90-Day CFE Exam Challenge Success Story: Cecilia Arlene Alva, CFE, CIA

When Cecilia Arlene Alva, CFE, CIA, came across the 90-Day CFE Exam Challenge, she saw an opportunity to gain not only guidance but also a sense of community in her journey toward earning the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) credential. The challenge, which encourages aspiring CFEs to prepare for and pass the CFE Exam in just 90 days, proved to be the structured and supportive environment Cecilia needed to stay motivated and focused. 

Read on to discover Cecilia’s approach to exam preparation, how the challenge helped her succeed and her advice for future participants aiming to earn their CFE credential. 

Why did you join the 90-Day CFE Exam Challenge? 

I came across an invitation and thought it was brilliant that the ACFE provided a forum where aspiring CFE candidates could find support in their exam preparation. And as I eventually found out for myself, I believe the challenge is so designed because it is doable to gather all your eligibility materials and prepare for and pass your exams in 90 days. 

What did your study method look like? 

After I had mustered up the courage to hit the green eligibility button, I scheduled my exams in two-week intervals to give myself sufficient time to study in between exams. I used the CFE Exam Prep Course® Subscription Package (Silver) and found it to be an excellent and sufficient review. The Prep Course breaks down each exam part into modules, which are further broken down into topics. It may feel daunting at first to see so many modules under each exam part but once you get into a routine, you will be able to tackle them. I studied in 30 to 40-minute increments and took breaks in between. I read for understanding and depending on the length of the readings, I completed one to two modules a day. I waited until after I had read all of the topics under one module before answering the review questions for that module. This method placed me in test mode. I set the review answers to "off," and made use of the confidence level feature only for the answers I was not confident about. After completing the questions, I paid particular attention to those questions that I missed and those that I marked with a low confidence rating and spent extra time understanding those concepts. I repeated this review method for all the other modules under each exam part. The only additional material I studied outside of the prep course were the topic tutorials that you can access when you join the 90-Day CFE Exam Challenge. I found the comparison between common law and civil law to be extremely helpful.  

How did the challenge help you accomplish your goal of passing the CFE Exam? 

If you have apprehensions about taking the CFE Exams or need guidance on how to approach your review, I urge you to join the challenge. The challenge provided me with the support, direction and confidence I needed to help me tackle my exams. I learned from other participants and was encouraged by those who shared their study tips and successes. I was equally inspired by participants who shared their setbacks but with perseverance and determination overcame their challenges and eventually passed their exams. I sat on the sidelines when I first joined the challenge, but over time participated in some discussions. By the time I was reviewing for my exams, I became an active participant, offering support where I could. And it is true when the ACFE says that the more challenge participants become involved in the challenge, whether by attending the Q&As or participating on the discussion board, the more likely they are to attain their goal of passing the CFE Exams. 

What did it feel like when you got the email saying you had passed?  

I was elated each time I received the email saying I had passed, and that I passed with bright colors! I waited until I had arrived home after each exam before checking my email so I could share the news with my family. They were all so proud of me! And so was my manager. I also took a few days off to visit family and see “Wicked” with my daughter and niece. The celebration continues when I fly out tonight with my daughter for a vacation in the Philippines! 

What advice do you have for challenge participants who are preparing for the CFE Exam? 

It took me a while before taking the plunge to finally schedule my exams. I was apprehensive at first and kept pushing my deadline. But I found that even if you think you are not completely ready to take the exams, or no matter where your confidence level is, or how much or how little material you have covered before hitting the green eligibility button, it is very doable to prepare for and successfully pass all four exams in the 90 days that the ACFE gives you. Once you have your exam schedules set, you will be laser-focused on your review, and quite frankly, be forced to study because you now have an exam date to meet. In fact, it was the first time for me to see the study material for the first exam that I took, but because I knew I had an exam date coming up, I poured the time and effort into studying the material in the two weeks that I had before the exam. I was quite surprised when I found out I scored 91% in this exam. I did the same for the three other exams and scored 92%, 94% and 89%. 

So be bold and schedule your exams. You will be done before you know it. Congratulations in advance on earning your CFE credential. I know you can do it.

Sign up for the next 90-Day CFE Exam Challenge