3 Humabon Place, Magallanes, Makati City

Methods and Practices: A Comparative Analysis among Certified Public

Accountant Licensure Examination (CPALE) Board Passers from

2014 to 2019

In Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for

Extensive Communication Competency Program 1

Presented by:

AC181

January 2020
 CHAPTER I

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Certified Public Accountant Licensure Examination (CPALE) has always

been considered as one of the hardest licensure examinations in the Philippines. CPALE

consistently belongs among the Top 10 of the Hardest Licensure Examinations, thus the

reason to conduct this study. For the past few years the national passing rate of CPALE

has continuously dropped and recently hit 14.32% last October 2019.

This study aimed to identify the effective study habits of the CPALE passers from

Asia Pacific College during the years between 2014 and 2019. The information gathered

from two respondents per year which has a total of twelve respondents was used to

compare their methods and practices while reviewing for board exam. According to the

board passers the most common difficulties they experience during the review period is

lack of time to study and there were many distractions. They have different ways in

handling these difficulties, some have their timetables of their tasks, others always do

everything ahead of time, and some just do it in their own pace. They have different

approaches but basically if analyzed it is all about managing your time and motivating

oneself. In average the passers spend five to six hours or more every day in studying for

the board exams.

The researchers identified the list of CPALE passers from Asia Pacific College

from the year 2014 to 2019 through the data from Asia Pacific College-Junior Philippine

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Institute of Accounts (APCJPIA). Google forms was used for the survey and the forms

were distributed through sending it in the social media accounts of the participants.

CHAPTER II

INTRODUCTION

Throughout the years, accountancy has been an integral part of any business, for it

helps the business be notified of its standing in its industry, and plan for future actions.

Many people have chosen this career with the promise of financial stability, while others

simply just went with it. Here in the Philippines, there is a high demand for accountants,

but a rather low workforce. Still, this indicates that there are many job openings in the

accounting sector, providing job seekers numerous opportunities.

In order to polish and improve the country’s accounting competence, in 2017, the

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) issued a memorandum requiring the change

of accountancy’s collegiate curriculum. Many parts of the curriculum were amended,

including the subjects to be taken and licensure examinations.

However, there has been a rather disturbing occurrence in the accounting

community. As of recently, there were not many passers of the Certified Public

Accountants’ (CPA) board examination. This could be indicative of something wrong

with the accountancy students’ way of studying. In addition, there were comparatively

more passers before the enactment of the memorandum, which meant a significant

decline on the passing rate of examinees.

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 This study aims to learn on how the board examination passers prepared to take

the test and compare it with the recent passers which became helpful with achieving their

current careers.

CHAPTER III

HYPOTHESIS

The trend of the national passing rate in the CPALE is continuously dropping, in

the last licensure exam during October 2019 it dropped into 14.32%. These results start to

alarm the students who are currently enrolled to an accounting course or are still planning

to take it, accounting professionals, especially the people in the Professional Regulatory

Board of Accountancy (BOA), and the schools with accountancy programs.

The continuous dropping of the national passing rate is the inspiration of this

study. It aims to identify the reason why the passing rate in during the previous licensure

exams is significantly higher than the recent results of the CPALE. Is there a difference

between the methods and practices of the board passers? What is the perfect study habit

for a board taker to pass the CPALE?

The following are the hypotheses of the researchers of this study:

 There is no fixed or standard study habits that should be followed to pass

the CPALE, it depends on the person. An effective study habit to a person

may or may not be effective to another.

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  To find the perfect study habit one must try different ways or methods in

studying.

 Since there is a big change in the accountancy curriculum and the rules in

the board exams, the board takers are still adjusting to it.

CHAPTER IV

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

4.1 Factors that Contribute to Topping the Board Licensure Examination for

Certified Public Accountant

Profile of Cases

 Case Number 1

Topnotch 1 came from a simple family and was disciplined well by his

parents. His parents work as a tricycle driver and government employee. Their

average family gross income is P400,000. He has one sibling pursuing BS-Nursing

degree. As a child, he always believed that he needs to be outstanding in everything

he does as they were trained by their parents to always excel. With this, he has one

principle in life which is “Good, Better, Best. Never let it rest. Until your good is

better and your better is best.”

