CPA Atlantic School of Business is committed to providing the best-possible support to our candidates to be successful with the CPA Common Final Examination (CFE). To best help you prepare for the upcoming May 2023 CFE, we are pleased to offer candidates a number of support measures as noted below.
Introduction to Capstone 2 and the CFE (offered in English and French)
The Introduction to Capstone 2 and the CFE module is a self-study module that all CFE writers have access to in D2L. There is no facilitator support, required submissions, grades, nor deadlines in this module. This module contains the following resources:
- A technical review that includes:
- diagnostic assessments that evaluate your proficiency on technical topics
- a personalized syllabus focused on technical topics where you require additional study
- tailored adaptive reviews that reinforce your learning and provide you with an opportunity for additional practice
- A sample CFE study calendar
- The eBooks and practice MCQs
- Practice cases with supporting materials (debrief notes, walk-throughs, and feedback guides)
- DAIS activities
- An unmonitored discussion board where candidates can discuss study plans and form study groups
CFE Mentorship Program (offered in English and French)
This mentorship program pairs repeat CFE writers with mentors who will provide an additional level of support to help candidates be successful on their next attempt. As a recent CPA member and an Award of Excellence recipient, mentors possess a great abundance of knowledge and experience to share with candidates.
Your time with your mentor could cover such topics as, but are not limited to:
- Study tips
- Outlining support
- Assistance with understanding a feedback guide or specific assessment opportunity.
Please note: The role of a mentor is to provide guidance and support, to be able to answer questions on specific topics, help a candidate with an AO or technical, etc. Mentors do not review and mark your assignments or go through weekly feedback. If you wish to have consistent marking, please consider taking advantage of re-taking Capstone 2.
In early April, you will be paired with your mentor and will receive an introductory email from them to get acquainted and assist with your study needs. If you do not receive an email from your mentor by April 15th, please email cfe@cpaatlantic.ca.
Any first-time writers who wish to be assigned a mentor, please email cfe@cpaatlantic.ca by March 31, 2023.
CFE-Support Webinar Series (offered live in English and recorded sessions only in French)
Each of these Zoom webinars offers a significant topic If you are unable to make the live event, you will be able to watch a recorded version (uploaded to D2L) at a time that suits you better. However, we urge you to take advantage of the live webinar to ask your questions in real time.
Webinar 1 – Understanding the CFE and how it is marked (75 minutes)
- Tuesday, April 4th @ 6:00pm AT
Webinar 2 – Case Writing and the Road to Competent (75 minutes)
- Wednesday, April 19th @ 6:00pm AT
Webinar 3 – Time Management and Common Issues (75 minutes)
- Tuesday, April 25th @ 6:00pm AT
Webinar 4 – Stress Management
- Tuesday, May 2nd @ 6:00pm AT (45 minutes)
To register for one (or more) of the CFE Support Webinar Series, contact cfe@cpaatlantic.ca.
The links to these webinars will also be posted in D2L in the News Items in the Capstone 2 module as well as the Introduction to Capstone 2 and the CFE module 2023 prior to the webinars.
Day 1 Case – Kingsdale Tea Inc. Mini Workshop (offered in English only)
Those candidates who are rewriting Day 1 of the CFE and/or did not take Capstone 1 in Jan 2023 are strongly encouraged to attend a mini-workshop for Kingsdale Tea Inc. (approximately 1.5 -2 hours) which is the new Day 1 case on the May 2023 CFE (the other case option for CFE Day 1 is Creative Toys Inc. from 2022). This mini workshop will be held virtually and there will be case preparation required prior to attending. The case preparation instructions and the Zoom link will be provided prior to the session. Please note that this webinar is NOT open to candidates from the Jan 2023 Capstone 1 cohort.
Tuesday, April 18thth @ 6:00pm AT
The link to this webinar will be emailed to eligible candidates prior to the webinar.
Day 1 Case – Creative Toys Inc. Mini Workshop (offered in English only)
Those candidates who are rewriting Day 1 of the CFE and/or did not retake Capstone 1 in Jan 2023 are strongly encouraged to attend a mini-workshop for Creative Toys Inc. (approximately 1.5 -2 hours) which is repeat Day 1 case on the May 2023 CFE (the other case option for CFE Day 1 is Kingsdale Tea Inc. which is the new case for 2023). This mini workshop will be held virtually and there will be case preparation required prior to attending. The case preparation instructions and the Zoom link will be provided prior to the session. Please note that this webinar is NOT open to candidates from the Jan 2023 Capstone 1 cohort.
Wednesday, April 19thth @ 7:30pm AT
The link to this webinar will be emailed to eligible candidates prior to the webinar.
CFE Live Panel Discussion (offered in English only)
A live one-hour webinar will be hosted by CPA Atlantic School staff and previous CFE writers on Monday, May 8th at 12:00pm AT. This will give candidates the opportunity to ask questions about the exam, exam day procedures, or anything that you might be unsure of regarding the exam. Panelists and staff will not be able to answer any technical questions or questions pertaining to specific topics that may be tested on the CFE, but rather will answer questions about the overall exam experience. Live attendance is strongly encouraged, but a link to the recording will be available to all candidates in D2L after the event.
To register for the CFE Live Panel, contact cfe@cpaatlantic.ca.
The links to this panel discussion will also be posted in D2L in the News Items in the Capstone 2 module as well as the Introduction to Capstone 2 and the CFE module 2023 prior to the event.
Intermediate and Advanced Financial Reporting and Management Accounting Primer Documents (offered in English only)
These CPA Canada primer documents are designed to give candidates a refresher in many of the Intermediate and Advanced Financial Reporting and Management Accounting technical topics that were covered during your undergraduate (or PREP) and PEP studies. Students will be able to access these documents in D2L in the News Items in the Capstone 2 module as well as the Introduction to Capstone 2 and the CFE module 2023 by early April.
Supplemental Case Writing Tutorials module (offered in English only)
This free module was developed by CPA Ontario as a supplemental resource to provide candidates with additional case writing practice prior to writing the CFE. This module consists of 5 cases in which candidates can prepare and then watch a debriefing video afterwards.
Students will be able to access this module in D2L by early April.
French Terminology for Business and Accounting
These two documents produced by the Government of Quebec may be of benefit to any francophones writers who work primarily in English but are writing the CFE in French, or any francophone writers who will be writing the CFE in English.
- Office québécois de la langue française – Accounting vocabulary (gouv.qc.ca)
- vocabulaire_francophone_affaires.pdf (gouv.qc.ca)
Should you have questions about any of these support measures or believe we can assist in any other way, please feel free to contact us at cfe@cpaatlantic.ca
On behalf of CPA Atlantic School of Business, our sincerest best wishes as you continue your journey to becoming a CPA.