When you have a goal, you have to reach it. Be disciplined, diligent, and patient. Don’t be distracted by obstacles. The goal of studying in the Faculty of Accountancy at Sripatum University was to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) from the beginning because I saw my friend’s mother being one and she was very cool and rich. So I intended to study accounting and graduated with first class honors. After graduating, I started working at the first office that collected hours, which was A&V Office, which did accounting and auditing for SMEs. This gave me knowledge about tax accounting and auditing for small and medium-sized businesses. Then I did an internship and collected hours until I reached 3,000 hours at DIA Auditing Office, which audited large companies and companies listed on the stock exchange. Then I worked as a Senior Accountant in a private company, overseeing financial accounting and financial statements of the parent company and subsidiaries, and had my own accounting and auditing office.
What are the advantages of being a CPA?
1. Income: This is a career that generates quite a lot of income. Currently, there are still few auditors compared to the number of businesses that have to close their accounts at the end of every 12-month accounting period, which requires an auditor to sign and certify the financial statements.
2. It is a professional license that is honorable and reliable in the profession, stating that it is a certified accountant.
Obstacles to becoming a CPA
1. Work and money: Being a CPA requires 3,000 internship hours over 3 years or more. The workload is quite heavy and the internship compensation is not as high as for those who graduate with an accounting degree and go to work for other private companies. This makes people not want to intern and collect hours.
2. Time: In cases where you have to work and take exams at the same time, you have to divide your time to read books. Due to fatigue from work, you cannot read books to your full potential. We will find that many people have to quit their jobs to study for the CPA exam.
How to study for an exam while working and studying
1. You must be really determined and set your mind to passing the exam.
2. Taking the 6 subject exam requires planning. For me, I chose subjects whose standards don’t change very often or change slowly, such as Law 1-2 -> Accounting 1-2 and -> Accounting Examination Subjects 1-2 (because you must have an internship of not less than 1 year and 1,000 hours before you can take the exam)
3. Set aside time to read books after work and during commuting for 2-3 hours a day. Focus on doing past exams. For math subjects, focus on doing exams. For memorization subjects such as law and accounting exams, write according to the standards. Do not make up your own.
4. Do the practice tests, old exams many times, write a lot until you are proficient and fast because the given exams require a lot of time to calculate and write each question but the time is limited.
5. When you fail the exam, don’t be discouraged. Find your weak points, find the mistakes you made, and fix them. Don’t forget that your goal is to be a CPA.
For those who are interested in becoming a CPA or are taking the exam, please be patient and keep trying. Don’t be distracted or discouraged by obstacles. The biggest obstacle is our own heart. Will we be able to overcome our own hearts? Because the CPA license is only suitable for those who are determined. Keep fighting!
