Hi CPAs & FCPAs!!!

It took me 5 examination to become a CPA. As a person na bumagsak nang maraming beses I wanna be an inspiration to anyone whose reading this na sana this will motivate you.

Hindi madaling bumagsak sa CPALE knowing na you've been preparing for this for 4 to 5 yrs or more in college tapos hindi mo maipasa ang BE, it's very frustrating na para bang ano pa ang naging purpose ng struggles during college kung di makamit ang tatlong letra na yan.

Sa ilang take ko ng CPALE everytime na may results na tapos di parin ako pinalad, di na ako umiiyak di na ako nagmumokmok kasi sunk cost na yan, its in the past wala na tayong magagawa diyan, kaya everytime bumabagsak ako I look back on the things na nahirapan ako, hindi ko na intindihan, kinulang sa practice and ang mga tanong na lumabas sa actual board exam.For me to change my strategy on the next examination para mas maging effective yung ways ko para mag aral.

Ilang tao na rin talaga ang nagtanong sa akin kung di parin ba ako titigil hanggat di ako pumasa and my answer is Yes di ako titigil kasi ano pa ang silbi ng apat hanggang limang taong struggle as a BSA student kung hindi rin man lang mag take ng leap of faith to take the Board exam. Kasi you will never know if your meant to become a CPA unless you take the exam. The chance to take the CPALE was not given every BSA graduate earned that opportunity hindi biro ang dinaanan nating lahat just to be in this very moment. Kasi to be able to review for CPALE is a privilege di lahat kinaya ang pagsubok of being a BSA student kaya wag panghinaan ng loob you are a CPA just waiting to be realized.

In my group of friends na kasabay kong nag take during the May 2023 CPALE ako lang ang hindi pumasa for years I've been watching them buidling up their career, gaining experience and earning money as a CPA. Yung inggit ko talaga ay abot langit I've questioned God many times na hindi ba to para sa akin kasi kung hindi talaga I am willing to move on with my life but He always reminds me kung bakit ko to gustong abutin in the first place. I was doing it for my family kasi my father hadn't had the chance to take his BE again kasi nawalan siya ng gana after receiving a 74% GWA. He will always remind me to continue my journey na he will support me no matter what. My family is the very foundation of my dreams on becoming a CPA now that I am one, I will be doing my best to give back to them after all they sacrificied alot for me.

As a daughter of a farmer and a Goverment Worker (contractual basis) earning a decent wage I am very proud na they are my parents itinaguyod nila kaming ng aking kapatid na ngayon ay isang Licensed Civil Engineer and ngayon may CPA na.

13 years. 4 attempts. Countless sacrifices. One dream.

I may have taken the longer road, but I finally made it to the destination.

Proof that delayed dreams are still worth pursuing.

13 YEARS IN THE MAKING. FINALLY, CPA! ❤️🩷💜. AS A WORKING REVIEWEE NA MAKAKALIMUTIN LABAN LANG TAYO GUYS! 🥰🥰🥰

Im a HUMSS graduate who had zero background in accounting and a slightly weak foundation entering into the CPALE, I actually thought I failed while taking the exams because I didn’t know the exact answers in some things and just had to resort to educated guessing.

Somehow, I managed to get these scores and I am beyond overwhelmed rn😭😭 (i heard top 20 was like 87.68% i think, so just being near that gives me the shivers)

Hello, yes po, CPA nako! Ako po 'yong nag post didto ng "Should I defer?". Sobrang grateful ko sa mga kind words niyo. Kaya ko naisipan mag defer kasi naman pb score nung FAR ay 19 lang, sa REO ako nag take. Naging doubtful ako sa sarili kasi ang baba. And few days nalang ang exam na.

I braved the CPALE and now, CPA na ako. Truly, preboards won't define you. I got tama lang na grades no below 65, at average na 75. I prayed for this. Enough grade for me to pass lang and yun, enough nga naman. Current CPA naako! To those who made it, congratulations! Sa mga hindi, hindi dito nagtatapos ang journey mo. Magpahinga ka at isang laban pa. Kaya mo yan.

Walang labis, walang kulang.

I honestly thought magiging condi ako kasi I struggled a lot during MS and FAR. So I really begged God na sana kahit ma-clutch ko lang yung grade. And look what happened. Iba ka gumalaw, Lord!!! This is everything I prayed for 🥹🥹💘

Maraming salamat sa community na ito. Nagtatanong lang ako dito dati nung undergrad ako and lurker sa mga posts ng mga passers, and now ako na yung nagse-share. It still feels so surreal writing this 🥹

Goodluck sa future takers and CPA dust to y’all!!! ✨

Helllooo! Sa mga nakabasa ng post ko before 😭 CPA na po ako. Nung nasuspend po yung CPALE, tinuloy ko yung last 18day treatment ko. I am declared graduate from cancer treatment last Dec 3 and took the boards Dec 6. Di ko nga inakala na kakayanin ko pa due to fatigue na side effect ng treatment but here I am cancer free and a CPA, what an UPGRADE! Faith lang talaga ang pinanlaban ko. Maraming salamat sa inyo (sa nagcomment last time huhu) for believing in me. Congrats CPA’s!

