CFE Workshops

Practical and Effective Methods for Outlining a CFE Case

During this workshop, you will learn and practise how to:

• Improve your case-reading comprehension and practise how to effectively read a case under time constraints (let’s face it — reading an accounting case and your favourite novel or the latest Hollywood news column is not one and the same)
• Prepare an effective case outline that enhances your understanding of the case and enhances the quality of your response (no point doing an outline if it does not help you in your ultimate goal — writing good case responses!)   
• Identify and correctly interpret a case and allocate the appropriate amount of time to each required based on its significance and complexity (and as a bonus, we will also teach you how to stick to those time allocations!)
• Identify your role, its importance and its impact on the ranking of issues (paying attention to your role is half the battle)
• Identify which minor issues should be left out of your case response (yes, you heard it right — some issues simply need to be left out. Why? We’ll talk about it at the workshop)
• Apply practical time-management techniques to complete your case on time and ensure that your response is well-balanced (what’s the secret sauce? Sticking to the time allocations!)

Mastering Accounting Issue Analysis

During this workshop, you will learn and practise how to:

• Identify accounting issues correctly and distinguish between complex and not-so-complex accounting issues (and guess which ones you have to address to do well? If you guessed complex, you are right!)
• Efficiently write a concise accounting-issue statement and effectively plan, organize and format your accounting-issue response (wait a second, what’s this “accounting-issue statement”? No worries, we got you! Join us at the workshop)
• Effectively integrate case facts into your response (that’s easier said than done! And we would normally agree with you. But once you practise at our workshop, it will be easy to say AND easy to do!) 
• Efficiently write an effective and a complete recommendation, and link the recommendation to the impacts on financial statements (you need to make this explicit for your client, that’s why they are paying you the big bucks!)  
• Appropriately allocate time to complex versus simple accounting issues and be efficient with your time by adjusting the layout and writing style for the major versus minor accounting issues (we are so excited to walk you through the difference between these!)

Awesome Quant Shortcuts, Tips and Techniques

During this workshop, you will learn and practise how to:

• Effectively set up a quant outline (big decisions are made here! Will the outline be in Excel? Will it be on paper? Let’s discuss!)
• Allocate the correct amount of time to each quant component (purpose, calculation and conclusion) so that your quant is well-balanced (and so that you score well and get to the rest of the case!)
• Write an effective quant purpose statement that demonstrates your technical knowledge (haven’t done a statement like this before? That’s part of our secret sauce, and we will be delighted to tell you about it)
• Quickly prepare effective and concise notes to support calculations (an important but often neglected part of the process)
• Exclude unnecessary numbers and information from the calculation (yet another way to ensure you stay on time and on track when completing your quant)
• Write a strong and balanced qualitative analysis that aligns well with your quant analysis (exam markers and clients in real life are looking for those balanced responses. If you don’t believe us, just ask them!)

Become a Pro at Writing Procedures, Control Weaknesses and Control Testing

During this workshop, you will learn and practise how to:

• Correctly identify high-risk areas in a case and related assertions (and remember to link to accounting issues too!)
• Write an effective and concise audit/review procedure (collecting the right type of evidence is key)
• Distinguish clearly when and how to discuss control weaknesses versus control testing (don’t mix them up — just like you would not want to accidentally pick up fresh apples if your intent is to pick up a yummy apple pie) 
• Distinguish between financial statement controls and operational controls (you need to know the difference between these two!)
• Efficiently write effective and concise control weakness, implication and recommendation statements (and we really mean it when we say efficiently! Managing your time is critical for your overall response)
• Write effective and concise control procedures while linking to the appropriate evidence (haven’t had enough practice with these procedures? No worries, that’s why we will be sure to talk about them as well!)
• Determine the number of procedures, control weaknesses and tests of control to discuss in your response (and allocate time accordingly)

Mastering the Audit/Review Planning Memo

During this workshop, you will learn and practise how to:

