5 Reasons Why Candidates Fail CPA Canada PEP and CFE Exams
Sometimes we fail. When it comes to the CPA Canada PEP exams and Common Final Exam (CFE), there are specific reasons why some candidates struggle to pass. For some, it is not knowing how to study for ...
What’s different about Gevorg, CPA CFE coaching program?
I offer a personalized CFE coaching program based on Honour Roll strategies. My candidates achieve overall 90%+ pass rate on the CFE. Here is a quick comparison:
Features
Gevorg, CPA CFE course
Oth...
Unsuccessful Results for May 2021 CFE: What to Do Next
The May 2021 Common Final Exam (CFE) results were released this Friday, August 13. The result are at the National Certification Centre website: https://www.certificationenterprise.net/CPAcp/cpLogin.as...
Here’s a List of All Special Reports for CPA Canada PEP and CFE Exams
Special engagements or special reports are a common AO in the CPA Canada PEP exams and the Common Final Exam (CFE). Candidates are familiar with some of them, such as Attestation engagements to report...
How to Write Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis in CFE Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 Cases of CPA Canada
In this article, I’ll discuss how to approach quantitative (quant) and qualitative (qual) analysis per each of the CPA Canada Common Final Exam (CFE) Days:
CFE Day 1
You’ll face Strategic...
Tough AOs! How to Handle Complex Topics in CPA Canada PEP and CFE Cases
A best practice with writing CPA Canada PEP and CFE practice cases is to put a timer and practice under the exam setting. In doing so, you develop time management skills and improve your case writing....
Writing CPA Canada Practical Experience Requirements (PERT) – Technicals
I often receive a question from a CPA candidate in the EVR route on how to write the technical section of the PERT.
Here are general guidelines:
Write experience for Financial Reporting (FR), Manage...
How to Write Control Weaknesses (WIR) in CPA Canada PEP and CFE Cases
Control weaknesses are a common assessment opportunity (AO) in CPA Canada’s PEP program, starting from Core 1 and leading all the way up to the Common Final Exam (CFE). It is something you shoul...
7 Tips on How to Write CPA Canada Practical Experience Requirements (PER) Experience Reports
If you have done some reading on the practical experience requirements (PER), or you’ve submitted a PER, you would have found that the process is a nightmare. There is very few documentation, yo...
Tax Competencies for CPA Canada’s Core 1
One of the most frequently asked questions I get as a CPA Exam Coach is what types of Finance and Tax topics can be tested in Core 1.
I’ve covered the Finance topics in another blog post, I̵...
Write September 2021 CFE if you Don’t Pass May 2021 CFE
Candidates who wrote the CPA Canada May 2021 CFE (Common Final Exam) are wondering if they can re-write the exam at the next offering in September, should they be unsuccessful.
Yes, you can write in...
CPA Canada CFE Day 1 Waste Disposal Inc. (WDI) Mock Exam Case
The Capstone 1 Waste Disposal Inc. (WDI) case will be tested in both September 2021 and 2022 Common Final Exams (CFEs) on Day 1. The original Capstone 1 case was made available to candidates enrolled ...
We’re Hiring CPA Canada Tutors and Mentors
Are you a professional accountant with a CPA designation looking to help university students get through their accounting courses or candidates in CPA Canada’s PREP/PEP programs get through thei...
Full List of Finance Competencies for CPA Canada’s Core 1
Unless your background is in Finance or you have good knowledge in Finance, you’ll find the “Finance” Assessment Opportunities (AOs) in CPA Canada’s PEP Core 1 module difficult...
Do You Need Technical Summaries for CPA Canada’s Core 1?
CPA candidates often ask me whether they need technical summary review notes for Core 1.
Technicals are a big part of Core 1. You will be tested on Financial Reporting, Assurance, Tax and Finance iss...
CPA Canada PEP and CFE WhatsApp Study Groups
Below are active WhatsApp CPA Canada study groups. I recommend bookmarking this page as the links are continuously updated.
=====FACEBOOK STUDY GROUPS=====
CPA Canada study group: https://www.facebook...
What to Do Now that CPA Canada Cancels the May 2021 CFE (Ontario and Quebec)
For the first time, the CPA Canada Common Final Exam (CFE) will be held regionally. CPA Canada announced today that the May 2021 CFE will be cancelled in CPA Ontario and Quebec, but will proceed as pl...
How to Analyze Betterment Under IFRS for CPA Canada Exam Cases (IAS 16 and ASPE 3061)
Whether you are at CPA PEP Core 1, the electives, or the CFE, you have likely seen the “betterment” Financial Reporting (FR) issue. Betterment is covered under the CPA Canada Handbook and,...
CPA Canada 2020 Pass Rates Released
CPA Canada has now released the 2020 PEP and CFE pass rates. This was the first year when PEP exams where written at home and the CFE at hotel rooms.
2020 CFE Pass Rates
Below are the official pass ...
Try These 5 Tips for the Assurance CPA PEP Module
About 75% of all CPA Common Final Exam (CFE) writers choose Assurance as their role. The reason is that it’s one of the “easier” roles to achieve depth in.