He can be described as a student leader, achiever, bookworm, and a home

buddy. Since he was a child, he received a lot of awards inside and outside the school.

He finished as a valedictorian in elementary and received different awards like

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Leadership Award, Mathematician of the Year, Journalist of the Year, and Scientist

of the Year. In high school he graduated as salutatorian with a Mercury Award for

Mathematics. He finished his degree in Bachelor of Science in Accountancy as cum

laude and academic scholar.

Topnotch 1 usually uses his free time in the library when he has no extra-

curricular activities to attend to. Every major examination he allots at least eight

hours for studying and always see to it that he has at least two other textbooks for a

certain subject which he answers all the problems in it. His study habits are first,

reading theories and then applying it by answering as many problems as possible.

Second, use as many references from different authors per subject as much as

possible. Lastly, watch televisions while studying. During major exams, Topnotch 1

make use of review books, eats chocolate before exams, and sleeps and wakes up

early.

He is very focused on his studies and god-centered. Topnotch 1 always read

their lessons in advance. He is active inside and outside the classroom. Inside the

classroom, he only recites and participate in board works when asked by his teacher.

Also, the foundation of Topnotch1 is strong. With the help of teachers who are

considered as the mix of professors he was able to be trained well and prepared for

the board exam. Outside the classroom, during his first to third year in college in he

has a position in School of Business Administration and Accountancy. For his last

two years he was elected as the governor. Also, he also became the Vice-President for

Academics of the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountant. Aside from this he is also

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active in competing in quiz bees inside and outside the school to prepare him in board

examination. Clearly, Topnotch 1 was able to manage his time for both studying and

extra-curricular activities.

 Case Number 2

Topnotch 2 also came from a simple family also with an annual gross income

of P400,000. His parents are businessman and a government employee, and he has

three siblings. His siblings became his inspiration with his guiding philosophy in life

which is “If others can, why can’t I.” He is described by his classmates, professors,

and family as a silent type, prayerful, bookwork, home buddy, responsible, and loves

challenges. All throughout his life as a student he is an achiever. He was finished as a

second honorable mention in elementary, valedictorian in high school, and graduated

Bachelor of Science in Accountancy with academic distinction. He is a consistent

quizzer and became champion in different quiz bees.

As a freshman, he wants “to prove that he could do well even though he

studied in his hometown.” His study habits are first, he focuses more on

understanding the concepts than solving different reviewers. Second, he studies and

creates a reviewer a night before a major examination. Lastly, he makes sure that he

has all the necessary Accountancy books when studying. Also, he believes that

studying in the library inspires him to read books. Also, when it comes to solving the

problems, he tries to find a different way to solve it if he is not satisfied with how it

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was solved. In addition, Topnotch 2 is not fond of taking down notes. He said that he

only listens to his professors and understand the lesson. Due to his love for books, he

sells books he already read and use its proceeds to but other books for references

when studying.

Although Topnotch 2 is considered quiet type, he excels in recitations and

discusses well when called. He is described by his professors as a deep thinker with

very good analytical skills. He is responsible not only in studying but also with

household chores, doing it without being told to. Just like Topnotch 1, he spent two

years as the governor of the Accountancy department. Despite this, Topnotch

managed his responsibilities both as a leader and a student.

Topnotch 2 was also active outside the school. He became part of the School

of Business Administration and Accountancy and has served the department in

various capacities. He was also active in participating the events by the Junior

Philippine Institute of Accountants organization like conventions and seminars.

But it was never easy for Topnotch 2. His mother shared that there was a day

when Topnotch 2 came home crying and saying that he does not have a gift for them

in graduation because he had a grade lower than the cut off for academic awards. This

was the reason why he graduated without a Latin award. But, Topnotch 2 moved on

fast, busying himself with academic and being a leader.