• Effectively set up and organize an audit/review planning memo (while keeping to time constraints)
• Correctly distinguish between risk at the overall financial statement level (OFSL), and the account and assertion level (we do not want to make the common mistake of confusing these two!)
• Quickly and concisely discuss risks at the OFSL and account and assertion level, and effectively explain how risks at OFSL lead to errors in financial statements (we will walk through these step by step)
• Determine the number and type of risks to include in a response (you don’t want to spend too much time on this, but you also need to get enough points on paper. It’s always about balance, isn’t it?)  
• Select the right materiality benchmark and efficiently write a concise and to-the-point materiality discussion (and of course we will talk about how materiality is never linked to risk, not even once in a million cases. Never.)
• Correctly adjust and calculate planning, performance and specific materiality (now THIS is where you can definitely link your discussion to risk. Confused yet? Not to worry. We got you!)
• Quickly write an effective audit/review approach discussion (this session is especially for you if you are not sure what to include in the approach besides the good old “combined vs substantive approach” discussion)
• Effectively include assurance terminology to demonstrate your assurance technical knowledge (don’t worry about doing a technical review before the workshop — we will do it together!)
• Effectively support your analysis with case facts (case facts are always the foundation of any analysis we do, and the planning memo is not an exception)

Day 1 CFE Success

During this workshop, you will learn and practise how to:

• Effectively plan, organize and outline the Day 1 CFE case (you need a totally different game plan here from the rest of the CFE!)  
• Prepare a time budget and an outline that will allow you to stay on track and on time (staying on track will be the most challenging out of the two)
• Prepare an effective and concise situational analysis and correctly link your discussion to it (just when you thought you had mastered case-writing, there’s something new to learn — situational analysis! Gotta know how to do it!)
• Effectively analyze strategic and operational issues (and provide effective and complete recommendations)
• Identify the “big picture” and incorporate it into your analysis (this can sometimes be tricky, and we’ll go over what to look for and what could be just a red herring)
• Complete to-the-point, well-supported and effective calculations to support your analysis (markers will be looking for this! Can’t neglect to do them!)

Day 2 CFE Success — Assurance

During this workshop, you will learn and practise how to:

• Effectively plan, organize and outline a Day 2 CFE case (whether or not you’ve worked in Assurance before, writing a five-hour assurance case requires planning and outlining!)
• Apply practical time-management techniques to complete your Day 2 CFE case on time (stay on track, get through all of your major issues and still enjoy the process. OK, the last one is a bonus, but the rest is a must)
• Effectively expand your analysis to reach depth in the assurance role, use case facts and include assurance terminology (all of this to demonstrate depth in your technical knowledge of assurance) 
• Advise the client on the appropriate special-purpose report and the right level of assurance, based on case facts, and write effective special-purpose report procedures (plus, we will do a refresher on all special-purpose reports!)
• Correctly respond to complex assurance technical topics such as: internal audit, use of experts, the emphasis-of-matter paragraph, modifications to the audit opinion, related services, analytical procedures and interim financial statements (and the list keeps going!)

Eliminate Exam Anxiety

During this workshop, you will learn:

• How to effectively prepare for the three-day CFE “brain marathon” (yes, it’s a marathon! It’s challenging but totally doable and super rewarding! Just like for any other marathon, the key is to get ready and be prepared)
• When to study and when to relax while maintaining excellent progress and being on top of your game (taking guilt-free breaks is as important as studying hard)
• What to do and what not to do right before exams to ensure that you are in the right mindset (and being in the right mindset is critical. You have to be ready — ready to showcase your skills and ready to let the world know that you are qualified to be a CPA!)
• How to best plan and organize your exam days (we’ve researched practical, real-life and effective tips that work . . . even what to eat and what not to eat. We’ve covered it all)
• How to identify and eliminate risks that could impact your exam performance (after doing all that work, you don’t want to leave anything to chance!)
• How to get in the right state of mind for each day of the CFE (you’ve heard the expression “mind over matter.” It definitely applies for this exam — if not THE biggest exam in your professional career, it will be one of the most important challenges you’ll ever face)