Glad tidings came as the second semester started. SSU set a record high number of 16 students passing the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam. SSU also ranked 15th nationwide among the schools with the highest number of individuals who passed the exam. This phenomenon seems to reflect students’ desire to get a professional job for the security in their future life.
What is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)? The term “CPA” is a statutory title for qualified accountants in the Republic of Korea who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA. We need more detailed information about CPAs, so ST interviewed the Department of Electrical Engineering third-grade student Jong Seung-ho, who passed the exam.
[INTERVIEW]
ST: Many students are preparing to take the CPA exam. Could you explain what that exam is?
Jong : First of all, a CPA exam taker must meet the test requirements. He or she must have a passing TOEFL or TOEIC score, and must have completed 24 units in business, accounting, and economics. The first CPA exam covers three subjects: business and financial management, tax law and commercial law, and accounting. The second exam covers five subjects: financial management, tax law, financial audit, cost accounting, and financial management.
ST : How long does it take to prepare for the CPA exam?
Jong : I started preparing for it in January 2010 by completing its required 24 units in business, accounting, and economics, and acquiring the required score on TOEIC. I passed the first exam and two subjects in the second exam in 2011. Finally, I passed the rest of the subjects in second exam this August.
ST : You started your university education in 2004 and your major is Electrical Engineering. Is there a chance that you will become a CPA?
Jong : I think if I become an ordinary employee, I wouldn’t be able to work for a long time. So I thought of getting a professional job, and discovered that I could be a CPA. When I started preparing for the exam, I didn’t know how to study for it.
Jong : I went there after I passed two subjects in the second CPA exam in 2011. I was there for 4 months. Hyun-ei-jae is the best institute in SSU for someone preparing for the CPA exam. If you pass the first exam, you can get a 1-year scholarship there with your own chair and table. That shows that Hyun-e-jae encourages its students to study more and supports them financially. It also gives students a trial CPA exam once a week where they can learn techniques for answering the questions. That test makes students study more and make fewer mistakes.
ST : What was your day like?
Jong : I had a very regular schedule. I spent all day studying except when I slept, ate, and took a bath. I used to study for 15 hours a day.
ST : It seems that you spent almost two-thirds of a day on studying for about 2 years to prepare for the CPA exam.Did you experience a slump during that time?
Jong : You know, I’m a bit older than most people who take the CPA exam. So I thought, “This is my last chance. I can stop studying, but my competitor will study more and more.” That made me go back to my seat and continue studying. The problem is with our habitual mental attitude. I led this study-focused life for a year. I didn’t want to waste my efforts. Whenever I hit a slump, I stopped studying and did what I wanted to do, which was to play computer games. So I played games all the time for a month, until I was sick of it. That’s how I got out of a slump.
ST : What is your plan?
Jong : I’m a junior majoring in electrical engineering. I took a leave for three semesters to get a Master’s degree. I’m poor at English. So when I get more credit, I will study English first so that I can join an accounting firm.
ST : Last question. What can you say about the CPA exam to students from departments which cannot provide enough information on the exam?
Jong : The CPA exam demands a lot of time and effort. I spent about more than half a day for 2 years preparing for it. Honestly, though, that’s short time to prepare if you want to pass the exam, because some students prepare for it for over 3 years. For those who want to become a CPA, be faithful, help your accounting professor, and get his or her advice. He or she would no doubt welcome your request with open arms.