 Case Number 3

Topnotch 3 belongs to a family with a gross annual income of P500,000. Both

his parents are teachers and he have two siblings. He looked up to the topnotch

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graduates of his university, their researcher dean, and his father. In elementary, he

finished as the class valedictorian. In high school, he was awarded as the salutatorian.

Lastly, he graduated college as a cum laude. While achieving all of this he maintained

to be an academic scholar.

The thing that kept him going in college was his goal during his freshman year

which is to acquire the Certified Public Accountant title. During major exams, he

prepares by studying 1-3 days for 1-2 hours. He often uses the library and always see

to it to have all the Accountancy textbooks necessary for review. He is active in

recitation, board works, and discussions. Also, Topnotch 3 is an active quizzer and

officer of the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants.

According to his parents, since kindergarten Topnotch 3 was able to read

alone without guidance from his parents. He is described by his family as a home

buddy, God-fearing, responsible, and independent. Growing in high school, he prefers

to do his assignments and review alone in his room. While from his professors and

classmates, Topnotch 3 is very studious. He always read books and bring it in his

classes. Topnotch 3 also loves discussing with his teachers and classmates. He

divided his time well. During mornings is for his extra-curricular activities and

afternoons is for studying which no one can distract him in it.

Based on these stories, all of the topnotches are males, home buddies, focused

and have positive outlook in life. All finished elementary in public schools. Two of

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them graduated high school in a public school and the three of them in private school

for their college. They have their own study habits that are effective for them and

they are consistent and graduated with academic honors all throughout their

elementary to college.

Based on a thorough focused group discussion with the participants, the

following factors were revealed:

 Study/Review Habits: According to the participants’ cases this is the most

important and consistent above all. In order to ace Accounting subjects there

should be a deep understanding of concepts. What is needed is to be focused

in studying and reviewing. As supported by their parents, all the participants

are focused and determined in their studies. Their study habits are

accompanied with their love of reading books as all of them are bookworms.

Aside from good study habits, all of them are God-centered.

Other variables like motivation and study time also influence the

academic performance Nonis and Hudson (2006). Citing Bennett and

Barkensjob (2005), academic excellence is more of a consequence of an

individual's effort and ability than the person's socioeconomic background.

Also, from Nonis and Hudson (2010)’s study on the influence of a third

variable, study habits of students showed that some study habits had a positive

direct relationship on student performance, but others had a negative direct

relationship. In addition, Yu (2011) found out in comparing the academic

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 performance of achievers and non-achievers, study habits show up to be

significant as well. According to him students who performed better are those

who did more in terms of reading ahead, doing their homework, participating

in class, and cramming for exams.

 Family: The topnotches all agreed that one of their sources of inspiration is

their family. Their parents became their reminders that they needed to study

well. Specifically, they considered their fathers as their icons of leadership.

On the other hand, siblings do not contribute much to influenced them in their

achievements.

According to the study conducted by Fan and Chen (2001) there is a

small to moderate and practically meaningful relationship between parental

involvement and academic achievement. Using moderator analysis, they

concluded that expectations of the parents is far more influential in academic

achievement than parental home supervision. Also, the said relationship is

much stronger if academic achievement is measured using global indicator

(e.g., GPA) than by a subject-specific indicator (e.g., English grade).

Schools who have a combination of numerous characteristics narrowed

tonine areas which one of it is “high levels of parent and community

involvement” perform well compared to other schools.

 Schoolmates/classmates: Aside from being the source of their confidence,

their classmates also served as their study mates. In a study by Pattaguan

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 (2016), in Accountancy education, one of the effective practices of an

institution is the used of study groups. It allows students to review their

lessons and prepare them in review sessions in the board exam with their

classmates as their study mates.

Furthermore, in the article of Holloway (2001), he proved that special

grouping arrangements increased students learning based on ability and other

classroom arrangements.