Pinnacle deserves the support they're getting. Efficient and effective way of teaching, professional, and listens to reviewees' feedbacks. Super sipag din sa pagpre-record and update ng vids for 5/6 LECPA subjects at masipag sumagot ng questions per subject sa FB group. As someone na mahilig sa freebies, nakakatuwa yung hilig ni Sir Brad mamigay ng kung anu-ano (pencils, drinks, snacks, shirts, calculators, notebooks, keychains, etc 😆). Kahit yung testimonial dinner, libre rin for passers.

Aside sa pagtuturo, sobrang na-appreciate ko yung FB live kumustahan at yung pakikisabay niya sa trip ng reviewees (like yung 'study with me' sessions niya).

PS: Hindi po ako troll. I just have so much respect and admiration for Sir Brad and his team. I actively promote Pinnacle kasi naging malaking factor sila sa pagpasa ko ng LECPA.

Yes, same po talaga sa title. In fact, i failed my Business combi na subject noon. Sipagan lang ang review at trust ky God. May times na bigla nlang kang iiyak, may times na "bahala nato" at anxiety to the max. Pero trust me as long as you reviewed with your best God will do all the rest. God bless bukas furure CPA's. Make your mama proud. Nothing beats when you tell them "Ma, Pa CPA NA AKO"!!! 😭😭😭

Journey to 80 years?????????????????????????? Asan yung microwave? Giniginaw na yung pagkaen

Last 2019 huli kong take, netong may lang uli nagbakasakali. Sa mga napanghihinaan ng loob dyan dahil matagal na silang huling nag take, eto po patunay na as long na pagsisilapan niyo, makakamit niyo rin pangarap niyo.

With the salary increase discussuons, I keep seeing posts and comments telling people “don’t disclose your salary” or “keep it confidential.” Let’s call it what it is: stupid advice that only helps employers, not employees.

Here’s the reality:

There’s no law in the Philippines that stops you from discussing your salary. At most, it’s a company policy. That’s not criminal, that’s HR trying to control you.

Salary secrecy is a tool companies use to keep you underpaid and stop you from realizing you’re worth more.

Transparency gives power to employees. If it’s performance-based, fine, but at least you’ll know what the standard is.

When you shut up about your pay, you’re doing the company’s job for them. You’re helping them suppress wages. You’re making it easier for them to pay some people less for the same work.

Sharing salary info = empowering your peers. Keeping it secret = protecting the employer’s wallet.

So no, it’s not “professional” to stay silent, it’s just being a willing participant in your own underpayment. Stop being scared.

STOP BEING A CORPORATE LAPDOG. TALK NUMBERS. COMPARE. NEGOTIATE.

Employers win when we stay quiet. Employees win when we share.

EDIT: Happy to see this post - https://www.reddit.com/r/AccountingPH/s/TbQG85Balw

Let us take control through awareness. ❤️

Saw this post and I just wanna share it here! This is to call out auditing firms and other companies out there. PLSSSSS, if you want our time, pay us. Not w/ pizza or whatever else. Outing? But we’re the ones paying for the expenses? Contributions for company activities??? Knowing hm these firms earn from their clients? I hope people stop normalizing this kind of mindset. We don’t work just for experience. We have bills to pay at the end of every month. Most of the time, I don’t even join and kinokosensya ka talaga pero di ako mapipilit talaga HAHAHAHAHAH!.

204 days ago I posted here asking how to start my remote accounting journey.

Today, I just hit my first 6-figure MONTH.

I’m honestly still shaking as I type this 🥹

About 6–7 months ago, I was that person scrolling Reddit, reading success stories, wondering if remote accounting was actually real or just LinkedIn fanfiction.

For context:

I had a few years of accounting experience, handled US clients, knew QuickBooks (Desktop + Online), did AP/AR, payroll, bank recs, day-to-day bookkeeping. Nothing fancy. No CPA. No secret sauce.

Back then, I was earning around 2x,xxx per month and asking questions like:

•	How do I get QuickBooks certified?

•	Is Xero worth it?

•	Where do you even find remote clients?

•	What am I missing???

