Accounting

Watch the practice tutorial

Access the free QuickBooks Test Drive

Before opening the demo company, sign out of your Intuit account or use an Incognito/Private browser window. This allows you to access the practice environment without logging into your own QuickBooks account. You can launch the official sample company here: QuickBooks Online Test Drive.

The sample company includes realistic customers, vendors, invoices, expenses, and reports, so you can practice common bookkeeping tasks in a realistic business environment. Any changes you make are temporary and will be erased when the session resets.

Practice checklist

As you follow the video, try completing these exercises:

• Navigate the QuickBooks dashboard
• Review the Chart of Accounts
• Explore the Customer and Vendor lists
• Create a customer invoice
• Record a bill from a vendor
• Enter an expense transaction
• Receive a customer payment
• Review the Profit & Loss report
• Review the Balance Sheet
• Search for previous transactions

These are the same types of tasks you’ll perform when supporting clients as a bookkeeper or Virtual Assistant.

Why use the Test Drive?

Practicing in the demo company lets you learn without worrying about making mistakes. Since the data resets after each session, you can repeat exercises as many times as you like until you’re comfortable with the workflow. It’s an excellent way to gain confidence before working inside a real client’s QuickBooks account.

Continue learning

This lesson is part of the VA Academy, where we share practical tutorials designed to help Virtual Assistants build real-world skills. Whether you’re preparing for your first bookkeeping client or refreshing your knowledge, consistent practice is one of the fastest ways to improve. If you’ve already landed the role and are scrambling to catch up, I Got the Job… But I Lied About QuickBooks. Now What? is the companion piece.