 School Teachers: According to the participants their college instructors

especially their professional subject teachers are a mix of strict to very strict

faculty which challenged them and became their motivation to study hard.

This idea of the topnotches is supported some studies. Education and child

development is a process nurtured through the collaborative efforts of

teachers, out-of-school programs, and parents Price-Mitchell (2015). Sanders,

et. al (1997), also confirmed that the effectiveness of instructors is more

influential than other factors in affecting student in academic achievements.

Darling-Hammond (2000) said that the quality of teachers and their

achievements also supports that teachers role on students’ academic

achievement. At the state level, teachers’ quality has stronger relationship than

in class sizes.

Furthermore, from the study habits, skills, and attitude factors,

teacher’s perception on a student and level of effort are influential when it

comes to performance in accounting.

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 School Administrators: The administrators, specifically the Dean of the BS

Accountancy program, helped provide a good environment for them to

enhance their skills and top the board examination. Policies implemented their

program administrator ensured that only the best students are retained in the

accountancy program. This kind of administration have consistently produced

topnotch passers in Certified Public Accountant Licensure Examination

(CPALE). The said school administrators also served as their prayer warriors

and inspiration before, during, and after board exams.

Library and Learning Resources: Similar to each participant is having

a wide range of reliable, up-to-date, and relevant learning materials. Spending

their free time in the library is also considered as a contribution for them to

top the board exam. According to the study of Greenwald et al. (1996), a wide

range of resources is positively related to student academic achievement.

Hanusek (1997) also supported the role of library and learning resources to

student performance. He found out that around 400 studies of student

achievement demonstrate the strong relationship between student performance

and school resources. In addition, he stated that simple resource policies are

not that helpful in improving student outcomes.

 School Review Program: The topnotches acknowledge the importance of

School Review Program in their universities. This review program is part of

their curriculum, but the Program Heed of Accountancy also provide a formal

review program to address the areas where their students got a low mark in

mock board exams. Also, feedbacks from previous board takers are helpful in

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 planning the said review program. The participants also believed that the

review program is a good training ground as a preparation for the board

exams. On top of this, them being active in quiz bees and other competitions

while studying is helpful in board exams as their updated with the contents in

the accountancy field/industry as it is part of the contests.

Influence of review board mates/review mates/study groups: The

participants also acknowledge the contribution of their board mates/review

mates/study groups in toping the board exams as they gave other opportunities

to learn outside the formal review through exchange of thoughts and

discussions.

 Outlook in Life: All the achievers were described by the people close to them

as home buddies which helped them to focus in their studies. Their

independence and positive outlook in life, including being prayerful contribute

to their success. Additionally, the topnotches read their lessons in advance and

have a lot of reading materials as their references in studying (Pattaguan,

2018).

4.2 Young CPAs Count the Secrets to Topping Accountancy Board Exams

Two (2) students from De La Salle University (DLSU) Manila, Josemaria

Fontillas and Geraldine Papa, shared the number one spot in the CPA Board

Exams last May 2019. They shared their experiences and discussed the important

details that led to them securing their place at number one. According to Fontillas,

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he was motivated to becoming a CPA in order to study law soon afterwards.

Numerous sources led him to believe that starting with the BSA program was the

best choice. He was inspired by the work that accountants do and believes in their

cause and core values of transparency and being a third party meant to serve the

public.

According to Fontillas, resiliency is the most important trait an aspiring

CPA must have in order to succeed as professionals. It was also his main core

value that helped him through his college life. He mentions how Accountancy is a

difficult program and how failure is commonplace. It is through resiliency that he

was able to drive past those difficulties in order to reach his goals, as he states that

these hardships are simply challenges that needs to be overcome and that giving

in to failure would mean that the program may not be suited for that person.

Fontillas chose DLSU for its CPA passing rate and the biggest factor being their

modular program and the professors’ teaching methods. His strategy in preparing

for the board exams was to be patient and study consistently as time went on. He

challenged himself by answering difficult questions every day and does his best to

meet the quota. And according to him, a balanced healthy diet and proper resting

hours is also necessary as one prepares to take the board exam.

