa Ieyasu was formally appointed to this position by the emperor

What is shogun?

1600

The government agency has ensured greater transparency regarding companies’ financial statements after the Great Depression...but I keep getting them confused with that one college football conference.

What is the SEC? (Securities & Exchanges Commission)

1600

DAILY DOUBLE

Despite being less than 200 pages, this Jules Verne novel admittedly took Jonathan a while to finish, but not quite as long as the title states!

1600

This Emmy-winning series about a chess prodigy took its name from one of the game's oldest & best-known openings

What is The Queen's Gambit?

1600

A brilliant mathematician, she wrote the program for Charles Babbage's early computer prototype

Who is Ada Lovelace?

1600

While this American Naval officer wasn't the first Westerner in modern Japan, he played a role in opening the country to the West after they rolled back their isolationist policies—and don’t confuse him with the “Friends” star!

Who is Matthew Perry?

2000

I know that this term means a potential gain or loss based on a future event--and it's my job to disclose it in the footnotes of the Income Statement based on the likelihood of it occurring--but...how am I supposed to know if it'll happen or not??

What is a contingency?

2000

Better known for her poetry, The Bell Jar by this author was one of Jonathan’s favorite reads of 2025.

Who is Sylvia Plath?

2000

Feeling bouncy? Try this special strategic move; it's the only time a player can move two pieces at once

What is castle? (castling)

2000

The metal cage named for this 19th century English physicist can shield a device from outside electrical field

Who is Michael Faraday? (Faraday cage)

2000

What exactly is the Yonaguni Monument, discovered in the 1980s & known as the Japanese this underwater place of legend? We at least know that it isn't fictitious.

What is Atlantis?