But don’t let this ...
Should You Take Tax or Assurance CPA PEP Module First?
The Tax and Assurance electives are the “bread and butter” of accounting. If you want to work in public practice (or if you already work in public practice), you should take those two elec...
5 Things You Need to Know for the CPA PEP Tax Exam
The PEP Tax module is arguably the toughest. You have to be prepared for quants, and I mean a lot of quants.
Below are my top 5 tips for Tax candidates:
1. Know the Blueprint
The CPA Canada’...
CFE Results 2020 | Where To Find Results & Next Steps if You Failed
CPA Canada announced that the Common Final Exam (CFE) 2020 results will be released on Friday, November 27, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. PST. Find out if you passed using the links below:
CPA Western School ...
You Can Now Write More CPA Core 2 Practice Cases
Congrats! You made it to Core 2. Unlike Core 1, you have a higher statistical chance of passing, there are less topics to learn and you have an exam writing experience under your belt. That’s no...
Here are September 2020 CPA CFE Cases for Download
CPA Canada released the September 2020 CFE exam cases (without solutions) in November 2020. These are the original exam cases for Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3. You can download the copies below.September 2...
May 2021 CPA CFE Cases and Answers (download)
Similar to prior Common Final Exams (CFEs), the May 2021 CFE had Day 1, 2 and 3 cases. The following Day 1 cases were tested:
May 2021 CFE:
Waste Disposal Incorporated (WDI) v1 (download)
Distinc...
Here Are More CPA Core 1 Practice Cases and Solutions
It’s no secret that Core 1 is one of the most challenging modules in the CPA Canada’s PEP program. In fact, it has the highest failure rate among all modules. The main reasons are:
Self...
Gevorg Grigoryan, CPA interview with CBC News Toronto
I had a chat with CBC News about this year’s CPA exam hotel room format and the level of difficulty. Full article below:https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/thousands-of-accounting-students-a...
5 Free CPA Exam Resources
Majority of candidates writing the CPA exams look for supplemental resources. The materials provided by CPA Canada are abundant, but understanding the tough technicals and building a solid exam strate...
How To Become a CPA in Canada
PEP STUDENTS
The majority of candidates pursuing the CPA designation are part of the PEP (Professional Education Program) program. This program consists of two Core modules, two Elective modules, Cap...
CPA Canada CFE Review – CFE Sep 2020 Days 1, 2 and 3 course now available
Dear Candidates,
I would like to invite you to my upcoming free webinar How to Succeed at the CFE: September 2020. This 1-hour webinar will cover the followin...
Practice Case#1 – SF CFE Day 3 Case
This practice CPA Common Final Exam (CFE) Day 3 case focuses on Financial Reporting (FR) and Assurance (A) competencies.
Download SF CFE Day 3 Practice Case (PDF)
Please sign up for the CFE Review ...
CFE Honour Roll Interview – Strategies from Jonathan
I chatted with Jonathan, an Honour Roll student from CPA CFE 2019. Below is the partial interview and transcript.
PARTIAL INTERVIEW
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CPA Canada CFE Review – CFE Sep 2020 Day 1 course now available
Dear Students,
I’m excited to announce the release of the CPA CFE Day 1 course: CFE Review: The Honour Roll Prep Program. This is a comprehensive prep and coaching course for CPA Canada Septembe...
CPA Canada cancels May 2020 CFE due to COVID-19 pandemic
Update: CPA Canada cancels the May 2021 CFE in Ontario and Quebec. The updated articled is here.
CPA Canada has announced that the May 2020 Common Final Exam (CFE) will be cancelled and all registere...
CFE Honour Roll Interview – Strategies from Matt
I chatted with Matt, an Honour Roll student from CPA CFE 2019. Below is the partial interview and transcript.
PARTIAL INTERVIEW
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May and September CFE Day 1 Cases
You can choose from the following cases for Day 1 of the CFE:
September 2021 CFE:
Waste Disposal Incorporated (WDI) v2
Distinct Hotels Corporation (DHC) v3
May 2022 CFE:
Creative Toys Inco...
CFE Honour Roll Interview – Strategies from Industry Candidate
I chatted with a candidate who passed CPA CFE 2019 with Honour Roll – and she has never worked in public practice. About 80% of all Honour Roll students come from the public practice. How did sh...
How To Get Depth in CPA Cases
When you start CPA studies, you learn concepts such as Required, Issue, Depth and Breadth. Becoming familiar with these terms and understanding the difference between a Required and an Issue is key to...
How To Write CPA Cases On Time
One of the most frequently asked questions from my CPA students is how to write cases on time. Most students go over the time limit by several minutes, even hours. This is especially true if you are i...
CPA CFE: Re-Mark Process, Appeal and Performance Analysis Review (PAR)
If you were unsuccessful at the CPA Common Final Examination (CFE), you may choose to re-mark (formerly appeal) the exam results, purchase a Performance Analysis Review (PAR), or do both.
Re-mark...