His fellow passer, Geraldine Papa, also shared her values and practices

that led to her success in passing the board exams. She held on to DLSU’s core

values in order to stay motivated and true to her path as a BSA student. It also

inspired her to be more extroverted for the benefit of the community and for

herself in order to understand the world more and make it thrive, thus valuing

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 what service really stands for. This led her to become dedicated to her chosen

profession and overcome the difficulties that came. She had many responsibilities

as an officer of the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants yet managed to

balance her schedule effectively in order to not face poor time management, and

never forgets to spend quality time with family and friends. Her strategy in

preparing for the board exams was to stay more relaxed compared to how

studying was as a BSA undergraduate. Papa mentions that she is not learning new

topics, but rather reviewing it again and simply polishing her understanding of the

topics. Because she understands that fear is the main obstacle once faces before a

board exam, she studied by focusing on what was most difficult to her. She also

mentioned the importance of maintaining the physical and spiritual self as simply

preparing oneself mentally is not enough (Reyes, 2019).

4.3 Performance in the Accountancy Licensure Examination of the University of

Eastern Philippines: A Look at Curriculum and Instruction

Throughout the years, accounting profession has been affected by

globalization. Due to the global demands, accountancy students need to cope up

on a globalized basis. This includes improving the curriculum, administration

support, and even school facilities, for students to enhance their reasoning and

thinking in a global scale (Tan, 2015).

Materials and Methods

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 The researcher used a Descriptive-Correlational Method. This study aims

to know the correlation or the relationship between variables. The variables

included in this study were curriculum, administration support and school

facilities, and the performance of students during the Certified Public Accountant

(CPA) Board Examination. The results were gathered by the researcher from one

hundred twenty-four (124) CPA board examination passers covering the months

May and October during year 2013. The passers during the said period was taken

and verified from Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). The researcher

used questionnaire and Five-Point Rating Scale to gather data from the

respondents (Tan, 2015).

Results and Discussion

Curriculum

As years pass, there has been many changes in the accountancy curriculum

to sustain the need of students to cope up with changing demands. It is important

to strengthen the curriculum for students to have a higher degree of knowledge in

accounting. According to a study conducted by Tan (2015) on the performance of

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University of Eastern Philippines in the CPA board exam, there is a positive

correlation between curriculum and program of studies and the passing rate of

students in the stated exam. This is supported by the mean of 3.88 out of 5. This

means that better curriculum leads to better performance in the licensure exam.

Administration support

Aid and assistance given to students were found to be existing, and study

by Tan (2015) indicated that the correlation of this to the students' performance in

the licensure exam was also positive. Although the mean of 3.45 was not as high

as the curriculum, this still means that effective teaching causes students to

perform better in the board exam. Students are thought to learn more if they are

faced with engaging teachers.

Schools’ Physical Facilities and Resources

Although school facilities and resources are found to have less significant

relationship than curriculum and administration support, having the mean of 2.77

out of 5, it is still seen as a contributing factor to students’ performance.

Classrooms, libraries, or other places in the school also contribute to learning for

it is where students study and where teachers facilitate their lectures. (Tan, 2015).

4.4 Redesigning the Accountancy Curriculum of the Philippines

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 With the help of the knowledge gathered here and abroad by accounting

and auditing experts, the accountancy course was overhauled in order to be

synchronized with certain related prerequisites, namely the Philippine

Qualification Framework, ASEAN Qualification Reference Framework, Foreign

Qualifications, and Accounting Industry’s Demands, in order to catch up with the

industry’s ever-increasing specialization.