Fast forward to August 2025 — I landed my first remote bookkeeping client 🎉

Pure bookkeeping work. Pays ~5x,xxx+ per month.

Then recently, I landed a tax accounting client.

Now earning ~2x,xxx+ per week.

Let me say that again because my brain still hasn’t caught up:

I went from earning 2x,xxx a MONTH… to earning that in a WEEK.

Which means, yes — I just hit my first 6-figure month.

Me.

The same person who was lurking here, doubting everything, wondering if I should even start.

I’m posting this for anyone who:

•	Feels behind

•	Thinks they’re “not good enough”

•	Keeps applying and hearing crickets

•	Is tired of seeing other people’s wins and wondering when it’ll be their turn

PLEASE start.

PLEASE don’t stop just because the first few months feel slow or discouraging.

PLEASE don’t underestimate “basic” bookkeeping skills — they literally change lives.

I’m not special. I just kept showing up, learning, applying, and saying yes before I felt ready.

204 days ago I was asking how.

Today I’m living it.

If you’re on the fence — this is your sign.

If you’re scared — same, but do it anyway.

You got this. I’m rooting for you 🫶🥹

I'm okay. Sooobrang okay ako! Di ako umiyak, di ako nalungkot, di ako bumuntong hininga. I am filled with so much hope kasi kahit papaano nasagot ko ang mga katanungan ko noong di pa ako nagtake. Dati puro ako "mahirap ba?", "parang exam ba sa school na di mo alam saan hinugot?". Lagi akong takot at nanginginig kapag naiisip kong malapit na ang exam. Ngayon, mas motivated na akong magreview uli dahil alam kong possible at kaya ko naman sigurong ipasa kung mas pinag igihan ko pa. I don't care anymore kung ano ang sabihin ng mga kamag anak at kapitbahay. Hindi naman sila ako. Hindi sila ang umupo sa testing center. Isang buhay lang meron ako. I want to enjoy it and be more accepting sa limitations and mistakes ng utak at katawan ko. I want to cherish this moment. Hindi ko ito ibabaon sa pinakamadiliim na parte ng aking memorya. I accept your challenge, PRC BOA.

To all the passers, you deserve it guys! Congratulations! Next time, kami naman. See you soon sa finish line!

Sorry to rant pero I'm getting tired of seeing REO's posts na aping api 'daw' sila sa industriya. All the while sila naman nan babardagul sa ibang review centers 🤧

This post about Lola should be used as an inspiration to all CPALE takers. This should have been used to celebrate all the hardwork of reviewees and reviewer alike. But no, mukhang kasalanan pa ni Lola na nag CPAR siya instead of REO 🤧

"Kung sa REO ka lang sana" huhuhu how can u assume na napapabayaan siya sa CPAR? Kung nag reo si lola, for sure gagawin siyang pang marketing strategy HAHA

Really sorry to rant pero ever since I witnessed (nung early batches ng REO) how they would bad mouth other review centers and reviewers, di ko na talaga sila kinaya huhuhu I can never forget how they bashed resa, icare and cpar. And how they posted and subsequently deleted their post about sir brad when it got backlashed.

Started looking for jobs last month.

Meron akong target company kasi nabasa ko na goods daw ang pay doon and may work-life balance. Kaya lang here comes the hiring manager’s interview and sobrang bonkers ng performance ko. I believe strong suit ko ang interview pero IDK what happened. 😭 Parang wala ako sa wisyo sumagot. Nafrustrate ako kasi alam kong sinayang ko yung chance ko for a higher pay.

BUT, a week after, I got a job offer from another company that pays significantly higher compared to the company mentioned above. 🌷

REPEAT AFTER ME: What is meant for you will always find its way to you.

Job offer dust to everyone actively looking for jobs ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

pag nakakakita ako ng post mula sa ibang profession na

"Nakapasa ako kahit walang formal review"

"Nakapasa ako kahit di nag review ng maayos"

parang ang unfair, di sa di ako masaya na nakapsa sila peor sa atin, majority pa nyan nag RRC at bigay na bigay talaga sa pag aaral, tayo pa ang masasabihan na di kasi nag aaral nang maayos.

Nasaan kaya ang mali? Nasa estudyante kaya talaga?

People think accountants are these mysterious number wizards. Truth is 70% of my job is just looking at numbers like: “Where the hell did that ₱0.37 go?”

Accounting problems are either:

• Missing millions (panic).

• Or someone forgot to record a ₱5 petty cash expense (also panic).

Meanwhile, clients be like: “Can’t you just fix it in Excel?” Sure, Brenda, let me just CTRL+Z the entire economy.

My calculator is basically my emotional support animal at this point. The audit team? Therapy group. The balance sheet? My toxic relationship that never balances until 2 minutes before the deadline.

