By Jessica Kester CPA
Jessica Kester is a controller at Explor Geophysical Ltd., a Calgary-based company that develops seismic technology. Jessica wrote and passed the September 2020 CFE and obtained her CPA designation in January 2021. In this blog post, she explains how a shift in mindset—from viewing feedback as constructive, rather than as a criticism—helped her succeed in CPA PEP.
Receiving feedback can be challenging
I’ve struggled with receiving critical feedback since my school days. I don’t like having my errors pointed out and find it hard not to take it personally. My journey with receiving, understanding, and utilizing feedback during my time as a CPA candidate is a tumultuous road, but thankfully, it’s one that ends well.
The most common feedback I received in my CPA PEP courses was from the feedback guides provided for integrated problems and practice cases. These templates offered a wealth of insight and support into how to construct responses that adhered to the CPA Way and ultimately pave the road to successfully passing the CFE.
What shifted my mindset regarding feedback?
Initially, I took many of the constructive comments personally. That feedback included comments that I was missing details, not providing enough examples or support, forgetting to address the issue, or not concluding properly. But over time, I learned there was a consistency to the feedback guides, and that changed my mindset.
Once I dove into the comments and reviewed my cases with improvement rather than criticism in mind, I started to see not only where my knowledge gaps were, but also where I was consistently missing additional points. A simple change in my mindset allowed me to realize I needed to more clearly identify the issues and state my conclusions; suddenly, some of my NCs changed to RCs!
How I applied feedback to my studies
One of my workshop leaders told our class about a giant spreadsheet he developed to track the feedback he received in all his practice cases. The goal was to identify areas where he was consistently lacking. While I never quite got that detailed, I took his advice, started tracking my NCs and RCs, and spent extra time reviewing the comments on them.
I began to realize that, generally, it was more a matter of how much I was writing rather than a lack of knowledge. Once I cut down on the word count and got to the point, my answers were clearer and my marks improved. This, I would learn, was essential to passing the CFE, as the time constraints were my biggest worry.
During Capstone 2, I really started to debrief my practice cases right after I wrote them—something I’d only done sporadically in the previous modules. While this good habit was time consuming, it helped to review the case while it was still fresh in my mind. I then compared my self-assessment with the marker’s assessment and found that I was usually more critical of my work than the marker. Prior to writing the CFE, this boosted my morale and helped alleviate some of the pressure I was putting on myself.
I was also fortunate enough to have a wonderful study group with whom I worked through the preparatory and CPA PEP courses. We would meet weekly to discuss the cases and assignments, and essentially review each other’s work. It was immensely valuable to have their input, share ideas and thoughts, and work through areas of uncertainty.
The best (and hardest) part about this group was their honesty. We were there to learn from each other, so when I made mistakes or didn’t know an answer, they acknowledged it and helped me recognize my gaps. The discussions were always fair and constructive, and I couldn’t be more thankful for them.
The takeaway
The important takeaway I received from my combined five years in the preparatory courses and in CPA PEP was to put the personal aspect aside and use feedback to my advantage. Focusing on the areas where I was lacking or where I consistently made errors allowed me to use my time accordingly and improve those areas for better marks. If you can take advantage of feedback early on, it will set you up for success on the CFE.
The views expressed in this post are those of the guest writer, Jessica Kester CPA. Please refer to cpawsb.ca for the latest guidelines from the CPA Western School of Business.