After consulting and gathering experts to forums, many changes were

enacted during the overhaul, and these affect multiple aspects of the curriculum as

a whole. There are four accounting programs, each with Bachelor of Science

degree, created from these consultations for college level students, namely a

retooled Accountancy course, Management Accounting, Internal Audit, and

Accounting Information Systems. The examination for professional accounting

licensure also underwent changes. The examination has two tiers. The first deals

with the Certified Accountant examination, to be taken by the four programs’

fresh graduates, which, upon completion, grants them authorization to practice

accounting in the government and public sector, and in the private sector to some

degree, and to conduct accounting lectures. It contains fundamental accounting

topics, such as financial accounting reporting (basic and advanced), management

advisory services, taxation, and transactional regulatory framework. Upon

working for three years, they can opt to take the Certified Public/Professional

Accountant examination, which allows them to participate in the accreditation of

external audit and to become accounting instructors. In addition, many other

“special concerns” are to be highlighted in the examinations, namely globalization

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trends, governance ethics, regulatory requirements and considerations, and

effective business communication. (Borgonovo,2018).

CHAPTER V

METHODOLOGY

5.1 Research Design

This study will use a Qualitative-Descriptive Research Method which is

used to gain reasons, opinions, and motivation, can provide solutions to problems,

or help develop ideas for potential quantitative research. This method presents a

complete description of a research subject by not limiting the nature of the

participant’s responses. As described, the researchers will use a Qualitative-

Descriptive Research Method to understand the methods and practices of the

CPALE passers from the years 2014 up to 2019 who graduated from Asia Pacific

College (APC).

In this research, survey through google forms was used which the

researchers seek for respondents or participants to provide qualitative answers.

The survey given to the participants consist of predetermined set of questions

which aims to determine what the techniques are to ace the CPA board exam.

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5.2 Population and Sampling

The participants of this study are the CPALE passers that Asia Pacific

College have produced since May 2014 up to October 2019. The researchers used

convenience sampling, which by its name means the respondents were the

CPALE passers who are readily available and willing to answer the survey

questionnaire provided in the study. The researchers surveyed two (2) passers

each year, one (1) for May board takers and one (1) for October board takers. A

total of twelve (12) subjects were used in this research

5.3 Research Instrument

The principal tool used in this research is survey through google forms.

The questionnaire used consists of the following parts:

The first part of the survey consists of questions to determine personal

information such as the name of the respondent and in what category he/she

belongs such the year and the month he/she took the board exam.

The second part contains questions that is designed to get responses from

the participants regarding their college life, how they handled their tasks as

students and their extra-curricular activities, and study habits to establish their

techniques in studying to pass the board exams.

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 The last part of the survey aims to rank the factors that could have affected

their study habits during their college life and review for the board exams. The

responses from this determine the how influential are these factors.

5.4 Data Collection

The set of questions approved was transferred to google forms for easier

access then, the link created is distributed to the respondents. After answering, the

researchers are able to retrieve the participants’ responses immediately.

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 CHAPTER VI

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Based on the information gathered and the responses from the participants the

following are the findings of the researchers. Each figure corresponds a graphical

representation of the respondents’ answers in each question given in the survey.

Figure 1. Reasons why the respondents chose BS in Accountancy.

Majority of the respondents chose accountancy because they simply like to take it

as a course. A total of five (5) respondents attested to the reason. The next dominating

factor was both not having a choice or because it was their parents’ choice. These options

each had Two (2) respondents attest to it. It shows how they appreciate the course

genuinely and therefore chose to pursue it.

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 Figure 2. Average hours spent by the passers to review for the board exams.

Five (5) respondents answered that they normally take up five to six hours of their

time every day to study for the board exam. Two (2) respondents spent only one to two

hours of their time to study for the board exam. This shows that majority of board takers

assume an average of five to six hours studying and reviewing every day in preparation

for the exam is enough for them.

Figure 3. Respondents’ likelihood of experiencing difficulties during the review period.

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 All respondents answered that they encountered difficulties while studying for the

board exam. This shows that not all days spent on studying go smoothly.

Fig

ure 4. Causes of respondents’ difficulties.