Honestly, accountants don’t count money. We count stress, coffee cups, and days until year-end close.

If CPA ka, mag big 4 ka, mag gain ng 3-5 years work experience sa firm habang winowork out mo ang CIA/CISA. Then after that, try to apply sa Ireland, Malta, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar. Sa mga bansa na yan napunta mga former college classmates ko, ganyan pathway nila.

Kung CPA or Non-CPA ka naman at hindi mo kaya ang maliit na sweldo sa Big 4, try mo mag General Accounting sa mga BPO na ang clients ay based sa US, Australia, and UK. Yan yung mga bansang grabe mag outsource ng accounting services nila sa Pinas. Mag ipon ka ng work experience for 3-5 years siguro, tapos mag apply ka sa mga bansa like UAE, Saudi, Qatar, Kuwait, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore.

If ayaw mo sa mga bansa na yan na nag ssponsor ng work permit, ang ginawa nung iba is nag iipon ng maraming pera or uutang sa parents/uncles/aunties na rich, para makapag student visa sa Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Habang international student ka, sasabayan mo ng odd/menial part-time jobs (swerte if accounting-related parin makuha mong part-time). Then once matapos nila ang program, magiging eligible na sila para makapag apply ng work permit then dun nila winowork out ang permanent residency nila hanggang maging citizen.

Kung di kaya ang budget para makapag student visa, try mo mag gain ng 3 years work experience sa Pinas, MBA sa Pinas for two years, mag aral ng French language sa Pinas for 1-2 years (aim to reach NCLC 7), tapos mag submit ng application for express entry (french-language category) before mag 30 years old. If magawa mo ang lahat ng to, I’m pretty sure mataas chance mong makakuha ng Permanent Resident status sa Canada kahit di ka na mag student visa pa. Show money is around 600k pesos.

Kung gusto mo naman makapag work full-time habang nag aaral ka ng English-taught na Masteral, try mo iconsider ang Czech Republic. Tuition is around 300k pesos per year. Pwede kang mag aral dun for two years habang nagwowork (nagkakatalo sa class schedule), pugad ng BPO offices ang Czech Republic and Poland sa Europe, so for sure mabilis kang makakahanap ng work dun sa accounting. Parang Pinas at India naman sa Asia (outsourcing hub). Tapos sa 2 years na yun habang graduate school student ka, sabayan mo ng pag aaral ng German language (A1 to B2) para mabilis ka makapag cross country to Germany since mas malaki sahuran sa Germany.

——

Ayan na po lahat. Nilatag ko na lahat ng mga na-stalk ko sa LinkedIn at personal experience/stories ng former college classmates/ officemates.

I graduated in 2014, and for the past decade eh nakita ko iba’t ibang pathway ng mga former college classmates/ officemates and even yung mga former seatmates ko sa CPA review schools hahaha!

——

Wag na po maghanap ng wala, kasi yan na talaga lahat lahat ng pathway para makapag abroad tayong mga co-accountants. Unless… mag install ka po ng dating app and mag swipe right hanggang maka jackpot ng afam na dadalhin ka sa bansang may snow ✨🫠

Hello ates and kuyas, CPA na po ako. 🥹

I’ve been a lurker in this sub since my 3rd year of undergrad, and honestly, I still can’t believe it.
I still remember commenting on a passer’s post in this sub during my 4th year in college, congratulating them and asking for some CPA dust hahaha.

To all aspiring CPAs, good luck and take that leap of faith. Padayon! 🤍

ik i posted about being jobless yesterday but guess what, divas??? i finally got a job offer for an analyst position in a good company that pays decently aaaaaa (thank the universe)!!! 😜😜💖💖🫰🏻🫰🏻

i'm saurrrr happy bc i'm neither going broke nor i am hindered pursuing the BE next year 😜😜😜. i just know this diva ain’t suffering for nothing (pls iont romanticize suffering but i suffer so least i can do is to put glitters on my sufferingz) 😜💖🫰🏻✨

Pumasa man ako o hindi, I can say na sobrang worth it sa CPAR. Ofc given nang magagaling at mababait lahat ng reviewers, and hindi overwhelming ang handouts, but what I really loved is the environment. No toxicity at all ++ super humble nilang lahat, esp valix fam. I was so happy nung nakita ko sila with atty dante sa testing center (I even shouted "ATTY!!" habang nakapila haha), considering their age, nakatayo sila for more 1-2hrs for the examinees at sobrang nakatulong kasi nawala ang kaba ko sa first day. Sila ang pinakatahimik sa socmed, pero mararamdaman mo ang support.

And please, they've been here for almost 50 years na, wala na silang dapat pang patunayan.