By Jane Angilique Buzar
Jane is an accountant at NCCA LLP Chartered Professional Accountants and a 2020 successful CFE writer.
I wrote the CFE in September 2020 and it was quite an experience due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I still vividly remember how I felt after the last day of the exam: at first, I felt relief knowing I had completed the three-day exam; however, I also felt nervous about the upcoming results. What was weird after Day 3 was that I could still remember the “requireds” on the cases and everything seemed to remind me of the questions. I could not sleep the night after the exam because every time I closed my eyes, it felt like I was debriefing the cases. So I distracted myself by listening to a podcast until I fell asleep.
I felt stress even after writing the CFE because I was worried I missed assessment opportunities and didn’t properly respond to the cases. But deep down, I knew I had done my best and reminded myself that other candidates were possibly feeling the same. So I tried to stop worrying and kept going.
I get it—it is normal to feel anxious after the exam, partly because your routine changes. Before the CFE, I was used to following my daily study plan, and now I no longer needed to study. It took the first week to get used to the fact that I had plenty of free time to do whatever I wanted.
Here are a few tips on how I managed my stress levels between the time I wrote the CFE and when the results were released:
Avoid discussing the exam with co-writers and avoid reading feedback on different websites or group pages
I tried not to discuss the exam with other candidates. This lessened my anxiety about the fact that I may not have approached the cases competently. I refrained from discussing my answers with others because finding out that my responses were different from theirs would have caused doubt, and possibly regret and disappointment.
Take a breather
Since we are not able to travel at this time due to the pandemic, I relaxed by doing things that made me feel good, such as spending more time with my family, watching different TV series, playing new piano pieces, and learning new things.
Practice daily positive affirmations
I downloaded daily affirmation apps on my phone, and seeing them every day helped me feel calm. One of the affirmations I lived by is: “Trust the process. Your time is coming. Just do the work and the results will handle themselves,” by Tony Gaskins. I instilled in my mind that my determination and passion will allow me to achieve my goals, and only focused my energy on the things that mattered most.
Keep yourself busy
I kept myself busy by mostly working and having a regular daily routine. I also pampered myself, decluttered my closet, and so forth. This diverted my attention to different tasks and made it easier not to think about the results.
Finally, I know now that time management and discipline were essential to my success. Prior to the exam, following my study plan, sticking to the allocated time when responding to cases, and providing reasonable—as opposed to perfect—responses were critical in helping me pass the CFE. These good habits enabled me to cover as many assessment opportunities as possible on the CFE, which ultimately boosted my confidence. Knowing that I relied on these good habits when writing the CFE—and that I did my best—helped minimize post-exam stress. I hope the same mindset helps you manage your stress as well. And remember: You got this!
The views expressed in this post are those of the guest writer, Jane Angilique Buzar. Please refer to cpawsb.ca for the latest guidelines from the CPA Western School of Business.