The graph shows that ten (10) respondents answered the most prominent

difficulty they experience is that there were many distractions. Four (4) respondents

answered that they had a lack of time to study. Every other option received one (1) vote

each. It shows that board takers experience many distractions that take up time or take

away their interest in studying for the day. It also shows that a lack of time to study

negatively affect their efforts in preparing for the board exam.

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 Fig
ure 5. Respondents’ method of overcoming difficulties.

According to the graph, ten (10) of the respondents overcame these difficulties by

motivating themselves with positive consequences, nine (9) respondents decided to

handle it at their own pace and understand it broadly, and six (6) respondents decided to

seek help from others to get an outside opinion. These were the top three answers the

respondents chose meaning that these may be the preferred ways to handle and overcome

difficulty while preparing for the board exam.

Figure 6. Respondents’ hobbies and interests.

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 Eleven (11) respondents answered that watching movies and TV series were their

hobbies and interests during the time they had to review for the board exam. Seven (7)

respondents answered that they play video games, board games and other games, and six

(6) respondents prefer reading books, newspapers, and magazines. These were the top

three responses and it shows that these hobbies and interests were how they spent their

free time in order to wind down after a day of studying and to keep the mind fresh.

Figure 7. Respondents’ time spent outside of academics in average hours.

According to the graph, six (6) respondents spend three to four hours outside of

academics and three (3) respondents spend five to six hours outside of academics, these

being the top answers. It shows that they spent ample amount of time outside of

academics to engage in leisure or other things to stay physically and mentally healthy

every day.

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 Figure 8. Ways on how the respondents managed their time.

According to the graph, majority of the respondents answered that they managed

their tasks as a student by taking it easy on each task and by keeping a timetable of the

list of things they must do for the day. It proves that they prefer these methods to

maintain proper time management without compromising effectiveness.

Figure 9. Factors that have affect the study habits of the board passers.

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 This graph shows that the respondents were mostly inspired to review and become

CPAs by their family and teachers. They had a major contribution and were integral to

the respondents’ success in passing the board exam, either through positive motivation or

assistance in reviewing the material.

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 CHAPTER VII

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The study aims to identify the effective methods and practices to pass the

Certified Public Accountant Licensure Examination (CPALE). The study identified

the common difficulties experienced by the board passers during the review for the

board exams, as well as how the handled those difficulties. Also, how much time do

they spend in studying during the review period and the time they spare outside of

academics. The recreational activities they do during their spare time to relax their

minds were also identified. Lastly, the factors that have affected their study habits in

order to find the perfect methods and practices for them to pass the CPALE.

The findings showed that recent board passers allot more time in studying

compared to the previous board passers. Passers from years 2016-2019 study each

day for an average of five to six hours or more, some even studies for more than ten

hours a day. When it comes to their difficulties while reviewing mostly answered lack

of time and there were many distractions.

Although board passers experienced different difficulties and the factors that

influenced them the most in creating the best study habit are also different, if their

answers in order to handle these difficulties are analyzed it is basically similar. It is

all about managing your time and keeping your focus on your goal which is to pass

the CPALE. The passers handle everything in their own pace, they have timetables of

the tasks needed to be accomplished. They take each task one at a time easily and

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aims to always finish it ahead of time. Also, they motivate oneself by keeping in mind

their goal. But they also allot time limited to less than five hours a day to relax their

minds through recreational activities like watching movies, reading books, and

playing video games.

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 CHAPTER VIII

REFERENCES

Balicanta, M. K. C., Fernandez, J. R. G., Rama, D. D. S. (2011). Effects of Qualifying

Test to San Beda College Accountancy Students. Asia Pacific College, Makati City,

Philippines.

BOA. (2016, August 24). New accountancy tracks forthcoming. Philippine Accounting
Updates

BusinessMirror. (2018, October 29). Redesigning the accountancy curriculum of the

Philippines. Retrieved from BusinessMirror:

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2018/10/29/redesigning-the-accountancy-

curriculum-of-the-philippines-3/

Chua, P. T. (2018). Factors Contributing to the Success of Palawan State University’s

CPA Licensure Examinees. Retrieved from

https://simplyeducate.me/2018/08/11/factors-contributing-to-the-success-of-

palawan-state-universitys-cpa-licensure-examinees/

Nguyen, K. A., Torre, F. F. G., & Licong, M. M. O. (2011). CPA Exam Passing Rate in

the Philippines. Asia Pacific College, Makati City, Philippines.

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Pattaguan, E. J. (2018). Factors that Contribute to Topping the Board Licensure

Examination for Certified Public Accountant. Pacific Business Review

International, 203-214.

Revised Policies, Standards and Guidelines for Bachelor of Science in Accountancy

(BSA), CHED Memorandum Order No. 27. (2017). Quezon City.

Revised Policies and Standards for Bachelor of Science in Accountancy (BSA), as

Amended, CHED Memorandum Order No. 03. (2007). Quezon City.

Reyes, R. R. (2019, June 23). Young CPAs count the secrets to topping the accountancy

board exams. Retrieved from BusinessMirror:

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/06/23/young-cpas-count-the-secrets-to-

topping-accountancy-board-exams/

Tan, J. B. (2015). Performance in the Accountancy Licensure Examination of the

University of Eastern Philippines: A Look at Curriculum and Instruction.

International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, 598-607.

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 CHAPTER IX
APPENDICES

9.1 Survey Questionnaire

We are BSA students of Asia Pacific College, sophomores of AC 181. This

questionnaire will help us in gathering the data we need for our research topic and is

integral for us to pass this subject. The research is about the methods and practices that

CPA board passers used that helped them pass the board exam. We appreciate your time

and effort in answering this questionnaire as truthfully as possible.

Rest assured that the personal information we will collect from you will be treated

with confidentiality. We will securely store this data until the end of this term, when the

research period is over. We respect your trust and protect your privacy, and therefore we

will never share this data with any third parties without your consent.

Thank you for taking part in our Case Study Questionnaire

If you have any questions or change your mind, contact us through the email

below. acupan.mc@gmail.com

Name (Optional)

When did you pass the CPA board exam? (month, year)

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1) Why did you choose accountancy?

a. I like to take this course

b. It was my parents’ choice

c. The course is in demand

d. I had no choice

e. Peer pressure

f. Others

2) How much time did you spend studying for the board exam every day?

a. 1 to 2 hours

b. 3 to 4 hours

c. 5 to 6 hours

d. Others

3) Did you experience any difficulties while studying for the board exam?

a. Yes

b. No

4) If your answer on #3 is “Yes”, what are those difficulties

a. Resources and references materials are outdated

b. Internet is not easily accessible

c. Books are not easily accessible

d. Lack of time to study

e. There were many distractions

f. Others

5) How did you overcome those difficulties?

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 a. By finding more resources other than owned books or those at the

library

b. By taking on all possible perspective to get relatively easier way to

tackle it

c. By seeking help from others to get an outside opinion

a. By handling it at your own pace and understanding it broadly

d. By motivating oneself with positive consequences

e. Others

6) What were your hobbies and other interests during the review?

a. Reading books, newspapers, magazines or other written text digitally

or printed

b. Playing sports like basketball, tennis, baseball, etc.

c. Playing video games, board games or other games

d. Using or playing instruments like guitar, bass, drums, etc.

e. Watching movies, TV series, etc.

f. Others

7) How much time did you spare outside of academics?

a. 1 to 2 hours

b. 3 to 4 hours

c. 5 to 6 hours

d. Others

8) How did you manage all your tasks as a student?

a. By doing everything in one get-go.

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 b. By accomplishing harder tasks before easier tasks or the other way

around

c. By having a timetable on everything that should be done

d. By taking each task easy

e. By finishing it ahead of time

f. Others

Rank these factors as to how much it affected your study habits. One (1) being the most

influential and seven (7) being the least influential.

 Family

 Schoolmates

 School teachers

 School administrators

 Library and learning resources

 School review program

 Review board mates

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